New-York daily tribune., 1859-02-09
XXXVth CONGRESS-. Second Session
SENATE.

| SENATE. .WAsHrSGTos, Feb. 8, 1859.
| A communication from the Secretary of the Navy,
wac received expressing the opinion that it is nexps
dent to transfer the revenue cutter service to the
| Navy Department.
| The Houfe resolution, permitting Lieut.. Maury ard
Prot Bache 10 receive me das from the Sir inan Gov
erpment referred to the consideration OF the Com
| mitee on Foreign Relations.
| Mr.. GREEN, from the Committee on Territories,
| reported ae snst the organization of Jefferson.
Mtsfrs. SEWARD ana KING presented memorials
respec lively, for investigation OF tae merits oil
marine gIas and for deferses Of the harbor OF New
YOrk.
Mr.. BROWN offered a resolution calling for any
! correspondence OF William Carey Jones ON which
| Martinez and Jerez, calling themselves the Supreme
| Government of Nicaragua, could have based the
assertion that the Ministers of the United States were
accom,ices Of tie ftbuster invaders of Nicaragua,
and if such an assertion was made, whether any and
what apology is necessary for the mssta.ement
The resolution adopted
| signals proposing the appointment OF Board CON-
| prisiDg member from the Lighthouse Board, TWO
| from the Navy, ard one each from Bostoo, nav
Yo,k Philadelphia, Baltimore, Charleston aud New
| Orleans. 10 be designated by the Chamber of Com
merce or Board of Trade Of those Cities wfo sh Ill
give sixty days notice Of their Intention and examine
| al codes for day snd right signals that are offered
within thty days tbersaft,t, aud report at the be-
| ginning Of the next Congress- Referred to the Com
mittee COmmerce.
| Mr.. KENNEDY presented memorial from the
Legislature of Maryland asking for final settlement
of the life bafpay Of Revolutionary officers; also for
| monument to Baron DE Kslb. 80
MIR. DOUGLAS presented a memorial from citizens
ak ing the leg alizston OF the sae of Fort Dearborn
| Mr. MASON, from the Committee on Foreign Rcls-
TONS to whom was referred the joat resolution reia-
tive to the tobacco trade Of the oed States with
foreign countries, reported it back without amend
| inert.
that in the opinion Of the Senate large public debt
in time Of peace is inconsistent with the true policy OF
| this country, and that Congress sloud proceed
without delay to adjust the revenue and expenditure
| Mr. MASON objected to the consideration OF the
resolution the that the House OF Rep7esen
| tatives alone originate measures affecting the
| revenue.
| MIR. BAYARD conceded with these views.
Mr. BIGLER replied that he, too, agreed that II
was the prerogatye Of the House OF Representatives
TO originate revenue measures but this resouo, does
not undertake to originate revenue measures, pu' Is
merely an expression Of the opinion Of the Senate.
| Mr. CLlNGMAN was in favor of giving Mr. B'g'
Ter an opportunity to express his views.
| Mr.. BlGLER called for the less and Nays, when
the resolution taken up, 20 against l3
Mr. BIGLER addressed the Senate, his views being
| in favor of mixed specific and ad valorem duties.
| MIR. Biger began by saying that no question save
one connected with oor form OF GoyeInmebt mss e y.
so much controversy in ard out of Congress, or gwen
existence to such abundsrce OF conflicting and ds-
similar opinion, a. that of the tarh as Wen on the
the theoretic principles Involved as on the practlcai
workings Of given details Nor is this at all sing
for in its very nature il is to greater or lees extent
suhe of conflicting interest, real or imaginary be-
tween different acc lions Of the country aud between
different pursuits and classes Of people within the sse
section each having like claims upon the justice aud
favor Of the Government, while the close AMI well
balanced relations of producers and consumers opera
ves and capitalists to the snb9c has naturally ex-
cite the utmost vigilance the part of each OF the.e
classes in the maintenance Of their rights aud inter-
ests. Nor has sny measure go uniformly bsiied tue
foresight of pubic No one Of the sixteen regu-
| lar tariff laws adopted since 1883 has met the ex-
nfi a1v
there been one which did not, at some une, eh,
hibit breaks that To one had anticipated, ana
| thereby contradcted the most universally accepted
theories the subject. In 1886, Tor instance "hen
the Talif under the compromise law was stili quite
high, TIE imports exceeded those OF any previous
year, or Of any one of fourteen subsequent years.
Tten again, in 1856, another 81 Ellar instance was
afforded. Indeed, there never was starf law-and
probably never will be one-agairst which piaos'oe,
II not well.founded, objections may not be made on
some point or other Of its operations. And no public
| mnp need Re reproached because he did not forsee
what given tariff would DO Tie MIR. Bigierj had no
isith in the curesl sch lol; nor sympathy WIN e1-
tIeme protectonists; with those VINO talk tarni
! while they mean party, and whose aim IS 70 Keep tne
! question omen; nor with those who would teach the
people to rely on the Government ostesd OF their oxn
! industry. Bat he does believe that, IN meeting the
Constitutional obligation to provide reve9ae 70 DE-
ray the expenses Of Government, we should endea'or
10 distribute the burdens Incident thereto as as
may be- giving all the incidental protection and aid
possible to such manufacturing interests as encout
one al the sacrifice of the rest burdening unequal
ly one section OF the country to adyarce the pros
| periiy Of an other.
| Reasoning from these premises, he proceeted 10
show how-hoding as he always has held, 10 the doc
tine of a tsriff for revenuehe should shape law TO
that end He would conform il TO no arbitrary rule or
principle but would compose i. OF mixed principles,
nsipg both the specific and ad valorem and in some
stapce the better eQusze the rates OF charge upon
smilar articles ard at the same time to dsc innate
seaps, inferior or adatersted goods he would co n.
pound the two modes, apply wing the charge as wsi
upon the qusnty ss upon the value OF the same e.t-
cie he would discriminate in fixing the rates OF duly
80 g. 10 maintain our great branches OF ndasuy IN
heir composition with similar pursuits IN foreign coun
tries so far as that can be done without imposing
improper burdens upon other classes OF the PeoPeI,
81 'or the reasop among others, that there IS wen
bslapoed reciprocity between al our branches OF
Try, which act and react upon each other, t1e pros
ptriiy OF one beirg benefcis to all and wee versa
he would slso discriminate asanst srlces kno Fn q
u1ories imposing the lower rate of duties oa the nso
esssIes Of lie. Father he would be careful thai Tue
Government 'ealy did rt ceive the amount o. dutiee
hor.ver imposed, go that the honest importer mign'
siard equal with the unscrupulous sdveotarer
MI Bieler bere qICtsi from report he made ID tie
Snate OF PeuIsygsn>t 10 s7Os that twelve wears ssc
he entertained substantially the saIas vioWs.l