The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-01-26

The TaY1H Question before Congress.
Notwithstanding the delay in bringing forward
some measure for the reliefof treasury we have
reason to believe that the Committee on Ways and
Means are actively engaged in preparing bill
which will shortly be presented to Congress pro-
viding fer an increase fduties upon large num-
Der Of the prominent articles Of import, and
changing some of the articles now on the free list
to the duty paying schedules Some time since
we reviewed this subject, and it is probable the
report of the committee will not differ materially
from the views there presented. Thus, iron will
be placed on the thirty per cent list; spices will
go up to thirty liquors to fifty per cent; and so
on, sufficient to increase the revenue from six
to ten millions upon the basis of the importa-
tons of former years. This sum, with autho-
rity to reissue the treasury notes, or make a
new loan of s2O,OOO,OOO, the Secretary of
the Treasury believes will be sufficient to
meet the requirements Of the government for the
expenditures called for under existing laws and
such ordinary legislation as may be determined
upon this session. (See telegraphic despatch in
another column.) Mr.. Phelps, the able Chair
man of the Committee on Ways and Means
waving any personal views he may have as
to the duty upon iron being too high at thirty
per cent, is willing to sustain the partial return
to the rates of the tariff of 1886 The difficulty,
however is that the various interests in Con-
gress, the moment proposition is before them
to discriminate in favor of certain articles, may
commence to quarrel; and the ultimate result in
that case will be that the bill will be killed.
On the other hand, as it is certain the Presi-
dent will call the new Congress together at an
extra session should the present Congress fail to
provide for carrying on the government. 1t is
| the impression at Washington that if the bill to
partially increase the present tariff is defeated,
| the tariff of 1916 will be bodily re-enacted,
as the easiest way of getting over the disagree
ment. The tariff Of 1916 having been estab-
| lished as a revenue tariff and as such supported
| by the South as we'll as the democrats of the
| North, there would be less difficulty in the way
| of its adoption now, than in agreeing upon the
| tinkering process A good many honorable gen.
| temen no doubt could reason themselves into
belief that re-enactment of the revenue tariff
of lS46" would be quite orthodox, whilst to vote
for bill ostensibly to increase the revenue,
though really graduating the duties at a
lower rate, would be heretical against their " re-
cord" and protective in the extreme As
mere matter of common sense it may be sufi.
cient to appreciate the exact Importance of this
mighty distinction; but common sense and Con-
gressional proceedings are not necessarily syno.
nimous terms.
Meantime, it is said that Mr.. Hunter and his
Virginia abstraction friends are disinclined to
any change in the present tariff, preferring to
saddle the country with an additional loan of
ten millions. The practical democrats in Con-
gress are opposed to this, because if the revenue
collected this year under the existing tariff I'm
altered should chance to tall below the wants OF
| the government, then the subject of a high pro-
tective tariff would naturally and irresistibly be
pressed upon the next Congress, with republi-
can majority probably in the lower house, and
thus throw the tariff into the Presidential ques-
| ton Of 1860.
1t isquite as possible, if in the demagoguism of
| The present Congress the question does 60 over,
that tmay have at least one good effect. twill
narrow earfully the list of Presidential aspirants
at Charleston, for whoever is responsible for the
| defeat of measure to relieve the treasury now,
and thus throw the tariff question into the next
Congress, will by that time be so very dead that
even the resolutions of '9S and '99 could not
resuscitate him. Let the committee hasten with
their report.