The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-06-23


dence, and all the witnesses necessary for a
ferrous history Of this Gadsden treaty, from
first to last, including the stockholders at
Washington, and the capitalists and stockjob
bers concerned, English, Mexican and Ameri
can, in the city of Mexico. If such an exami-
nation is made, there is fine prospect that the
ten millions of this Gadsden treaty will be re-
| served to meet the expenses Of our forthcoming
war with Spain. Benton is not only entitled to
hearing, but the House, from all the consider
ations of independence, honesty, public justice
and economy, is bound to make full investi-
cation into the merits and the mysteries of this
Gadsden treaty.
The TARIFF PRoJEcTs.-To close the cata-
logue of tariff projects we give elsewhere the
bill of the Secretary Of the Treasury, in virtue
of which the government organ at Washington
characterized Mr.. Guthrie as statesman OF
unsurpassed ability. 1t is stated by the minor
ity of the Committee of Ways and Means to be
substantially the same as the bill they reported
in lieu Of that of the majority of the commit
tee: there are however some rather material
differences between them. As none of the
three projects thus laid before the public is
likely to pass, it will be enough just to notice a
few Of the leading features which characterize
each. Mr. Guthrie makes three schedules, one
at 100 per cent, which is confined to brandy
and other spirituous beverages another free,
which includes besides the usual free articles,
acids, animals all kinds of barks, books, music
and engravings, brass, copper in pigs or bars,
dyeing materials, earthenware, hair, horn, ma
chinery for the manufacture of linen or flax
goods, marble, nuts, oils, raw silk, skins and
hides, tallOw, wines, cabinet woods and fire.
wood raw wool, and nearly all metals except
iron and third, comprising all the articles
not included in the two Others subject to q
duty of twenty-five per cent al palorem Mr.
Gnthrie's plan has one advantage over that OF
the Committee of Ways and Means, it is far
simpler, and would necessarily obviate much Of
the confusion and difficulty arising under the
present tariff 1t has likewise larger free
list and from its admitting under this head
almost all raw materials and articles
used in manufacturing, is likely to be much
more popular with manufacturers than the
other scheme But we have yet to see, in the
first place, how general rate of duty for all
unenumerated articles would answer, and in
the second how much revenue would be raise
under Mr.. Guthrie's project. There are vast
number Of articles (Which it would be tedioIs
to mention here in detail, between which AUDI
cious tariff maker should discriminate. Certain
commodities, required by the poor, which are
hardly entitled to be admitted free, should not
however gay as much duty as others which ore
used as objects of luxury by the rich. The
Draconian system win not answer any better in
commercial I'm N penal legislation and how
ever great the beauty Of simplicity, it is as un-
reasonable 70 tax the whole mass of merchan-
disc alike as it would be 70 Insist On the owners
selling clock work and paving stones, quicksil-
yer and ditch wskex as the same price per pound
or per quart. This fact the minority of the
Committee Of Ways and Means mast faolishly
ignore Complications are essential to all sub
lunary affairs; you can no more reduce every
thing to one UNIFORM standard than you can
enact that babies shall be all born the same size,
or mems minds universally alike.
Again, On what principles does Mr.. Guthrie
include wines and watches in his free list Why
should champagne be free, wdea coal pays
tax? On what possible principle should we en-
able rich men to buy watches cheap, while poor
men pay dear for their linens and woollens? If
the Secretary wants to check the aSuIteration
Of wines, why not resort to the very simple pro-
cess Of imposing specific duty? Why should
VII no oh aJ "a yox,o Ia
brandy? sit because the poor consume more
Of the latter, the rich more of the former? The
favor shown to wine and watches looks as
thought Mr.. GuthriageaUy wished to frame an
aristocratic tariff
Finally, what revenue waa.d this project Of
the Secretary's be likely 10 produce? Striking
out from the list Of duties received last year
those levied Oh AZ the articles he would add to
the tree list, and averaging the others at twen-
ty-hye per cent, would the total revenue be ma
terially diminished! We don't believe it would.
We 40 not believe that any sensible relief
would be afforded to the country, or the Trea-
sury.
In point of fact, it is very questionable
whether any one Of the gentlemen who have
given birth to tariff schemes ever intended seri-
ously to agitate for change of our present
rates Of duty. Those connected with the ad-
ministration-and nearly all belong to this
catagory-must have known sometime ago that
the President intended to keep Santa Anna
af'oat, and to spend money in Spain and else
where; they could never have thought of cut
ting down the revenue. To have proposed
such thing while Pierce is at the head of
affairs would have been absurd: AL the money
we can get will not satisfy his wants.