The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1860-12-12

converted into sneci6o duties Mithin 81

month from Its date, and these are
be ascertained by making an average of the
prices for six months previous to that time
The reverse of the proposition would be near
er to the truth because a much larger amount
of revenue would be collected by merely con-
verting the ad valorem duties of a tariff into
equivlaent specific duties. To this oxtent the
revenue would be increased, and in the same pro
portion 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 a revenue
tariff, and tc this surely no person would OBJ
ject. The trainers of the existing tariff have
gone further, and in a liberal spirit have dis
eliminated in favor of large and useful bran
ches of our manufactures, not by raising the
rate of duty upon the importation of similar
articles from abroad, but what is the same in
effect, by admitting articles free of duty which
enter into the composition of their fabrics.
Under the present system it has been often
remarked that this incidental protection de-
creases when the manufacturer needs it most,
and increases when he needs it least, and con-
~stitutes a sliding scale which always operates
against him. TIE revenues of the country are
subject to similar huctuation. Instead of ap-
preaching a steady standard, as would be the
case unGer a system of specific duties, they
sink and rise with the sinking and rising
pTlCeS VI dIllClGS III IOTelSu cOuulTtcS. 1V
would not be difficult for Congress to arrange
a system of specific duties which would afford
additional stability both to revenue and our
manufactures, and without injury or injustice
to any interest of the country. This might
be accomplished by ascertaining the average
value of any given article for a series of years
at the place Of expectation, and by simply
converting the rate of ad valorem duty upon it
which might be deemed necessary for revenue
purposes into the form of a specific duty
Such an arrangement could not injure the
consumer. IF he should pay a greater amount
of duty one year, this would be counterbalan-
ced by a lesser amount the next, and in the
end the aggregate would be the same.
l 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 oftEe report are we'll worthy
of your favorable consideration.
l herewith transmit to Congress the reports
of the Secretaries of War, of the Navy, of the
Interior, and of the Postmaster General. The
contain are highly valuable and deserve your
careful attention.
The report of the Post Master General de-
tails the circumstances under which Cornelius
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 intercommu-
~nication must have lecn suspended, at least
for a season. The Postmaster General had no
power to make him any other compensation
than the hostages on the mail matter which he
might carry. 1t was known at the same time
that these hostages would fall far short of
nm oIon,,o4 &c will a., 4f flo
sum which the same ser, ice had previously
cost the government. Mr.. Vanderbilt in a
commendable spirit, was willing to rely upon
the justice of Congress to make up the def
cheney; and | therefore end that an
appropriation may be granted for this purpose.
l should do great injustice to the Attorney
General, were | to omit the mention of his
distinguished services in the measures adopted
and prosecuted by him for the defence of the
government against the numerous and unfouu-
ded claims to land in California, purporting to
have been made by the Mexican government,
previous to the treaty ofcession The success
full operations against 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 sources
which l deem reliable, that the inhabitants in
several portions of Kansas, have been reduced
to nearly a state of starvation, on account of
the almost total failure Of their crops, whilst
the harvests in every other portion of the
country have been abundant. The prospect
before them for the coming winter is well cal
culatcd to enlist the sympathies of every
heart. The restitution appears to be so gene
raj, that it cannot be relieved by private con-
tributions, and they are in such INDECENT cir
cumStanceS- as to he unable to rurcbaSe the
necessaries of life for themselves. 1 refer the
subject to Congress. If any constitutional
measures for their relief can be devised, I
would recommend its adoption.
1 cordially recommend 70 your favorable
regard. the interests of the people Of this dis
trict. They are eminently entitled to your
consideration, especially since, unlike the peo-
pie of the States, they can appeal to no gov
ernment'except that of the Union.
JAMES BUCHANAN.
WASHINGTON CITY, DEC. 8, 1860.