Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1847-09-07
7.nc.doy Morning, September I, ls47.
SIR ROBERT PEEL's ADDRESS To lis
CONSTITUENTS.

CONSTITUENTS.
Our readers will fad in another column asy-
nons;s Of that portion Of Sir Robert Peers al
dress relative to his financial and commeic'ai
nolicy. prepared by The London correspondent ol
the National lnielligencer. We hope that tns 90
cum n. containing the observation and experience
If The greatest statesman Of the greatest CONNER
cial country Of the globe, will be caielu'y
weighed by all. Ii treats Of matters OF The gIeas
es, importance to us, and is filed with lessons u
wisdom which the people OF The ohHea o''.l'
and more especially Of The Southern eAPo''"s
States canno, consider too attenliveiy. Inc ques'
tion of revenue is certainly one OF INC NUS
nortant which can be discussed al all 'ine''
ia of peculiar importance at the present Pc
rlod Of our history, aRd oil Inc history "
the world. The great Improvements q "e
age have made conimeicial intercourse .
matter Of overwhelming importance. Aiw,
ed men are NJ longer The only soa'ee
mower and security. Our %co,hmercia. ma
riue exe,,s an influence in promoting OUT Po"e'
and consequence hardly less than that oi oa.
armed navy. Every interest asrichl'uf
liz yarielies-manulactures in all 'neH "un'
ram.fcations-national wealth, whicn ; ~ 10
,;ons, nower-all are bound up With and aefenu-
an, ON onr commercial policy; and ihat CON-
nerc;sl policy depends more upon our revenue
laws and the principles On which they are lameo'
than on any thing or every thing else.
The Two grea, parties which divide the coun-
,ry are fully sensible of this. One OF mem cen
lends. that the primary object which snou'a DC
ken, constantly in view in levyins imports IS 10
afford The greatest degree of protection 10 those
cmp;oymenls which come in compennoh WIN
reign labor and industry, that can De ahoi',o'
w;.oort making the revenue inadequate 10 'he
u,an,s Of The Cove. nment. The other parry con-
lends that. under the Constitution, imports sAoua
be leyiei only for purposes OF revenue anu VI.
our Tariff Law should De framed WIN 'ne WY
purpose OF raising the funds necessary lof -
administration of the Government, oy the lo"es'
r,n,s of duties which will accomplish that Puf-
rosa The Wings contend, that the h'gnes'
rates of duty should be levied, which Will ho'
exclude SO much ofthe products oil foreigh iao''
as 10 make the revenue from The small ainoun'
;mported inadequate TO the national wants. Inc
Democrats contend that we should enoesVof "
exclude none OF the products of foreign na'ions'
which the lowest duties, adequate to raise rcVe-
me will not exclude from our custom houses.
And they hold it to be the better policy to make
nm The required amour! by light duties on heavy
;mpor,a,ions, rather than by heavydul On iiSh'
importations.
The letter of Sir Robert Peel gives US an ae-
count Of the practical benefits which have noweo
from the adoption OF that policy by the English
government, which the Democratic party desire
10 see made the permanent policy Of this coun'
,ry. 1t is in this view that we regard 1t as a pa
per of the greatest importance; Tor IL shows con-
.,ns;vely The practical good which the reduction
the hieh cnSfScreFoe sh= -2-.-ehaul Je forget
important testimony. The long period during
which Sir Robert Peel was prime minister OF
Great Britain gave him The best opportunity 10
make himself acquainted with The operation oil
,he revenue laws Of that country, both IN p'odlc
inc The funds necessary for the government ana
in influencing the interests Of lhe country. tie
controlled The public affairs OF his nation al a
lime when the great changes were effected, aho ne
is the best person TO speak authoritatiVeiy niue
consequences which resulted from those changes
If we rem. mber rightly, he did not enter pubic
life as . Free Trade advocate; but was forced &c
admit, the necessity Of reducing The duly on I'M
norris by the crying evils which he saw on every
side as The practical effects Of restrictions on
commercial intercourse. When We add TO this
his clear and comprehensive intellect, ms great
IL III. - n N n 1nd as
a statesman, his testimony is most valuable.
When Sir Robert Peel went into power IN
1871, the revenues Of England were dehcien'
more than Two millions OF dollars. This den'
cheney had TO be met, and the Minister took the
steps necessary for that purpose. There were
mauy duties which were so high as 10 be prohi.
bi,ory, and many Of a prohibitory character
Prohibitions were abolished, The excessive duties
lessoned. and the duties on the raw materials
fixed al an amoun. not exceeding FIVE per cent.
mi ,alozsn. The duties thus femitted from le42
10 1916. inclusive, amounted 10 t7,6S5,5Si.-
Large as this amount was, yet 1t was reniuco'
no, only without any diminution Of The ordinary
revenue OF The Kingdom, but was accompanied
hy an increase in the revenue. The anouu' OF
The ordinary revenue for the year ending Inc ON
olJuly, 1s47. exceeds lha, for the year 1910 oy
the sum of e. 6l5 S7i while the revenue fot
the year ending the III u April, ls47-lhe year
succeeding The re6sclion Of duties-eycceds ina
of The year eniing The 5.h of April, is4l-the
wear preceding The r,duc:ion-by The sum o
f9434 iy, These facts spread over a period o
five wears, and prove conclusivcly that high du
lies, which are prohibilory in their main c, afe:n
furious 10 the revenue. The experience OF Eng
land acd the Unitcd States agree in this. Alars'
amount OF reduction was effected by The Iarl1
which went into oarsaiion on the first OF Deem
Der last; get Inc revenue up ~ The Jun OF July
the period OF the las, returns from The Treasuf,
Depar,ment-had increased more than a miliioi
OF dollars.
The letter of Sir Robert is eminenlly instruc
tive ia another point OF view. We call attention
TO the table in The synopsis showing The rapid IN
crease in articles of consumption between TIL
years i64l and 1916. The increase will be seei
10 he very great. There are no statistics whici
show The consumption Of articles OF prime neces
sity, but without doubt it has increased as rapid.
as that OF articles of secondary importance
These facts apply as we'll TO the United States e
10 England. For the same laws OF trade which
apply there will apply here. Indeed with create
10 &c here: for our country is essentially an agri
CULTURAL country. Our exports consis. almost eL
tirely OF the products of agriculture. while Eng
land is The greatest manufacturing counlryo on th'
globe. Manufactures may be bene6lted by a high
Tariff; bu, as the manufacturing interest with us
is not to be compared in importance with agri
culture, any policy having the advancement o
the lesser at the expense of the greater, must no
only be wrong in itself but injurious in its effects
TIE frs, efor, of the American statesman, should
b. to regulate our commercial policy so that the
products OF our vast and fertile country can be
exchanged wi,hou, further restriction than The ne