The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1860-12-05

EeDruarY,
Of supplying the deficiency in the and
defrayng the expehses Of the Pest ONCE
The year ending the thrteth Of June
hundred and fftynine." This sum, therefore, Justly
Of a. in order to ascertain the sxpendi
ture for the year ending the 30th June 1660 which
leaves balance for the expenditures Of that year Of
102 465 49, The interest the public debt including
june, lsso to which, added
to the above sum Of SIS 65 46, makes the aggregate
It ought justice be Observed that several of the
estimates from the Department. for the year ending 30h
June, 1850 were reduced By Congress below what was
Allowing liberal margin Of o. 600 for the reduc
ton and for other 1t be safely asserted that
amply sufficient to administer the Government and to pay
the interest the public debt unless contingent
should hereafter render extraordinary expenditures
This result has been attained in considerable degree
eHerinS into public conraes Rss myssi i'm
with the award Of such contract except
vble to cast the whole responsibility in each case on the
proper head Of the department. with the general
ton that these contracts should always be given to
that public contracts not legitimate Of patro
mage to BE- upon or political fay0Ites
for the as prudent would
himself.
AFRICAN SLAVE TRADE, &C.
1t is with great satisfaction communicate the fact,
that, since the date Of my last Annual Message not
single slave has been imported into the United States in
This statement il founded upon thorough examination
and investigation Of the subject Indeed, the spirit
which prevailed some time since among portion of our
citizens in favor Of this trade to have
tire]y subsided.
1 also congratulate you upon the public sentiment
which now exists against the crime Of setting foot
military expeditions with in the limits Of the United
to proceed from thence and make upon the people
Of unoffending States, with whom are at peace. In
this respect happy change has been effected since the
commencement Of my Administration. 1t surely ought
to be the prayer Of every Christian patriot that
noe in
our country or depart from our shores.
It would be useless repetition to do than refer,
with earnest concentration to my former recommenda
tons in favor Of the Pacific railroadof the grant Of
to the President to employ the naval force in the
fellow citizens passing in transit the different
Central American routes, against sudden ard lawless
merchant vesses their and cargoes, against
violent and unlawful seizure and confsoaton in the
when these may be in disturbed and revolutionary
dition. 1t is wy settled conviction, that without such
in the of the country which they hsve right
to demand.
ELECTION OF MEMBERS OF CONGRESS.
again recommend to Congress the passage of law in
of the provisions Of the Constitution appoint
ing day certain previous to the 4th March in each year
Of odd number, for the election of representatives
ns al ,nH & power mas already
men of the game day the Union for holding
of the United States. My attention earnestly direct
this subject from the 35h Congress
terminated on the Sd Of March 1885, without making the
Department. then forced consider the best
dy for this omission, and immediate call of the present
Congress the natural resort Upon inquiry however,
ascertaned that fifteen of the 80 States composing
the Oonfederacy without representatives, and that
consequently these fifteen States would be disfanchsed
by such CALL These fifteen States will be in the same
condition the 4th March next Ten of them cannot
elect according to existing State
til different periods, extending from the beginning of
August next until the months of October and Novem-
Der.
In my last message I gave warning that, in time of
sudden and aiming DANGER the salvation of nsti-
tutons might depend upon the power of the President
Immediately to assemble full Congress, to meet the
emergency.
tits quite evident the financial necessities of
the Government will require modification Of the tariff
during present session, for the purpose Of inceas
ing the In this aspect desire to reiterae the
Recommendation contained in my last two annual
duties all imported articles to which these be
properly applied. From long observation and expert.
both to protect the revenue and to secure to our
featuring interests that amount of incidental encouge
ment which unavoidably results from revenue tariff.
As abstract proposition, it be admitted that
calore duties would, in theory, be the most just and
equal But the experience of this and all other
nercal nations has that such duties cannot
be assessed and collected without great frauds upon
revenue then is the part Of wisdom to resort specific
duties, Indeed from the very nature Of dd Cdl0ren
duty this must be the result Under it the inevitable
is that foreign goods will be entered at
the diaerence between their real and Fictitious yal
to this extent we are defrauded.
The temptation which ad palorens duties present to
dishonest importer irresistible. His object
his goods through the at the loves
valuation necessary to save them from conscation II
he too often succeeds in spite OF the vigilance of the
revenue officers Hence the resort to false Invoices ont
for the purchaser and another for the
to other expedents to defraud the Government. Tn
importer produces invoice to the collector
stating the actual price at which he purchased the ar
cles abroad Not so the dishonest importer and the
Of the foreign manufacturer. And here it may be OBJ
served that large proportion Of the manufacture
imported from abroad consigned for sale commits
sion merchants who are mere agents employed by tn
manufacturers. In such actual sale has bee
made to fix their value. The foreign manufacturer
their actual value but at the very lowest rate
to escape detection. In this the dishonest i'm
snS ne S y s
abed to undersel the fair trader and drive him from tn
market In fact the operation Of this system has alread
driven from the pursuits of honorable man.
of that class of regular and merchants
character throughout the world is the pride Of
country.
The remedy for these evils is to be found in speciH
Duties far this be practicable. They dispens
cost or value Of article it pays precise
mount Of duty previously fixed by law. They presen
receive but small salaries and might by undervauatio
in few cases, render themselves independent.
Besides specific duties best conform to the requstio
in the Constitution that preference shall be given
any regulation Of or revenue to the ports
system such preferences to extent inevitable
and complaints have often been made that the spirit
this provision has teen violated by lower apprasemen
Of the same articles at one port than atanother.
An impression strangely enough prevails to some
specific duties necessarily protective duties
Nothing be falacious. Great Britain gores il
free trade, and her whole revenue from importsis
the presant moment collected under a system Of specific
duties It is striking fact in this connection that
the commercial treaty of 23d January, 1850, between
France and England, ohe articles provides that tn
ad c0ore duties which Imposes shall be converted
into specific duties within six months from its date,
these to be ascertaned by making average Of thu
pricesfor six months previous to that time. The
verse of the proposition would be to the truth
lected by merely converting the dd cdk0re duties of
tariff into equivalent specific duties To this extent the
revenue would be increased and in the proportion
the specific duty might be diminished.
Specific duties would secure to the American manufac
turer the incidental protection to which he Is fairly
tied under tariff and to this surely person
would object. The trainers Of the existing tariff have
gone further, liberal spirit have Disseminated
favor of large and useful branches Of
similar articles from abroad but what is the in
feet by admitting articles free Of duty which into
| the composition Of their fabrics.
Under the present system it has been often truly
marked that this protection decreases when
manufacturer needs it most and increases when he needs
it least, and constitutes sliding scale which always op.
crates against him. The of the country sub
ject to similar fuctuation Instead Of approaching
steady standard, would be the under system
specific duties they sink and with the sinking
rsing prices articles in foreign countries 1t would
duties which would afford additional stability both to our
revenue and manufactures and without injury in
justice to any interest of the country This might
compshed by ascertanipg