The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1857-02-04

Mr.. FULLER, OF Maine said:
Mr.. srxAKKR have obtained the foor for the purpose
OF calling up the motion reconsider the whereby
House bin numbered 49, being the bill for revision and
codhcaon Of the and navigation laws of the Un
ted Satee reported from the Committee Commerce
the last session by its chairman postponed TO the sth
day Of December 1856. II the motion shall prevail pro-
pose 10 put the bill On its passage.
Before taking the question however desire give to
the House concise history OF the progress and maturity
Of the BILL with brief explanation of the provisions
which IL contains.
Tbe attention Of Congress was first called TO the
condition Of the laws and the importance Of
their revision by the Secretary Of the Treasury his
port early December 1851 The Senate by resolu-
ton January 9 lS53 instructed the Secretary Of the
Treasury to prepare draught Of general Law,
designed snpersede existing laws on the subject and
which should embrace all needful provisions for regula
ting the foreign and domestic commerce Of the United
States In American and foreign vessels In compliance
with that resolution the Secretary of the Treasury the
llh of July, 1854 submitted the Senate bill covering
over one hundred and seventy pages subdvded into four
teen chapters under appropriate heads and accompanied
by detailed report Sec Ex Doc Senate No. IL, Thr-
ty-third Congress- first session
The Committee Commerce of the House had referred
TO them the bill at the second session of the Thirty
third Congress- and reported back TO the House with
dry amendments, the same bill with Recommendation
thai il pass accompanied by full report See House bill
No 6s3 second session Thiryhird Congress and report
No las 10 accompany said bill
In the early part of the last session the bill in
roduced and referred 70 the COMMITTEES Commerce.
dered by them, and reported back with further amend
ments with the recommendation that it do pass. In this
form Is now presented to the House. after many careful
The Senate have considered and passed the first
chapters in the form submitted for the action of the
House 1t is understood that it designed by the
Committee Commerce of the Senate to consider and
pass upon the entire bill by its appropriate chapters
ratey. But the Committee Commerce of the House
aeeming preferable to consider the bill and report upon
IL whole the Senate committee suspended their action
to await the final action of the House upon the bill
The bill in its present form has had the careful consd
of the Treasury Department and reported the
VI IA In IN mart md
So much for the labor and consideration bestowed in
maturing and periecting this bill
propose invite the attention of the House to
three points of consideration:
Frst the present condition of our revenue laws;
Second the necessity for revision of the whole subject
TAird the benefits to be expected from the revision to
commerce and navigation
To exhibit the present condition of the revenue laws
ask have read at the Clerks desk the following extracts
from the Secreary report before alluded to- and short
extract from the opinion of Judge Grier of the United
States Supreme Court delivered in the trial of the at
Philadelphia recently and published in the National Intel
lgepcer, under date of November 1856. .a"aa
The Clerk read as follows: esa
at desirable that the laws respecting the
navigation and the United should under
20 careful revision and arrangement These enactmens
have been accommodating for than half century and
others still unrePsaed though they have long been
applicable the condition of and of the
of the residue under appropriate titles with
udcious amendments and additions and the whole
to be readily referred and understood would be
measure Of great public utility promote more uniform and
protection to the interests OF the and the
Farther egation in connexion with portions Of our
eommerce 10 undoubtedly necss ary Our coasting laws,
however wise and useful in the infancy Of the country
Of facilities which offers for trsnsporta-
on BY land and water territory,
RAISING restrsnts the coswise and interior
without furnishing adequate security to the public
1 sane.
"In consequence of laws importers
often obliged uncomfortable expense to intrus their
well versed therein and the difficulty the part of the
fcers Of the cusoms well importers Of correctly
legislation, gives frequent and expensive i-
CATION augments the busnt Of the custo houses and at
uncertainty which is the duty Of every government to
| avoid"
Extract from the opinion of Judge Grisr:
alt great grievance that laws passed by
Congress complicated II
Is often difficult ascertain what is the existing law any
particular subject Ia The construction OF other laws when
supplies or changes the provisions Of another the
latest construed repeal of the former But the
would that which gives the highest duty,
largest fees the severest penalties h never repealed
fees Acts giving certain fees or forfeitures to certain off
become almost like the laws Of the Medes and PersRns
ingenuity to Language for this purpose which may
not be perverted by ingenious misconstructon.
Ths raises the question Of the construction
of Congress which declares that the owner MASTER
tan other persons employed in navigating canal boats
without masts steam power &c. shall not be required to
certain fees, tax and shall receive
benefit from the marine-hosptal fund.- dc. 1t Is well
known part of the history this act Of Congress- that
originated ut the instance chiefly and for the relief Of
certain class of the citizens of the Commonwealth Of Penn
/ sylvsnia
the purpose of relieving this trade annoy
OF admiralty laws and custohouse exscons this act of
Congress passed. and the question for the decide
this is whether by ingenuity construct,
rather misconsruct ii render wholly Intellectual
proposed TO do by Of the following sorites
string of syllogisms
HA canal boat is q only while il continues
canal and although il has mast stesm-en-
for the purpose taking from part OF harbor
another becomes orfo steamboat, because
tugged propelled by force Of and
forever AFTER having lost the character OF canal
boat forever single contact with the rope Of steam
the and the mule thus converted
marinerp and entitled 10 libel for admiralty,
and interest in the marine hospital fund Ergo, they
bound the fees exacted before this
The objections to this reasoning and concu
they shock and annul act Of
Congress specially made to apply to these very persons and
consequently the fees eracted from the plaintiff
Illegally eracted, entitled 10 according to
| the conditions Of the case stated
Mr. FULLER of Maine. That the revenue and collec-
ton laws Of the United States very numerous and
complicated must be obvious TO any who has had oc
cssion TO give them cnrsory perusal There are
standing statutebook unrepealed, in terms
more than four hundred laws, covering than hive
hundred large pages running through the ten large
octave volumes OF Little Browns edition OF the United
States Laws One Of the laws still force and OF daily
application passed in 1884, another in lTa3 and still
another and the most important and useful OF of
existing revenue acts in 1893.
In 1890 the whole tonnage Of The United States was
ara s47 tons 1t is 4sTl 652 tons Then the imports
q oon 600 S3l463q q42 Then the exports