The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1857-03-17

these schedules what is the policy which we should
direct our efforts that the proper system to which
we should system OF duties laid for
revenue alone and laid according to the principles
taxation If desired TO raise all the money that the
ports would furnish according TO this system, should
and that duty which would make each article yield the
greatest Having aseertained those dutesf we
did not desire to obtain all that il fdrnishedwe should
modify the duties raaby, to give what we want
ed but at the same time we do this do il accord
ing TO the true principles Of TAXATION when require hal
we should lay the tax not on produciion put on
ton That principle adopted in all countries In which
there wise system of hgsation and 1t is adopted De-
cause you lay the tax upon producon the people nave
% pay deal more asnr iSsr I be Of he
great industrial pursuits Of the country and turning some
which naturally profitable out OF their usual and ac
cuetomed channels whereas when you the duty on the
article when ready for consumption the government gets
all the duty, minus the expenses OF collection
pe during the war between England and France under
Mr. Pitts ministry when it proposed 10 lay excise
duty pig iron. 1t opposed ON the ground that
was unwise legislation to lay any duty producton-op
posed on the ground that the 100000 sterling which
might thus be carried into the treasury the people would
have to floooo0o and to show that something like
th might happen, without pretending to answer for the
precise accuracy OF the figures win suppose case Sup
pose they had laid duty cotton; 1t Is manifest
that when the spinner had twisted that pound of
and sold 1t weaver the duty would enter into the
element of price, and upon 1t he would put
profit and interest for the capital invested in the duty
When the turned il TO the printer he would
put on the duty thus compounded with interest another
profit and interest," and when the printer turned it
In the form in which was 10 be consumed in the use
that of printed calicohe would put this compounded
interest and profit again. that the people would have
pay much than would reach the treasury
whilst if instead of doing that they had laid an excise duty
the yard Of printed cloth consumed the government
would have received the whole tax minus the expense OF
collection.
bears what conceive to be revenue SYSTEM
say follows result of that principle that in regard
to all those articles for which there would be no demand
except such made by the manufacturers themselves
there should be duty and those should be free Upon
all articles which lay duty for revenue should
be laid only for purposes Articles for which there
no demand except that which the them
selves create should be free because we should thus cheap
the price to the consumer and because too, it would
enable avoid the risk of disturbing, through
system, the natural equilibrium of the various
branches Of productive industry.
But in proceeding that gyeat end said before
desire go gradually. desire to upon principle
which is just alike to the and the manufacturer
which, in short enables the consumer to buy cheapy
both home and abroad because il not only diminshcs
the duty upon imports but also the cost Of produe
ton to the domestic manufacturer 10 dainsh the cost
of production BY reducing taxation is, after ALI the most
legitimate protection which government giye to its
home industry While, them reduce the duties those
articles which the 81 consume will reduce pari
pdssu the duties those chemicals dyesus Sc which the
manufacturer ues that by proceeding this process
OF reduction when we to the point where have
none but revenue duties those articles consumed by the
MASSES shall have the material for which there
demand that produced BY the manufacturer him
self free. That is the end towards which think should
direct our efforts But widely different Is this in principle
ton and III subjects for taxaon for to make them free is
10 throw the whole weight of taxation upon those articles
which come into competition with domestic manufactures,
and to those duties from falling the
standard.
do not pretend say or it is very much the revers)
that the tariff of lSd6 was anything like this but
was justiabe because It great improvement the
state of things which it substituted Ii recognised
the principle upon which propose to net So believe
that the modification which shall offer will be improve
ment on that act. What is that modihcaon2 propose
TO reduce the acknowledgements schedule to thirty
percent 70 reduce tue the thirty
nies one-feurth nearly fourth that Il to ray the
to thirty the thirty twenty three the
twenty-five to nineteen, and the twenty to fifteen. The
bower schedules, which comparatively unmportant
propose to reduce one-htb. a..sa
This is the whole scheme of the substitute which shall
Offer except that make transfers of certain articles in
order to accommodate the bill more to the principles which
have been endeayoring to enuncate transfer some of
ehose dyestutts which of except to the mar
uiacturer to the free list and others the lowest sched
nle 30 that the operation hereafter of this scheme if it
should be adopted will be to approach rapidly
can to revenue duties upon all articles consumed by the
masses and at the Time when this is accomplished
TO give the manufacturer those articles free Of duty which
are used only by himself in the productions OF his art
But would approach this end, if could by steps
sure and gradual TO give rude shock to any OF the
great interests Of the country believe that all this may
oe accomplished with entire safety upon the principles
which propose.
But it was not my purpose, do think it would be
right to give to the manufacturer all that he desires to
have free while you the upon long list OF
articles with duties above the standard think
the two ought 60 ogetber and believe the substitute
which offer will accomplish that ia great degree But
how is 1t to operate the great protected interests of the
countryf All those which have been heretofore consider
cd as among the protected interests in the twenty
threepercent schedule There you find ron sugar. hemp
the manufactures of WOOL and the finer manufactures OF
cotton.
Now ask which of these interests is it that need be
afraid OF foreign competition with such protection
this Surely not the iron interest," because the twenty
threepercent of duty you to add the expenses of
freight and commissions &c which have never seen est-
mated at less than five per cent My excellent friend from
Rhode Island Mr. ALLEN that it costs all of
that and, he thinks something That five per cent
added to the twentythree per cent is twenyeght per
cent, in itself large profit In addition to that to
remember that for each ton of iron which by the rail-
way from the seaboard into the INTERIOR from two and
half to three dollars be added 10 its price for every
one hundred miles of transportation.
Now is there any living healthy interest that cannot
yeght per cent Twenty per cent large profit twenty
per cent any kind of production is large profit But
has not the iron interest that point in its history
when 1t well afford TO stand under far less duty
far less degree of protection think it has 1t is an adj
mitted fact that in point of natural advantages in the pro-
duction of ron the United States unrvaed OF the
hundred and eighty thousand square miles OF
coal fields OF the world it computed that one hundred
and hirtythee thousand, nearly threeourtb are in
the United States having sixteen times many square
miles Great Britain and Ireland together. Our iron
famous black band-stone OF Scotland and my friend from
Pennsylvania Mr. BRopHEAD told the other day, with
natural and just feeling of exulation that he believed
the pennsylvania pig iron was beginning to drive the
Scotch pig from the American market which has been
heretofore considered the cheapest in the world As oil