Washington sentinel., 1854-06-01

be distributed among the States, you would
then be compelled to raise the tariff high enough
to make up the deficit. Now, to get $3,000,000
into the treasury you would be compelled to
impose tax of $3,300,000, because it costs the
government 10 per cent. to collect the revenue;
$3,000,000 of which would go into the treasury
of the United States, and 100000 into the
pockets of government officials engaged in col
lecting the revenue. Nor would the loss stop
here; for supposing that additional tax to be
levied upon some article to which similar one
is manufactured in the United States, the tariff
thus imposed would enable the domestic man
ufacturer to raise the price of the homemade
article, and if the quantity of that article con-
sumed in the United States should only be
double that of the imported one, and the in
crease of the price should only be equal to one
half Of the tax imposed upon that imported, the
result would be that the consumers-that is the
people generally--would be compelled necessa-
rily to pay $3,000,000 more, which would 60,
not into your treasury, but into the pockets of
the manufacturers.
| | regret that have not time to elaborate
this argument; but viewed in any light, this
| policy OF distribution can never be anything
but an unmixed evil to the southern States,
and can only benefit those interested in the
| protective system of which distribution is
tectiye measure in disguise.
My colleague, in the course of his speech, in
! dulged in a piece of dry humor, with which /
was highly amused. With gravity altogether
becoming serious subject, he made use Of
these words:
Had the principle Of distribution been estab.
lished, as was contended by great party in this
country il should be, years ago, the blessings Of
| education would have penetrated many an humble
p0f n .f
but in their stead ignorance and misery"
To my mind that passage EQUALS ANYTHING
to be found in the Pickwick papers. Lest,
however, others may think he was serious, let
| me ask, whose fault is it that this distribution
policy over which he mourns has not been
adopted and carried out? Ny colleague who
is very young, cannot 60 back with me in his
memory, and recall the events Of l840 but
], sir, who have almost (thank Heaven, not
qnite) reached "the age Of the scar and vel
low leaf" remember the circumstances which
attended the mighty struggle of that year. You
remember that the party to which my friend
belongs, made distribution one of the issues
in that contest. My colleague has condensed
into the brief paragraph / have read, one Of the
little stump speeches. which his friends were
then accustomed to make. Many time, and
often did / hear them describe in ELOQUENT
their policy. Many were the promises they
made to the people Of North Carolina, the
resources of the State were to be developed.
railroads were to give every farmer ready
access to the markets-education was to be
| diffused, and its blessings were to penetrate
| many an humble cottage" All these benefits
| were to flow from their policy Of distribution
| which was to be carried out, if the people
would only place them in power. Well, sir,
they were borne into power like the sweeping
Of mighty avalanch The people took them
at their word: Tippecanoe and Tyler too"
were elevated to the two highest offices in the
gift of the people by an overwhelming ma
jority; the whig administration was organized,
| and they found themselves supported by
large majority in both ends of this Capitol.
They had it all, "King, Cawdor and Gamis ]"
they were omnipotent for evil or for good.
Did they fulfil their promises Did they re.
deem their pledges? Did they carry out
their policy Of distribution, that policy which
was to bring plenty to smiling land ? "Tis
true, and pity it's It's true, they passed bill
to distribute the proceeds of the sales of the
| public lands; but how? Like some wretched
parent afflicted with an hereditary disease,
they implanted in the system of their offspring
the germs Of its own inevitable dissolution
They coupled with it proviso to the effect
that whenever the duty upon any article i'm
ported into this country exceeded twenty per
cent. dd valoren distribution should cease;
and before the old States received anything,
more than mere pittance, they passed a tariff
act by which duties were raised far above that
standard, and of course the law became in
operative. Yes, sir, these unnatural parents
seized these two political bantlings Of theirs by
the necks, and most cruelty and numerically
beat their precious heads together, until distri-
button, which happened to have the softer
skull, got its brains bursted out; and that was
the way they themselves "crushed out'' that
| policy over which my friend now weeps bitter
tears of regret! But they did pass distribu-
ton bill of that sort which provided that nine
Of the new States should receive 100000 acres
of the lands and ten per cent. of the proceeds
of the sales, and should then share equally
with the old States, according to federal popu-
lation. The new States got the 100000 acres
Of land; but the old States got almost nothing;
and this is the justice which they meeted out
tothe much-injured old States, ofwhch theypro
fessed themselves the especial guardians! And
what has been the effect produced upon State
legislation by the promises held out by our
whig friends of golden harvest to be reaped
from the federal treasury? In North Carolina
the legislature has been induced to involve the
State in debt of $3,OO0,00O, when she had
not the means Of paying even the interest upon
it without an increase of the taxes; and there
is reason to believe that the next legislature
will feel itself called upon to increase the debt
to probably double that sum, in order to COM
plete the works already commenced, and to
endeavor to render them available, and the
people of that State will be subjected to bur-
den of taxation hitherto unknown.
Mr.. Chairman, feel as anxious desire as
my colleague to see the State of North Caro-
lima, in which every earthly interest possess
is centered, and which has honored me with
seat on this floor, prosperous and happy. |
would 60 rs far, according to my humble abili-
ties, as any of her sons, in all proper efforts to
promote her prosperity and happiness; but !
cannot view this policy of distribution in any
other light than as unjust to her, injurious in
its operations, corrupting in its tendencies and
disastrous in its results; and shall therefore
vote against it in all its forms.
EURNITURE.--AG Good and Large As
I sortment Of Centre, Card Work, Side, and