The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1859-04-07
THE PACIFIC
Commercial Advertiser.
SPEECH OF HON. ID. L. GREGG.
jet OF THE HAWAIIAN TARIFF oN sn,nIm

VI NobLfs, MARCH Is, ON THE SUB
jet OF THE HAWAIIAN TARIFF ON sprrTrs
Nj. P..,.DrsI:I move INA. tins House concur in the
But before the question Is taken, il is proper ,b,, T .ho,,,
section nader eonsipSs1aaio". o ! t asse pG,ns 6, involved in the
ssSnnss5sd with i a . general measure, founded as it is upon
economy. VI Poh'icai
1t is apparent that the French Treaty of October 90 1857
si.:.s. Of wines. We are obliged by its terms to conform, our
50 far a. alcohol i, concerned, we are under no restraint
vent IL. Importation Tor the mere purpose Of maaafaeinr &c RPns so
e' On srsnSy, s ana Do.sG an% r Ssss,.s : ao,v Of h.. ILL.,.
Gallon is imposed. This provision i. based on the e1ieeneies
m.a;. witch seem to Isfa,s u h. " s1oand. taken nsss S by ah .hs s% a,s%.
Of spirits supposed to be generally imported from their owl
s sS. sassd on IN p p1Sees ai ii%s: | . nSPs ss to saOw : ,ha. ,hsiIs claim;
The duty of els per gallon on the heavier wines. such as
po1, sherry and Madeira. is above the old rate and beyond
What vi, ! originally had in view: But I unhesitatingIy accept
al ysrianee with any material public interest.
the s.ipalaiions Of the French treaty: 1t lisa necessary provis-
,.9'%%.,4 ron hen there Is no escape 1t was my view TO place
:.rsnsIh, IN the same eaissey but the iowef House, with re-
10 ten per cent. This. I AN assured, will not be unsaiisfac.
and I therefore am disposed TO give il my support. As to he
there can be no doub, on The question Of right u II : per m ssns,
for our own resnlansn, and assume that our authority, in
So also in regard To the al ra1ores rate of 10 per cent as to
hs1iy be made a matter of complaint. 1t relates to the good
va 1ad = si iass1s.;. IN Which lsi is sSneeln ih ,.' r %snef %.Sl.ss and all the
come how to The question raised by The Representative. of
gin. rum and whisky .hosId be placed upon the same al "a
treaty. in virtue Of panty: e, a IL fLoS mx o. . french
They cannot fairly be Construed to that effect.
The Positions taken by these Representatives involve the
right Of this Government 10 impose specific dutiesNa right
ae La. Brio" i1sn G Ssi":ais,S. 81 Is; :I in ny Judgment &. = completely Y
own Government imposes a uniform duty upon all spirits. Can |
an example, VIII Great Britain act upon one rule for herself
and nase Z q cause OF complaint that the Hawaiian Govern
ment adopts the same rule 2 Is there any thing in her treaty |
The the smeTseao c saan ! %i,h . !, i. s,,na,
lion for his claim, has. in reality, no stronger right. Iii no
the mselves on a fcuBs OF parity with France. Although an
Government, the President in his late Annual Message repu.
dates q, and insists upon a recurrence TO specific duties Is
from exercising the same discretion The rule 81 parity in
Of this government to exclude entirely all articles Of com.
iatioas. 4 dissr.aI principle would . .niE,s q f 1y Ir sIow s !, tSe
very foundation Of independent government
spirits. employs the term "a eaHs de rie,, and the Hawaiian
the proper sense Of sSess EXPRESSIONS T. can a. w w sim1Ir +
s,,nas, 2 : doss II ,s so = n = wider ra9ss Of meaning I
and .attaed myself thar it signifies mot merely brandy but ali
The {" Dictionary OF Commerce and Merchandise, 4" a stand
When alcohol Is Intended for consumption il is more or
less m,asd With water. and then takes: from the country and
In France the universal name for all dnnkabIr spirits is eau
de rae, the usual and popular name which designares all spir-
IL will scarcely be eoniended that the Hawaiian word bard
II 50, IL must be admitted that the effect of the French treaty
P"'eou cscta-c % iHfcc uOlidr- 4
per gallon; Determinations may be made below that rate but
Can we adopt a scale of denominations ? I'm my Judgment
II : = = 'mposnollty N our presen, financial condition. No
the question a $ a simple matter of policy.
