The Mississippi Creole. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1841-1851, 1850-12-14

own country to produce the same article,
which is brought into the market in c%OmPeti-
ton with the foreign article. The importer is
thus compelled to reduce the price at which
the domestic article can be sold, thereby
throwing n part of the duty upon the producer
and the consumer at home. The consequence
Of this is, that the urIiEan and the agricultural
ist are brought together; each affords a ready
market for the productions Of the other.
The whole country becomes prosperous, and
the ability to produce every necessary OF life
renders US Independent in war as well as in
PEACE.
A high tariff never can be permanent. 1t
will cause dissatisfaction, and will be changed ;
il excludes competition, and thereby invites
the investment Of capital in manufactures to
such excess that when changed, it brings dis
tress, bankruptcy and rgin upon all who have
been misled By its failhless protection. hat
the manufacturer wants is uniformity and per-
manency, that he may feel a confidence that
he is not to be ruined by sudden changes.
But, to make a tariff uniform aud permanent,
il i. not only necessary that the law should not
be altered, but the duty should not fluctuate.
To effect this, all duties shauld be specified,
wherever the nature Of the article is such as to
admit Of il: ad valorem duties ~luctpate with
the price, and offer strong temptations to
fraud and perjury. Specific duties, on the
contrary, are equal and uaiIorm in all parts,
and at all times, and offer. a strong inducement
to the importer to bring the best arucle, as he
pays no more duty upon that than upon one Of
al inferior quality, |, therefore, strongly re-
commend modification of the present Tariff,
which has prostrated some Of II Utmost impor-
tant and necessary manufactures, and that
specific duties be imposed sufficient to raise
the requisite revenue, making such discrimina-
ton in favor Of the industrial pursuits Of our
own country, as To encourage home rroduc-
tons without excluding foreign composition d.
1t is also important, that an unfortunate proVi,
sion in the present Tariff, which imposes a
much higher duty upon the raw material that
enters intn our manufactures, than upon the
manufactured articles, should be modified.
The papers accompanying the Repor'. Of the
SeCrettry Of the Treas Try will disclose frauds
attempted upon the revenue, in variety and
amount so great as to justify the conclusion
that it is impossible, under any system Of ad
va!orem duties, levied upon the foreign cost, or
value of the Article, to secure an honest observ.
ance and an e%fiectual administration Of the
laws. The fraudulent devices 10 evade the
law which have been detected by the vigilance
Of the Appraisers, leave us no room to doubt
That similar imposltions, Ito be disc .vered) to
a large amount, have been successfully ~practis-
eG since the enactment OF the law now in
force. Tits state Of things has already had a
preiudlciaI Influence upon those eng lged in
foreign commerce, because it has a tendency
to drive the honest trader from his business Of
importing, aud to throw that important branch
OF employment into the hands Of unacrupu-
lous and dishonest men, who are dixie regard.
less OF law, and the obligations of an oath.
by these means, the plain intenti ms Of Com
gress, as expressed in the law, are daily de-
Ieated,
Every motive of policy and duty, therefore,
impels me to ask the earnest attention Of Com
gress to this subject, l(COngress should deem it
unwise to attempt any important changes in
the system OF duties at this session, it will be-
come Indispensable to the protection of the
revenue, that such remedies as, in the iudg-
ment OF Congress, may mitigate the ev Is COM
planned OF, should at once be applied. ."
AS before stated, specific duties should, in
my opinion, be u remedy for this evil, but, if
you do not concur in this view, then, as a par
'ial remedy, | beg leave respectfully to recom-
men1 that, instead OF lok,rg the invoice Of
the article abroad, as a means of deciding its
value here-the correctness Of which invoice
II is, IN many instances, i'm Ossihle to verify-
the law be so changed as TO require a h me
valuation or appraisal, to be regulated in such
manner as Ia give, as lar as practicable, uni
iormliy in the several parts.
There being 40 mint in California, | ana in.
formed tina, the labOrers in the mines are com.
PEELED to dispos'of their gold dust at a large
discount. THIS appears to me to be IN unjust
and heavy tax upon the laboro Of those employ.
ed in extracting this precious metal, and, |
doubt NOT, you will be d disposed, at the earliest
peilOd possible, to relieve them from 1t, by the
establishment Of a mint. In the meantime
as an Assayer' sOfice is established there,
. would respectfully submit to your consilera
ton the prOprety of authorizing gold bullion
: which has been asst> ed and stamped, to be re
ceived in payment of Government dues.
cannot conceive that the Treasury wonld sur
T Ter any loss by such a provision, which will a
. once raise bullion to lis parvalue, and thereh,
save, it am rightly informed, many million
OF dollars 10 the l%aborers, which arc now pni,
in brokerage, to convert this prsci us metal in