The New era. [volume] ([Portsmouth, Va.]) 1845-1847, 1846-12-22

H'c ""N "'y ~ upuu w CNcndnUPS OI
either in the foreign market. IN which exp iris
must always look for a purchaser, must be dlsas
trous IN its effects, The ruinous Consequences If
The protective system having been proved in En-
gland by her own most enlightened statesmen.
and Demonstrated by experience. il has been sur.
rendered there, by mnst Of tho e WIN sustained
i, heretofore. under the lead uf iIs own iormet
most able and distinguished advocate; and navy.
when IL has failed abroad. after reducing millions
there tn want and misery, we are asked, after its
overthrow there and here, TO re establish at home
The condemned and abandoned British protective
pnlicy. AT the very time when the markets of
Great Britain are opened 10 our products by the
repeal of her corn laws, we are desired to prevent,
their operation in favor of those products by high
or prohibitory duties on the only fabrics for which
hey can he exchanged.
There yet remains ,obacco-one Of our imppr
tant s,aples-on which heavy duties. not for pro
lection. but fur revenue only, are still imposed in
England; but If our present commercial policy is
maintained here. it is not doubted that even on
tins article the present high duties will be reduc
ed, with the progressive advance, there and
throughout the world, uf the more liberal and en-
llgh'ened system of unrestricted exchanges.
IL is believed that the tariff of 1876 will vindi
cate itselfby It's results that il will furnish mure
revenue than the act II superseded, aud more rap
IDLY advance the business and prosperity Of The
whule country. The duties are Imposed only for
revenue To support the government, la bring mo
ney INTO the treasury E; and not To enhance prices,
or Ia advance particular classes or pursuits a, the
expense of others. The duties are assessed on
all imports in exact proportion to their value, and
not according To the system of specific duties and
~minimums, by which The per centage of taxation
invariably rises as the value of the article is de.
pressed. and sinks as its rises in value thus uni.
tnrmly discriminating in favor of the wealthy
few, and against the telling millions. No AIDE
l np, - -. l.- --- -
ties should not be Imposed on all articles in pro
portion to their real value. AS to frauds, our
merchants and public officers are as familiar with
the foreign as with the hume price current. Tie
duty being assessed on each cargo in proportion To
It's value at the port of expectation, that value
being governed by the price a, the une port from
which the shipment was made, is much more as
ceriainable than the home value, which is differ
ent in nearly all our principal cities. No appre.
tensions are entertained by this department of
impositions by fraudulent invoices or false valua
tions. 1t is fully believed that a system of fair and
honest valuation can and will be established. by
increased vigilance al home and abroad, by max
ing one custom house and one sci of appraisers a
check upon the other-thuse establishing uniform
Itv throughout the Union. and finally subjeciing
the whole to supervision here, under the 'immedi
ale direction and superintendence of this DEPART
ment.
Ii is belle we'd that the aggregate revenue under
the new tariff exceeding that under the old will
demonstrate that the government has not lost by
fraudulent invoices or false valuations under The
system of duties ad valorem, and that the duties
will he collected according To the actual value OF
the imports which it is not pretended, nor was
il designed that they should be under a system of
minimum or specific duties. II is respectfully sub
United that the new system, SO just and equal in
all It's purposes, should have a fair trial. Even
those who oppose II from a sincere conviction thai
II Is erroneous, ought to desire that it should he
fairly tried. If it fails, as they believe, it car
then he abandoned and the old system restored,
but if the new tariff succeeds, az is the confident
belief of this department, it will be a triumph ot
Justice and of equal rights, rejecting the highes,
honor on our free institutions.
1t is remarkable that all he able and philosnphi
cal writers on this great question. both in Europe
and America unconnecied with party or politics
and influenced only by a regard for truth and the
best interests Of all nations. have long and faith
fully advocated the great doctrine Of free exchange,
even when the practice of governments was oppo
sed 10 their views; and they now enjoy the high
satisfaction Of seeing what they regarded rs axio.
matte truths Incorporated into The policy of the two
greatest powers of the world, and moving onward
TO the great and final victory of universal peace
and unrestricted commerce.
A copy of the Instructions for carrying into
effect the new tariff is hereto annexed, mark
ed j.
In connexion with The finances, the suggestions
made in nv last annual report, in regard TO the re
duction and graduation of the prices of The public
lands IN favor of settlers ard cultivatOrs, are again
respectfully submitted to the consideration of Con.
gress, as certain means of augmenting the teve
nue.. The public lands now snhject to sale at mi.
vate entry exceed one bundred and forty millions
of acres, a vast portion of (which long in market i:
wholly unsaleable at existing rates, but would i
oIuool onI -,oI,atoI EnI ...
lower rates. The sales in the Chickasaw ccssior
in The States Of Alabama, Mississippi, and Tennes
see. establish the fact, that the application of the
principle of reduction and graduation rapidly aug
ments The proceeds Of the sales. The addition I,
the wealth of The nation. in the augmented valnt
of these lands, as well as the crops that have beer
already raised upon them, cannot he less thar
thirty millions of dollars. This district ha wing
been sold for the benefit of the Chickasaws, is the
only one of The land districts in the new States ,c
which the principle of reduction and graduation
has been applied and the result has proved the
beneficial effects Of This measure. both as a mean.
of anqmenting the revenue, and increasing the
public welfare.
BY a communication from the General Ian,
Office. hereto annexed (marked X it appears
that the quantity Of public lands in that cession il
4,3l6,925 acres, Of which 1861 300 have beer
sold. The average price realized in less than nine
Years, up TO The Both Of June, 1916, was ninety
one cents per acre the lands being subject tn sal,
by the treaty, the first year al 81 % per acre, The
second year at 5 per acre, the third year at fifty
cents per acre, the fourth year at twenty five cents
per acre, and The fifth and all succeeding years a
twelve and a half cents per acre. This is a lower
price, and a much more rapid reduction. than was
proposed in regard TO the public lands and We,
this district in which The sales were made in the
same manner, Except the gradualion.) by the
United States, as other public lands, has com
mandcd a larger proportional sum in the same pc
rlod Than any other land district in the United
States. II also appears by the official rennri from