Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1852-12-23
No. IS.

), qulred BY the habits or necessities
e Of the pePple.
t Another question, wholly inde-
u pendent Of ofprotection, presents itself,
: and that is, whether the duties lev
S led should be upon the value of the
t article at the place of shipment, or,
] where it is practicable. a specific du-
t tygraduated aocordinE to quantity,
as ascertained by weight or measure.
All duties are at present "ad yalo-
, rem, " A certain per dentage is lev
led on the price Of th9 goods at the
ports of shipment in a foreign coun-I
try. Most commercial nations have
foundit in nHispensiblst tfor the pur-
pose of prev Venting frau Z and perjury,
to make the duties specific whenev-
er the article is of subj a uniform
value in weight or Aeasure as to
Justify such duty. Legislation
should never encourage dishonesty
or crime. It is impossible that the
revenue officers at the port where the
| goods are entered ana the duties
paid, should know with certainty
whht they cpst in the foreign coun-
try.
Yet the law requireF that they
should levy the dutyI according 10
sudh cost. They are, therefore,
cor hpelled I'd resort to very unsatis-
fac tory evidence to ASCERTAIN what
that cost W. Is. They take the in
vol ice of the importer attested by
his oath, as the best evidence Of
which the nature Of the case admits.
But every one NJ Iust sed that the IN
Vol ice may be fabrf fcated, and the cath
by which it is suppo1 ted false, by
rea son of which { be dish Honest import
er pays a part only Of the duties
which are paid by the honest one,
and thus indirectl y receives from tho
Treasury of the United States re-
wal I'd for his fraud and perjury. The
reports of the Secretary of the Treas
ury heretofofe made on this subject
show conclu4 lively that these frauds
have been Practised to a great ex-
tent. The tendency is to destroy
that high m oral character for which
our merchant IS have long been dis
tinguished; to defraud the Govern
ment of its r reYenue; to break down
the honest importer by dishonest
competition; and, finally, to transfer
the business of importation to for
eign and irresponsible agents, to tho
great detrimant of our own citizens.
| therefore again most earnestly req
the adoption of specific du.
ties, afherevef it is practicable, or
home yaluati on, to prevent these
frauds.
! would also again call your atten-
ton to the fact that the present ta-
riff in some GASES imposes a~higher
duty upon the raw material imported
than upon the article manufactured
rom it, the q consequence pf which is
that the duty operates to the encour-
lgement Of til foreigner and the dis
,ouragement Of our own citizens.
For full and de tailed information
n regard to the general condition
of our Indian affairs, respectfully
refer you to the report of the Sec
'etary of the Interior and the ac-
,ompanying documents.
The Senate not having thought
proper to ratlfy the treaties which !
lad been negotiated With the tribes
If Indians in California aud Oregon,
,ur relations With them have been
eft ih very unsatisfactory condition.
Id other parts of our territory
PARTICULAR districts of country have
been set apart for the exclusive
'ccupation Vi fhe lndlans, ana their
light to the lands within those lin
ts has been Acknowledged and re-
Pected. But in California and Or
'gon there has s been no recognition
" the Cover hment Of the exclu-
i've right Of the Indians to any part
# the country. They are therefore
mere tenants at sufferanee, and la
'le to be drive q from place to place,
It the pleasure e Of the whites.
The treaties which have been re-
ected propose d I'd remedy this evil
~ allotting ITO the different tribes
districts of col 5lntry suitable to their
habits of life, and sufficient for their
This provision. more than
my other, ii is believed, led to their
election; and as no substitute for
t has been adopted by Congress. it
has not been deemed advisable 70