Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1851-01-06

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he TariE--Ad valefem paties..-Mr.
Fillmore and speeiilcs.
The ~ Y. Journal cf Ces.xsercs makes
seme very sensible fehafks on that part OF
Mr Fillmosc's message which recommends
q change Of the tariff from adyalorsm TO
specific duties. The exposure Of the injus.
sies the proposed change would work on
shs labosing classes Of the county, is poin.
tod and complete. and we recommsnd ito
the careful attention Of the resder. The
Journal ef oeasmsrce says;
On the subject Of tbs tariff, we Of course
disssas from some Of the Presidents posi-.
tions. ff We rightly understand him. while
10 trssly asserss that 'swhnt the nanufac.
ussF wants" e. .. needs, sis uniformity
and psrmanency," he Mt the same time
sslrongly recommends modification ofthe
present iaeiff." Now. it seems to Us TINT
f psrmanency 10 so desirable, il is best to
lot very we'll alone. The present tariff
has been in operation only four ye,rs.-
10 has produced more revenue than any
prscssding tariff. while ut the san:e time it
has not hurdensd consumers with excessive
sentributions 70 the manufacturers-tha, is
mt 90 excessive as heretofore, NOR so exces.
sivs thai the people are not willing to sub.
NIT 10 them q while longer. Ii, however.
the tariff 10 10 be "modifed'' we 60 for low.
Or dutlss instead Of higher. Then, as to
''uniformity, !" the present tariff is entirely
snifofm 10 the mode ofassesihg the duties;
whereas the tariff OF. 1912 was a mixture
of ad yalorem and specific duties the
fosnsr, hewever, predominating in the pro-
portion Of abou. to 3, Now, il the OBJ
jecsisns against this basis Of assessment
viz. The value Of the gnods-are so great
ne Represented, why do they not apply to
shrse fiiths q we'll as the two.ffthsl II is
true that. ad valorem duties Hucluate with
the price. And why should they nett A
value Of one hundred dollars should certain
~ pay more duties than value OF fifty
dollars Under the ad vnlorem system,
such i always the case; while under the
specific system the amount OF duties on n
given article, OF a given quality, is always
ike safns, however much the ralas OF the
nrticls may change In other words, the
psr csstags ef duties, in proportion to the
valss Of the goods, 10 constantly changing
oiadsr tho specific system, but remains s,ea.
dy and uniform under the nd vaiorem sys-
tom But this 10 not oil. Under the spe.
eifc system, diffsren, qualities of,he same
article are, in numerous cases, charged with
she sfme duty, although the value of the
one qualify may be twice or thrice that Of
another; thus making the poor man pay as
much duty upon a poor article as the rich
man pays upnn good one. Under any
system, q revenue raised by duties upon
imports operates harshIy upon men in
moderate circumstances, many Of whom
consusas 40 many goods,o nearly es many
as rich mon. But when,in addition to this.
q tariff makss the poor man pay much
larger per csntags Of duty upon the vslue
which be consumes than the rich man does,
h b % far very bad tariff. .beyond a qpes
tion; sand such, 10 q greater or less degree,
are Ill tariffs based upon specific duties.
The President is mot happy in his para.
graph shwoing the benefits Of protective
duiiss 10 consumers. The fact 10, that
when % duty: is levisd upon On article not
produced in this country. il oil goes. in,a
the treasury, except the expenses Of col.
lscsisn; whereas, in the case of an arlicle
manaIacsured in this country, the corsura.
es not only pays into the treasury the
amount Of duties on the imported article,
bot, ~ s0r doing, enhances the price Of all
shsijke goods manufactured IN this country
which may be double or quadrupls the
amouus imported. Ii would therefore be
quitssfor ths interest of consumers that oil
the revenue required should be collected
upon goods ths like of which are not man
ufacturcd in this country. The consumers,
however. in their great liberalitv, do not
in general require this, but consent still to
pay d flies both 10 the government and the
manufacturers. Nevertheless, this string
win not bsar pulling too hard. All goods
which can Be preftably produced in this
country will eventually be made here. II
ihey cannot he made here without per-
pstnai bounty drawn from tho pockets Of
the people by force oflaw, they might as
we'll be unmade. Some Of the goods now
clamoring londest for protection have been
protected for quarter Of q century ut leas,
and krs projected sill to the extent Of 20
par cent. id yaiorem, in addition to the ex.
psnsos Of freighting the imported article
swiee across the Atlaniic-once in the
form Of Tnw cotton, and again as manu-.
faciuYed goods. We do moi believe in Civ.
Ing more protection to such articles. On
fhe contrary, We belieYe that in spite Of oc.
casidaal fluctuations, the business is, IN the
loaE run. among the best and mos, profi.a.
BIZ Fd1lued in this country.
Thefecsipis into the treasury during the
ysar ending the 30,h Of June last have
amounted 70 $57, ,42l, ,74s 90, and the OK
psnditdrss TO s43, ,0O2. 1853 90. The ma
tional debt has beon reduced half a million
during the year, no,withstahd. the enor
mons heavy appropriations made by Con-
gfsss, tho payinent Of the Mexican indsnl
nisy, &c. About Ss. .0oo, 900 of,he notion-
N debt is to be paid off in the course of two
years; but theP President wisely recommends
that ii should be met, if practicable, with.
out resorting TO new loan. =.