Daily Richmond times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1849-1850, 1850-01-29

try. but the benefit is limited TO the manufacturers
and to those persons who reside SO as to have
thereby better market; very little more than
one-third ofthe Union gets the benefit of the sys-
TEN, in exclusion mainly of the South and West.
1t is not easy to the precise extent OF this
burden. 1t has been estimated that thirds OF all
the articles which would it imported be subject to pay
duty produced in the United States To return,
for ready illustration TO the of railroad iron Ii
two OF every three tons OF iron consumed in the United
States were made IN this country, il would follow that
the person who consumed those three OF ron while
he paid twenty dollars to the Government on the ton
imported, would pay forty dollars TO the home manufac-
urer and il he lived far from the manufacturer that
he could pay him in produce, it would follow that,
in TACT while he paid the government but twenty dol
lars he would lose sixty himself on account OF the duty
When, therefore. the government gets as it is DONG,
Thirty millions Of dollars revenue, the whole burden to
the consumers OF this country would be hundred
millions of dollars of this amount, the South pays ac-
cording to its population and consumption, iory mil
the Patent Office report made TO the last session oil Com
gress uhe last publishedQ it is stated by the Com
missioner, Mr. Burke, Northern man. that the annual
value of articles manufactured in the United States is
| five hundred and fifty millions OF dollars This state
nent does not include iron, salt COAL sugar. wool, the
products of fisheries and other articles on which duty is
collected adding these, swells the amount to nearly
seven hundredtmons. Our imports for that year were
unusually large, account of the famine abroad.
Nevertheless, all the articles imported, which duty
is collected, including the above omitted in the stale
ment Of manufactures, in value only hundred
and eleven millions hundred and fifty -four thousand
three hundred and fifteen dollars 1t thus appears that
the amount manufactured in the country more than
six times that imported. 1t is moi pretended however,
that this comparison affords proper measure OF the
amount Of the burden which the country may sustain );
and that while it pays TO the Government thirty three
millions. it pays two hundred to the manufacturers indi
recty thereby making the whole loss to consumers, in
the first instance hundred and thirty three millions
Some few articles are manufactured here as cheaply as
they can be elsewhere; and very large number, al
the places where they made, are cheaper to the con-
than would be the foreign article when transported
there. 1t is also true, however, that IN great many
cases the consumer loses even more than the whole
duty, because he is not only obliged to pay il TO the
manufacturer refund it to the importer but also
profit per cent on this duty to each trader through
whose hands the article passes before reaches him.
In other instances the price is intermediate between
what it would be without any duty and that which it
would amount TO by the addition OF the duty Want OF
accurate knowledge Of all the facts renders it mpossi
slbe to determine precisely the effect which
nue. system produces; but that it is most powerful and
controlling cannot be denied The Government actual
ly raises more than thirty millions per year by these
duties The manufacturers who certainly interested
in selling their productions at high rather than low
rate and who understand their true interests attach the
greatest importance the tariff SYSTEM and attribute
to operation effects evea greater than have stated
them to be. There has been less complaint among con-
suners, because the cost of most manufactured articles
has been diminishing from time to time. This fall OF
prices however, partly attributable to the great dis
coveres made during day in chemistry, mechanism
and the generally by which these articles pro-
the comparative epose of the world which has directed
capital and labor formerly consumed in wars, TO indus
trial pursuits.
Hence, though there is gradual reduction OF prices
in the United States, yet is still more striking the
other side OF the Atlantic. In Great Britain particularly,
as well as in certain portions OF the Continent such is the
accumulation OF capital and SO great the number olabo-
rers who are obliged TO work for subsistence, that
prices are at the lowest possible rate. We have right
to take advantage OF this state of things Just as the
Europeans do OF our cheap production Of cotton In
stead OF giving us halt dollar pound, as they used to
do, they as well as the people OF the northern States,
seem GLAD to get it Tor five cents per pound IN conse-
quence OF our reproduction OF the article We have
therefore, natural right purchase their productions
the lowest at which we can obtain them to coun-
erbaance the disadvantage suffer from the
ation OF different kind capital and labor To ale
vlate this burden OF the South get back very little
in the form Of protection Why, them have southern
men been willing to submit 10 system unequal in its
operation Because as have formerly had occasion
to state, in the Convention which made the Federal
Constitution there bargain made between the ncrth
and the South, that provided they would all our
slaves to be represented to permit importation for
tune, and to deliver up tugitives the South would on
its part agree that majority Of Congress might have
power to pass navigation or tariff laws. AS the gift of
the power under the circumstances necessarily implied
that was to be exercised, we felt bound in honor to
acquiesce IN the action OF the majority. Because, in
the second place. protection to such extent might
give our infant manufacturers fair start, calcula
ted to advance the interest OF the nation as whole,
though tor the time II might bear hardly on us. And
because thirdly, we hoped that the southern States
would after time get manufacturing themselves, as
their interest required them to do, and thus escape the
burden. 1t was thus that southern gentlemen even
after the Northhad partially failed pay IFS share of
the consideration, with great magnanimy continued
TO sustain the system.
The manner OF disbursements also adverse to our in-
terests, Of the forty odd millions which the Govern
men purposes to dsburse this year, do not believe that
five millions will in any way be expended in all the
sayehoding States North Carolina, tor example, is
and yet does not get back hundred thousand dollars
in any way from the Government The clear loss in a
pecunary point OF view on account OF the action OF the
Government, may be set down at three millions annu-
ally The southern States generally are in the same
situation.
What would be condition il separated from the
North! 1t is dlfhcut to determine the precise amount
OF the exports OF the slaveholdng States because il Is
not practicable to arrive at the exact value OF that por
ton which is sold TO the free States But the amount of
our leading stapl es being pretty well Known mean
cotton, rice tobacco, sugar, 6c--we can arrive al the
whole value OF exports pretty nearly They cannot
fall short OF one hundred and thirty millions OF dollars
and this year, perhaps, considerably exceed THAI
This is nearly much the whole OF the exports of
the United States to foreign countries Ii must be re-
mebered, however, that though the free States furnish
part OF our exports, yet that which they do afford
scarcely SO much as the portion OF our own products
which goes 10 them Tor consumption IT, therefore,
were separated, our whole exports to the North, and
foreign countries generally would be equal to that
this time consume as much. duty of thirty per cent
on these imports land most OF the rates OF the present
tariff law are higher would yield revenue OF nearly
forty millions OF dollars
As the prices OF almost all manufactured articles are
regulated by the production of the great work shops OF
Europe, where the accumulation OF capital and labor
keeps down production to the lowest possible rates,
have doubt but that would be raised without any
material increase OF the prices which citizens now
pay. We might therefore expend as much the GO
yernment OF the United States did in time OF peace
up TO the beginning of Gen. Iackson's administration
and still have on hand twenty FIVE millions Of dollars
devote TO the making railroads. opening our har
by leyyng only twenty per cent. duty, which the |
northern manufacturers found ruinous 10 Them, as they
said, under Mr. Clays compromise bill, we should be
OF this sum would be sufficient for the support OF our
army, navy and civil government The residue might !
be devoted to The making OF all such Improvements as
country over with railroads. Subectng the goods OF
the North to duty, with those from other foreign coun