The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1851-01-18
THE OTTAWA FREE TRADER.
Ottawa, 1annarn Is, 1851.
Secretary Corwin's Report.

Secretary Corwin's Report.
We have just finished perusal Of this mo.t
. extraordinary document and are compelled to say
that it falls flr beneath our expectations. The
high character whi,h Mr. Corwin has hereto
fore sustained "a politician aud a statesman,
had raised our antiriplsions in reference 20 thi,
report high above mere rei;cratou Of old and
( worn out NhlS doctrines. ard the "heSgar stories
ofeastem protec,ioni,is. The weak and silly ar
argument. put forth BY Mr. Meredith, in hi, re.
report IN favor OF protection and specific duties,
were not unexpected. as It was known that he
WAS inexperienced in practical political economy
in national inaucerng and it was to be cxpcc-
ted that, instead OF ba>iug hi, calculations upon
true financial principles and the fixed laws Of
trade, he would be carried or by the long cherish,
I cd errors OF the wing party. But from Mr Cor
win q different exhibition was looked for. The
/ prominent position which lie had so long occupied
in the political history Of our country fully jus,i
fed the public in anticipating report from him
which would be an honor not only to himself but
to the whole country. But sadly are We dtsap-
pointed 1t is mere party slang, wiihou. force or
/ foundation, and an insult To the wisdom and dig
nity Of our people
Like biz predecessor, Mr. Meredith he is dcs-
perately alarmed at the rapid increase Of The pub.
lie expenses, aud details a host of imaginary La.
biii,iv, growing out OF the Mexican war sets
Jnvv, oil tho s,,r,,ri,t.,,,s f,r s,,,.G, .x,nr.li
lures for the present year aud makes out host
Of new ones at his own figures and yet the re
sources of the government fall but about half a
million short of the expenditures.
( Whom we compare the report Of Mr. Meredith
VIII tIat Of Secretary Corwin, and find that the
former was much less ex,rayagant in his est-
mates than the latter andy over estimated the
expenditures for ths past year neady $doocoOo,
wha; can We infer will be the condition Of the
treasury at the end Of the mex, fiscal year accord
ing to 5lr Corwin's estimates
To meet this enormous deficit in the treasury
the Secretary recommends modification Of the
present tariff laws. He takes the same tack up
on this subject taken by AIr Meredith. and also by
Presiden, Fillmore in his late message, viz an
increase ofthe present tariff He advocates spe.
cific duties because frauds have been committed
under the al ra!orm system. But how specific
duties will preyen. this evil We are at n loss to
know; and we think the Secretary himself is fyr
he does not tcll us.-That frauds will be attemp.
ted under any system, and that the temptation
to fraud is the greater the higher the duties, We
all know But If those who are appointed to APP
praise all cargoes and assess the duty upon them,
understand their duty if they are acquainted,
as they ought 10 ba, with the value and qualities
OF merchandise the fraud, under the nd rdiorei
system cannot be very great. Mr.. Corvin shows
that in some instances the appraisers have incrca-
sel the value stated in the invoices, without Oh
jcc.!on being made on the par; of the importer
The appraisers ought to be sufficiently intelligent
TO perceive when the n7oice value is fraudulcnily
low, and sufficiently faithful to their duty to IN.
crease the valuation in all such cases With these
two requisites, intelligence and honesty, We can
not see any great difficulty in the matter. We
fear Mr Corwins appraisers are not competent
to thi. duty
Blu. the most astonishing discovery which our
learned Secretary has made, is the startling fact
that our imports, for the past year, have exceed
our exports over S260O0000 That we have a
balance Of trade" to that amount against Us
With these figures, bg with mischief and disaster
TO our national wealth. the Secretary concludes
that the large prospective importation. should he
checked by higher rate Of duties 80 as to bring
the average amount Of imports down to that Of
our exports and by tina; mean, keep our book.
on balance.
Wa had long thought that the theory Of the
balance Of trade was exploded, that is, as adj
vocatcd by the wing party-inport no more,
dollar for dollar than YOU export. The severity
with which it was handled by the democratic
press after the appearance Of Mr. Meredith, re.
port, seemed to put an end to all further attempts
TO sustain it; yet, Mr. Corwin again comes out in
favor-yea, even insists upon it as Indispensable
to the welfare Of our country.
To show the utter absurdity Of the position
WHICH INC SeCIctdIN taxes, IGt Us Tor Il moment
examine it: The imports, according to hi, report
for the past year, have amounted to Sl1s,l36
SIS, and the exports to Sl5l,s9S,72O, being a
balance against us of $40 237,35 When We
remember that all the figures of the Secretary
have been to create necessity for an increase Of
the present rates of duty; and then consider that
| his figures are more extravagant than those Of Mr.
| Meredith who ovcrshot the mark about 10000.
/ 600 IN his estimates Of the government expenses
for the same purpose, we may reasonably infer
that these figures are incorect-tlat our exports
have been greater aud our imports less But We
have no inclination to doubt the veraci,y Of our
able Secretary. BY no means These figures
suit us very well and we think instead Of de.
monsrating that there is balance Of trad,
against US, they show it To be greatly in our favor
Now, it is an established rule among merchant.
to estimate their profits upon all their ,rausae
tons, as to make not less than 3Si per cent on
their capital invested per annum clear. Whc'
they can do this, they think they are doing
I "A worry mod anil snf. hn.in.ss tltL,ut,h ~ f,o