The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1860-10-18

Delivered at the Republican Meeting, helC
at ST. Louis, Mo-, July 80, 1860.
1 take it, if you will agree With me
that in raising and regulating its revenue
our goverument should 6x the duties up.
on various kinds of imported goods, and
not refer the question to foreign Govern.
ments or their people, as the present tar.
if practically does. Yet, plain as this
proposition is, the distinguished gentle
man to whom | havo referred voted a.
gainst the bill, which proposed to SO a.
mend our Law as to fx these duties speci-
fcally. Can this not be made clear to
sll uiudsi Our present tariff is on the
al va50rens principle; that is, it names
certain rates of duties to be paid upon
the value of the article Imported, but
provides no means by which that value
can be ascertained. 1t leaves this prima-
~ and important fact to be settled by
the manufacturer or merchant. aud taxes
upon them the value be inserts in the in
voice. This leads to fraud upon the rev.
enue and the people, false invoices, rating 2
goods at but from 20to 5Oper cent Of their
value, accompanying the larger part of
the imports of the country. The truth
of this assertion will be attested by every
American merchant on our seaboard.-
Let me Illustrate:
An American gentleman travelling in
Europe determines to purchase for him
self stock of wines, and, going to one Of
the great houses, asks for their list. A
card is placed in his hands, 90 which he
fnds the names of their various wines,
the age OF their vintage, and the price, as
it may be, per dozen or gallon. All this
is very clear to bin, except the price. and
here be finds two colums, widely differ
ing. "My dear Sir," says be, do you
mean to say that you have these wines OF
the same vintage and age, With such diff
ference in rricel Pray, what is the dif
ference in qualityi" When the shre1d
foreigner, understanding our revenue
laws rather better than your late sitting
member, says to HIN. "Ah, Sir. | see
that you have not before imported; that
is to regulate the duty which Jour Gov
erDnent kindly permits Us to regulate
This coluuD of high prices is that at
which we sell you the goods and receipt
but we will invoice them at the other, SC
that you will have almost no duty to
pay"
Again. I mention fact to which am
permitted to refer: A gentleman wrote
to bis FREUD in Paris to learn the cost OF
suite Of furniture OF certain style; and
learning that it would be 5000 francs
reuitted the money, and requested bi:
friend to ship bin the furniture By the
steamer which brough. it he receiTed an
invoioe, in which, to bis surprise, it wa:
charged $50 francs! Upon this amount
be paid the duties and received bis goods
Wondering tb at bis friend did not remit
hin the diferesce between the 5000 and
1850 francs. be wrote him, thanking hin
for the great bargain be bad secured hin
and suggesting that at bis convenience
he should return bin the $3.50 franc:
difference. But what was his chagrin
when. By due course Of steamer, he re-
ceived reply cosering the Partisan up
holsterer's bill for the full amount OF 5,
600 francs, with the inform alton that The
invoice vas but fraudulent device, bJ
which be bad been made party to frauc
upon the revenue of his coontry, and ar
injury to its industry.
This ad UalOren system, ignored and
abandoned by every other civilized ma
tiou, has given the importing trade OF a
merica almost exclusively to foreign hou
ses and their agents, and anuihlated tn
race of American merchants. There ar
many kinds of silk aud other goods whlcl
an American cannot buy in Europe; to
manufacturers referring them to their
gents in New York, SO that 10 man ma.
be able to know now heavily they defrau'
our Government and impair the industr.
of our country.
But again: a writer in your st. L0"s
Republican of the 29th inst, attempts t
defend Mr.. Bsrret vote by pushing to
fact that in 1859 We imported but $l1,
a49, ,740 worth of iron and its manufao
tures. He gives, from the report OF tn
Secretary of the Treasury, table settin
forth the amount of each article imported
of all kinds of saws but $26. .404 worth
Why citizens of St. Louis, those figure
purporting to represent all kinds OF saws
saws. fail to represent one-third th
amount Of single brand Of saws impor
ted 10 single year, that of spear an
Jackson's. There is not q carpenter
cabinet maker, or other who uses saw,
who will not readily believe the truth {
this assertion. And if among you ther
is man who doubts it. let him drop in
to.the magnificent store of Messrs. Chile
Pratt & Co, and learn of them how M
.;naS S06 AQ5 worth of Speer 81 Jacl