The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1860-12-11

the 50 States COnfederacy were
without representatives. and that consequently, these H
teen States would be DISTINGUISHED by such CALL These
fifteen States will be in the condition the 4th
March next. Ten of them cannot elect representatives,
according to existing laws, until different periods, extend
ing from the beginning of August next until the months OF
October and November.
In my last message gave warning that in time of
sudden and alarming danger the salvation of inst
utons might depend upon the power of the President
Immediately to assemble full Congress, to meet the
emergency.
1t quite evident that the financial necessities of
the government will require modification of the tariff
during for the purpose of increasing
the In this aspect desire to reiterate the
ommendaOn contained in last two annual messages in
favor of imposing specific instead of ad valoem duties
all imported articles to which they can be properly applied
From long observation and experience am convinced
that specific Duties necessary both protect the
and to to our manufacturing interests that
amount of medical encouragement which avOidably
results from a revenue tariff.
As abstract proposition, it may be admitted that ad
vaorem duties would in theory, be the most just equal
But if the experience of this and of all other commercial
nations has demonstrated that such duties be
sed and collected without great frauds upon the revenue
then is the part of wisdom to resort to specifics Indeed
from the nature of ad valorem duty this must be the
result. Under it the inevitable consequence is, that for
eign goods will be entered at less than their value
The treasury WILL therefore, lose the duty the differ
between their real and fictitious value, and to this
tent defrauded.
The temptations which ad vaorem duties present to a
dishonest importer irresistible His Object is pass
his goods through the house at the lowest
valuation necessary to them from confscatiOn In
this he too often succeeds in spite of the vigilance of the
officers Hence the resort to false invoices one
for the purchaser and another for the customhouse and
to other expedients to dtfraud the Government. The
honest importer produces his invoice to the collector stat
ing the actual price at which he purchased the articles
abroad Not the dishonest importer and the agent
of the foreign manufacturer And here may be observ
ed that very large proportion of the manufactures i'm
ported from abroad consigned for sale commission
merchants who agents employed by the manu-
factures In such actual sale has been made to
fix their value. The foreign manufacturer. if he be dis
honest prepares invoice of the goods not at their act
ua value, but the very lowest rate to escape detection
In this the dishonest importer and the foreign
manufacturer enjoy decided advantage the honest
merchant. They thus enabled undersell the fair
trader, and drive him from the market. In fact, the
operation of this system has already driven from the pur
suits of honorable many of that class OF regular
and Conscientious merchants whose character
the world, is the pride of our country.
The remedy for these evils is to be found in specific du
ties so tar as this may be Practicable They dispense with
any inquiry at the customhouse into the actual cost
value of the article and pays the precise amount of du
ty previously fixed by law They present no temptations
to the appraisers of foreign goods who receive but small
salaries and might by under valuation in few rem
der themselves independent.
Besides specific duties best conform to the requson in
the Constitution that no preference shall be given by
regulation of commerce to the ports of one
State those of another Under ad vaiorem sys
tenn such preferences to extent inevitable and
complaints have often been made that the spirit of this pro-
vision has been violated by lower applasment of the
same articles at one port than at another.
tent that specific duties are necessarily protective duties
Nothing be allacious Great Britain gories in
free trade and yet her whole revenue from imports
the present moment collected under system of specific
duties 1T is striking fact in this connection that in the
commercial treaty of 23d January 1860, between France
and England the articles provides that the ad
lolcm duties which it imposes shall be converted ino
81 ecc duties within months from its date, and these
be ascerained by making average of the prices
for six months previous to that time The of the
proposition would be the truth because much
larger amount of revenue would be collected by merely
converting the ad vaorem duties of tariff into equva
lent specific duties To this extent the revenue would be
increased and in the proportion the specific duty
might be diminished
Specific duties would secure to the American manufac
turer the incidental protection TO which he fairly entitled
under tariff and to this sure person would
object The trainers of the existing tariff have gone fur
ther a1d in liberal spirit have Disseminated in favor
of large and useful branches of manufactures by
raising the of duty upon the importation of similar
tces from abroad but what is the in effect by admit
ting articles tree OF duty which enter into the composition
of their fabrics.
Under the present system has been often truly
marked that this incidental protection decreases when the
manufacturer needs it most and increases when he needs
least and constitutes sliding scale which always OPP
crates against him. The of the country sub
ject to similar fuctuaton. Instead of approaching a
steady standard would be the under system of
specific duties. they sink and rise with the sinking and
rising prices of articles in foeig countries 1t would
be difficult for Congress arrange a system of specific
duties which would afford additional stability both
and manufactures and without injury i'll
Justice any interest of the country This might be
cOmpShed value OF any given
article for series of years at the place OF expoaton and
by simply converting the rate of ad valorem duty upon
which might be deemed necessary for purposes
into the form of specific duty Suth an arrangement
could inue the If he should pay greater
of duty year, this would be counterbaanced
by lesser the next and in the end the aggregate
would be the
desire call your immediate attention to the present
condition of the Treasury ably and clearly presented by
the Secretary in his report Congress- and recommend
that be promptly adopted, to enable it to dis
charge its pressing obligations. The other recommended
tions report well worthy OF your favorable
sideIation.
herewith transmit TO Congress the reports of the Sec
rearies of War; of the Navy of the Interior and OF the
Postmaster General The recommendations and sugges
tiOns which they contain highly valuable and deserve
your careful attention
The report the Postmaster General details the crcum
stances under which Cornelius Vanderbilt my request
agreed in the month of July last to carry the mails
between Atlantic ard Pacific coast. Had he not thus
acted this important ntercOmmnncaton must have been
had no power make him any other compensation than
the poastages the mail matter which he might carry
1t known, the time, that these hostages would fall
far short OF adequate compensation well o. the
service had previously cost the Government. Mr.
Vanderbilt. in a commendable spirit, willing to rely
upon the justice of Congress make up the deficiency
and therefore, recommend that appropriation may be
granted for this purpose.
should do great injustice to the Attorney General
omit the mention of his distinguished services in the
adopted and prosecuted by him for the defence
of the Government against numerous and unfOunded
claims land in California, purportng have been made
by the Mexican Government previous the treaty of
ion The successful opposition to these claims has saved
the United States public property worth many millions
of dollars and individuals holding title under them
at least equal amount.
1t has represented me- from which deem
reliable, that the inhabitants in several portions of Kansas