American union. [volume] (Morgantown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1855-1859, 1857-07-11
SATURDAY, JULY II, 1857.
From the Wheeling Daily Times.
Tho New Tariff,

ihoO w CuiVouuy. Liz uulleS arc T6uu
ced on nearly all articles which enter
into the general consumption of the
country, while many other articles,
which are considered as raw material
in the consumption of, our manufacto'
ries are placed on the free list. Such
articles as iron, cotton, wooden fabrics,
hemp and sugar, have a reduction of
one sixth on duties under the old tar.
i'll. Distilled spirits and liquors are re-
duced from 100 to IS per cent, with
general reduction of 20 per cent,
on all articles not carried to the free
list or reduced either to four or eight
per cent. Wool costing less than
twenty cents per pound will henceforth
be free.
In anticipation Of the reduction Of
duties, large amount of goods, recent
ly imported, has been left in the pub
lie stores. The withdrawal now will
be large, and for sometime to come the
custom and ware houses of the coun-
try will have busy time.
We believe it was calculculated by
Mr.. Hunter, the author of the new
law, that the revenue will be lessened
some fifteen millions of dollars under
its operation. This, however, we think
very improbable-for, as the Peters
burg lntelligencer justly remarks, so
rapid is the increase Of our population,
SO expansive the demands of manufac-
turing industry, and so strong the pro-
clivity of our people towards luxurious
and extravaganza habits of life, that we
should not be surprised in the least if
the new law, so far from diminishing,
does not actually increase the revenue,
and thus leave a large surplus in the
Treasury to tempt the cupidity of the
yenal and stimulate the prolligacy of
the corrupt.
1t will be remembered that the tariff
was remoddled and the duties reduced,
IN order to defeat the passage of the
Opposite Act, which passed the House
of Representatives at the last session,
and would have passed the Senate also,
but for Mr.. Hunters ruse to reduce
the tariff rates, and thus as he contend
cd, reduce the amount accommodating in
the sub-treasury to the dctriment of
the business Of the country. 1t re-
mains to be seen, whether the states.
manship Of Hunter will be indicated
by the actual operation Of his panacea
for our national ills, or whether the re-
duction of the rates Of duty in 1857
will not result, as it has heretofore
done, in stimulating Interpretations
even beyond the actual wants of the
country, thus increasing the amount of
precious metal to be locked up in the
Treasury, and to that extent cmbar-
RAISING the business operations of the
country and arresting the wheels of
commerce and enterprise. Our own
impression was and is, that the adop-
ton of the Deposite Act, which Hun
ter s ruse defeated in the Senate, would
have conferred infinitely more benefits
on the country, by depositing the thir-
ty millions Of precious metal, now rust
ing in Uncle Sans Treasury-box at
Washington, into the Treasures of the
several States, to be circulated among
the people and to relieve their burdens,
than all the reductions of rates of du'
ties from 1916 to the present time.
As Virginians, acquainted to some
extent with her necessities and her pow
erty, we are not disposed to think light
ly Of Mr.. Hunters successful effort to
defeat the late Deposte Act. Our
condition as people required, and
simple justice also dictated, that the
old States, which have been so shame
lessly robbed of all benefits deriyable
from the public lands, should have had
the small advantage which the Depos-
tie Act gave them. But, Mr.. Hunter,
who, in order to make strong bid for
the Presidency, would give away our
rich Territories for the nominal price
Of 123 cents an acre, to the scum of
creation from abroad, is unalterably
opposed to poor old Virginia deriving
the least advantage from the public
lands or any other source. Taxation,
he seems to regard the only remedy
which Democracy can propose for the
people of Virginia, while Douglas and
the Democratic leaders in Illinois have
almost entirely relieved the people Of
that State from such old.fashined ways
Of supporting the government. Dem.
ocratic policy in Illinois, and the North.
west generally, builds railroads, cole.
gos, and schools, and pays Off State.
debts, by grants Of public lands. But
Democratic policy in Virginia is anoth.
err end quite a different thing. Here,
railroads, colleges, and canals, are to
be constructed from the hard earnings
Of the people, while the poor children