The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1860-12-13

system such preferences are some extent
inevitable, and complains have often been
made that the spiritof this provision has been
violated by a lower appraisement Of the same
articles ct one port than at another. p
| An impression strangely enough prevails to
some extent that specific duties are necessari-
ly protective duties. Nothing can be moro
fallacious. Great Britain glories in free trade
and yet her whole revenue from imports is at
the present moment collected under system
Of specific duties lisa striking fact in this
connection that, in the commercial treaty of
23d January, 1860, between France and Eng
land, one of the articles provides that the ad
pdlorem duties which it imposes shall be con.
verified into specific duties within six months
| from its date, and these are to he ascertained
by making an average of the prices for six
months previous to that time. The reverse of
the proposition would be nearer to the truth
because a much larger amount of revenue
would be collected by merely converting the
ad ralorem duties of tariff into equivalent
specific duties. To this extent the revenue
would be increased, and in the same proper
tom the specific duty might be diminished.
| Specific duties would secure to the Ameri-
can manufacturer the incidental protection to
which he is fairly entitled, under revenue
| tariff. and to this surely no one would object.
|
| further, and, in liberal spirit, have discrim-
mated in favor of large and useful branches
of our manufactures, not by raising the rate
of duty upon the importation Of similar arti-
cles from abroad, but what is the same in ef-
feet, by admitting articles free of duty, which
enter into the composition Of their fabrics.
! Under the present system it has been often
truly remarked that this incidental protection
decreases when the manufacturer needs it
most, and increases when he needs it least,
and constitutes a sliding scale which always
operates against him. The revenues of the
country are subject to similar fluctuations,
instead Of approaching q steady standard as
would be the case under specific duties. They
sink and rise with the sinking and rising
prices of the articles in foreign countries. It.
would not be difficult for Congress to arrange
system of specific duties which would afford
additional stability both to our revenue and
our manufacturers. and without injury or in
Justice to any interest of the country. This
might be accomplished by ascertaining the av
erage value Of any given article for series
| Of years at the place of expectation, and by
simply converting the rate of al valorem duty
upon it which might be deemed necessary for
revenue purposes in the form of specific duty
Such an arrangement could not injure the con-
sumer. If he should pay greater amount of
duty one year, this would be counterbalanced
by lesser amount the next, and in the end
the aggregate would be the same.
desire to call 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 we'll wor-
thv Of vOur fa vnra1 p cOn sidpratiOn
I herewith transmit to Congress the reports
Of the Secretaries of War, of the Navy, of the
Interior and Of the Postmaster General. The
recommendations and suggestions which they
contain are highly valuable and deserve your
careful attention.
The report of the Postmaster General de-
tails the circumstances under which Corne-
Illus Vanderbilt, 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 intercom-
munication must have been suspended, at
least for q season. The Postmaster General
had no power to make him any other compen
sation than the hostages on the mail matter
which he might carry. 1t was known at the
time that these hostages would fall far short
Of an adequate compensation, as we'll rs Of
the sum which the same service had previous
ly cost the Government. Mr.. Vanderbilt, in
a commendable 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.
1 should do great injustice to the Attorney
General, were / to omit the mention Of his
distinguished services in the measures adopt
ed and prosecuted by him for the defence of
the Government against numerous and IN
founded claims to land in California, purport-
ing to have been made by the Mexican gov>
eminent previous to the treaty of cesson.-
The successful opposition to these claims has
saved to the United States public property
worth many millions of dol ars, and to indi-
viduals holding title under them to at least
an equal amount.
II has been represented to me, from sources
which deem reliable, that the inhabitants
in several portions Of Kansas have been re-
duced nearly to q state of starvation, on ac-
count Of the almost total failure of their crops
while the harvests in every other portion of
the country have been abundant. The pros
pect before them for the approaching winter
is we'll calculated to enlist the sympathies Of
every heart. The destitution 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
neCeSSHrleS OF lie LOT themselves. refer
the subject to Congress. If any constitution.
al measure for their relief can be devised l
would recommend its adoption.
cordially commend to your favoable re-
gard the interests of the people ofthis District.
They are eminently entitled to your con-
sideration, especially since, unlike the PEG.
pie Of the States, they can appeal to no Gov
ernment except that of the Union.
JAMES BUCHANAN.
WAsBINGToN CITr, Sd December, 1860.
From the Chicago Tribune.
New GRAIN ELEVATORS Chicago, already
the largest grain market in the world, is
steadily adding to its facilities for carrying
on this trade. We notice with pleasure that
Munger & Armour, and Smith and Sturges,
who are among our most experienced and
enterprising houses in this line, are each
building new Elevator on the South Branch
These are to be of the largest class, built in
the most substantial manner, and furnish
ed with the best and most approved machin.