Southern standard. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 1851-1856, 1852-12-18

account of the principal and interest of the public
debt, including the last installment of the indemnity
to Mexico, under the treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
leaving balance of $l4,632,l36 81 in the Treasury
on the first day of July last. Since this latter period
further purchases the principal of the public debt
have been made to the extent of So 456,547 40, and
the surplus in the Treasury will continue be applied
to that object whenever the stock can be procured
within the limits, as to price, authorized by law.
The value of foreign merchandise imported during
the last fiscal year 1907 ,24O, l0l and the value
OF domestic productions exported $l498 6l 91l
besides $l7,204,026 of foreign merchandise exported
making the aggregate of the entire exports 167 065
937; exclusive of the above there exported $42
5O7,282 in specie; and imported from foreign ports
S., 1862 SAB.
In my first annual message to Congress called
your attention to what seemed to me some defects in
the present tariff and recommended such notifications
as in my dgment were best adapted to remedy it's
evils and promote the prosperity of the country. No
thing has since occurred to change my views this
important question.
Without repeating the arguments contained in my
former message, in favor of discriminating protective
duties deem it my duty to call your attention
or two other considerations affecting this subject
The first is the effect of large mportations of foreign
goods upon currency. Most of the gold of Cali
ornia, fast it is coined finds its way directly to
Europe in payment for goods purchased. In the
ond place, manufacturing establishments
broken down by competition with foreigners the CAPT
tai invested in them is lost thousands of honest and
industrious citizens are thrown out of employment
and the farmer to that extent is deprived of home
market for the sale of his surplus produce. In the
third place. the destruction of manufactures leaves
the foreigner without competition in market. and
he consequently raises the price of the article sent
here for sale, is in the increased cost of
iron imported from England. The prosperity and
wealth of every nation must depend upon its produc-
tive industry. The farmer is stimulated to exertion
by finding ready market for his surplus products and
benefited by being able to exchange them, without
loss of time expense of transportation, for the
ufactues which his comfort convenience requires
This is always done to the best advantage where
portion of the community in which he lives is engaged
in other pursuits. But most manufactures require
amount of capital and practical skill which cannot
be commanded, unless they be protected for time
from ruinous competition from abroad. Hence the
necessity of laying those duties upon imported goods
which the Constitution authorizes for revenue in such
manner as to encourage the labor of own citi-
Zens. Duties however should not be fixed at so
high as to exclude the foreign article but should be
so graduated to enable the domestic manufacturer
to compete with the foreigner in markets, and
by this competition to reduce the price of the manu-
featured article to the consumer to the lowest rate at
which it can be produced. This policy would place
the mechanic by the side of the farmer create mu-
tua interchange of their respective commodities, and
thus stimulate the industry of the whole country and
render Independent of foreign nations for the sup
plies required by the habits necessities Of the peo-
lple.
Another question: wholly independent of protection,
presents ITSELF and that Isl whether the duties levied
should be upon the value Of the article the place of
shipment, where it is practicable specific Duty
graduated according to quantity, as ascertained by
weight or All our duties are at present ad
UaJ0rem certain per centage is levied on the price
| OF shipment IN foreign country Most commercial
nations have found it ndispensabe for the purpose of
preventing fraud and perjury make the duties specific
whenever the article is of such uniform value in
weight or measure as to justify such duty. Legsla-
ton should never encourage dishonesty or crime. 1t
is impossible that the officers at the port
where the goods entered and the duties paid should
know with certainty what they cost in the foreign
country. Yet the law requires that they should
levy the duty according to such They there
tore compelled to resort to very unsatisfactory evil
dence to ascertain what that cost They take the
invoice of the importer, attested by his OATH the
best evidence of which the nature of the admits
But every must that the invoice may be fabri-
Gated, and the oath by which it is supported false by
reason Of which the dishonest importer pays part
only of the duties which 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 Treasury hereto
fore made this jet show concusvely that these
frauds have been practced to a great extent. The
tendency is destroy that high moral character for
which merchants have long been distinguished
to defraud the Government of its revenue to break
down the honest importer by dishonest competition
and, finally, to transfer the business of importation to
Irresponsible 10 the
our own citizens. | therefore again most earnestly
recommend the adoption of specific duties, wherever
it is practicable home valuation, to prevent these
frauds
would also again call your attention to the fact
that the present tariff in imposes higher
duty upon the material imported than upon the
tice manufactured from it, the consequence of which
is that the duty operates to the encouragement of the
foreign and the Encouragement ofour citizens.
For full and detailed information in regard to the
general condition of Indian affairs, respectfully
refer you the report of the Secretary of the interior
and the accompanying documents.
The Senate not having thought proper to raty the
treaties which had been negotiated with the tribes
them have been left in very unsatisfactory condi
) ton.
In other parts of our territory particular districts
country have been set apart for the exclusive
ton of the Indians and their to the lands within
: those limits has been acknowledged and respected
But in California and Oregon there has been re-
cognition by the Government of the exclusive right
3 the Indians to any part of the country. They are
therefore mere tenants at suerance, and liable tt
be driven from place to place. at the pleasure OF the
4 whites.
The treaties which have been rejected proposed t.
, remedy this evil by allotting to the different tribes
districts of country suitable to their habits of life
sufficient for their support. This provision thar
any other it is believed led to their rejection and
no substitute for it has been adopted by Congress-
has not been deemed advisable to attempt to ente
into treaties of permanent character althougl
81 no effort has been spared by temporary arrangement
: to preserve friendly relations with them.
= Ifitbe the desire of Congress to them from
the country altogether assign to them particua
h districts remote from the settlements of tn