New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1848-12-16
Adieu TO Walker.


We are quits aware of the immense advsn-
tase enjoyed by Secretary OF the Treasury, with
all the statistics at hand. including some so fresh
as not 10 be accessible 70 others with plenty 0;
assistants 20 rnmmage and compile. and scores OF
clerks 70 copy and engross for him, over al Edi-
tor who sits down amid the hurry and WEAKNESS
of constant toll and frequent distractions, to re
view for an hour or two what has been so elsbo-
rs,-ly and Skiliuly prepared, by the light only
Of such fact. the Secretary has chosen % embody
10 bis Report. And yet we have such confidence
IA the power Of Truth that we would be very glad
20 havo Mr.. Walkers Report read by or to every
person ia the Union. followed only by such a
a commentary should in one day append b
IL. Doubtless, the disparity IN ability in the
array Of figures, and in plsusibity, would be very
great. yet We sanguine that they would all
b. overcome.
- The Secretary argues that there is no excess
oflnportston under the present TarIf, because
the official value Of the Imports for the fiscal year
ending with last June exceeded by that OF
our Exports in the sum of nearly Three Millions
Of Dollars. Now, TO say no more OF the extraor-
ensry amount aud unusual prices OF our exports
q BrsadstaHs during the year lsi7 half Of which
vas embraced in the fiscal year aioressidl We
deny that tho official values OF the Imports in
question afford any ,olersbe approximation to
the true values and insist that the actual balance
against us during that year was not less than
Twenty Millions Of Dollars. This discrepancy be-
tween thc official and the actual values of our
Imports was caused by Mr.. Walker himself, in his
general substitution OF Ad vslorem Tor Specific
Duties. Our Exports pay duties almost every
where on the Specific principle-so much per
pound, hundred, ton, bashel, barrel, yard, Sc-
and Of course are not undcralued, because there
lie nothing to be gained by undertaking them. He
who sends out cargo Of Cotton. Flour, or almost
anything else to Liverpool, pays no more duty on
isn j, be valued at 100000 than If valued at
ESQ 900 and Of course 1t is rather his interest as
q seller to exaggerate than underate the cost.
But the same ship which took out our staples
brings back n cargo OF Iron, Hardware, Cloths
SILKS &c. aud on everything that pays duty ut all
We charge 80 much per cent. ON the declared
value 40 that the cargo II valued NJ $4,000
pays $4,000 more duty than IT it be valued at
$1,000 Now It is morally impossible that any
get OF Custom House officers, in an age when the
cost of producing many articles is often suddenly
diminished thirty per cent by some new process,
and when the same goods which were worth
$4,000 in London at the opening of the season
viii have frequently fallen to $4,000 in three
months merely by changes m taste or fashion, or
even by having ceased TO be novel;, is morally
impossible, We say. that any set Of Appraisers
should be able to determine infalhly whether an
iavoice OF many descriptions of fabrics is or is not
uodervained tw enty or thirty per cent As gen
era rule. the sworn value of the goods will be &C
ccpted as the true vslue--s and Custom House
osths have a character that is tolersby we'll an
dsrstood. Here is large class 10 whom a low
apprasement OF their imports will be afluence
while high one viii be bsnkrupioy-which Will
probably be given A. b. tres to be toerably
honest. as the world goes but he finds that C. n
who buys OF his own father or brother in Liverpool
or Manchester, and is in tact In partnership with
the nominal seller, Is swearing IN his goods TWEEN.
~ per cent. below ham so that he IA B must
swear lower or stop importing-w hich Will gener.
ally Be done Twenty per cent ander-y alustion OF
their goods will often make 800 900 difference Ia
ayear 10 large importing hoUse--in ten years
amounting 70 sl.0o0.o 900. Who that knows any
thug OF human nstare-of which trading nature
II oy nc means the best aspect-oSn fail 10 real
Use that imported goods constantly are, and viii
% andervalued under such systens-thst its ten.
asney Is hesdiy nom bad to worse Each I'm
porter who swesrs a little lower laws his rivals
under a sor' OF necessity to swear down A little
also or be undsrsold and andone. Usoms ara roo
scrupnoas for tins they mast back out Of tn, h.i.
ness. leaving clear field for the indis rphhs-
sors. or held on At their imminent peril. rh;s :.
30 notorious trath that we know imnor,srs -,
this City who, without having irtimsted the le,.
desire ios such favor, have received two sets Of
invoices for their soods-one 10 pass through the
Custom House and be sworn BY the other and
much higher one, setting forth the prices really
changed for them, We have not q doubt that he
sia7,ooo,oOo Official value OF Imports during the
last fiscal year actually cost over slSO,00o,oo0.
Were is not 50, in view Of the large amounts OF
specie annually brought over by immigrants. we
shoGld have been paying OF our stocks held in
Europe instead of sending over more to sell and
egonsts for the relief of our depressed money
market
MIR. Walker states one truth when nc asserts
that oar manufacturers do rot now desire 50 hish
dasiss on many articles as were imposed in lsts
There are some branches Of manufacture. then IN.
'sn'iis and feeble, which, having been efficiently
protected IN az attsi ned rapidly vigor and ma
tari'y which would now ensbe them 10 withstand |
any probable eowpetition with but twenty per |
cent on the foreign article, or even IL there were
no onty at all. Others, which then needed |
''F.ssen. duty could now prosper on one bali 50
Afee' We rejoice to have on record the sscre-
sSy's statement that the manufacturers do no,