Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1859-05-29

Total net Tsl Os3 CO
! If his statement be correct. o. which have 10
doubt it is shown that for every dollar Of net reys
nue. which is paid into the Treasury the productive
industry q the Country is taxed through the Opor-
/ aLious Of the tariff about t8o dollars And this
J burden falls principally upon The planting und ag
ricutural interests of the country, those the
great aad principal producing ind exporting inter-
/ ests Of The Uniei States.
Suppose the tariff was abolishad-ihe labor Of
the country relieved from the burth Of supporting
/ ue Goverument-th3se burdens transferred to and
imposed upon the property of the country, each and
very person paying for the support Of the Gov
eminent in exact proportion to bis means and abil-
ity, wihou, curtaitrg the neefssaries or comforts
( of the labOrer the people would be relieved Of q
! 10 &c aggregate amount Of taxes paid under the
| tariff SYSTEM Suppose the United States should
levy tax of $40 100000 upon the property instead
/ Of the labor Of the country: five per cent would
/ pay the cost Of c0lls0ti88 which, beng So,
600 COO deducted from the $40 COO 600 levied would
leaFe SIS 100000 net TeveruH in the Treasury,
aad e clear saving Of S}5 coo COO per annum, ez-
elusive Of the untold millions paid tribute Inc
home 4nutlctures, in the shape Of enhanced price
OF domestic gCods under the operation Of an indirect
tariff system Of taxation, Every nam would kroW
precisely what the blessings Of free Government
cost him. aud would be enabled TO determine Eheth-
er OF not The mschin5 running at too great an
expense Senators and Represent glivea would be
held 10 more rigid accountability. They would
I l.
, collection Ct taxes and the ezps GditUre Ct public
money. Il would make members Of Congress seDs.-
bic that they had constituents at home, and awaken
an interest and zeal in their behalf almost unknown
I in his Capitol, BetTenchmen- and reform would
b. the achWerds Of party; economy the order Of
the day; the Government ''TtgeDerated, redeemed.
snd dseu aralled;' the people saved, and the
tonal hopes Of The friends Of free government real
! lied.
From table No l. accompanying the report, it
0 ~ - 81 Al
notes The foreign merchandise consumed snd On
/ hand for the y,ac 1850 amounting to Sl6S. 1884,
80. The population Of The aitcd States be esti
mats Al twenty-five million five hundred thou
sand persons the average consumption Of each
person Of such f1reigl merchandise at 81 2j-the
customs duty or The tariff upon which, in Sl.66
and by means Of the cost CT collection aud ner-
chants profits adjcj, amounts 10 about s. -,
upon the basis ! have assumed. So 10 appears
that for every SI.25 woTth Of foreign goods
consumed in the United States during the
year 1850, there paid by some ore or other,
tax OF S3l2 Tkis system Of indirect or tariff tax
alton, bad at present, and al best, is now better
than il has ever before been in this Ct probably !
any other country. And yet the President and /
the Secretary Of the Treasury recommend a return /
to what consider the exploded theory Ct the pro
:ecIiOn Of home industry. first by subst tuition Of
specific for The present cd rai0ySH duties secondly,
by the adoption Of The home instead Of the foreign
valuation; and thirdly, 'if neither Of the foregoing
ehgesan shall be thought proper then it is deemed
highly necessary that the present rates Of duties
should be increased on s great variety Of articles
which it viii be found could bear such increase .
with the most salutary effects upon beth trade and
revenue" The first is wrong in principle and
just in practices because il Is unequal. Under spe
sfc duties the is imposed and collected upon
articles Of similar growth and manufacture without
regard TO the quality or vaiue. For instance, the
who shall wear q coat made Of foreign cloth,
which cost $40 per yard, will pay more tax than
he who shall wear a coat made CT cloth worth one
dollar per yard The lady whose means may ena-
bic her 70 silk dress worth $40 will pay the
same taz-no grea.er-thsn the lady whose silk
dress is only worth $40. And so with regard TO
all other articles upon which specific duties are le-
WED.
do rot know that fully understand the princi-
pics and operations Of the second recommendation.
have seen NJ enc, believe, Eho Prlfesses to knoE
exactly how tie home valuation is TO be ssser-
tanned. If it is 70 be ascertained, as I suppose
it is, by adding the cost Of transportation and insu
rance to the foreign or invoice costs, l an Op-
posed 10 it, because, like the FIRST, it is unjust
Suppose one Of cur ships brings irJJ the pert of
New York cargo Of dUtiable goods worth five
hundred Thousand dollars, she charges upoa that
cargo fifty thousand dollars ioT freight. In ordsr
10 ascertain the home valuation upon that cargo,
the fifty thousand dollars freight is added 10 lie
original COS. Of the cargo making il five burdrei
and fifty thousand dollars, instead Of FIVE hundred
thousand dollars Then upon this home va 'uation
thus ascertained, tax Is levied Of thirty per cent
amounting to Oue hundred aud sixty-lve thousand
dollars, instead Of enc hundred sRl fifty thousand
dollars which would be the tax upon tie invoice
cost Of the cargo. thus imposing indirectly upon
the tonnage CT the country, the shipping Interest
this onerous aGd unjust tax-ths sane imposed
upon the imPorlat0ns Of foreign merehapdize Or
perhaps Tie nome valuation mAy be ssceTtained by
adding to the invoice cost and expenses Of imPor-
tation, the tax CT du'y imposed by tAs govern
ment, to the cargo, worth, according to the it,
voices, i've hundred thousand dollars, would be
added the expenses Of importation. fifty thousand
dollars, and the duty Of one hundred and sixty
FIVE thousand dollars, making together seven hun
drsd and fifteen thousand dollars as the true home
valuation and upon t5is amount ascertaiGed, the
taxes TO be collected; or perhaps the corps Of
appraisers recommended by he Secretary OF the
Treasury, ''W5ose duty il shall be 10 visit tie yrn
cipal ports Of entry in the United States from line
to time, with power to correct improper vsluetioGs