Lewistown gazette. [volume] (Lewistown, Pa.) 1843-1944, 1860-12-06

our fellow citizens passing transit the dinerer
Central American routes against the sudden and lawes
outbreaks and depPedations and also to project Amer
merchant vessels their crews and cargoes agaps
violent and unlawful seizures and con1scation / tn
orts OF Mexico and the South American republics whe
thesA may be in disturbed and yolutio airy cond
ton 1t Is my settled conviction, that without such
power do afford that protection to these
in the commerce of the country which they have rgh
TO dematd.
Election MEMBERS OF coSGRIss
again recommend to Congress the passage of Ia
IN pursuance OF the provisions OF the Constitution ap
pointing day certain previous to the 4h Of March,
each year or an odd number for the election OF repre-
sentatves throughout all the States. similar power
has already been exercised with general APPRECIATION
the appointment OF tie same day throughout the Unor
Tor holding the election of electors for President auC
Vice President of the United States Ny attention wal
earnestly directed to this subject from the fact that the
S5th Congress terminated the Sd OF March 1859 with
out making the necessary appropriation for service
of the Post Office Department. forced 20 con
slider the best remedy for this omission an imme
date call OF the present Congress the natural
Upon enquiry however, ascertaiued that fifteen out o.
the thirty three States composing the Conederacy were
without representatives and that consequently thess
fifteen States would be disf anehised by such call
These fifteen States will be the same condition on the
4th Of March next Ten of them cannot elect representa-
ves, according 70 existing State laws until different ne
riods extending from the beginning of August next unit
the months of october and November.
In my last message gave warming that in a time o.
sudden and alarming danger the salvation our instu
tons might depend udon the power of ths President i'm
mediatey to assemble full Cong ess meet the emer
gency.
1t quite evident that the nanci ii necessities ot
the Government will require uodidcation of the
during your present session. for the purpose
ing the revenue In this aspect desire reterae the
recomme ndalion contained in my last two annual mes
in favor posing specific instead of ad
duties on all important articles to which these can be
properly applet From long observation and experience
convinced that specific duties are necessary both
to protect the revenue and secure TO
interests that amount Of incidental announcement which
q tarj
As an abstract proposition it may be admitted thst ad
vaorem duties would, in theory, be the mos just and
equal But ii the experience Of this all other
cal nations has demonstrated that duties cannot be
assessed and collected without great frauds upon the
venue, then it is the part of wisdom to specific
duties. Indeed from the very nature an ad yalorem
duty, this must be the result Under it inevitable
s that foreign goods will be entered at less
than their true value. The treasury WILL therefore lose
the duty the difference between their real and Gcti
tious value, and to this extent defrauded
The temptations which ad valorem duties present TO
dishonest importer irresistible His obiact TO mss
his goods through the custom house at the verv loves,
aluton necessary to save them from conscation In
this he oen succeeds in spite of the vigilance of Tho
the revenue officers Hence the to false invoices
for the purchaser and another for the custom housa
and to other expedients TO defraud the Government
The honest importer produces his invoice to the collect
stating the actual price at which purchased the
tcies abroad Not the dishonest Importer and tbo
agent OF tAe foreign manufacturer And here il NAV he
observed that very large proportion of the mannfac
lures imported from abroad consigned for sale tn
commission merchants who are mere asents enDIoved
Dy Lne Hhnu!aCtur0rs. In SUCH cases acual
been made to fix their value The foreign manuacuurer
If be be dishonest prepares invoice Of the goods ~
at thep actual value but at the very lowest rate
sary 10 escape detection. ln this manner the
porter and the foreign manufacturer enioy decided IA
vantage over the honest merchant They n thnS
to undersel the fair trader and drive him from tho
ket ln Ia t, the operation OF this system has olraas
driven from tue pursuits OF honorab com merca ,aI
that class OF regular and conscientious mercban,s
character throughout the world is the prids of ou
country. VI 0ui
The remedy fer these evils is to he found in snoc;a
duties so far as this may be practicable They djsner
Win any inquiry at the custom houae into the aciuaI
cost or value oil Ihs article, and it paws the prasa
amount OF duty previously fixed by law Tbey pre,ent
