Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1861-04-03
MEMORIAL
To The Hon. The Senate and House of Representatives of
the Limited STATES. IN Oon1ress assembled

To The Hon. The Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States, IN Congress assembled.
The undersigned, dealers in Hardware and con-
sumers of Screws in the various Cities of the United
States would respectfully petition your Honorable
Body to have the Tariff Bill so amended that the
duty on Iron Screws, called wood Screws be re-
duced to 20 per cent, dd UolOrem. Also, that the
duty on chains be reduced to 80 per cent I'D Uooem
the operation of the present bill is exceedingly
onerous TO the consumer
Your memorialists would call your attention to
the fact that the present duty of eight cents per
pound on two inch iron screws and under, and five
cents per pound on all sizes larger than two inch
is void for the purpose of revenue, it en-
tirely prohibits importation They would state
that the business of manufacturing wood screws
in this country is entirely in the hands Of one
immensely wealthy company, which owns all the
improved and patented machinery in use, giving
them the monopoly of production and sale so long
the present duty remains it is That they have
earned and divided millions of dollars of profits
amongst the owners of the patented machinery with
which screws made in this country, and they
pray that the business of manufacture and sale be
made, in some measure free to competition, and the
consumers be relieved from the burthensome tax
on this article which at this time amounts to about
three quarters the value or cost of the goods.
Your Memorialists would further state that
wood Screws" are an article of use and not of
luxury, forming large portion of the cost Of thou-
sands of articles in daily use by all classes, and par
ticulary the laboring portion of the country, and
the company which is alone benefited by the pres
ent prohbitory Tariff lover 60 per cent? have, by
business management-solely for the purpose of
securing to themselves the monopoly of manufac-
ture and sale-purchased and destroyed the ma
chinery of small manufacturers secured the renew
al of patents, bought of, by the payment of large
| sum of money certain English competitors; and
now, by advancing their prices, compel the con-
sumers to pay tn EN- the money so expended and the
enormous profits of over 800 per cent.
And your Memorialists would also add, in regard
to the article of Chains, (Which are used by every
farmer in the country well as the Shipping inter-
ests in every port that the duty by the present
Tariff ranges from 20 to 90 per cent-while the
Blacksmith Anvil and Vice admitted at a duty
| of about 80 per cent. Gd UalOrera-showing dis
elimination that is unjust and one that should not
exist
LETTER FROM THE HARDWARE BOARD OF TRADE.
New York, No. 50 John St, March 90, 1861.
GENTLEMEN Enclosed please find memorial
which in itself is all explanation.
should be pleased TO have you sign the same
and obtain as many signatures TO it you can, be-
ing particular to have the city town and State
toned, so that when the Committee take it to Wash
ington they can show ts the Member that their
constituents demand his aid in their cause.
We should feel greatly obliged for any aid you
can send us from your trade and be pleastd to &C.
cure any suggestions aud obtain their cooperation
with the cause which is for the benefit of all and
not for any particular section.
You viii please return it at your earliest pract-
cable opportunity.
should be be pleased to hear from you on the
subject.
Very truly, yours, THos. B. OAKLEY,
| Ch'mn Com. of Hardware Board Trade,
of City of New York.
Messrs. CRAIGHEAD 4 Co., Nashville, Tenn.
REPLY OF NEssRs. CRAIGHEAD 4 CO.
NASHVILLE, TENN, March 81, 1861.
Thomas B. Oakley, Esq., Chairman Of the Committee Of
the Hardware Board Of Trade Of the City Of Ns,o
| York:
Dear Sir:-We are in receipt of your favor of
| the 23d inst. desiring the hardware merchants of
Nashville to unite with you in petition to the Con-
gress of the United States for modification of the
new tariff bill so far it relates to "wood screws"
| also, reduction IN the imposts on chains" We
think that taking the interest of your city into con-
| sideratiOn, you have been very moderate in the
| demand, seeing that the Board of Trade has not
demonstrated against the fact that the Morrill, tariff
may be said TO absolutely prohibit the importation
of all varieties of steel cast shear. &c. besides a
thousand other articles of hardware the cheapness
of which is essential as that of wood screws or
| chains.
/ While we recognize the Importance to the city of
New York of the concessions which you would have
| us demand we are unable to see just now what
interest it be to US in Tennessee, inasmuch as if
we think proper to import, or what is more simple
/ to purchase English wood screws delivered at New
Orleans in British bottoms we avoid the payment Of
any duty whatever as the goods would be reshipped
in transit, and would be landed at our wharves at
no cost to us further than freight and insurance.
very considerable contrast you must admit, 10 the
payment of the Rhode Island monopoly swinde, Gre
| ated and legqlized by the new protective tariff
So long as political ma tiers remain an Stdtu qao,
| II is a matter of little Importance to Tennessee
whether the duty on Wood screws is 20 per cent or
100 per cent dd udlorem, except that if the Morrill,
Tariff remains in full force, and the hardware mer
chants of your city have any scruples against inn
| porting directly through New Orleans or Charles
ton, our wholesale dealers and importers here in
Nashville will be happy TO supply them with wood
screws chains, oaststeel anvils &C., &c, at very
reasonable advance on the Birmingham and Sheffield
trade lists, such as will leave you handsome mar
gin IN your dealing with the jobbing and retail
merchants of Boston, New Haven, Providence,
&C., &c.
We think the action you desire, so far as we are
concerned, is premature. The reduction, even II
granted, would not enable US to compete on their
own ground with those who import under the 10
per cent Montgomery Tariff, and our wholesale
dealers still be cut off from their old customers Of
Georgia, Alabama and Mississippi. .
When the Southern Confederacy is acknowledged
as free and independent nation, and when line OF
Custom Houses along our Southern frontier force
those who would trade with the South not only 70
pay the Montgomery but the Morrill, imposts also,
and thus compel us to go TO New York rs the
| cheapest port of entry IN our reach, then we may
lock about us and have an eye to the reduction oil
the United States import duties.
As your memorial is entirely of public char
acter, and as there may be some here who think
that the very extravaganza of the new tariff may
prevent the raslng of sufficient revenue to enable
the consolidated Government at Washington to put
its foot down firmly" on the Confederate states, we
give the memorial, your letter and our views on
the subject full publicity, thus sffordng those per-
sons with whom we are unacquainted) an oppor-
| tunity of rallying to your assistance
With sincere respect, we remain yours truly,
| CRAIGHEAD 4 Co.
PosT OFFICE DEPARTMENT or THE CONFEDERATE
STATEs.-The following comprises the names ana
grades of the officers of the Post Office Department
in the Confederate States up to this date;
John L. Reagan, Texas Postmaster-Genersl.
Henry St Geo OHutt Missouri Chief of Confed-