Democratic banner., 1850-12-16

Hha pFpduced IN the connssys sucn a. YES
and coffee, adds to the cost of the article,
and e chiefly or wholly paid by tie con-
sumeIs but . duty laid upon an article
which may be produced here, stimulates the
skill and industry Of our own country to
produce the same article, which Is brought
into market in competition withthe foreign
article. The importer is thus compelled to
reduce The price at which the domestic
article can be sold, thereby thrOwings part
of the duty upon the producer and con-
|sumer sthome. The consequence Of this
is, that the srtizsn and agricaltarist are
brought together; each affords . resdy
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 ia peace.
A high tariff can " be permanent
It will cause dissatisfaction and will be
changed; It excludes competition, and there
by invites the investment Of cspitslin man.
|ufactaEes to such excess that when changed,
il brings distress, bankruptcy and ruin up
on cir Who have been misled by It's faithless
protection. What the manufacturer wants
is uniformity and p%ermsnency, thst he may
feel o confidence that he is not to be ruined
by sudden changes. But, to make Q tariff
uniform end permanent, it is not only c
esssry that the law should be altered, but
the duty should not fuctuate. To effect
this, al duties should be specified, what
ever the nature Of the article is, such IS 10
sdmit Of il: ad vslorem duties Aaciuste
with the price, and offer strop g temptations
to fraud and perjury. Specific duties, on
the contrary, are equal and uniform in ell
parts, and Ut all times, and offer . strong
inducement to the importer to bring the
best article, ss he pays no more duty upon
that than upon one Of en- infefis,r quality
], therefore strongly recon mend . modi.
.fcati6n of the present tariff, which has
prostfated some of our most important and
necessary manufactures. aLd that specific
duties be imposed sufficient to raise the
requisite revenue, msking such discrimins.
ton ii favor Of the industrial pursuits OF
our own country, a. to encourage home
productions without excluding foreign com.
petition. II 10 also important, that en- um-
Ertundte provision in the present tariff,
which imposes 9 much higher duty upon
the raw material that enters into u manu-.
features, than upon the manufactured ar
~ticles, should be modified.
The pspers accompanying the Report
of the Secretary Of the Treasury
will disclose frauds attempted upon the
revenue, ia variety and amount 30 great Is
to Justify the conclusion, that It il impossi-
bic, under any system Of I'D valor EN- duties.
levied upon the foreign cost, or value Of
the article, 10 secure IN honest observance
and an efsctusl administration Of the laws.
The fraudulent devices TO evsde the Law
which have been detected by the vigilance
of the Appraisers, leave US no room to doubt
that similar impositions ITO be discovered J
to Q large amount, have been successfully
practised siuee the enactment OF the Law
nov in force. This stste Of things has 81.
ready had a~prejudicsl influence II pom those
engsged in foreign commence, BE- cause II
has 0 tendency to drive the honest trader
from the business Of importing, and to throw
that important branch Of erhploym ent into
the hsnds of Inscriptions aud dishonest
men, who are alike regardless Of law, and
the obligations Of en- oath. By thes'. means,
the plain intentions Of Congress, as express.
ed in the Law. ere daily defeated
Every motive Of policy and duty, there.
fore. impeis me to ask the earnest attention
Of Congress to this subject. If Congress
should deem it unwise to attempt any i'm
portspt chsnges in the system Of duties .,
this session, It will become indispensable
to the protection Of the revenue. that such
remedies ss. 10 the judgement Of Congress,
may mitigate the evils complained of, should
at once be applied.
AZ before stated, specific duties should,
10 my opinion, be a remedy for this evil,
but, IL you do not concur in this view. then.
40 Q partisl remedy. beg leave respect.
fully 10 recommend that, instead oftsking
the invoice Of the article abroad. as Q means
of deciding its value here-the corr ectness
Of which invoice il Is, in many instances,
impossible to verify-the Law be so changed
% TO require Q home vslustion or appraisal,
to be regulated in such manner a. to give,
as fer a. practicable, uniformity in the
several parts.
There being no mint in California, ] am
informed that the laborers in the mines are
comoslled IN disnose of their gold dust al