The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1851-02-06

outlay; at rs per cent, the duty would be $500,
hut, according to the decision of the Supreme
Court only g 500 could be cole cted, from the
valuation Of the goods at the time and place of their
first purchase. Mr.. Hunter cited broader cases
than this. Foreign manufacturers, under this de-
| eisi0n of the Supreme Court, could control the
revenues from imports at heir discretion and the
honest merchant, acting IN good faith, upon fair
invoices, would be driven from the field of c0npe
ttion. Hence the absolute necessity of so amend
ing the act of 1886 as to require a valuation Of
goods According TO the market, and the time aud
place whence last exported. II is estimated that,
according to the decision of the Supreme Court,
| the collections made by the custom house officers
under the act of 1916, and the circular Of Mr..
Secretary Walker, defining the law, an agPre-
gate OF duties have been collected, exceeding, By
! $4,000, COO, the legal amount Here, then, We
have the basis of another large batch of indemni-
ties, OF which, we suppose, however, the payment
| is quite another thing.
Mr. Winthrop was willing to let this bill 20 for
| what it is worth; but it was not the thing. II
| would not answer and II would be found out and
out, byand BY TIA. our immense masses s.S Of
| $4,000 600 for imported merchandise. We might
postpone the evil day for time by stocks, aud
loans, and-soforth but pay day would al length
come round and with it there would come finan-
cal and commercial revulsien, and then the delu-
siveness and inefficiency of the act OF 1916 would
become apparent 10 all.
| The bill was passed, and it will afford good
hook in the House upon which to hang partial or
complete modification of the tariff of 1916, ii it
be done We have no doubt it will be tried when
| the bill is taken up.
Mr. Winthrop is not satisfied, whether, since
the election Of Rantoul to fill his place, he is Is
| not Senator Of the United States; and he has
asked the Judiciary Committee to inquire into the
matter, which they have been instructed to do.
We should suppose that no inquiry would be neces-
sary till Mr.. Rantoul ehall have accepted Till
that fact is ascertaiRed, there is contestant for
| the seat of Mr.. Winthrop.
The greater part Of the day in the Senate has
been devoted to the bill for the settlement Of Cali
fornia land claims and land titles, which was
ordered to third reading. II is substantially the
bill as published in the Herald some days ago, aud
we calculate it must be good measure, from the
overwhelming majority of the Senate in its favor.
To facilitate it's passage through the House, the
appropriation OF $500 towards carrying the law
into effect was stricken out, as all appropriations
have to 60 through the ordeal of a committee;
whereas, bill without an appropriation may be
taken up and passed, dispensing with the reference.
Still, for want of time the bill may fall through.
We have had, to-day. the most singular proceed
ipgs on the New York Branch Mint Bill. In com
mtee, the bill was cut up into fragments, root aud
branch. and when reported to the House it was A
mere bill providing for the manufacture of gold
sugs in aid of The specie circulation of the country
The motion to lay the bill upon the table-70 to
l06-shows the strength of the measure is not yet
entirely destroyed but the case looks blue enough
II is barely possible the nucleus OF branch mint at
New York may yet be saved. The list of the ayes
and noes will afford the secret Of the opposition to
the measure.
WASHINGTON, Monday-P. M.
IVho WiH be the neat President ?--One Phase of
the Question.
To answer this question with any certainty now
is, of course, impossible. Itmay be almost as diff
cult to arrive at even a probable result. But
think we can attain reasonably satisfactory con-
lecture, by looking at the character, the history,
the popularity and unpopularty of the various can
didates.
shall, first OF all, take up the wing party, be-
cause they are now in power and, other things
being equal, they might, with good management
keep it. Possession is nine points IN the law, the
old proverb says and it is till the trial comes,
when the sympathy of the jury is often on the side
OF the weaker party. But one thing is not to be
forgotten. The wings have very lite cohesion !;
they have always lacked the esprit du corps which
has generally kept the democrats together. They
have toe many Ieaders-they have more in the
staff than they number in the rank and file. Their
army is made up chiefly Of officers. The wings are
more fond of commanding than of obeying; and
they have, IT anything, too many really great ncn
easily 10 settle down in harmony on either one.
Fillmore, Webster, Scott, Mclean, Crittenden are
all full in the eye Of their party, and even Tom
Corwin, the wagon boy, is already formidable
competitor OF his rivals and Corwn is growing
every day. But OF these men, who stands the best
chance
Willard Fillmore as the iocpm .encns is prior,
the man. Besides, he was elevated to the post he
fills by no act Of his, and after reaching 1t, he has
coniessedly filled II with honor and ability Few
men could have done better than he. First, in the
choice Of his cabinet. No man was better fitted
for the State Department than Mr.. Webster, and If
II were to-day put TO vote u is very doubtful II any
with more unanimity. His noble course in the
Senate, his letter TO the Union Committee OF Castle
Garden his speech in New York, and hts letter TO
the Austrian minister, have each and all been re-
ed cpu pf htx ri. IN liz g.
dence end admiration. Mr.. Webster, as Secretary
OF State, has shed u lnstre over Mr.. Fimere's ad-
ministraton. The readiness with which the Pfesi.
dent gave his concurrence 10 the peace meeS ures
showed an impartial and patriotic spirit. He hes
many good qualIues besides, which eminently fit
hun for an administrative post, But thea there is
another side 10 the question. II is generally
thought that he lacks resolution and boldness
lie IS act Aggressive enough He has tempered
: somewhat, 1t is thought, with the pelplexlng
interests Of the Seward faction. He has at
tempted TO conciliate the fanatics Of your State
He mas allowed mulutudes oil men to remain in
Offices OF trust and power at the North, who are
undls2usedly warning against the peace and IN
tegrity oil the repubic-who, in open day light,
speak out and act out, their hostility 10 the sacred
pledges Of the constitution and the compromise
measures. He IL thought to lack that spirit Of pro-
gress and advancement which must characterize all
men, parties and measures, which would, in these
stirring times, command the confidence, awake the
enthusiasm, and arrest the gaze OF our three and
twenty millions Of Americans Mr.. Fillmore Is
plain, honest, homebred, unostentatious man, and
makes an unexcepuonaole President But qualities
more STRIKING, aggressive, startling and electric,
are now demanded N man who asks such q
public this, at this period Of its history. TO make
him It's Ctiei Magistrate.
In summing up Mr.. Fillmore 3 chances, then, /
should say, That at former period ia our progress
when the times were more quiet, and men were
not so eager and restless. he would have suited
his party aud the people. lie Is man OF The Madl-
son and MonrOe school. lie lacks the fierce reso-
lutien Of Old Hickory, the 6nsss of Vau Buren,
the parry devotion OF Polk, the prssitgs Of SCOTS
military reputation, the power 10 inspire the love
OF the multitude, hke Taylor, the depth OF genius
the constitutional learning and eicquence Of Web
ster. lie lacks those brilliant, captivating, grend
qualities which have made these mel what they
IRE IN history and in fame. lie is plain, good,
honest man We have thousand such. But
President must be one, not IN ten thousand, but
the chief Of thwerty.fye millions. have heard