The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1850-08-06
IN CONGRESS OF THE u. STATES
FRIDAY, AUGUST 2, 1850.


fMr ATcHsoN.l yesterday, 10 substitute Monday" fol
"hr day Tor taking up the California bill, my name
negative. have no doubt did so vote. and am In.
formed by one Of the reporters that my vote re.
''S. Tie PREsDENr. II there i. no objection The our.
nal will beso corrected
message received from The President Of The Uni
ted States ~ compliance with resolution Of the Senate
Of the 5th o. July, requesting him communicate any
Information, any had been received BY the government
showing that any American vessel had been recently
stopped on The high seas. and searched BY British ship
Of war The message says The government has no knowl
edge OF any alleged stopping searching the high
seas OF American vessels, except in certain cases mei
toned, which would be explained by the correspondence
Department.,
On motion by Mr., .cASS, il was ordered that the mes
sage aud accompanying papers be referred the Commit
tee on Foreign Relations and be printed.
MODIFICATION OF THE TAR,FF.
Mr. CLARKE presented the petition oil one hundred and
twenty citizens OF the town OF Coventry, Rhode Is
land. residing in Washington and Anthony villages for
modification OF the present tariff This petition is signed
by the present Lieutenant governor OF the State, and other
gentlemen Of dstncton-and large portion OF them
mechanics ami laborers, who Immediately feel the pres
ent deep depression Of their business They ascbe this
depression 10 the present revenue laws Of the counlry al
lowing the value OF the dntiabe article imported 10 be
fixed by the importer and thus esucng them, the tree
ab0rcrs OF the country. to ruinous competition with the
cheaper and I'LL operatives OF Europe
Also, the petition Of Charles H. Franklin and eighty
eight other citizens Of Olneyve. setting forth that the
present revenue laws place them at the mercy Of foreg
labor and foreign capital and asking for the fixing of
Nsh existed a the passage s 70 q e sr uG y sae oe
Also, petition signed BY more than two hundred and
fifty inhabitants Of The town OF East Greenwich and the
vicinity, setting forth the embatnssments under which
they laborng in their industrial pnrsus and urging
upon the attention Of Congress such amendment OF the
present revenue system as will AFFORD protection aud
Just reward to their labor. know most OF these ndi-
yiduas whose affixed this petition for they
my neighbors and friends and know the depression
under which they are now abonng. The insuihciency
49, HfrS tl.a AL
ad vaorem duty, are July and orciby set forth by the
petitioners, and they pray for such duties in specific
form will restore them, their aborers, arcers, and
mechanics, to their accustomed prosperity Their labor
is their only capiialand th' Is the capital which they
seek 10 protect.
Also petition of ninety citizens OF Cranston,
mechanics artisans, and calico printers who all feel
verey the present depression in the manufacturing aud
printing business The materials used 10 dyeing and
printing for the most part imported from England and
the duties upon those articles. with the freight and
charges, nearly equal to the duties prints under
the present revenue laws; and in the in which
they levied this branch Of business for the past year
has been ruiaous and, unless relieved from it, de-
preston, must cease. The gray coltons are the
lrrial OF the printer and when that article is longer
required for that purpose The whole field is given up
the foreign manufacturer and printer and the machinery
thus employed is useless, falls back upon other fab
rics, which already below the OF labor and
leral The quantity OF prints imported s immense, hay
ing nearly doubled in the past year Many details
furnished by the petitioners, which conclusivey show
the utter prostra,ion Of their business
and others. aborers and artisans in the vii
lagos OF Ph9nIx Lppt and the Clyde Work, in War
wick in the State Of Rhode Island, setting forth in strong
terms the depression in their business which is the
uaciure OF coons and the printing OF cotton. One OF
these establishments has suspended work, and the labor
ers are seeking for some employment elsewhere re
citizens of North Providence, the Stale of Rhode Island,
and Pawtucket Massachusetts asking for such change
ruinous CON peton OF foreign fabrics with which the
country is inundated at this time They complain that
the present system oil assessing duties is unwise and in
duces 10 frauds upon the revenue and deprives the
American laborer oil Just reward for his labor spe-
chc duty, equal 10 twenty per cent upon The value
Of cotons they Al the time Of the passage OF the
present law in 1916. would enable them TO pursue their
business. reward their labor, and check excessive inn
poatons. which at no distant day will exhaust the re-
sources OF the country.
dvduals and commercial firms oil the city of Providence
the State Of Rhode Island representing that the present
depression in all manufacturing and mechanical pursuits
loudly calls for the best consideration Of Congress that
large amounts of capital have been invested In the various
branches OF industrial aud mechanical pursuits, and that
4. u he N ~hs ,bor aas
tuies their principal value, now much below the
,ua cost Of production They believe that this depres
SION is not caused by any want Of ability by
The great population OF the country bu rather by the
present xamped influx Of foreign fabrics imported by
foreigners under the unjust and deusve system OF duties
now imposed by law The petitioners believe "that
many establishments Of business which have heretofore
gwen employment TO large numbers Of industrious eo.
pe be abandoned unless OF the revenue
laws 10 made; thar the existing laws, as experience
shows, operate most unavorssy upon the industry Of the
country exposing TO all the fluctuations OF the Euro
esn markets, and placing Il at the mercy Of capital and
iudher, .that system OF sd valorem duties presents
sach temptations and facilities 10 fraud that the duties
cannot be fairly and honestly collected according to the
true intent of the present laws And they ask that the
duties may be made specific taking the valuation OF
the duiahc articles the average price at the time OF the
Iassage of the tariff oi 1896"
Also. petition o Byron Dinan, and $50 citizens OF
the town OF Bristol. Rhode Island representing that the
manufacturing business IN that town. In which the pc
toners personally engaged is now unproduciye and
their labor V without reward They attribute this de
pe--on 10 the present laws and the system of
sd vxofem duties, and 10 the excessive import OF foreign
iabrics induced by that system and the fraudulent in.
voices which Il invites They ask that the duties may be
made specific
,.ns Of Slaievie in the State OF Rhode Island setting
their business In the manufacture Of cottons and asking
iof such revsion Of the tarid will insure fair col
lection of the duties imposed, and change TO spe
ehe duties IN lien OF the present fraudulent ad yalorem
system specific duty upon fair valuation oi gosds,
thai value was when the act OF 1896 was passed,
would enable these petitioners 70 share in the great mar
keis Of their own country. iigltK ~ M
Also, position OF William Sprsgue and ITO other citi.
lens Of wnwick Rhode Isand asking for revision OF
the arn and substitution OF specific for ad valoem du-
tes and valuation o fabrics equal to their value ct the
are pncpay mechanics armers and laborers, and they
eel ssnsbiy depression which paralyzesa their indus.
n.y. Thar only capital IL their labor, and this they ask
70 have protected against the cheaper labor and fraudu
sni importafions from other countries g IS
Also petition fom John McIivaine and many others