Union County star and Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1859-1864, 1860-12-07

our fellow citizens passing in transit the dnoren
Central American routes against the sudden and lawles
outbreaks and depredaons and also 10 protect Ameri
merchant vessels their crews and cargoes agliDs
violent and unlawful seizures and coniscaion / tb,
rorts OF Mexico and the South American republics whei
tbes. may be in u disturbed and voutio AIRY condi
on. 1t my settled conviction, that without such
power do afford that protection to those engaged
in the commerce of the country which they have right
to dema d.
,IIcTloN OF MEMBERS OF coSGRIss.
again recommend 10 Congress the passage Of lac
pursuance Of the provisions OF the Constitution ap
pointing day certain previous to the 4th Of March, in
each Of odd number for the election of repre-
sentatives throughout all tho States. similar power
has already been exercised with general APPRECIATION
the appointment OF the day throughout the Union
for holding the election OF electors for President aud
Vice President of the United States. My attention was
earnestly directed to this subject from the TACT that the
35th Congress the Sd Of March, 1889 with
out making tho necessary appropriation for tie service
Of the Post O:c Department. was then forced TO
slider tho best remeiy for this omission, AMI imme
diae call OF the present Congress the natural
Upon enquiry, however, iascertaiGed that fifteen OF
the thirty three States composing the COntederacy
without representatives and that, consequently these
fifteen States would be dsf anehised by such a call
These fifteen States will be the condition on the
9Th March Ten OF them elect representa-
hves according to existing state laws until dereu, pc
RODS extending from the beginning August next until
the months Of october and November.
In my last message gave Sarning that, in u time Of
sudden alarming danger the our i'm
might depend udon the power of the President
medaiely 10 assemble full Cong ess 10 meet the emer
geEcy.
1t il now quite evident nnaud Al necessities of
the Government will require JiicaiOn of the Ia rim
during present SESSION. for the purpose of ncreas
ing the In this aspect desire reitora the
ndaiion contained in my last two annual mes
sages, favor o! imposing specific instead ad yaorcm
duiies all import articles To which these can be
properly appe From long observation and experience
am convinced that specific duties necessary both
protect the and TO
Interests that amount Of ncidents which
unavoiiabiy results from revenue tariff
As AL abstract propo IT may be admitted that adj
valorem duties would in theory be the mos lust and
equal But the experience OF this and all other CONNER
cia nations has demonstrated that such duties cannot be
and collected without great frauds upon the re
venue, then Is the part Of wisdom TO steci
duties. Indeed from the very nature an ad yalorem
duty, this must be tn. result Under it the inevitable
that foreign goods will be entered at les,
than their true value. The treasury will therefore lose
the duty or the difference between their real act
tous value, and to this extent we delrauded.
The temptstions which ad valorem duties present TO a
dishonest importer irressable His object is To pass
bis gools through tn, custom house very lowest
valuation ary to them from coadscstiou la
this he too oen succeeds in spite Of vigilance o! the
the officers Hence the to false Invoices
for the purchaser and another the m house
and to other expedents 10 deiraud the Government
The honest ul orter produces his invoice the collect
stating the actual price at which he ed the ar
ucies abroad. Not SO the dishonest importer and the
agent Of the foreign manufacturer And here NAV b.
=
lures imported from abroad consigned for sale to
cOmmiss on merchants who mere agents employed
by the manufacturers. In such actual sale h,
bern made Is Tx their value. Tho foreign
II be be dishonest prepares invoice the c1ods moi
At thsp actual value but at the very lowest rat.
sary To escape detection. ln this dis honest i'm
porter and the foreign manufacturer enjoy decided Adj
vantage the honest merchant They thus en,b.t
to undersc the fair trader and drive him from M.
ke In IA t. the operation OF this tenn has already
driven from the pursuits OF honorable many
that class o, regular and conscientious whose
throughout the world is the pride OF our
country.