would involve the Government in bankruptcy, at least so far
as the pre.en, !, concerned Domestic necessity requires US
States and Great Britain. They will not, I am certain, be in
.cquieseed in our poiey-whleh looked not merely to revenue,
but n to o mo, "a viii. complaint, and il cannot be that they
sumo. We stand upon the platform Of International law and
mens exercise. But under a system of specific duties on
s a.re., w"a I'm 1n.1 g sos,d Dell ? e nnniG,sa on Amencan or BIiIisL,
profit in Hawaiian markets. The following table is an illus
TssI. showing the average invoice cost per gallon of certain
year 1858 the average rates Of sale of the same per gallon,
during the same period, by Wholesale dealers, and the
percentage oil profit realized by said dealers on such
cost:
Brandy. Gin. Rum. Whisky.
Average invoice cost pr gall, 81 0s 81 20 81 "a so 50
Av Sa,5ss . .,eI.S o. sale pr san' o. a,s an. ..
Per cent Of profit on invoice
Where, in view Of these statistics. is the justice of the de
mand made BY the American and British Representatives? IL
IL = pure hsiion whie, gives foundation to their pretensrons
TO stabb"rn facts, and to the imperative requirements OF inter
Whenever the financial circumstances of the kingdom will
Of al raIorena duties s''" We 20 2 . .% = 1j,o 1n a nd , ssa
afford the eumbroas machinery Of larger governments but it
ton, except 80 far as We may consent by treaty arrangements.
privileges Of any other independent stale. This is The only
posltIoo To assume. and Il il a position which the world will
Z proded tn the discussion Of another point. Why are the
duties ON general merchandise proposed to be raised TO ten per
cent. simply, because the actual wants Of the Government
require 10. What good subject or citizen has reason To COM
plain ON that ground. The French treaty takes off a duty Of
two-hrhs u N spirits, and the difference must, in some form, be
howHshe case approximately stands
AvEsAeE Custom House Duties for Six Years, viz from 1853
to ls5s Inclusive:
SS2l2 81 |
sptnts, 6l,G9 IS |
Transit, ----s-. .------------ ALL "A |
y3e3 65 |
Deduct two hfths spirit duties,---. 26,siI 20
sg7,57 SO |
Add 5 per cent on goods, --.... 55aI2 10
sI52t 1s4 50
Gain by S per cent, additional on goods, .s552 I2 n
Loss OF two huhs duty on spints,-..-.....--... 26,S1i 10 |
Difference gain ed. 400 81
But In reference to these statistics. IL is to be observed that
the amount Of general merchandise. other than spirits, is
gradually falling OF, and have no doubt IL will continue to
fall OF until 10 reaches The sound and healthy state of dome+
tic consumption A new system Of supplying whale ships is
springing mp, and we must cease to lean upon any casual or
transient commerce, in connection with whalirg interests, as
. permanent source OF prosperity We shoaId look mainly 10
dependent Of the precarious fortunes of those engaged IN
northern nsherie<- II Is not probable, in view of this, that the
duty Of ten per cent on general merchandise will much more
than compensate the loss arising from a deduction Of spirit
figures. OF nearly thirty thousand dollars.
A general duty Of ten per cent nd rakoreza will not, I am con-
WINGED, be deemed unreasonable. IL : in M sense oppressive.
No man can maintain thai Il is against good policy, or in viola
tbn Of any real public interest Let those who are unwilling to
submit to 10, make their arrangements f0 departure Mt their ear
EAaI n ranIGnE TnU a UAnk - 40 ~ 10 l. -~>I.tl. Il