The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1857-02-21

deep gratitude for his manly defence of the rights aud in
stitutons of all sections and for and just admin
lsiration. Yet, despite such high qualities in the Chic
Executive despite the anxious endeavors of the chief
the oances to enforce strict accountability hroug hout h
department. expenditures have outgrown every former
precedent of the conederacy whether in in
How theD shall they be reduced answer by curtalipf
the revenue and by that alone Even under the system
indirect taxation which than any other dimuisht
the responsibility OF the to the people for
travagance the amount OF the is strong prac
cal limit upon expenditure Increase your
hundred millions and, my word for IT. the expenditures
will grow with it. but cut 1t down, and the people will
not permit their create public debt in time Of
peace a g sre st
am glad therefore, to SEQ general concurrence in the
opinion that the must be redused In TRUTH the
increasing surplus threatens to deraDge the operations OF
business and alarms the commercial classes The ques
on before 10 how, and to what extent shall this reduc
ton be nader fS8 aa lN
am willing to take as the siandatd tbs expenditures
three years SINCE lavish they have shown that
the amount then 40ls 249s will even add $1,000
600 more and make $45000000 my limit Here then, is
the required Last year the customs yielded $64
and the average for three years has been $780,
424s82 The revenue from public lands was last year
9lT644 and the average for three years $962s
491 You do not therefore, need quite as much as $780,
100000 from cusbms to make total reFenue of fully
45006Ud0 1t follows that may and should cot Oft
expenditures down to decent economy. This would
be reduction Of forty per cent and II base tile esti
upon last years revenue instead of the average OF
three years. the reduction ought to be still larger But to
reduce the forty per cent oo reduce the
tares at least fifty per cent for TO lower the tariff will
stimulate importation These $4,000 900 which governs
mentnow eves OIL The Of the imports 10 lavish
the of taxes may then be spent in Purchasing
other imports. The articles of consumption m ba cheap
err and the demand for them extensive And in es-
mating the from the reduced tariff you must
calculate upon the basis of increased importation.
next proceed TO compare the several propositions before
the committee with this estimate, and canuot see bow its
correctness be disputed.
First the gentleman from Indiana Mr. MACE PROPOSES
uniform daty of fifteen per cent and though do not
think that the duty be the true duty for
all artes yet this rate is SO low TO do great inus-
tice TO any one and IT will In my opnion yield an ample
revenue Next the gentleman from South Carolina Mr.
BoyeE proposes to reduce all the schedules over twenty
per cent in the present tariff to that rate This wold be
great relief to lne industry Of the country and would
yield revenue enough and perhaps even too much Next
come the amendments OF my colleagues from Virginia. Mr.
Mtsos and Mr. FAULKNER who each propose raeable re-
dnctons the present schedules The former reduces the
hundred per duties to fifty the forty per cent to
yve and the thirty twenty The laser preserves
the present schedules and makes general reduction Of
thirty-three and one third per cent. ALL gS
OF these propositions prefer the most thorough aud rad
ical for need song remedy the present dangerous
condition of the treasury but am willing to take either
come next to the amendment of the minority OF the
Committee Of Ways and Means reported by my esteemed
colleague [Mri hHreaER.1
Mr.. WAKEMAN. That hsu been withdrawn.
Mr.. GARNETT. / understand not 10 was introduced
last session despair of anything better ts reductions
accompanied by other features which cannot
approye know they to bs regarded as the price to
high for small concfsson My colleague and thor
oughy agree in views and principles 5 this subject
and never differ from him any financial question
without sincere pain and Gfdence for know his large
experience, his tried ability and matured judgment But
air. will general reduction OF twenty per cent on the
present schedules OF duty accomplish our great object OF
reducing The revenue In any notable degrec With the
stimulus i must give to importaon you cannot expect
that twenty Per reduction of duties will diminish the
revenue more than ten per cSnt about 60000o0 and
for my part doubt whether it would bring below
he O VI,
ask is worth while TO enter upon readjusment OF the
tariff for this petty reduction Especially, is the gain
sufficient compensate for the departures from the mr.
rangement Of duties in ls46
The tariff OF that year contains great principle
which commended il to the country mean the ad rdo-
principle specific duty the poor man as much
upon bis cheap clothes and pa subsisence the rich
upon his costly raiment and luxurious living! Tue
tariff Of l846 wiped out that inqnitous system from fhe
statuie-book as trust forever and substituted the uni-
vesa principle Of taxing every article of consumption ac-
cordlng to its value aud thus making every man contrib
ute to the support of government in proportion to his ae
. Next by general reduction and readusment OF da-
ties ii every where approached to stand-
ard Yet it still contained many duties that were highly
protective and which could be Justified only as fans
ton to purer system. ga.
Now sir i willing, If can do no better, to leave the
arrangement Of articles in that tariff untouched for the
present nd make general reduction in its scheddlet
Of hftb alourh tnifd, ct half as the House may
agree But fany change is 10 be madej insist II must
be msdein the direction of free trade will not agftc to
rerogiade step towards protection and here is OBJ
lection 10 this minority amendment 1t does alter ew
Of the schedules and every alteration towards protection
Sir out of all woollen manufactures 1t selects blankets
an article Of large importance to the aborers of the south
States and indeed of universal consumption through
out the Union and while the duty is reduced all other
wooen goods blankets excepted, and subjected to as
heavy tax as Mean time cir wool itself is brought
down TO per cent IL stood before at the ratio with
woollen manufactures Why change 1t nOwi lfit be said
that it will lower the of production and thus cheaper
the manufactured goods | answer that the diminish
ed cost of production win only swell the profits Of The
manufacturer and not benefit tina unless 1t is
diminished wholly exclude the foreign article for tha
must always sell for enough to the foreign cost with
the duty added And the very fact of importation proves
that the home manufacturer sells at tho same price
and to enable him to buy his wool cheaper only 10 swell
his profits and not diminish bis price The chief cost il
all manufactures is the labor, the material ant
while that is much dearer here than abroad is vain Il
talk OF undertaking the foreign goods with the pres
ent heavy dues But if the homo manufacturers coult
undersel the foreign wooens with the proposed duty
twenty-fou per cent added to their cost wlat would b
the effect You would not only lose by the large
y-dminshed duty WOOL but give up still la ge
the woolcn goods then absolutely excluded Ant
must therefore, make your taxes bear heavily OF
cotton sugar. iron, &c in order let the wooen manu-
facturer buy his material cheap and sell his good
nearly twentyfour per cent higher than they could
| bought abroad
Sir repeat that protective concessions such these
to mention the vgaton premiums OF section third of tn
too much to for the inconsderable
ducton which is here proposed. predict that If thi
amendment prevails il will next year be called copfo
mise aod we oil know that in the Legislative jargon
these days, compromise law forced by the strop,
upon the weak which interested parties afterwards atemp
make irreyocabe by investing il with the sanctty
public faith But venture 10 declare that my colleague
aud the minority of the committee propose this amend
with no such understanding; and give notice tha
ii passed it will be but the entering wedge for further
FORM Yes sir session after session, Congress afe
Congress- the labor OF our country will sgitae and camo