The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1852-10-14
DOUGLAS AND TONNAGE DUTIES.

tHo iittie gam, Ut IIoio suiB u
steam engine in breeches," or more pr
: perly, the 'sman Of tonnage duties," deli,
/ cred himself of set speech in Reck Islam
/ on Saturday afternoon and evening III
2d inst. With regard TO his Utopia
scheme Of tonnage duties our readers ma
not all be enlightened, therefore we sui
join an extract from speech upon the sui
ject, delivered in Congress on the 20lh c
August las, by Hon. Truman Smith
Blu, let us attend to the modus operaad
of this scheme. We will suppose lha
Kentucky aud Missouri enter into com
pact to improve SO much of the Mississippi
as lies between these States, and that the,
esta blish and levy tariff of tonnage du
ties, to obtain the requisite means to carry
on the work-that Tennessee and Arkan
sas doth same things or TO as much Of tht
river as lies between those States, and Mis-
sissippi and Louisiana likewise, and thel
Louisiana alone as TO so much of the river
as is wholly within her limits How arr
those duties to be collected? Does th,
honorable Senator contemplate the erec
ton OF forts, to compel steamboats, 10 come
too, and pay toll at the various points o
exaction? We will suppose The honorable
Senator to be in command of one Of thos,
forts; he halls steamboat and says
Halo Mr.. Capt ain, there is little tol
due here please call at my log cabin AM
settle" What would the Captain do?--
Why, rush by in spite Of any fire that thu
honorable Senator could open "on bi.
rear" VIVA, next? Why the Senator
would have 10 call around him fleet ol
revenue cutters. and give chase TO the de
Iinquent. No one can doubt bis qualtica-
tions as admiral, for we know he contem
plated, not long since, taking the chief
command, no, only of the army, but Of the
navy ofthe United States, though he hap
pened to slip up at Baltimore. "P,y It's
It's true?" But, as | have said, the admiral
must give chase-they go rushing down
the "Mlssissppi," would not the craft Of
our friend be quite as likely to be Pierced
by Polk stalk as the fugitive steamboats,
Heaven forbid such an exposure! Such
exalted craftsmanship should be reserved
for '56 aud not be pat so wantonly to haZ-
ard.
Bat, Mr.. President, have little bit oi
a cooquy TO hold with the Hon. Senator
On subject of deeply interesting imporl
10 his constituents aud the whole North
west, and institute the inquiry. Who is
10 pay these tonnage duties, in case thl:
scheme goes into effect? We do suppose
The farmer in Northern Illinois raises SOC
bushels of wheat which he sends TO the
| New York market, 10 obtain means TO pay
for his land, or support his family, or both.
On arrival al Chicago, some tax gatherer,
or publican las they were called in old
times makes grab at it in the shape OF
tonnage duties, 10 improve the harbor OF
that place; at the St. Clair flats another
grab, to open channel there; at Butfalo,
another grab, for the use OF the harbor al
that place; and fiually, at Albany, another
grab, TO subdue the oyerslaugh below that
city. How much Of the wheat of the poor
armer would remain after running the
gauntlet Of all these exaclions? Or, if the
farmer OF Northern or Middle Illinois,
chooses 10 ship wheat 10. New York or Or
leans, how much will remain after being
taxed to improve the barbo" Of 81. Louis,
to clear the snags and sawyers out OF the
Mississippi, from st. Louis to New Or
leans, and even to clear and deepen one OF
the mouths of The Great Father OF Waters? ?
The Hon. Senator from Michigan, Mr.
Cass,) seemed to have some just notion on
the subject. He ordinarily knows what he
is about, and that is more than can be said
of every Senator. He asked emphatically,
where is the burthen to fall? | can tell
the Hon. Senator, (Mr. Doug las that it is
10 fall upon the necks Of the farmers oi the
West and Northwest. care not which
way the freight is going, whether up or
down to the ultimate market, such as -four,
wheat, corn, pork, beef, butter, cheese,
lard, hemp, wool, tobacco, and other agri-
cultural products, can demonstrate that
every shilling of these duties is to come
out Of the pockets of the farmers of the
West and Northwest. And can demon
straie, also, that every shilling levied
upon the ireights the other way-such as
tea, coffee, sugar, salt, iron, woolen and
cotton goods, and ten thousand other arti
cIes OF consumptlon-will also come out OF
the pockets Of these same farmers. Yes
sir! the -emplioners and the log cabin
boys are thus 10 be visited by the hand Of
oppression and taxation! The Hon. Sen
ator has proposed to go into every log cab
in in the Northwest, with his system OF
tonnage duties, and TO levy them on the
ha rd- listed aud hard working boys Of thai
region Of country.
And now lei mo recur again for mo
ment, to freight from the point Of produc
ton to the ultimate market, wheat raised
lin Northern or Middle Illinois, to be trans
ported and sold in New York who will pay
The proposed tonnage duties? Who vii
have TO meet the contemplated exaction'
a, Chicago, St. Clair fats, Buffalo, anC
Albany2 | say, unbestatingiy. the pro
ducer will have to pay it; or rather it will
with other charges, be taken out of the val
ue or price of his wheat at the ultimate
market, whether that be found at New
York, Boston or elsewhere. The reason is
that the Northwestern producer will, whel
he arrives at the ultimate market, have L
compete with the growers OF wheat else
where who will not be liable to any sucl
rharues law II down as a universal lay