Columbia Democrat and Bloomsburg general advertiser. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1850-1866, 1860-12-15

State over those of another" Under our
dd palorem system such preferences are Go
some extent inevitable, and complaints have
often been made that the spirit of this nrn.
vision has been violated by lower appraiss,
ment of the same articles at one port tbnn
at another.
An impression strangely enough prevail,
to some extent that specific duties are nec.
essarily protective dnties. Nothing can bo
more fallacious. Great Britain glorie, in
free trade, and yet her whole revenue from
imports is at the present momeut collected
under o system of specific duties. 1t is
striking fact in this connection that, in tbs
commercial treaty of 23d January, 1860 be-.
tween France and England, one of the srti.
cles provides that the al Uaforem duties
which it imposes shall be converted int,
specific duties within six months from il,
date, and these are to be. ascertnined bv
by making an average of the prices for six
months previous to that time. Tue reverso
of the proposition would be nearer to ths
truth, because much larger amount Of rev.
enue would be collected by merely convert
ing the ad ualoysm duties Of tariff inn,
equivalent specific duties. To this extent
the revenue would be increased, and in the
same proportion tho specific duty might bo
diminished. .-...
Specific duties would secure to the Amer.
lean manufacturer the incidental protection
to which he is fairly entitled under rev.
enue tariff, and to this surely no person
would object. The trainers of the existing
tariff bavs gone further, and in liberal
spirit have Disseminated in favor of largo
and useful branches of our manufacturs..
not by raising tho rate of DUTY upon the i'm.
portatiou of similar articles from abroad ,bu,
what is the same in effect, by admitting ar.
ticles free of duty which enter into the coul.
position of their fabrics.
Under the present system, it has been
often truly remarked that this incidental
protection decreases when the manufactured
needs it most and increases when ho need,
it least and constitutes sliding scale which
always operates against him. Tho revenue.
of the country are subject to similar auctu.
atoms Instead of approaching steady
standard, as would be the case under sy;.
tenn of specific duties, they sink and rise
with the sinking and rising prices Of arti.
cleS in foreign countries. 1t would not be
difficult tor Congress to arrange system Of
specific duties which would afford additional
stability both to our revenue and our manu-.
factures, and without injury or inju,tice to
any interest OF the country. This might bs
accomplished by nscertaining tho average
value of any given article for n series pf
years Mt the place of expectation, and hy
simply converting the rate of ul valorsg.
duty upon it which might DO deemed nccc..
sary for revenue purposes into the form Of
u specific duty. Such an arrangement cod
not injure the consumer. lr he should DAY
greater am,Lnt Of duty one year, thi.
would be counterbalanced by lesser
amount the next, and in the end the aygre
gate would be the same.
desire to call your Immediate attention
to the present condition Of the Treasury, 81
ably and clearly presented by the Secretary
in his report to Congress and to recon-
mend that measures be promptly aduptel,
to enable it to discharge its pressing ohliga
tiUns. The other recommend atoms Of tho
report are well worthy Of your favorable
consideration.
herewith transmit to Congress the 70.
ports of the Secretaries Of War, Of the Ma.
Wy, of tho Interior, and of the Postmaster
General. The recommendations an suy.
gestions which they contain aro highly val.
liable, and deserve your careful attention,
The report of the Postmaster General do.
tails the circumstances under which Curno-
hus nnderhilt, on my request agreed in
the month ut July last, to carry the ocean
mails between our Atlantic and Pa id,
coasts. Had he not thus acted, this impor.
tant interounlmunication must have been
suspended, at least for u season. The Post
master General had no power to make him
any other compensation than the pn-tasea
on the mail matter which he might carry.-
1t was known At the time that these p0s,a.
yes would fall far short Of an adequate com
pensatOn, as well AS of the sum which thu
same service had previously cost tho Gov
ernment. Mr.. Vanderbilt, in \ commenda.
Bile spirit, was willing to rely upon the rs
tice OF Congress to make up the deficiency
and |, therefore, recommend that an appr1.
priation may be granted for this purpose.
should do great injustice to the Attorney
General, were to omit the mention of his
distinguished services in the measures alop-
ted and prosecuted by him for the defence
of the Government against numerous and
unfounded claims to land in California, pur-
porting to have been made by the Mexican
Government previous to the treaty of ces.
sion. The successful opposition to these
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 sour
ces which deem reliable, that the inhab
tants in several portions of Kansas have
been reduced nearly to a state of starvation,
on account of the almost total failure of their
crops whilst the harvests in every other por-
tion Of the country have been abundant
The prospect before them for the approach
ing winter is we'll calculated to enlist the
sympathies of every heart. The destituton
appears to be SO general that it cannot be
relieved by private contributions, and they
are in surh INDECENT circumstances rs to be
unable to purchase the necessaries of life for
themselves. refer the subject to Congress.
If any constitutional measure for their re-
lief can be devised would recommend its
adoption.
cordially recommend to your favorable
regard the interests of the people of this
District. They are eminently entitled to
your consideration, especially since, unlike
the people of the States, they can appeal to
no Government except that of the Union.
JAMES BUCHANAN.
WASHINGTON CITY, Sd December, 1860.
SENT TO TIE PENITENTIARY.-Slx
negroes who were in the Wide Awake
II IL nj q y