The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1850-01-19

"
/ o. hemp manufactured l0,0sl On
SrlO,Dlj o.
I The very small increase on tie staple Of
wOulrnH, iron, aud UnmAaufaciured hemp
compared with the vast njury ooGasoncd /,
our production aud the dimtnution thereby Of
our power Of consumption, cannot fail 10 at
tract nttrntlon-whilc on the other articles
named, the revenue and production have both
suffered materially, II 10 believed that the
revenue could be- greatly increased by incrcas
ing The duties on these aud other articles,
2 propose return 10 the system Of sps'
oiho duties on articles on which they can be-
conveniently laid The effects Of the present
nd vulurrm system are twU'fBid,VIT on thu rev,
eruc, aud on our own productions. EIpefi'
enee has think demonstrated, that look inR
etolusycly 90 The revenue, a specific duty ,s
more easily assessed, more equal add less eE'
posed 10 frauds, than any other system. OF
course such duty ~ not laid without refer.
cncc 10 the average cost Of the commodity -
THIS System obyiatrs the difficulties aud con,
uoyrtaies which aiicGd an apptaisment Of the
TTItiig q IUI1Icr gafit ~ TdCI mvGIcJ, aud Z
imposes an equal duty on cqnal qualities Of
the slmc commodity, Under the al valotcm
system, goods Of the same Kind and quality,
aud brtSccn which there cannot be a, differ.
cncc IN value m the same market at any CIV.
en- tine, nevertheless nay uhen pay different
aWounlH of duty, Thus the hazards Of trade
are unnecessarily increased
10 levy an Ad yalotem duty on a foreign val.
uation equally, at the different ports, 10 bciicy.
ed TO be- ImpOSsiblc That the standard Of val.
Ne at any two ports ~ precisely the same at
any given tine, ~ wholly improbable The
facilities atiurdcd 20 frauds upon the revenue
are very great, aud Il isATprchcndcd that such
frauds have been and are habtually aud cx.
tcnuivcly ptactiscd.
A.. 81 q A.
at last depend upon the average ofthr invoices
that are pissed there, every succcssful attempt
At uudtfyaluation renders morr easy all that
follow u, The consequcncra are. not only
that the revenue suffers, tina, a certain aum ~
IN effect annually gwen by the public among
dishonest importers, as premium FOE their
dishonesty, but that fair American importers
may be gradually driven out or the business,
aud their places supplied by unknnwn aud un,
scrupuluus fotcign adycuturru. AZ to1g ago
as 1901, Mr. Gallatfn urged the extension OF
specific duties on the ground nov repeated
of the prevention Of INTERPRETATION In his
report of that year, hc used the following Ian.
Euagc '-"Withput any view TO an increase
Of revenue, but IN order 10 guard. as far az
possible, against the value OF goods being un.
drTratrd IN the invoice, q would be- eligible Ia
lay specific duties on all such articles now
paying duties al valotcm az may b. Euscrplr
Llo Of that alteration At that time Hpecif tic
du,ics were already laid on spirits aud wines,
sugar, molasses, tea, coflgr, salt pepper. steel
nails aud rpikcs, hrmp, goal, cordagc, andYcy.
cral other articles.
The 9Th section uf the act of30th Jolly 1916,
made II Tia duty Of the collector, within whose
district merchandise may be imported or en-.
tered, TO cause the dutiablc value of such i'm.
ports 10 be appraised, rstimAtcd, aud asesrtain.
ed in accordance with the provisions OF exist.
ing laws
By the % section Of the act Of IOth August,
lslb, IL 10 provided that, "in aporaisinR all
goods al any laE Lhl +t3tu+-u,trrrrrrT-
fore subjected Co specific duties, but upon
which Sdvslorrm duties are imposedby the act
Of the thirteenth Jolly last, entitled An act re.
duoing the duties on imports aud for other pur.
pusrB, reference shaft br had 10 vaturH and IN.
voices of similar goods imported during the
last fiscal year, under such general and uni.
form regulations for the pre- vention Of frauds
or AUTHORIZATIONS as shall be prescribed by
the Secretary Of the Treasury. 80
II will be observed that these last recited
provisions do E-nlhorize the lcvying of do.
ties on the value of similar me nd Sc ~ any
preceding year, but merely reference 20 such
yhpc avid the invoices, for the purnoae Of aid
ing in the nsccriunment of the value at the
time fixed by existing laws. That time was,
by circular issued by uy predecessor, dated
9th July, ls47, determined TO be the time of
the shipment Of the goods, MY predecessor
issued three circulars, calling the attention of
the officers Of the customs 10 the provisions of
the 2d section of the act of 10th August, 1876;
one dated the llth and one the 18th Novem.
Der, lSi6, and the last The Goth December i s4S,
and, there can bGno IoUbt, exhausted all prac.
ticahc means for preventing undcrvaluations
and frauds so far as they could be checked by
Treasury Instructions and regulations These
efforts have been continued by the Depart.
ment; bat the radical faults. of the system are
such that no vigilance, s0gacity or regulations,
It 10 believed have been, or can he found't fec
tual for the purpose.
liz EnglAnd IL IL believed 20 have long been
n settled point uat specific or rnted dutieB
wAieA al ,rSlotPHi- on an assumed paltte }
are in every respect better for revenue and
trade than nny other system.
The effect of the existing sy ste IA on prod ne.
ton is also striking II tends TO sggrnvnte the
great fluctuations in price which are go injuri.
Gus to trade as we'll M industry.
When prices abroad are very high, dc duty
is hi Gh also; and whea they fall to very low
paint, the duty is low in proPortiop 4, is n
sliding scale Of the worst kind If the duty
forms part ofthr price it renders the tire
of huctuation more remote from each other
.by percentage on the range equal 60 the rate
OF the duty lfthe huctuation abroad be from
$50 60 $40, the range is of course $30-A
specific duty Of Sl5 would leave the range still
$50 Bat at an nd vEiurcm of 80 per cent.
the highest point would be sos, and the low.
est $50, making range of 500. On every
account strongly recommend return 10 the
system of specific duties on all articles to
which they can be conveniently applied.
.. On those articles on which IN ad-vnfuruEn
duty ia retained, recommend that IL I've lev.