The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1852-12-08


surplus in the Treasury will continue to
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 i'm
ported during the last fiscal year was
two hundred and seven millions two
hundred and forty thousand one hundred
and one dollars, 207,2i0.l0l;) and the
value Of domestic productions export
ed was one hundred and forty-ninc mil.
lions eight hundred and sixty-one thous-
and nine hundred and eleven dollars
! Sl19,s6l.9l } besides seventeen mil
lions two hundred and four thousand and
twcntysix dollars (sl7.20i 026l of for
cign merchandise exported making the
aggregate of the entire exports one hun
dred and sixtysevcn millions sixty-fve
thousand nine hundred and thirty-scvcn
dollars (Sl67 065, 037 J exclusive of the
above there was exported forty mil
lion five hundred and seven thousand
two hundred and eighty five dollars(sl2,-
507,2s5) in specie; and imported from
foreign ports five millions two hundred
and sixty-two thousand six hundred and
forty-threc dollras, (sj,262,6i3)
In my first annual message to Con
gress | called your attention to what
seemed TO me some defects in the pres.
ent tariff aud recommended such mod
llicatlons as in my Judgment were best
adapted to remedy its evils and promote
the prosperity ofthe country Nothing
has since occurred to change my views
on tins important question.
Without repeating the arguments con.
tanned in any former message, in favor
OF discriminating protective duties. |
deem it my duty to call your attention
to Que or two other considerations alice
ting this subject. / he first is. the effect
of large impoitations of foreign goods
upon our currency Most of the gold
of California as fast as it is coined
finds way directly to Europe in payment
for goods purchased In the second
place. as our manufacturing establish
ments are broken down by competition
with foreigners. the capital invested in
them is lost. thousands of honest and in
dustrious citizens are thrown out of en-
ployment. and the farmer to that extent
T. is deprived of home market for the
sale of his surplus produce In the
third place. the destruction of our man
utactures leaves the foreigner without
, competition in our market. and he conse-
qucntly raises the price of the article
= sent here for sale as is now seen in the
increased cost of iron imported from
e England. The prosperity and wealth
. of every nation must depend upon its
productive industry. The farmer is
j. stimulated to cxertion by finding ready
market for his surplus products, aud
benefited by being able to exchange
+ them, without loss Of time or expense
+ Of transportation, for the manufactures
: which his comfort or convenience re-
J. quircs. This is always done to the best
: advantage where portion Of the com.
r nunity in which he lives is engaged in
: other pursuits. But most manufactures
require an amount ofcapital and prac-
teal skill which cannot be commanded.
unless they be protected for time from
ruinous competition from abroad. Hence
i the necessity of laying those duties upon
G imported goods which the Constitution
i authorizes for revenue in such manner
: as to protect and encourage the labor OF
0 our own citizens. Duties however should
' not be fixed at rate so high as to eX
clude the foreign article. but should be
SO graduated as to enable the domestic
manufacturer fairly to compete with the
foreigner III our own markets and by this
competition to reduce the price of the
j. manufactured article to the consumer to
| the lowest rate at which it can be pro-
4 uced This policy would place the me-
I chauic by the side Of the farmer, create
l mutual Interchange of their respcc-
d tive commodities, and thus stimulate the
I industry of the whole country, and rem
n der us independent of foreign nations
+ for the supplies required by the habits
J. or necessities of the people
!. Another question, wholly independent
of protection. presents itself and that
p is, whether the duties levied should be
;. upon the value of the article at the place
n of shipment, or, where it is practicable
specific duty, graduated according to
p quantity, as asccrtaincd by weight or
, measure. All our duties are at present
all ralorem. \ certain per centage is
, levied on the price of the goods at the
port of shipment in a foreign country.
Most commerce ial nations have found it
. indispensable, for the uIIose of pre-
venting fraud and perjury, to make the
duties specific whenever the article is of
such uniform value in weight or meas
; ure as to Justify such duty Legisla-
ton should never encourage dishonesty
f or crime 1t is impossible that the rev
cnue officers at the port where tue goods
, are entered and the duties paid should
know with certainty what they cost in
the foreign country. Yet the law re-
quires that they should levy the duty
according to such cost They are there
fore compelled to resort to every unsat-
istactory evidence to ascertain what
that cost was They take the invoice of
the importer, attested 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 supported
false, by reason of which the dishonest
importer pays part only of the duties
which are paid by the honest one, and
thus indirectly receives from the treasu-
ry of the United States a reward for his
fraud and perjury. The reports of the
Secretary of the Treasury heretofore
made on this subject show conclusively
, that these frauds have been practced to
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