The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1850-01-17
Prossesiea ana ths Treasury Rspors.
New YoRK, Jan. IA.

present rates Of duties and thereby increasing inn
ports and exports to six hundred millions q dollars
annually was extremely absudmore especially as me
Secretary IN another portion OF his report seems 10 de
sire TO restrict importation, with view 10 encourage, as
he terms Il, our own industry The idea lhal foreign
commerce would increase by increasing the rates Of Duty
placing sill heavier restrictions upon H. Is novel one
and the honor OF having discovered doctrine so aston
fishing belongs 10 Pennsy lvania wing lawyer, member
Of General Iaylors cabinet, in the year lS4o assure
the Secretary that in after times no one Will claim pm
oriiy OF discovery; but he will be permitted 70 wear the
honor while our republic lasts.
We will now look into the report little further 1t
says;
in laying imposs and duties 4 would seem that The en-
peape not a. IL bur Is nch as possible
IL = not question Of assuming power not expressly
q the attanmentof general end therein expressed Here
the power regulate and the power to levy and
whether they ought not q g. exercised with The
dnd no obligation written in the constitution lay
taxes duties OF mposts at the lowest rate that WIN yield
sis i were rue that duty laid given article, with
view encourage ownsproductions Is unlawful, be-
cause il may operate, by dscouraging importation, as
partial prohibition the proposition would be equally true Of
every duty laid with that intent whether were above or
below the maximam revenue rate But as under r u.
70 enact direct and total prohibition Of the q
tia. may operate ii partially preventing importation"
"Regard the interests OF the whole people not little
but much possible" II any one had ever denied
the Justice Of so sell eviden maxim, i might have been
ness. But as It is q maxim the truth OF which is
universally conceded, no matter how erroneous the
method Of its application advocated BY some may be,
seems like pettifogging to reeIatc It in the report
AS the power to regulate commerce, and TO lay and col
ect duties and mposls is expressly given in the const
ution the Secretary insists that the only question is,
whether they ought ought to be exercised for the
general good Will the Secretary inform us who ever
raised question Of this character, or who ever disputed
that the power 10 tax should be exercised Tor the general
good never heard any deny that all legislative
power should be exercised for the general good the
Secretary had said that there was difference OF opinion
whether the general good would be best promoted by
high prohbitory duties by low duties for revenue, he
would have stated the question ~ issue fairly and ne
giby The real question is, whether high q low taxes
on imports give the greatest encouragement to the en-
arged aud diversified industry Of people. The Sec
rotary is pefogging lawyer who. in the absence
general good" and that the interests Of The whole
people mns be regarded" Monopoliss always appeal to
the people in this way.
the constitution to lay taxes, duties mposts at the
lowest that will yield the largest revenue Will he
tell las whether he finds any ooganon written IN that
instrument authorizing the laying OF taxes imposts, or
duties, the highest rates that will produce either the
smallest or largest amount OF revenue' We would
further inquire. whether the plain intent OF the power to
lay tax does moi imply that i should produce some
thing. "To lay and collect are the words in the con-
s,ution Yet The Secretary has no doubt but that the
SO high that lm .ortaiIon would be prohibited, when
there would be nothing TO collect He says it is com
peten for Congress to enact total prohibition OF the
power there be objection to any degree OF partial
prohibition that may result from duties on imported arli.
cles
The creed Of the democracy on tariff taxation is. that.
while the system is permitted to exist the OF duty
should be based upon revenue principles They should
be the lowest that will produce sufficient revenue.
Though projection would result were the duties laid
with reference revenue, yet all branches Of industry
would be dealt equally with, and there would be the
The Secretary adopts the estimate of hs predecessor.
which s probably very correct that the value Of the
sso om
that the value of the annual produce OF the labor OF the
people OF Great Britain and Ireland is about
The value of the annual exports and imports OF Great
Britain and Ireland is something S500.000 900.
while that OF the United States only about S22o 900
Taking the value OF the annual produce Of the two nations
to in value ours should exceed that of Great Britain and
Ireland while theirs is about $500, 100000, ours
should be about ssooooo,ooo II their foreign commerce
no extended than ours, in proportion TO the
annual value of the labor IL would amount only to about
sis0 ooo. 900 annually; or, make comparison on
e Z, ns he tue
ESTIMATING the population Of Great Britain and Ireland
thirty millions and our population At tweny-one mil
ua ours $40 a. Ifber gn trade greater than
ours proportion population, II would be reduced from
millions II foreign trade as great IN proportion
population Is theirs, IL would be sweed Ia amount
hundred and nineteen 10 three hundred and sixty
TOUR millions"
Now, let us examine the Secretary's inference from
correctness
and statements made But the conclusions drawn from
them anything but favorable TO the Secretarys intel
lect He has been extremely unfortunate in his argu-
ment Here are his conclusions;
"a leading cause the existing difference be found
In the fact at Great Britain exports chiefly what she has
fret brought 10 the form which ready for ultimate
pon IL is the stage Of Us highest value. and her
Is almost coextensiye with the civilized world
"A history shows that where the workshops OF the
world be the Of the world and the heart Of
wealth, commerce. and powef"
Curious logic this Let us analyze il. II is too i'm
portant not TO be plainly stated and Invested OF all petit
logging The Secretary says twenty millions OF Ameri-
can people produce each year 80 900 900 OF wealth
BY their industry, matter how tree, how much
siricted or how much little foreign commerce they
have. Thirty millions OF people in Great Britain and
Ireland produce but 900 100000 OF wealth each year.
though their foreign commerce is greater than ours.
With ten millions, one third less population,
coed them in the annual production Of wealth five hun
dred millions OF dollars But, singular enough Sec
retary insists that we, with less population, and though
we produce so many hundred millions OF dollars worth
more III all the neceesaries and comforts OF life than the
people Of Great Britain and Ireland do yet the latter
the most prosperous and wealthy nation Of the two.
To estimate wealth in proportion 10 diminished annual
production of labor, principle in political economy
OF nation in which the aggregate value Of the annual
labor was the greatest the most prosperous but il
not they would certainly become the most wealthy The
more labor produces. and the equitable and general
the distribution, the greater the prosperity, wealth, and
| happiness OF the people
| Suppose Great Britain has more large factories lin
which she forces the millions TO toll and sarve) than
have that any evidence OF greater individual national
prosperity wealth The great bulk OF her population