The Oxford intelligencer. (Oxford, Miss.) 1860-18??, 1861-03-20
THE TARIFF


the United States was the passage Of anew tar
if law, by which theratc of duties upon impor-
tations was very largely increased. Under the
old law, the maximum rate, with one or two
unimportant exceptions was twcnty-fo per
cent BY the new law that rate is advanced to
thirty per cent, and moreover, many articles,
which previously paid less than twenty four per
cent, are placed in the schedule Of articles pay
ing the maximum duty.
The Provisional Congress Of the Confederate
States, last month, al opted, ~ a whole, the
revenue laws Of the United States, as they stood
in December last, after 50 extending the free
list as to embrace provisions, agricultural pro
auctions in their natural state, and arms and
munitions Of war On the first page Of our
paper, last week, we presented synopsis Of the
existing tariff Of the Confederate States, show
ing that, with the exception of the free list the
great mass Of imported articles were subject
to duty either Of "a, 10 or Is per cent ',l
We now learn that the Provisional Congress
has passed an amended tariff law which win
90 into operation on the 18th of May next,
whereby the present rate o. duties is materially
I Il - A. I.l..f l-s.fEl i. -
reduced Articles now paying "a and 10 per
cent. will hereafter pay but Is, and large
number Of articles viii ray only 10. This tar.
if, It is believed, will produce a'revehue amply
sufficient for the wants Of our General Govern
ment - ~,
1t may be said, therefore, that the tax, paid
by the people of the, United States for the sup
port of their General Government will be twice
as great as that imposed for the same purpose
upon the people Of the Confederate States; The
inevitable consequence of this state of things
will be, that VIC shall hereafter have but little
commercial intercourse with the United States.
An importing merchant Of Charleston or New
Orleans, who has paid upon his goods duty Of
10 or Is per cent, can afford to updersell mer-
chant of New York who has paid upon the same
imported articles a duty of 30 25, or 80 per
cent And when it is remembered that our
merchants purchasing imported goods in the
United States, would have TO pay an additional
duty upon them Of 10 or Is per cent when they
brought them within the limits of the Confedcr
cy, it is obvious that they would never be able
to compete with those who made their purchases
at Charleston or New Orleans, and whose goods
had paid only the single moderate duty imposed
by our tariff.
We, in the Confsderacy are going to have
cheap goods, just as sOonas the new tariff shall
have been in operation long enough to develop
its results. or course, It is not to be expected
that our merchants will immediately proceed to
sell their present stocks At less than their origin
al cost Some months, mus, yet elapse before
we shall sensibly experience the beneficial, ef-
fccts of the new policy, Orders are TO be sent
forward 70 Europe for the manufacture of goods,
When manufactured, those goods must be ship
ped to our ports, and be gradually introduced
among us, through all the qualifications of com
merce, as they are needed to replace those stocks
which our merchants have yet to dispose Of =
Through the cheappess of goods, which seces7
sion will thus have brought about our people
will DC, compensated, many times over, for the
slight addition to their State tax which secession
has rendered necessary for the moment -.
Smuggling will not be carried on by our. Peo-
pie They wno take the trouble to go into
the United States to purchase goods which they
can obtain, here, at lower prices. On the other
hand, the people of the United States, tempted
Ivy the comparatively cheap rates at which they
can purchase here, will swarm over, the border
to buy goods which, in defiance of an army of
custen,-honse officers, they viii smuggle into the
United States, to the great advantage of our
treasury, andto the injury, TO a corresponding
extent, of the treasury of Lincoln and his sue
ocssors. yta8isl 'sii4 s,faossg l,ssl -s.fF -s4