nc temptations TO the appraisers of foreign goods rbo
receive put small salaries and might, by INTERPRETATION
IN a few cases, render themselves independent
Besides, specific dnties best conform to the
IN Inc CONSTITUTION that no preference shall be given by
any regulation OF commerce revenue to the n,Sts 3
one It tie over those Of another" Under our o5 aI
system Snch preferences are to some extent inavabIa
and complaints have often been made that the spirit of
this provision has been violated by lower apprasement
OF the same articles at ono port than at another
An impression strangely enough prevails TO some ex
tent nat the SPECIFIC dute necessarily protective u
ties: Nothing can be more fallacious Great Britain
gorles IN free trade, and yet her whole revenue from
imports is at the pre- ent moment collected under sys
TEN OF specific duties 1t is a striking fact in thiS 80
necton that IN the commercial treaty Of the 23d OF
nary 1860 between France and England one of the ar
ucles provides that the ad udO1s duties which II inn
ses shall be converted into specific duties within civ
months from its date and these TO be ascerained bv
making an average OF the prices for six months nrerio
10 that me' Inc reverse Of the proposition would he
nearer to the truth, because much Irger amopnt of
revenue wonld be collected by merely CONVERTING hs nd
vatoTen duties of tarnnto equivalent specific duties
Te this extent the revenue would be increased ana in
proportion the specific duties might be diminished
Specific duties would secure 10 the American manuCac
turer the incidental protection which he is fairly en-
stlea UNDER revenue tarf and to this surely DO per-
son would object The trainers of the existing tariff
gone further and in liberal spirit have ds,rimnated
in favor Of large and useful branches Of our
lures not by raising the of duty upon the
tion OF similar articles from abroad but what's the
IN erect by admitting articles free of duty which enter
into the composition of their fabrics.
Under the present system it has been often ,ruIv 70
marked that this Incidental protection decreases wben
the man IA turer nesds most and increases whea he
needs II least, and constitutes sliding scale which nj
ways operates again him. The revenues of the conn
try are subject to similar ucatcn nstes Of anuroach
ing steady standard, would be the case under Svs
tenn OF specific dutes they sink and rise with the
ana rising prices Of articles Ia foreign Countries Il
would not be difficult for Congre to arrange svstern
oil specnc duties which would afford additional stability
potn to our revenue and manufactures and without
INJURY or injustice to any interest of the country Ibis
might be accomplished by aseertaning the average yae
OF any gwen article for series Of years the place OF
e4portaIlon ana by simply converting the Of od "a
oTe duty upon which might be deemed necessary fer
revenue purposes into the form of specific duty Such
an arrangement ud not ipjure the consumer Tf he
should pay greater amount OF duty year. this would
be counerbalanced by lesser amount the next and n
the end the aggregate would be the same
desire to call your immediate attention TO the presept
condition Of the Treasury ably and clearly presented
oy the Secretary in his report to Congress and to
Solnenu lnat measures De promptly adopted enable
1t to discharge its pressing obligations The other re-
Communications OF the report well worthy Of you.
favorable consideration
herewith ansmit to Congress the reports of the Sc
cretares of War OF the Navy the Interior and of the
Postmaster General The recommendations and suggeg-
tons which they contain highly valuable and deserve
your careful attention.
The report of the Postmaster General details the cir
culnstances under which Cornelius Vanderbilt on nv
request agreed in the month of July last to carry the
ocean mails between our Atlantic aud Pacific coasts
Had he not thus acted thi important ntercommunioa-
ION must have been suspended, at least for season.
The Postmaster General had power to make him aRy
oher compensation than the posages the mail matter
which he might carry 1t was known, tho time that
these posages would fall far short of ADEQUATE com.
pensaton as well as of the sum which the service
had previously cost the Government Mr.. Vanderbilt
IN commendabe SPIRIT was willing TO rely upon The
Justice OF Congress TO make up the deficiency and l.
therefore, recommend that an appropriation may be
granted for this purpose.
should do great injustice to the Attorney General
to omit the mention of his distinguished services
the measures adopted land prosecuted by him for the
defence Of the Government against numerous and un
founded claims to land in California purport TO have
been made by the Mexican government previous TO the