The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1860-12-14

cred at less than their trade value. The treasu-
y Will therefore lose the duty on the difference
between their real and fictitious value, and to this
extent are defrauded
The temptations which ad valorem duties pre-
sent to dishonest importer are irresistible His
object is to pass his goods through the custom
house at the very lowest valuation necessary to
save them from confiscaton. In this he too often
succeeds in spite of the vigilance OF the revenue
oflcers. Hence the resort to false involccs-one
tor the purchaser and another for the custom
house-and to other expedients to defraud the
government. The honest importer produces ms
invoice to the collector. stating the actual prlce
at which he purchased the articles abroad. Not
SO the dishones. importer and the agent OF the
foreign manufacturer. Anc here ii may be OBJ
served that very large proportion OF the manu-
features imported from abroad are assigned for
sale to commission merchants. who are mere a
gents employed by the manufacturers. In such
cases no actual sale has been made to hX their
value. The foreign manufacturer, if he be dis
honest, prepares an invoice of the goods, not at
their actual value but at the very lowest rate nee
essary to escape detection. In this manner the !
dishonest importer and the foreign manufacturer !
ENJOY decided advantage over the honest mer-
chant. They are thus enabled to underSell the !
tar trader and drive him from the market. In
fact the operation of this system has already dri-
ven from the pursuits of honorable commerce
many of that class of regular and conscientious
merchants, whose character throughout the world
is the pride of our country.
The remedy for these evils is to be found in
speclhc duties, SO far as this may be practicable.
They dispense with any inquiry at the custom
house into the actual cost or value of the article
and it pays the precise amount Of duty previously
fixed by law. They present no temptations 20 the
appraisers of foreign goods. who receive but small
salaries and might by differentiation in a few
cases render themselves independent. Besides.
specific duties best conform to the requiStiOn in
the constitution that mo preference shall be Civ
en- BY any regulation of commerce revenue to
the ports of one state over those of another -
Under our ad vaOrem system such preferences
are to some extent inevitable and complaints have
often been made that the spirit of this provision
has been violated by the lower apprai>ement of
the same articles at one port than at another.
An impression strangely enough prevails to
some extent that specific duties are necessarily
protective duties. Nothing CAN be more fallaciOus.
Great Britain glories in free trade, and yet her
whole revenue from imports is At the present mo-
ment collected under system Of specific duties
1t is striking fact in this connection that, in the
commercial treaty Of the 23d of January, 1860.
between France and England one of the articles
provides that the ad valOrem duties which it I'M
poses shall be converted into specific duties with
in six months from its date, and these are to be
ascertained by making an average of the prices
of the proposition would be nearer to the truth.
because much larger amount of revenue would
be collected by merely converting the ad valorem
duties of tariff into equivalent specific duties
10 this extent the revenue would be increased,
and in the same proposition the specific duty
might be diminished. Specific duties would St
cure to the American manufacturer the incidental
protection TO which he is fairly entitled under a
revenue tariff. and I" this surely no person would
no fran ~ fhp 30 h.,
gone further and in liberal spirit have discrini-
mated i'll favor OF large and useful branch of our
manufactures. not 10y raising the rate of duty
upon the importation of similar articles from
abroad. but what is the same in effect, BY admit
ting articles free of duty which enter into the
composition of their fabrics
Under the present system it has been often tru-
y remark ed that this incidental prot ection de-
crcaSes when the manufacturer needs it most, and
increases when he needs it least, and constitutes
sliding scale which always operates againS, him.
The revenues of the county are subject to SINH
lar tuctuaton. Instead Of approaching steady
standard. would be the case under system
of specific duties. they sink and rise with the
sinking and rising Of prices of articles in foreign
countries. IL would not be difficult for Congress
to arrange system of specific duties which would
afford additional stability both to our revenue
and our manufactures and without i'll Jury or in
justice to any interest of the country. This might
be accomplished by ascertaining the average val
ne of any given article for a series Of wears at
the place Of expectation, and by simply convert
ing the rate Of I'D ralorem duty upon what it
might he deemed necessary for revenue purposes
into form Of specific duty Such an arrange
mcnt could not injuIe the consumer. If he should
pay greater amount Of duty one year. th,
would Uc countcrba!anccd by lesser amount the
next, and in the end the aggregate would be the
same
desire to cali your immediate attention to the
present condition of the treasury so ably and
clearly presented by the secretary in his report
to Congress; and to recommend that measures
be promptly adopted TO enable it to discharge its
pressing obligations. The other recommendations
Of the report are well worthy Of your favorable
consideration
herewith transmit to Congress the reports of
the secretaries Of war, of the navy. of the inte-
ri"r and of the postmaster general. The recon-
mendatinns and suggestions which they contain
are highly valuable, and deserve Your careful at
tcntlOn.
The repOr: Of the postmaster general details
the circumstances under which Cornelius Van
derbllt. on my request. agreed. in the month Of
July last TO carry the ocean mails between our
Atlantic and Pacific coasts. Had he not thus
acted. this important intcrcommuncation must
have been suspended at least for 4 season The
postmaster general had no power to make him
any other compensation than the postages Oh The
mail matter which he might carry. 1t was
known, at that time. that the hostages wsuld fall
far si.ert of all adequate compensation. as we'll
as U! the sum which the same service had preyi-
ouSly cost the government. Mr.. Vanderbilt, in
a commehdabic spirit was willing to rely upon
the Justice Of Congress to make up the deficiency
and therefore recommend that an appropriation
may be granted for this purpose.
should do great injustice to the attorney gen
eral. were to omit the mention of his disin-
gui>hcd services i'll the measures adopted and
prosecuted 10y HIM for the defense of the govern
mcnt against numerous and unfoundcd claims to
land in California. purportng to have been made
by the Mexican government previous to the
treaty Of cession. The successful opposition to
the claims has saved to the United States public
property worth many millions of dollars, and to
individuals holding title under them to at least an
equal amount.
1t has been represented to me from sources
which | deem reliable, that the inhabitants in
several portions of Kansas have been reduced
neatly to state of starvation, on account of he
almost total failure of their crops whilst the har-
vests in every other portion of the country have
been abundant. The prospect before them for
the approa, hing winter is well calculated to en-
list the sympathleS of every heart. The destitu-
ton appears to be SO general that it cannot be
relieved by private contributions, and they are in
such INDECENT circumstances as to be unable to
purchase the necessarieS Of life for themselves
refer the subject to Congress. If any constitu-
tiOnai measure for their relief can be devised. [
would IT commend its adoption
cordially recommend to your favorable regard
the interests of the people OF this District. They
are emlnehtly entitled to your consideration, es-
peclaily since, unlike the people of the States,
they can appeal to no government except that Of
the Union. JAMES BUCHANAN.