The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1860-09-27

sylsania iron interests.
/ In proof Of which, read the following
record:
lu the United States Senate. February
2sth, 1858, Senator Mason of Virgins,
offered the following amend ment to re-
port from the Committee on Finance, in
relation to railroad iron:
'Sec.-. And be it further enacted,
That all existing duties on iron imported
for rails. to be laid upon railroads in the
United States, or the Territories thereof,
shall be, and the same are hereby repeal
ed"
Mr.. Douglas. 81 would suggest, that,
instead Of repeating the duty IN toto, We
simply suspend it for limited time-say
two or three years. A commercial resul-
sion may come, which would render it ne
cessary for US to have these duties for the
purpose of revenue. | have prepared an
amendment for that purpose, and I offer
it as n amendmeu to the amend ment !;
bit If 1t as not adapted, I shall go with the
Senator from Virginia for the TOTAL
REPEAL OF THE DUTY" Congress
sional Globe, second session Thirtg Sec
ond Congress, page 9o6.
Mr. Doug las subsequently aoitharcao has
/ amendment, and direct vote being tai ken
on the amendment offered by Senator
Mason for the repeal Of the duty on rait-
road aroa, resulted-yeas 10. nays So
Senator STEPHEN A. DOUGLAS vo-
ting in favor of Senator Masons amend
ment, with the free traders of the South.
Congressional Globe, second session Tbir-
ty-second Congress, page 957; U. S. Sen
ate Journal. second session Thirty second
Congress, page 256
April llth, 1854, the Senate, as in
Committee of the Whole, proceeded to
consider the bill allowing credit, for a
limited period, for duties on railroad iron
/ Imported into the United States, reported
/ from the Com mmittee on Finance, With an
amend meDt.
| The original bill provided that cred
it of FIVE years shall be allowed Oh all un-
paid bonds heretofore given for duties on
railroad iron imported into the United
States or the Territories, thereof, and on
all bonds hereafter given for dutios on
railroad iron which shall be imported
into the United States or the Territories,
within the period of twoyears from the
passing of this act. If it shall be made to
appear. to the satisfaction of the Secretary
OF the Treasury, that the railroad iron has
beeuim mported Tor the purpose of being laid
down on roads within the United States
/ or the Territories thereof.
Senator Stephen A. Douglas, in offer
ing substitute for the bill reported by
the Committee on Finance, remarked as
| follows:
"Tbe substitute that l offer is to this
effect: instead Of giving q credit on rail-
road iron for a limited time, rce suspend
the duty on railroad iron untI the Isl Of
July, 1851; because, if you give credit,
an not certain that you render any sub
stantal assistance to the railroad inter-
est under this bill. You will have an
uncertain debt suspended over the com
papy, in, perhaps, the expectation that
Congress may remit the penalties and du-
ties when they become due, without any
certainty Of such remission. You tell the
railroad con- paDies. therefore, to be ready
to meet debt when they hope not to be
required to meet it; aud [ am afraid you
neither benefit the Treasury nor the rail-
road interests of the country By propo-
sition of that kind. We have now a sur
plus of money in the Treasury. We have
larger revenue than we desire. 1t is
our duty, i! we intend properly to reduce
the revenue within the necessary demands
Of tho Government, to adopt some such
measures as this. Between this and s57
I do not think ace shall need the reUe1aue O.
rising ffOne axn21ortation on railroad aro''
| know of no item upon which we car
take off the revenue with greater faclli'
J ties and advantages to the great material
interests of the country than upon this
item. For that reason, propose that
instead of giving a credit for five years
that we suspend the duties until the FIRST
day Of July. ls57."-CoDgressional Globe
Grst session Thirty third Congress page
SS7.
/ Mr. Seward said II wish to ask the
honorable Senator from Virginis, Mr.
Hunter.) as chairman of the Committee
on Finance, whether be can give ne q
general idea of how much the revenue
derived from the duties on railroad iroG
amounts to.
Mr.. Hunter said "The duty on rail
road iron, manufactured, rolled, or other
wise, is about S4,600,00O."
Mr.. Seward. II suppose that is correct
| have not now access to the tables tt
verify it. | shall not now detain the Sen
ate by discussing this subject as | intend
ed to do. The proposition offered by The
Senator from Illinois is similar to the one
which be offered at the last session, and
which was withdrawn"
| Mr.. Douglas. at was Withdrawn, no
! because of objections to it, bat because
it was deemed improper to attach 1t to
> general appropriation BILL"
Mr.. Seward. ~ "The proposition
: Of the Senator from Illinois (Mr Douglas