Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1846-08-21
VOLUME 1l...NUMBER Is

whole character, the whole effect of the BILL
You see every where in il the delight TO reycl in
the delights of taking away mems employment.
That's the character Of this bill. And this is the
question now before the Senate. Sir, / had ho-
ped that the honorable gentleman who spoke YES
terday with so much effect on the necessity of
protecting the mechanics and dlaborers-who dwclt
with 50 much emphasis on the very Objectionable
feature of taxing the raw material had hoped
that he would have held to his purpose. | say
that this bill holds a language that cannot be mis-
taken, that cannot and will not be misunderstood.
1t is not bill for the people. 1t is not bill for
the masses. 1t is not bill to add to the COM
forts of those in middle life, or the poor 1t is
not bill for employment. 1t is bill for the re-
lief OF the highest and most luXuriant classes of
the country, and bill imposing onerous duties
on the great industrious masses, and taking away
the means of living from labor every where
throughout the land. 1t cannot be disguised
You cannot mask its features. No man is so
blind as not to see what this bill is; and the peo-
pie will not be so calous, trust, as not to feel it.
In this sense, and in this view, the question now
about to be put is a test question. We shall have
the voice of the Senate upon it. We shall know
who is for raising the duty on various articles to
the prejudice, and in many cases to the ruin of
our own countrymen working here at home as
artisans and handicralismen, and who is at the
same time for reducing the duties on the highest
luxures. That's the test. Mr.. President, that's
the test And no man can escape it. No man
will escape that test. Now shall vote TO keep
this proposition in the hands of the committee.
The committee has not tried whether il can obey
the instructions Of the Senate. Last night they
MO do tlo
ly hour this morning they say they have made
up their minds. Was ever the like heard beforel
The chairman asks TO be discharged. don't
believe they were convened on this matter for
ten minutes. doubt whether they have been
together at all! What is the difficulty of ascer-
tanning the amount Of duty on the general list Of
raw materials, and reducing the rates of this bill
to those of the act of l842! There is not a gen.
tleman who could not do it in two hours.
Mr.. Archer. Not one hour, sir.
Mr.. Webster. No, sir, not one hour would il
take, as the gentleman from Virginia suggests
No, il is not want of time. 1t is want of purpose.
Mr.. Sewer. Order.
Mr.. Webster. Who SAYS ''order."
Mr.. Sewer. | say 'order."
Mr.. Webster. Well, pray, what's the disor-
der!
M. Sewer. You are commenting on the spur
pose" of the committee.
Mr.. Webster. It's their purpose to pass the
bill-is it not!
Mr. Sewer. say you are out of order.
Mr.. Webster. If so, the echairwl correct me.
Mr.. President. The Senator from Massachu-
sets is not at all out of order.
Mr.. Webster. Blowing to the Senator from
Arkansas, and smiling.) hope the gentleman
will now get up and make very handsome apol-
ogy for interrupng me.
Mr.. Sewer. Oh, certainly.
Mr.. Webster. Every thing that passes here
between the honorable gentleman and myself al
ways has very pleasing termination. must
bring these remarks, Mr.. President, to a close
If they had been disposed, the committee could
have obeyed your instructions before meridian
this day. lam rather inclined to think, sir, that
they did not fatigue themselves by examining this
matter. am rather inclined to think that it was
their opinion that the best way was to take short
cut and move to be discharged in the hope that
some occurrence or other would enable them to
carry that motion. do not believe that they
|, have opened book, or looked at any list of raw
materials. am disposed to think, Mr. Presi-
dent, that they arc as rd'o on the subject as they
were yesterday. lrepeat, sir, that this bill has a
face and front, so that when it is held up to the
country, no man need write at the bottom of ii
whether it is democratic bill, or an aristocratc
bill. When it shows to all the laborng portions
of this community, that their daily labor and
their daily bread are directly interlered with that
wherever it can be done, a tax is laid upon the
materials upon which they work and earn their
. living; when they see at the same time in the
next line the duties on those high classes Of luXu-
res-spirits, silks, expensive carpets, rich cut
glass, and the rest of them-are reduced, will
f they ask anybody to tell them what the bill s!-
Will they need any one to give name to it,
Sir, it names itself. Ii has the face and front o
an arstocratic bill, oppressive of the poor anC
working man, and in every respect it corresponds
} to its face and front.
Mr.. MCDUFFIE then said: The strong language
of the Senator from Massachusetts, in character
zing this bill as an aristocratic measure imposes
upon me the duty of saying a few words before
the question is taken, in order to dsabuse the pub
! lie mind of any such impression, if any such i'm
4 preston be made upon it. The honorable Sena
9 tor has asked with great confidence, and certain
ly not in the expectation Of being replied to-
h Where is the democratic feature of this bill!-
V Where is the provision intended to operate in ia
e vor Of the laboring classes Of the country! Ol
: the contrary, he goes on to enumerate certain ar
r ticles of luxures upon which the duties have beel
II reduced, and leaving it to be inferred that thes
), are the great and principal reductions. Now
l. Mr.. President, will point out to the Senator tn
! democratic features of this bill. 1t has reduces
: the duty on salt from eight cents to half cent
u 1t has reduced the duty upon sugar from two an
= half cents to one cent per pound. 1t has redu
ced the duty on all that class of cotton manulac
d lures, whether white or printed, which is consu
n med by the laborers, farmers, and mechanics G
1t the United States, - knows how much! BI
o sincerely believe that in this bill, all that clas
|. Of manufacturers consumed hv the moor and miC