The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1860-05-10
REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE.

IN RELATION TO THE PROPOSED ALTERATIONS OF THE
TARIFF; ALSO, RECOMMENDING THE ESTABLISHMENT
AT WASHINGTON OF BUREAU OF COMMERCE.
The Committee on Commerce, of the Baltimore
Board of Trade, to whom was referred Bill of
Mr.. Morrill,, from the Committee of WAYS and
Means, Of the House of Representatives, entitled
ga Bill to provide for the payment of outstanding
Treasury Notes, to authorize a loan, to regulate
and fix the duties on imports, and for other pur-
poses," made the following report, which was
unanimously adopted at the regular monthly
meeting held on Monday last:
That as all changes in laws regulating Commerce have
the Tariff question ever in degree be injurious
and ought to be avoided unless demanded consdera
tions higher than those of steadiness and regularity
The bill proposed has very little recommend it. while
its Objectionable provisions positively overwhelming
may be advisable to substitute specific duties in lieu
al paore on articles of nearly uniform quality-such
Salt, Sugars, Metals, etc; but the application of that
system to manufactures of Cotton Wool Plate Glass
Wines, Cigars etc, would be ineXpedent, both ac
count of the difficulties in its proper execution and the
ralpable impropriey of laying duty varying from five
to over one hundred per cent the articles only
differing in grades of value. Thus the proposition
Te x psr n' only thirty cents less than
OF much lower value dollar appears equally unjust
with that of fixing the duty fine Cigars costing eighty
dollars per thousand, the on common forming
the bulk Of the imports from Europe and elsewhere
first cost of three or four dollars, that the duty
would amount to about two hundred per
Your Committee hold that bill in this and other
respects not well matured proposes on numerous ar
tces an increase of duty of hundred per cent
and the tariff would, in many cases amount to PRO
hbon, which is not believed be the intention of the
Trainer. 1t contains besides several inconsistencies
such as enacting duty of two pound Sheath
ing Copper and admitting Yellow Metal, used for the
same identical purpose, free of all duty
The levying of high duties Provisions Rice Bread
stu or any other article being the natural production
of the United States and commonly exported to foreign
countries appears injudcous, and sound policy would
advocate their free admission, that may ask the
same of other nations the principle of reciprocity
Whenever temporary causes such partial failure Of
the crops oblige to become for time mnorters of
the first necessares of life, it would be wiser to paw
bounty to the merchant endeavoring alleviate the evil
than to impose further tax on the in the form
of duties.
Your Committee would be unwilling believe au-
thor of the bill designedly guilty of recommending
gross an injustice, due reflection he discover
to be contained in the provision section 81 that in all
cases the importer shall duty not less than the in
voice value OF his goods and that he shall not be entitled
to any abatement or diminuon by account
OF any damage or depreciation arising after expectation
Under this arbitrary law, if its adoption possible
the unfortunate owner of goods damaged deprecat
partially lost in ransu would only have the option be
tween paying full duties whole invoice or of aban
donng his property to the Collector of the Customs if
should not be prepared to take the risk of entering
taking possession of goods which, examination NAV
| not prove worth the amount of duties thereon.
The abrdgement of the time during which goods i'm
ported from foreign countries shall be entitled
in the public stores and requiring their withdrawal with
in the short space thirty days almost
an abolition OF the present warehousng system and
enlightened Congress would certainly not wish to de
pVe the country OF an institution the benefits of which
are universally acknowledged.
Your Committee will not enlarge upon further obec
tiOns and defects of the bill as the increase of utit
on Cham Gables on Manila Hemp and Gunny Cothth
two first not less essential to shipping than the las
to our cotton planters to the manifest hardship of
quirng importers of Wool to pay duty eight cents
pound if the price should have advanced mere Fraction
in the interval between purchase and export that tn
market value of Wool, costing 153 should
| exceed 10 cents, the limit up to which duty i
charged. They believe that enough has been stated il
order to to satisfaction the injurious charaC
ter of the BILL and they would hope that will in
manner be condemned by the advocates of free trade
| of protection
In connection with the tariff question, your Committee
would also again call the attention of the Board tn
the establishment of Bureau of Commerce. distinct fror
the Treasury Department. 1t is believed that the bus
ness of the country has grown such dimensions
that it must be beyond the power any ndivdua
whatever may be his talents and application investiga
thoroughly the mutifarous and important questions
santly arising, embracing both finances and trade-w
interests which, in their nature frequently diverse
not conflicting separate department of commerce an
| statistics would also greatly facilitate the business G
Congress- by enabling members obtain information
the spot many subjects requiring their deliberate
regarding which they would in vain look for counsel
their constituents. Your Committee feel convinced tina
the advantages of the measure will be generally recol
nized and that this Board will merit the thanks of tn
country for having been its first advocate
Respectfully submitted by
| A. SCHUMACHER,
| Fl. L. WHITRIDGE,
BENJAMIN NJ. HODGES, Jr,
ROBERT LESLIE,
BALTIMORE, May Z, 1860. Committee.