The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1853-08-19

FRxr TRADE A recent number OF the London Econ
omist contain. several interesting and instructive articles
the beneficial operations OF reduced duties imported
Goods The language of the following passage extracted
from ,ha, journal, is quaint, but repIee with truth and
wisdom !" Swif,'s maxim that in taxation and does
make has received the sanction OF much expert
ence Ii bias renamed for time 10 establish the
verse proposition equally true. You may take from
L. and instead of only remaining 81 viii be found
This kind OF veIlous arithmetic has been eucda,ed
with clearness beyond expectation by our customs
form. 10 1910 there were 037 articles subject 10 Gus
toms duties, and the revenue from customs was c23,-
sos 6sl; in 1853 The number OF articles subject
toms duties 49, and the amount OF the revenue E22,
al2,5l3 IN the interval the amount OF customs duties
reduced $685. While duties, therefore, have
been abolished upon $50 articles and reduced repealed
TO the OF Es 1885, the has only fallen
off CT proving tina, the arithmetic OF the revenue
/. ike no other afth netc The lesson quite as raua
able as it is curious. Il teaches that both additions
and reductions OF taxation have much larger effects than
are usually contemplated The imposition OF tax is al
ways the imposition OF restrictions and 1t iucls an in
jury on the public prosperity less in proportion 10 the
amour, OF the tax Than to The extent Of the restriction
Sohe repeal OF is the abolition OF restriction and
il promotes the public prosperity more IN proportion TO
the freedom given than TO The amount OF the tax Hence
when tax is imposed yielding two pounds, il impedes
or puts stop 10 irsde, AID may yield ten sblirgs
and hence when TAX abolished 10 the extent OF two
pounds trade may be expanded and the community may
BE benefited TO thrice that sum"
To show the beneficial operation OF reduced duties, the
writer gives table exhibiting the whole amount OF ex-
pous imports, and tonnage from the year lsao when
high duties were txscied, till 1883, when many of the
duties we're wholly abolished and others greatly reduced
Thus in is4o The exports amounted in value 10 cllo,-
90 Csc the imports Goa oas, i2l inward and outward
tonnage se277a2 In 1883 all those items nearly
doubled The exports in 1853 amounted in value TO
E219 54j 600 imports, 3a54o9 tonnage, inwards
and edwards, id 800 i49.
The increase of the Of the United States.
from The reduction OF duties. corresponds 10 that OF Great
Britain The discovery OF the gold mines in Cali sonis
and Australia has been conducive 10 degree to this
increase in both hemisphees But the grea, and the
PRINCIPAL cause OF that ncrease is the reduction and
peal OF restrictive and protective duties which prohibited
The free interchange OF the products Of one country for
those Of others.
In 1910, during Mr.. Folks administration, when the
bill 10 reduce the duties on imported merch andse and TO
modify the rgors of the protective system was before
Congress. Mr. Webster predicted that The revenue from
castoms under such law would not reach sixteen mil
lions Of doarsor not enough, BY nehalf. 10 defray
the expenses OF In the second year alter the
Law o 1896 into effect. the revenue was more than
double sixteen millions, and has been rapidly growing
.nee til last year. when SHY millions and
al this moment there is surplus Of twenty two millions
in The treasury