Washington telegraph., 1852-12-22

er the duties levied should be upon the value
of the article at the place Of shipment, or
when tits practicable, specific duty gradu-
ated according to quantity as ascertaiIed by
weight orsiaeasure. All our duties are at
present advancing, and a per centage islevied
on the price Of the goods at The port of ship
ment ia foreign country. Most CONNER
cial nations have found it indispensable, for
the purpose of preventing fraud and perjury,
TO make the duties specific whenever the ar
ticle is of such uniform value in weight or
measure as to Justify such duty Legislation
should never encourage dishonesty or crime.
1t is impossible that the revenue officers
at the port where the goods are entered and
the duties paid can know with certainty what
they cost in the foreign country Yet the
law requires that they should levy the duty
according to such cost. They are, therefore,
compelled to resort to very unsatisfactory
evidence to ascertain what that cost was
| They take the invoice of the importer at
tested by his oath, as the best evidence of
which the nature of the case admits But
every one must see that the invoice may be
fabricated, and the oath by which it is sup
I ported false; by reason OF which. the dishon-
est importer pays part only of the duties
which are paid by the honest one, and thus
indirectly receives from the Treasury of the
! United States a reward for his fraud and
perjury.
The reports of the Secretary of the Treas.
ury heretofore made on this subject. show
conclusively that these frauds have been
practiced to a great extent The tendency
is to destroy that high moral character for
which our merchants have long been distin-
gilished, to defraud the Government of its
Revenue. to break down the honest importer
by dishonest competition, and, Gnally to
transfer the business Of importation 70 for
eign and irresponsible agents, to the great
detriment Of cur own citizens l therefore,
again most earnestly recommend the adop-
tion of specific duties wherever it is practi-
cable, or home valuation to prevent these
frauds.
would, also, again call your attention to
the fact that, the present Tariff. in some
cases. imposes higher duty upon the raw
material imported than upon the article man.
ufactured from it. The consequence of
which is that the duty operates to the en-
couragement of the foreigner and to the dis
couragement OF our own citizens.
For full and additional information in re.
gard to the general condition of our Indian
affairs, respectfully refer you to the report
Of the Secretary of the Interior, and the ac-
companying documents. The Senate not
having thought proper to ratify the treaties
which had been negotiated with the tribes of
Indians in California and Oregon, our rela-
tons with them have been left in very un-
satisfactory condition. In other parts of our
Territory particular districts of country have
been set apart for the exclusive occupation
Of the Indians and their right to the land
within those limits has been acknowledged
and respected. But in California and Ore.
gon there has been no recognition by the
Government ofthe exclusive right of the In
dians to any Of the country They are,
| therefore, mere tenants at sufferance, and
liable to be driven from place to place at the
pleasure of the whites
The treaties which have been rejected
proposed to remedy the evil by allotting to
the different tribes districts of country suit
able to their habits of life and sufficient for
their support This provision, more than
any other it is believed, led to their reiec-
ton, and as no substitute for it has been
adopted by Congress. it has not been deemed
advisable to attempt to enter irto new treat
les of permanent character although no eff.
forts have been spared by temporary arrange
ments to preserve friendly relations with
them.
If it be the desire of Congress to remove
them from the country altogether and to as
sign to them particular districts more remote
from the settlement of the whites, it will be
proper to set apart, by law, the territory
which they are to occupy, and to provide the
means necessary for removing them. JUS
tice alike to our own citizens, and to the In
dans, requires the prompt action of Con-
gress on this subject.
The amendments proposed by the Senate
to the treaties which were negotiated with
the Sioux in Minnesota, have been submitted
to the tribes who were parties to them and
have received their assent A large tract
OF valuable territory has been opened to set
tlement and cultivation, ano all danger of
collision with their powerful and warlke
bands has been happily removed.
The removal of the Seminole Indians OF
Florida has always been cherished object
of the government, and it is one to which
my attention has been steadily directed
Admonished by past experience of the diff
Guilty and cost Of the attempt to remove them
by military force, resort has been had to con-
ciliatory measures. By the invitation of the
commissioner of Indian Affairs several of
the principal Chiefs recently visited Wash
ington, and acknowledged in writing the OBJ
: legation Of their tribe to remove with the
least possible delay. Late advices from the
special agent of the government, represent