Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1848-06-20
RICHMOND, VA
Saturday Morning, June II. 1913.
AND THE PROTECTIVE
= - u

Who and no reliance al all was 10 Of pldceu vi
its ha.,y conclusions from lhem-espec'a'iy IL
reference 10 Mr.. Madison-and that It's elof's 70
make him out an advocate of "pro'ecuon 10
1859, as a Substantive object' were altogether
abortiye. We expressed also our surprise al The
annarent want of fairness exhibited by the Wing
in omitline even 10 notice every act and every
e.nression of MIR. Madison, done at The same
time and contained in the very same debate IRON
which i, quotes, which might tend TO show ms
opposition TO the protective policy, or 10 give, as
we conceive, his real opinions in regard TO It,
We promised TO show from this very "record'
beyond all doubt, that he was opposed 10 ln's Po'
licy, even when considered, as il then was, soieiy
as incidental 10 revenue-and we will now ei'
deavor 10 fulfil this promise.
We rely, in the first place, on Inc piopo''.0,
itself made by Mr.. Madison, 10 lay import "nu
tonnage dulles; and, as it is short, we VIII quoe
the whole Of ii, exactly as 1t is gwen IN .he ~
bates" We think our readers cannon ia'i ~ y
interested by il, as it was the very hrst propose
lion ever made TO exercise this power Q! taxa'ioh
under our present Constitution, having been SUD-
mi!ted BY Mr. Madison on the 9Th DAY OF APRIL
l7S9-but one month and four Gays alter Inc time
appointed for the frs. meeting of Congress, and
but seven days from tha, on which quorum
frs, appeared II is as follows: (Page iui OF
he debates" )the amount OF duty being in eacn
instance lei, blank, 10 be filled up in The commit
tee O! The whole house:
aResolved, as the opinion of this committee,
That the following duties ought TO De ieviea On
goods. wares and merchandise imported INTO me
United States, viz. On rum per gallon - VI
dollar; on all other spiriIuous liquors - on
moasses -; on Madeira wine -; on all o'her
wines -; on common Bohea teas, per To-, -;
on all other teas -; on pepper -; on brown
sugars - on cocoa and coffee -; ON all
other articles - per cent on their Valae al Inc
time and place OF importation.
"That there ought, moreover, 10 be Levied on
all vessels in which goods, wares, or mercnan'
discs shall be imported the duties following, VIZ:
On all vessels built within the United States and
belonging wholly 10 citizens thereof al the rate Of
- per ion; on all vessels belonging wholly 10
the subjects OF Powers with whom the United
States have formed treaties, or partly 10 Inc SUD-
iecl. OF such Powers and partly TO citizens OF The
United States, at the rate OF -; on all vessels
belonging wholly or in part 10 The subjects Of
other Powers, at the rate OF -.
1t will be perceived that Mr.. Madison pro-
posed to lay specific duties on only eight de-
scriptions of ar,icles-namely liquors, molasses
wines, teas, pepper, sugar, cocoa ana conee'
not one OF which, except the first, and perhaps
the third, had any relation even to manufactures.
or were products of, or could at that tine be
produced in the United States. II IS OBVIOUS,
then, that Mr. Madison proposed tospecity these
articles with no view whatever to the protection
of any manufacture or product OF our country
On the contrary, it is plain that he carefully
avoided specifying any article whatever which
was to any extent manufactured or produced in
the United States; and proposed specific and
higher duties on the eight articles named, as ne
afterwards said, lin the passage formerly
quoted by u.s. only because they would 'bear
higher duty than those left in the common mass
TO be taxed I'D valorem." Mr.. Madson's pro-
position, therefore, was clearly designed 10 cx.
clude all idea OF protection" in any form, Ell
Their incidental or substantive If any doubt
could be entertained about this, reference to the
remarks made BY him, on submitting his propo.
silion to Congress, must dissipate it utterly. AL
though his speech on this occasion, as given in
he debates" is obviously not in his language,
and is doubtless "curtailed of its fair proper.
tons;" yet as it is the only memorandum we
have of the first speech ever made on this sub
ject in Congress, under our present Constitu-
ton, and as we doubt not our readers will be
grati6ed, on that account alone, to see the whole
of it, we will endeavor to present il TO them en-
tire in another place in our paper. At present,
our purpose will be fully answered BY the fol-
lowing extract from it, page lO7. Mr. Madi-
son says:
"In pursuing this measure, know that two
points occur for our consideration. The first
respects the general regulation of commerce,
which, in my opinion, ought TO be as free as
the policy of nations will admit. The second
relates to revenue alone; and this is the point
mean more particularly TO bring into tae view
of the committee"
Mr.. Madison here declares that his PROPOSE
ton presents but two points for consideration
one (meaning, wo presume, that part OF it about
tonnage duties,) respects the general regulation
of commerce." which he thought sought 10 De
as free as the policy Of nations aciN admu"--and
the other, lthe duties impor,s) "rsla'es 10 re-
v.nue alone Mr.. Madison, then, had but two
objects in view, one '',he general regulation OF
commerce" by tonnage duties, leaving it cas-
free as possiblc;' the other, the raising OF "rsee
nue. alone" he first object he proposed to
accomplish, b. discriminating in the tonnage
hay
commercial treaties with the United States and
those having no treaties with US; intending OBJ.
viously that a less duty should be laid on the
vessels Of those who had treaties with US, so as
to encourage the disposition thus eyinced by
them to make commerce f &c, and higher duty
on the rest, who refused or failed to make such
treaties, TO beget such disposition in them
We beg OUT readers to note particularly this
fact, because il gives the first intimation Of the
policy advocated by tho Republican patty Of
that day; which, when shortly afterwards il was
more formally proposed BY Mr.. Jefferson, as
Secretary of State, gave rise 10 N ch heated
di,cussion between the Republicans and Fede
raiists in Congress; and which, when subse
auently adopted as the policy of the Admins
trations of MIR. Jefferson and Mr.. Madison, pro
ducsi the most memorable events 10 our poll
sieal history. The second object Mr.. Madison
proposed to accomplish, by laying an equal az
valorem duty on all impor,ations, except only
eight descriptions of articles, which were tc
be taxed with specific aud higher duty, only
because they would shear higher duty ane
for "repsnus alone II is true, that Mr.. Madi
son proposed this merely as temporary mea
sure-only, however, as he said, because he wa
not then possessed Of sufficient materials fol
fully calculating the two points above men
toned, and because their situation admitted nc
delay, the Treasury being entirely empty; We
take his proposition, together with his speech