Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1852-06-19

ue and all stmulants to industry be taken away Surely
this freetrade is lovely system, which only it
blight ON the and aborer but reduces rea
estate 10 half its value
1t question Of serious import whether this coun
try will become sufficiently manufacturing to pro
duce enough for her consumption and furnish fol
expectation 1t is very certain that under the free trade
system she WILL 1t is just certain that she may
soon become if she follows the system which gave
England her present commence Take iron, and see
how England fostered its growth from infancy its
gigantic stature? At the time of our Revolution
England produced less than 600 tons Of all kinds
iron. She commenced protective duties, which were
several times increased until 1920. In that year heI
whole make 800 900 TONS The duty on foreign bar
iron was then fixed at e7 1885, 3d. about $40 per ton
Under the influence of that tariff her production increased
with astonishing rapdy Her make Of the present year
is about 900 of tons. She now take off the
duty and supply the world with the article which she
created by protection The following extract is from the
proceedings of English iron masters lately assembled
The of Great Britain held their quarterly
meeting at Birmingham on the 9Th Of January. An English
paper reoces healthy Of the iron trade in that
country and gives the following facts in confederation
may be USEFUL too, mention that the loo price of iron
IN this country has had The effect Of checkig rey great
every large orders have been received from that quarter
within the last fortnight and have the Of those
Increased amount may be expected in the spridg."
You have observed what interest England takes in this
great branch of industry and what pains she takes to
prevent any rivalry to prevent other nations from adopt
ing the policy which she pursued at their age. That
shrewd and selfish nation goes the extraordinary length
of interfering with the legislation of other countries AT
the of the last Congress- the British Gov
enmen hearing that the Wings had elected their Pres-
dent, became alarmed lest American interest should
triumph British interests and instructed their Min
lister here to interfere Sir H. L. Bulwer addressed the
following letter to our Government:
BRITISH LEGATION
WASHINGTON, JANUARY 80 1850.
SIR It having been represented to her Majesy Govern
fha of
of the United States to increase the duties upon British iron
imported into the United States have been instructed by
Government the hope Of her Majesy Government that
addition will be made to the duties imposed by the present
tariff Of the United States which already weigh heavily
British productions and cannot but observe for
part that augmentation Of the duties British producsOr
made moment when the British Government
has, by series Of measures been facilitating the commerce
the two countries would produce very dsageeabe
effect on public opinion in England
ANIL myself of this opportunity to renew to you the
surance Of my most distinguished consideration
HENRY L. -BULWER.
Hon. JOHN NJ. CLAYTON DC.
This certainly bold measure For foreign Gov
eminent to attempt to obstruct the modification repeal
Of an American law by an American Congress was de-
nounced by some as impairment But TO me it seemed
natural if not proper must be remembered that the
tariff Of 1886 was produced by her Britannia Majesty
after great anxiety expense and labor During the period
Of its CESSATION she had agent with assigned
him IN this Capitol to watch its progress and facili
tate its advent 1t was safely delivered BY the aid Of the
celebrated accoucheur Mr. Secretary Walker It is now
one Of the most cherished Of her Maesty's numerous
offspring No wonder then, that she felt paternal yearn
ngs for its fate when she heard that was in danger of
being mutilated by the ruthless hands of The Wings The
gentleman from Massachusetts, has DONE and may still
urther do benevolent act by assuring her Majesty that
the has for alarm that she has in this country
numerous faithful able and vgant friends guarding its
afey and that so long the Democratic party governs
he councils Of the nation British interests viii be pro-
ected against the Entertainments Of American interests
need hardly say, sir that, under the operation of this
british tariff the iron masters Of the United States are
lot only doing losing business but that utter and inev
able ruin stares them in the face without speedy Con-
ressiona relief
have heard Of but two modes suggested to enable the
OF this country to compete with Europe
ne one is to lay duty foreign importations equal
ne difference between the cost of the article in Europe
nd the cost Of the article here The other is to
educe the price Of American labor the average price
{ labor in Europe.
Certainly if practicable either mode would effect the
beet
The duty to be protective should be equal to the diff
erence Of the wages of labor in the two countries
never long sustain establishments. That would
i've liberal wages and al the comforts Of life to our labor
- classes This is the Wing policy. The other mode
dvocated by able statesmen in the South well as in the
orth whose standarbearer is General Pierce, Is
strike of from the price paid American operatives the
aid in Europe 20 similar laborers Let us for moment
Dok at IT. effect The price paid laborers in
Europe ID one shilling sterling day and they find them
elves see by address of large operator publish
IA 1851, that he pays from Sd TO Is BY later pub
cation find wages the continent are eight cents In
rider to get cheap labor they employ women as wen as
in the aborious work Recording the report
committee of Parliament woraen employed in |
mining coal several hundred feet under ground. They
found harnessed into cars hauling heavy loads from
he long drifts TO the shaft In consequence Of these low
rces the laborng classes have scarcely enough to feed
md clothe them. They live on poor fare, are meanty
lad and have nothing to bstow the education Of their
children. They grow up in ignorance, to remain hewers
n wood and drawers of water from generation TO genera
on This may be borne where the people have voice In
The Government. This Is the Democratic scheme. For
my part prefer the protective policy, which gives to
aborer the dignity and the feelings Of independent free
men, and enables them TO fit their children to share in
the government Of the Republic let those who wish to
degrade labor choose the other
think every impartial mind must see that the tariff Of
1896 vicious in principle and unwse In its provisions
when protection is most needed the nd yalorem system
affords the least and when not needed ct all II becomes
burdensome. When foreign iron costs thirty dollars per
ton in Europe the duty thirty per cent would be nine
dollars, when ne protection would be needed When 1t
falls In Europe TO ten dollars per ton which Is the pre-
sent case, the duty also falls three dollars per ton
THIS is an absurdy in legislation. Nor can IL be RENE
died by the ad yaorem system without adopting the slid
ing SCALE raising the duty the price falls to keep
the cost here always the same This would be difficult to
do There are many things that enter into manufactures
which We cannot produce in this country. They should
be admitted duty free But the tariff Of 1916 leyies re-
venue duty them.
May we not hope that the Committee Of Ways and
Means viii take up the subject and revise that injurious
act Cannot fixed duty be levied on iron equal 70 what
was intended BY Congress to be fixed the tariff Of
In 1876 the official price OF pig iron Glasgow $21,
the duty at 30 per cent SO 0S27 80; which, with
the costs and charges would have brought foreign iron to