Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1861-02-28
rHE TAR1FF---sUGAR, TEA 9 COFFEE.

Remarks of Hon. Solomon Foot,
| In the Senate of the United States, Feb
ruary IS, 1861.
Mr. Foot. Mr.. President, | am inclined
10 vote for the amendment of the honorable
Senator from Rhode Island, so far forth at
least as it imposes a duty upon tea and cof-
fee; and at the first suggestion | was inclined
to favor a reduction, if not an entire removal,
of the duty sugar. raw or brown sugar,
commonly so called. This i, an article that
enters very largely into the general cOnsump
ton by all "lasses of people IN the country,
so that il has come to be counted am ng the
prime necessaries of life; and for this reason
| should be glad to see 1t brought within the
reach of all, especially of the poorer classes
| of the community, at the lowest rate. But,
| sir, a more mature reflection, mere careful
consideration of the subject, has induced me
at least to question the policy, the expedien-
cy, OF removing or even materially reducing
| the duty on sugar, at the present time. The
| duty, as proposed by the original bill, is a
| slight one, and hardly perceptible by the
| consumer, it being but cent upon the pound,
/ 81 upon the hundred pounds, and about
/ equivalent to the present at raiorem duty of
u per cent, as believe it is, upon the origi-
/ nal cost.
/
| gar alone, the last current year, amounted to
within a fraction of : 100000. In 1857, ii
| mistake not, it amounted to the enormous
| sum Of : , 300 900, within very small frac-
/ ton: and the aggregate amount of duty from
this sUu.,, .lv.s,, ,fS4tI,rs. Ten years,
amounted TO something more than $4,000
| 900; averaging something less than 5000, 900
a year for the last ten years. Sir, we can
| hardly afford to dispense with the whole or
any portion of this revenue at the present
| time, when your national Treasury IS literally
| empty; when your Government is involved
| in a debt of seventy or eighty million dollars;
! and when your current expenditures are
| largely Outrunnlng your current income.
| This is not the time nor the occasion to
| speak of the causes which have produced this
| c0ndi'ioh of our national finances | speak
only of the fact. | speak only of the stern
reality as it exists; as it stands before us; a
reality which we have to meet, and to meet
| il as best we may. | doubt not the spirit
of patriotism in the great masses of the Amer
| lean people is warm enough and ST. ong
| enough to bear, without complaint and with
out murmur, small import duty upon the
article of sugar, and that, in addition to this,
they would bear, without complaint and with
out murmur, small duty upon the articles OF
tea and coffee, in order to enable the Govern
ment to discharge its pecuniary obhg ations
| TO enable it to meet its current expenditures;
| and to enable it, within a reasonable length
of time, to extingulSh the public indebted
ness. Our hope, and our confident hope, is
that we are about TO inaugurate more eco
nomcal administration of the affairs of this
| Government that the public credit and the
public confidence are to be restored and
strengthened and that the public debt viii
| l., 4 H. - Il A.
duties upon these articles may be removed
But Just now, sir, we are called upon to pro-
vide the ways and means of meeting pres
ent, existing and pressing emergency. That
emergency being passed, this burden, if it may
be regarded as burden, may be taken off.
am aware, sir that heretofore this duty
upon sugar has been imposed for the twofolC
purpose Of revenue and protection; of protec-
ton to the great staple productions Of some
two or three of the extreme southern States
and of Louisiana in particular. l am aware
that the recent action of that State may fur
nish motive to some gentlemen for abolish
| ING this protective duty altogether. But, sir
however strongly | may deprecate, however
| strongly | may condemn the recent action 0
| that State, in the consideration of question
of public policy of this character, in the con
iaraton of 9:,@Gt;on %"J nven % the annearanc
I
OF being actuated by any spirit of revenge, o
retaliation, or of unkindnesS even, towards al
| offending State. The question of protection
is not at all involved in the imposition OF thl
| duty. 1t is only, with US, mere question o
| revenue. This we need and this we mus
have, If we would maintain the credit, th
honor, and the good faith of this Government
' At the present time, you cannot dispense wit
the whole or any considerable portion of thl
| import duty, which yields to your Ireasur
$7O00000 annually. You say you can max
> | It up by duty on tea and coffee ana 81
| indeed YOU may; but that does not at all les
sen the burden upon the one hand, nor ii
q d | crease your revenues upon the other. 1t is
? mere. transfer of the duty bur'len from on
/, 4rtcle OF necessity and placing it upon al
other. in neither of which is the question {
- protection involved. >.
But do YOU propose to divide and equaliz
this duty between the three articles OF sugar
tea. and coffee? ? You do not, in that case
enlarge your revenue upon the one hand'no
lessen the burden to the consumer upon tn
other. Sir. our present and pressing want
more revenue. in addition to that which arr
:, es from the sugar duty and other article
As before intimated, it may be found to [
r | necessarv-it NAV, at all events, be found
he be expedient, in order to carry on your 10,
e ernlnent, in order to save the public cred
and the public faith--not only to retain til
=. present duty upon sugar, but to impose
De De Iuty upon the articles Of tea and coffee ais
Whenever such necessity exists, (and ev'
r. rybody knows that it now exists,) the pop
he lar sentiment and the popular judgment
the American people will promptly and chez
in fully respond to the demands OF that nece
Of sty.
rs The consideration, as / have before su
+ gested, of what may have been the cause,