Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1864-03-26

against the use Of liquors among the en-
ploves on the military railways.
THE EXPORT DUTY AMENDMENT
The proposed amendment Of that Sec
non Of the Constitution of the United
States which prohibits the levy:ng by
Congress of an export duty upon the
products of the country, is most i'm
portant one. The heavy debt with which
the country will find itself encountered
q; the close Of the present war, will render
necessary every endurable policy to re-
cruz, the finances of the nation. The
proposed amendment, if adopted, as we
have no doub; that it will be, will, if
carried into effect judiciously and with
proper discrimination. produce vast
revenue in a manner that will be less felt
than almost any other species of impost.
The United States is the producer of
many articles of export, of which the bal
auce OF the world are perforce our GUS
toners. and IN the traffic in which we need
fear TO competition. Among these are
cotton. brcad-stufFs, meats, the produce of
the dairy. and many manufactured arti-
rlrS. Upon all OF these light export
duty, which in the aggregate would
amount 10 q vast sum, could be levied by
Congress, and still leave our producers
margin upon which to compete with any
and all other nations producing the same
commodities. The main object Of the
proposed amendment however, We con-
ceive TO be to remove the Constitutional
prohibition of the placing an export duty
upon the precious metals.
\ proposition was made, some time
since, TO prohibit the export of the pre-
ciouS metals. except IN a certain pre-
scribad shape and form, and bearing the
stamped evidence of Government assay;
for which assay and stamp the Govern
ment should receive certain percentage
of the value of the bullion. This appears
10 have been too plain case Of whipping
the Devil around the stump, and too
plain and direct a levy of the prohibited
export duty, under another name, to sat
isfv the men learned in the law. The
onlv way 10 obtain the desired seignorage
on the bullion i to amend the Constitu-
ton and remove the prohibition. While
this would be q good thing for the Gov
erumeat, giving, as It would, at small
percentage on the bullion shipped to for
e;gn countries. several millions of revenue
and while the -gold-producing States
would give their hearty support to such
proposition to tax the gold and silver
mines, we strongly doubt whether the
mining States and Territories would be
quite so fond of the plan. 1t would be
virtually taxing the mines, and, thereby,
the labor of the miner. The precious
metals have fixed and certain value the
world over, and are the standard by which
the prices of all things else are regulated
and governed. As a consequence, they
are not of the character Of merchandise,
in the production and price of which one
nation can compete with and undersell
another. Any impost or duty levied
upon them comes directly from the earn
ings of the laboring miner. Whenever
the capitalist is called upon to pay an
increased taxation, he draws the relns
which capital always holds upon the curb
bit in the mouth of labor, still tighter, and
1t IS the man with the horny palm who,
in the end, pays the tax. If such be the
course pursued, upon the expunging of
the prohibitory clause in the Constitution,
and it is the precious metal alone that is
sought TO be thus taxed, We shall see
souirming and hear growing in the pla-
GERS and the tunnels. II, however, it be
general in its operation and extend to all
those articles, in the production OF which
we can compete successfully with the
other nations of the earth, the amendment
will be good one, and will satisfy the
people while it benefits the nation. We
have some confidence in the sagacity OF
our Government. and feel no great unea-
siness in the matter; and we have at the
same time profound conviction, based
upon past acts, of the sound patriotism Of
the people of the mining districts. We
are satisfied that they will be and are
willing to bear reasonable share of the
burthen of taxation, which is inevitably
70 be the consequence of the war; but
any attempt to impose upon them bur
thens not shared by the people of other
States would be provocative OF serious
discomfort. It is ofno avail, however, to
borrow any trouble from the future; we
must abide in patience and confidence
and we shall see what we shall see.