The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1847-06-21
From the New York Evening Post.
Dinner to Dixon III. Lewis.

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morning paper announces that the friends of free
trade IN this city have given MI. Lewis an invitation to
partaks OF public dinner on his return to the city from
West Point II is well deserved compliment Those
who present the different stages of progress up
TO the final passage of the tariff of is46 will acknow-
ledge that except for his able and manly defence of the
bill the floor Of the Senate and his rnness against
the enlreates OF friends in the committee room,
would have become law.
Mr.. Lewis made the first open and indscrimnate as
saut the protective SYSTEM yelled under the
garb of specific duties He took the ground that goods
had been assessed with these specific duties for the
purpose of preventing fraud, down to the tariff
OF lSi2that their adoption always the best possible
mode that could be devised to facilitate raud-hat the
cry loud, and the excitement which never sur
passed in Washington in intensity favor of the dd UdO-
system specific against frauds, entirely new,
and got up for the occasion, with view of preventing
the passage of the act OF 1916, then before the Senate
On the morning of the day on which the act passed
the friends of the measure in the House Of Representa-
ves, and the members of the cabinet had consented
yield to Pennsylvania additional duty of ten per
on coal and iron. Mr. Lewis, chairman of the Com
mittce of Finance, found the responsibility of the
whole measure rested on him. He at once that to
yield the principle of protection, or at least 10 dscrm
nate would be TO leopard the whole measure; and he
therefore refused against the and advice OF all
except one) who consulted both in Congress and
out. to yield to single amendment
The Senate, on the previous evening" had, with the aid
OF the vote of Mr.. Jarnagn, referred THE bill back to
the committee with instructions to amend dscrim-
lnate IN behalf OF such materials favored by
Inc act OF 1912, and would favor manufactures This
was considered complete triumph by the protectionss
the committee should undertake the task the period of
adjournment would arrive long before it could be accom-
Pshed Besides, it would give rise inteminabe de-
bate, and THIS would be equally fatal to the bill.
MT Lewis, therefore, reported it back to the Senate
Immediately on the opening of the morning session. He
was assaed most uriousy for not complying with the
instructions OF the Senate To all this he merely replied
by asking his opponents what constituted raw materali
was Pig copper raw nateral' and il So why not pig
iron one of which free in 1870 and the other IA
more than hundred per cent? Was IRON ore a raw
materials If not, why tax the iron when manufactured
t,t, ham, ! ran mat No..
facire end The silk button which was on our coats.
before it made up raw material, and vet il was
of the valuable, costly, and delicate of manufac
ina duty To talk of raw material in such amanner was
therefore absurdity 1t was at this critical moment
that the rmness of Mr. Lewis saved the measure, under
the operation of which the country enjoys such
examped prosperity Honor, therefore, to whom homo
is due. ~