The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1860-12-13

experience of this and of all other com.
mercial nations has demonstrated that
such duties cannot be asked and collect
ed without great frauds spon the reven-
ue, then it is the part Of WISDOM to resort
TO specific duties. Indeed, from the
very nature of an nd ralorem duty this
must be the result under it. The inev.
liable consequence is that foreign goods
will be entered at less than their true
value. The Treasury will therefore lose
the duty on tho difference between their
real and fictitious value, and to this ex-
tent we are defrauded. The temptations
which nd valoyem duties present to a
dishonest importer, are irresistible. His
object is to pass lis goods through the
custom house at the very lowest valuation
necessary to save them from cUGhscation.
10 this he too often srcceeds, in spite OF
the vigilance of the revenue officers
Hence the resort to false invoices, one
for the purchaser, another for the Gus
tom house; and to other expedients to
defraud the Government. The honest
| im porter produces his invoice to the col
lector, stating the actual price at which
he purchased the articles abroad. Not
SO the dishonest importer, and the agent
of the foreign manufacturer. And here
it may be observed that very large pro.
portion of the forci n mar utactures im-
ported from abroad, are consigned for
sale to commission merchants, who are
mere agents employed by the manufac-
turers. 10 such cases, where no actual
sale has been made to Tx their value, the
foreign manufacturer, if he be dishonest,
prepares an invoice of the goods, not at
their actual value, but a, the very lowest
rate necessary to escape detection In
this manner the dishonest importer and
the foreign manufacturers enjoy decided
advantage over the honest merchant
They are thus enabled to undorsell the
fair trader and drive him from the mar.
ket In fact, the operation Of this sys-
TEN has already driven from the pursuit
Of honorable commerce many of that class
of regular and conscientious merchants,
whose character throughout the world is
the pride of cur country.
TIE remedy for these evils is to be
found in specific duties, SO far as this
may be prac cablc They dispense Will
any inquiry at the Custom House into
the actual cost or value of the article
: and it pays the precise amount Of dut,
f previously fixed by law. They presen
no temptations to the appraisers of for
5 eign goods, who receive but small sala
t ries, and might by differentiation in
= few cases, render themselves independ
cut. Besides, specific duties best con
form to the requisition in the Constitu
i ton, that no preference shall be given b
t any regulation Of commerce or revenu
n to tie ports of one State over those G
- another Under our aG raiorem systel
q such preferences are, to some extent, in
l. evitab!e, and complaints have often bee
= made, that the spirit of this provisio
&c has been violated by a lower appraist
= ment of tie same articles at one port tina
e at another. An impression strangel
u enough prevails to some extent, that sp
= cifc duties are necessarily protccti,
1t duties. Nothing can be more failaciou
IF Great Britain glories in free trad, an
ID yet her whole revenue from imports is
j. the present moment collected under
In system Of specific duties. 1t is strlkll
f. fact. in this connection, that in the col
d. mercial treaty Of 23d January, 1850, |
49,. -Is---i---A~-~o 4. a
ar into specific duties within six mott
from its date and these are to be asce
70 tanned by making All average of the pric
a for six months previous to that time
a The reverse of the proposition would
Of nearer to the truth, because much Ia
a. ger amount of revenue would be cole,
he ed by merely converting the ad valore
ur duties of tariff into genera eauivale
he specific duties. TO this extent the re
st enue would be increased, and in the sal,
Ia, proportion the spcciic duty might
- diminished. Specific duties would secu
IS. to the American manufacturer the inc
nd dental protection to which he is fair
he entitled under L revenue tariff. and
Sc this, surely 10 person would object. II
ry trainers OF the existing tariff have cot
'at further, and in liberal spirit have di
rd eliminated in favor of large and usef
he branches OF our manulactures-nUt
We raising the rate Of dutie. upon the impo
tation OF similar articles from abroad, bu
what Is the same in effect, by admittin
Is articles free of duty which enter into I'll
s. composition Of their fabrics.
r Under the present system it has bee
in often truly remarked that this incident
C protection decreases when the mapufa
he turer needs it most, and increases whe
IN he needs it least, and constitutes a sill,
Ne ing scale which always operates again,
ut him. The revenues of the country n,
It subject to similar fluctuations, instead ,
OF approaching steady standard as woul
u be the case under "a SYSTEM of specific d,
ct ties. They sink aud rise with III
ne sinking ana rising prices Of the article
he IN foreign countries. 1t would not b
Of difficult for Congress to arrange syster
Is OF specific duties which would afford nd
y dlt'onal stability both to our revenue an
't our manufacturers, and without iniur
t. or injustice to any interest of the coun
1t try This might be accomplished b
. ""oe't"'"'"S the a'ctuSc value OF an
= given article for series of years at tn
n place Of expectation, and by simply cor
a vertng the rate of al valorcm duty upo
e 1t which oht be deemed necessary fo
t. revenue purposes in the form of spe
$, clhc duty. Such an arrangement coul
E not lnJure the consumer if he shout
/. pay a greater amount of duty one yea
d this would be countcrbalanced the next
e and IN the aggregate would be the same
| desire TO call your attention .. u