Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1850-12-21

hbng not only the system Of fraudulent undervauaions,
but the inequality OF values in the different ports Of the Uni
ted States under the present system The fruit was shipped
by the house about the times cargo arriving Of
Philadelphia one at New York. and at Boston, the qua
Iiy and invoice value being the same AT PhRadeiPhia
passed the invoice values at New York the appraisers ad
vanced rs per cent? and Boston 81 per cent and no
objection nor appeal from the decision Of the appraisers was
made
would respectfully and earnestly urge upon Congress TO
inquire fully into the practical operation Of present sys
tenn Of imposing duties upon the foreign cost or values OF
merchandise being fully satisfied that the lcEger is con-
tnued the weaker will become the restraints upon and the
stronger the inducements to the commission auds by mis-
representing the dutiabe values
Uays and Means. .s
The estimated receipts from customs, presented for the
remainder of the year and for the year ending on
June s5 based upon contnuanceof the large
amount of imports Aside from increased expenditures
and exclusive estimated purchases OF stock we have 70 pro-
vide 952s9 Of the public debt which natures with
in the next two fiscal years. @a
The ordinary expenditures of the Government, and the
public debt originating chiefly in the recent with Mexico
together with variety of demands ang out OF that war
present the of liabilities for which it becomes the duty
of Congress TO provide
Our trade with foreign nations and the moneys arising from
the sales Of public lands have constituted heretofore the re-
from which the annual expenses Of the Government
have been procured; and they at this time the only
by which these charges can be paid the
lie faith upheld, and speedy liquidation OF the public debt
ensused.
By the long and unbroken practice Of the Government
duties imports have been regarded as the least Objection
able mode of raising revenue.
BY the various Of Congress sppropiaing the public
lands to objects which withdraw them from ordinary revenue
purposes is quite certain that for several years come
the Treasury must be mainly not entirely, dependant fe
its receipts upon duties levied upon foreign merchandise
The act Of 2sh January ls47 appropates the entire
of the sales Of the public lands to the OF
principal and interest Of the loan provided for by that law
by reference table d, will be found that the loan for
the redemption Of which this fund appropriated amounts
l22, the interest upon which, at six per cent per
annum is to be paid semiannuay, and the principal the
list January, 1858.
The laws recently enacted giving those who served
the with Mexico, and, the last session, to nch
had served in former wars in addition to grants to States fer
internal improvements, will undoubtedly supply the maskct
with the greater portion Of the lands that will be requredfo
occupation for many years This OF revenues
therefore, small indeed comparatively, but STILL in the ten
years preceding ls4s, available for average OF
GIG 49, statement should not hereafter be relied
upon with any certainty to any considerable amount in
timatng the receipts of the Treasury.
Statement X appended to this report, shows the number
located by the acts to which reference hos been
made and the number yet be located estimated from
the payros and other evidences onEe with the quantity of
lands in required to satisfy them The quantity Of
lands sold and taken from Market by virtue Of those
rants for the years ls47 S4e ana iS49 is 742AD
acres averaging per annum, valued at
Sls,9ll, l34 76, averaging S. 3O3Tll SO per apnum.
The warrants yet to be presented under these acts will
quire 7s9225le acres valued at $685. $685. l4O At the
obove average 46 per annum, sixteen
years will be required absorb and satisfy the yet
be issued estimated under the several bounty land acts
now in force.
There will then be diverted from the Treasury, from the
sale Of lands the of $780, not anticipated at the
date when the revenue law of ls4f enacted. (see
\ statement X. @@@h @.
This state Of hiags imposes upon Congress the duty Of de-
terming whether the laws exstDg with the rates Of
h~
the necessary deray the annual ordinary expen
Of the Government and meet punc,uay the interest
the public debt The ability Of the country discharge every
obligation upon it. aided by wise and timely legislation, is
unauestionabe. ample provision shall be made for the
prompt discharge of annually accruing liabilities the public
faith, it has been hitherto, will be maintained, and the
public credit continued such basis to ad
vantageous and speedy eItngushmen of the public debt
The system of ad vaorem duties however well adapted to
many articles of trade, when applied to all without dlscrmi-
naSD restriction, safeguard has been proved by the
peence of this Department be subject to many and strong
objections Its tendency cherish spst of oveading
greatly injurious to the industry of country in all s
departments and in its fna results fatal to the revenue
Considering this system only in its operation upon revenue
it is believed that the experience Of the most enlightened COM
mecal nations of Europe has proved to be imPoc and
unsafe Under the operation of the British tariff revised in
1885, the whole derived from articles paying ad
vaoem duties has been only average of about 900
(Sls2O0O) per annum in gross receipt from customs Of
G22, O00 600 (SO5, 000 00Q being less than OF
per cent of this immense income from mposts, and the
evident design Of Parliament to make specific duties the
Of from imposs far possibly could be
effected like policy has also always been pursued by the
other commercial nations of Eusope.
The primary object TO be kept in view in levyng duties
upon imports is admitted to be 1t is equally well
established the policy and duty Of the Government
discriminate in the levyng Of duties as without falling below
the necessary Of revenue give the greatest
couagement possible all the industrial pursuits Of
people. One feature of the law OF 1885, in the opinion Of
this Department. opposed to both the controlling principles
stated have reference equal higher rate OF duty
the MATERIAL than upon the manufactured article Of
which it is composed Such provisions certainly take from
the manufacturer and artisan that encouragement which the
present law doubtless to extent intended to Afford
and also check the importation Of the material to degree
detrimental the The constant fluctuations in
prices and consequently in the duties under any unrec
ed ad vaorem tariff give to the act of s46 that most objec
tonabe feature, instability. These varsions, giving high
duty when least required and low duties when prices
runous, tend to Of mpotaons and subject all the
products Of labor in country to the frequent and
enormous fluctuations in the markets abroad arising from
the disturbed condition Of those nations with whom our for
eign commerce is chiefly carried on.
Under the present system, duties highest when the
article imported is highest and when the purchaser and
least afford pay the duty and lowest when the
price Of the article wanted would allow heavy additional
duty to be levied it Thus if an article costs $40, duty
Of thirty per cent would compel addition of So If that
article falls in value to IS, then the duy reduced oneha
That cannot be wholesome system of taxation which fol-
lows the in his purchases increasing bis burden
when prices high and taking off prices fall and his