Evansville daily journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1863-1866, 1863-12-29


missioner of Internal Revenue, as relates
to the proposed increase of the tax on
! tobacco.
This is subject of vital interest. to
this section, as it is the great tobacco
growing region of the loyal States:
Idr Of fire to ten cents per pound on
manufactured, and ttccnty cents per
pound on eaftobacco.
Among the luxuries not in any form
necessary to subsistence, and generally
| deemed to some extent noxious, and,
therefore, usually selected by other ma
tions as peculiarly proper subject Of
tax, is tobacco. Our present excise
bears very lightly on this commodity, and
q larger tax would be, think, checrfully
| borne without materially diminishing the
production. In England the tax on
every hundred pounds of unmanufac-
tured tobacco, exclusive of warehouse
duties, is seventy-seven dollars and
seventy-two GEnts; on snuff che hundred
and ffty-four dollars and sixty-four cents;
and on manufactured tobacco two hum
dred and thirty-two dollars and thirteen
cents-being on the last upwards of two
dollars and thirty cents per pound. The
| objects sought to be obtained by this
mode of taxation were, doubtless, to
raise as much revenue as possible from
the Importation of raw material, and to
secure the profits of preparingit for con-
sumption to the British manufacturer.
| 1t has been successful in both respects.
The yield in revenue from this source for
| several years prior to 1861 averaged
more than twenty-seven millions of dol
lars, while the manufactured article was,
in great measure excluded For three
years there was no importations of snuff,
except eighteen pounds only, to Ireland,
and the importations of manufactured
! tobacco, in all other shapes, ranged from
two hundred and sxty-nine thousand to
four hundred and twenty-eight thousand
dollars only in value. IR France the
tobacco trade is a government monopo-
ly; and while our expectation of the
commodity in the leaf to that coun-
try are only inferior in amount to
our expectations to Great Britain and
Ireland, it took from US no more
than twenty nine pounds in three
years, and the largest amount of
manufactured tobacco exported thither
in any one year was, in value, but seven
thousand three hundred and seventy-one
dollars For many years our exports to
France have varied from three-fifths TO
four-ffths of all the tobacco consumed
in that kingdom. In 1862 they amounted
to thirty-two million three hundred
and five thousand two hundred and
forty pounds, at the average cost Of eight
cents and three-tenths of cent per
pound; and the net profits to the Gov
eminent, on the manufactory and sale
of that product of American soil, was
not less than thirteen million seven hum
dred and twenty-nine thousand FIVE hun
dred and forty-eight dollars These prof
its have been estimated for several sue
cessive years, and been found to vary
from four hundred and forty-seven to five
hundred and fourteen per cent, on the
tions and limitations with which this
trade is clogged by foreign nations have
been long unsatisfactory to our people,
and in the year 1859, they became the
subject of certain resolutions of Con-
gress, protesting that they were-wholly in-
consistent with that fair and reciprocal
condition of commerce which ought to
exist between the United States and
those nations; but the protest, so far rs
| have learned, has been unheeded. I'm
der such circumstances it is well to con
slider how, in laying our excise duties, we
may at once serve the purpose of reve-
nue. and protect our own manufactures.
There seems to be no good reason why
we should furnish the raw product cheaply
to foreign nations on such terms as to
enable them to tax it for their own bene
| fit, and to make it means of stimulas
ting their domestic industry.
The diminished production, owing to
the Southern rebellion, was fer short last
year Of what it was in previous years.
In 1860 it was, in round numbers, four
hundred and twenty-eight millions of
pounds, Last year it was only two hun
dred and eighty millions of pounds This
year, Notwithstanding the extensive plant.
ing in the Northern and Middle States,
the crop is estimated in the last report
of the Agricultural Bureau at only two
hundred and fifty-eight millions, being
still one hundred and seventy millions of
pounds less than in 1860 While the
domestic production is thus diminished,
the foreign demand has been constantly
increasing, and it will not be likely to be
seriously affected by the difference in
price whicn its expectation, subject to
our excise on the raw material, will oc-
casion. therefore beg leave to submit
the proposition that tobacco be taxed in
the leaf in the hands of the producer,
and that no drawback be allowed on its
expectation in that shape, so that the
cost to the foreign manufacturers may
be increased to the extent of our excise.
If any drawback is to be allowed, the
proper policy of encouraging and sus-
tanning our own manufacturer against
the adverse Legislation of foreign gov
ernment, seems to require that it shall
be allowed, if at all, only on the manu-
factured article. The extent to which
the allowance should go is question OF
some nicely. The tax on tobacco in the
| leaf, with all the stems on, might,
think, be fixed with advantage to the
revenue, and without injury to the pro-
ducer, at twenty cents per pound A
light tax, varying from five to ten or
twelve cents per pound additional, might
be imposed on the manufactured com
modify. A drawback on this, of from
ten to fifteen cents, would give to the do
mestic manufacturer all the advantages
he would desire in the foreign market
and would in some measure countervail
the legislation of foreign nations to his
prejudice.
The imposition of the tax on tobacco
in the leaf is further recommended by
the consideration that, united with prop
er regulations for inspection, it will tenC
to defeat the fraudulent practices BY
which the Government is now deprived
/ of much revenue due from this source
AUCTION SALE.
l. r 4 = p