The remedy for these evils Is TO he found in spocin
duties far this may be practcabe They dspepss
With any inquiry al tho custom houae the actu,
cost or value OF he article, and pays the preciss
amount or duty previously nIed by law They present
nc temptations TO the appraisers OF foreign goods who
receive but sml salaries and might, by undervaIuatop
in . few Gases, render themselves independent
Besides, specific dntes best conform to the requ
in hs Constitution that no preference shall be given by
any regulation OF ,mmerce TO the pnts Of
one over those of another" Under ai ralor,p
system snch preferences to extent inevitable
and complaints have often been made that tho spn OF
this provision has been violated by lower appraisemeu
OF tie same articles at ono Port than at anCther
An Impression strangely enough prevails to some ex
tent that the specific duties necessarily du
ties. Nothing can be more filliciOus Great Britain
gories in free trade, and yet her whole revepue from
imports Is Mt the pre- ent moment collected .ys
Is harSn 81 % "a ,Se % i trssr sf the the "a g % fn
nary 1860 between France and Eng land one OF the ar
tclcs provides that the dd ralor, duties which II mno
ses shall be converted into specific dutie. within .x
months from lis datr and these be aseertaiDed by
making an OF the prices for months previous
th,t time. The reverse Of the proposition wouhI he
nearer 10 the truth, because much larger smonn, of
revenue woDd be collected by merely converting the ali
rdtorem dntier of ktsr uto equivalent specific duties
Te thi. extent the revenue would be increased In the
proportion the specific duties might be diminished
Specific duties would secure TO the American mapun,c
turer the incidental protects which he Is fairly en-
titled under revenue tar, and 10 th surely no per
son would object The trainers OF the existing iari have
ynn n ha,-.
IN favor of large and useful branches Of manu-
tures not by rssng the rate OF duty upon mporta
,on OF simT articles from abroad but Whsts the same
in effect by admitting articles free Of duty which ,pter
into the composition OF their fabrics
Under the present ystem II has been ten truly re-
marked that tbs Incidental protection decreases when
the man IA turer needs most and increases wbea he
needs least, and constitutes sldng scale which al
ways operates again him. The revenues OF the coun
Try are subject to similar aciaen lnsesd Of approach
ing steady standard, as would be under sys
tenn OF specific duties they sink and with the sinking
and rising prices Of articles In foreign Countries il
would not be difficult for Congre to arrange system
Of specific duties which would afford additional STABILITY
botn 70 our revenue and our and without
injury or injustice TO interest Of the couut-y Ih,
might be accomplished by asectaning the average value
OF given article for series of years the place OF
exportaon, and by simply converting the ad ID
loren duty upon which might be deemed necessary for
purposes into the form spec &c duty such
arrangement uld not pjure the consumer II he
should pay greater amount OF duty year this would
be counterbaanced by lesser amount the next and Ia
the end the aggregate would be the same
desire 10 call your immediate attention to the present
condition of the Treasury ably and clearly presented
by the Secretary In his Report Congress and to re-
commend that measures be promptly adopted TO enable
TO discharge its pressing Obligations. The other re-
commentators Of the report well worthy OF your
favorable consideration.
herewith ansmt TO Congress the report. Of tho So
cretares OF War Of the Navy, the Interior and the
Postmaster General. The recommendations and sugges
tons which they contain highly valuable and deserve
your careful attention.
The report OF the Postma General detail, the cir
cunstapccs under which Cornelius Vanderbilt on nv
request agreed in the month OF July last carry the
ocean mails between cur Atlantic AID Pacific cousts-
Had he not thus acted, th important intercommunoa
tIon must have been suspended at least for season.
other compensation than the postages the mail matter
which he might carry. was known, at the time that
these p0stages would fall far short OF adequate
pensaton well OF the sum which the service
hau f--.~,sp sL~ n--s~-.aaat Mr. Vanderbilt,
in commendable spirit willing TO rely upon the
justice or Congress to make up the deficiency and
therefore, recommend thai an Appropriation may be
granted for this purpose.
should do great injustice to the Attorney General
to omit the mention Of his distinguished services
in the sdopted land by him for the
defence OF the Government against numerous and
founded claims to land in California purport ng
been made by the Mexican government previous the
treaty Of cesson. The opposition to these
claims has saved to the United States public property
worth many millions Of dollars and individuals hold
ing title under them at least an equal amount.
1t has been represented to me, from which
deem reliable that the inhabitants In portions
Kansas have bren reduced nearly state of
account of the almost total failure Of their crops
-lutu