The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-04-15

$2o,0oo,oOo
100000
100000

ton Of the duties now paid on
sugar ana m0lasses $28,0O0,O0O
would add to this estimate for Mr. Derby,
the Northern proportion of the present revenues,
but he seems to dsdain it in the face of such
ample resources, for he tells us "that the North
by elevating its tariffs, could increase its own
products at least 30 per cent, by duties on
manufactures of cotton, iron, flax, and wool,
that now compete with its own, and would raise
revenue from sugar. tobacco, and rice, the
great staples Of the South" (p. 1907 This
means that the former articles are TO be entirely
shut out by probibitory duties, and the revenue
upon them sacrificed for so long as they come
in at all they will compete" Therefore, Mr..
Derby confines his estimate of revenue to the
items Just enumerated. ] proceed to examine
the basis of his calculations
lie estimates the whole consumption of sugar
in the United States at the amount of the Lou.
isana crop in lS48, added to the Importation for
the year ending June, l849 in all 46O,OO0,OOO
lbs. But he ought to have deducted from this
sum the exports of 100000 lbs. He assumes
that the free States consume three-fourths, but
according to his own estimate, they have only
five-eighths of the population, and it cannot be
admitted, for reasons that we have before as
signed, that the average consumption per head
is greater than at the South, especially of this
article, so much in demand among the negroes
Hence, the Northern consumption could not be
more than 2T5,000,000, instead of 347,OOO, 900
lbs and the revenue at three cents would be
only 900, instead of 10 900 900. Would
it reach even this point under such duty? The
average consumption Of sugar in the United
States in l84l and 1912, according to similar
data, under duty of about 33 per cent. was
2s0,O00,000 lbs.; but in l845 and 1916, under
duty Of CD per cent, (2l cents per To- y des
pite four years increase of population, it was
only 295,000000 lbs In l847 the duty was
diminished to 30 per cent, and the consumption
increased at once so per cent. to 447,OOO 900
lbs; hence we may concnde that duty of
three cents would certainly diminish the North
ern consumption in like ratio, that is to lS7.5o0-
900 lbs, and would yield only S5, 900.
Dir. Derby gets his $7,00o00o of revenue
from tobacco, by levying a duty less than one
fourth of the English, that is, twelve cents per
10. on the Northern consumption, which he is
content to put ut little more than 58,OOOOOO
lbs, being only one-thrd Of the It's, 100000 lbs
which he says the pamphlet assumes it to be-
But in this he is entirely mistaken, for the pam
phet makes'no such assumption. On the con-
trary, it states that the whole crop Of the United
States was 220,o0O00O lbs, and the consump-
ton of France and England 100000 lbs,
which would leave only I'll 100000 lbs. for the
rest Of the world. 1t then says that the South
could supply France and England, and her sur |
plus would furnish twenty -seven pounds per
head for her whole population and that to fur |
nish the Northern population as abundantly,
would require l75 millions lbs but it does not |
say or pretend that the consumption of either
population is so large. Such is specimen Of
the reviewers loose habit of quotation and ar
gument. The real consumption of tobacco in |
In 1910, 1874 bushels Of wheat and corn.
l.0t neat cattle, and 2.o6 hogs for every person
at the South to 1913 bushels, 76 cattle, and .Ol
hogs for every person at the North. In ls4s, the
production was 4597 bushels, I.O7 cattle, and
.32 hogs for the Southern man. and "a. 10 bushels
~ cattle, .96 hogs for the Northern. Hence, the
former may eat as much the Northern man
raises, and still have surplus for sale.