Hillsdale Whig standard. (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1846-1851, 1850-12-10


life, renders us Independent, ia war a.
well as 10 peace. A high tariff can never
be permanent IL will cause dissalisfac.
ton and will b. changed. T; excludes
competition and thereby invites the invest
ment OF capital in manufactures 20 such
an excess, that when changed il brings
distress, bankruptcy and ruin upon al
who have been nisled by its fai,hless pro.
lection.
Wha, the manufacturer wants il unifor.
nifty and permanency, thu, he mey feel
a confidence that it ia not 10 be ruined by
sudden changes, but to make i, tariff . .
inform and permanent, il is not only ne.
cessary that the laws should be attended,
bul duty should not fuctuate. To effect
this, oil duties should be specified, wherev-
er the nature Of the article is such as 10
admit of it. Advslorum duties iluc;ua,e
with the price, and offer strong temp,a.
tons 10 fraud AID perjury. Specific du.
ties, on the contrary, are equal and uni.
form in all parts, and in all times, and Of.
Ter strong inducement 10 importers TO
bring the best article, as he pays no more
duty upon that than upon one of en- nfe-
rior quality. |, therefore, strongly re-.
commend modification Of the present
tariff, which has pros,raied some of our
most important and necessary manu,acto.
ries, and that specific duties be imposed
sufficient TO raise the requisite re venue,
making such discrimination of the indus.
trial pursuits Of our country, as to encour.
age home productions, without excluding
foreign mpetition.
|! is also important tha, an unfortunate
provision in the present tariff which in;-
poses much higher duty uoon the raw
material that enters into our manufscio.
ries, than upon the manufactured article,
should be modified
The papers accompanying the report
Of the Secretary Of the Treasury, will
disclose frauds attempted upon the reve.
nve in variety and amount. as 10 Justify
the conclusion, that it is impossible, under
the system of ad valorum duties levied up.
on forged costs 10 secure an honest obser.
vance and an effectual administration of
the laws. The fraudulent devices to e.
wade the law, which have been detected
by tho vigilance of the appraisers leave us
no room to doub, that similar imposiiions,
to be discovered, TO large amount, have
successfully been practiced, since the e.
nactment of the law now in force.
This state Of things has already had a
prejudicial influence upon those engaged
in foreign commerce, because il has a ten.
dency to deprive The honest trade from
the business Of importing and throw iha,
important branch Of employment into the
hands of unscrupuous persons, who are
alike regardless Of law and the obligations
of an oath. BY those means, the plain in.
iention or Congress, as expressed by the
law, are daily defeated. Every motive Of
policy and duty, therefore, lmpels me to
ask the earnest attention Of Congress.
And should Congress deem i, unwse 10
attempt any important change on the sys-
tenn of duties at this session, it will become
indispensable TO the protection of the rev.
enue, that such remedies as in the judg.
ment of Congress may mitigate the evils
complsined Of, should at once be applied.
AS before stated, specific duties should.
in my opinion, be remedy for this evil
but if you do not concur in this view, es a
partial remedy, | respectfully recommend
that instead Of taking the invoice Of The ar
iicle as a means of determining its value,
for the correctness Of which invoice il is
in many instances necessary 10 verify, the
law be so changed as 10 require home
or appraisal, 10 be regulated in
such manner as to give, as far as practics.
Die, uniformity in the several parts.
There being no mint in California,
am informed that the laborers in the mines
are compelled to dispose Of their gold dust
At large discount This appears to be
m unjust and heavy tax upon the labor of
hose employed in extracting precious
metal. and doubt not you will be disposed
II the earliest period possible from it, by
he establishment Of mint. IN the mean
ime, as an sssyer's Office is established
here, would respectfully submit to your
consideration the propriety of authorizing
gold bullion, which has been assayed and
TO DO received in payment of
dues. cannot conceive that
he treasury would suffer any loss by such
provision, which will add TO its par value
{ am rightly informed, many millions of
n brokerage TO convert this precious metal
nto available funds. This discount upon
heir hard earnings is heavy tax, and ev-
,ry effort should be made by the govern
nent 10 relieve them from this burthen,
More than threefourths OF our population
ire engaged in the cultivation of the soil
The commercial and manufacturing and
navigating interests, are TO great exten,
dependent upon the agricultural. |, is
therefore, the most important interest of
he nation, and has great c!eim to the
ostering care of tho government So far
IS they can be extended consistently with
he constitution, as this cannot be done By
he ordinary mode Of legislation, ! res
ectfulv recommend The establishment of
n agricultural bureau to be charged with