New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1866-05-28
The Proposed Tax on Cotton.

The following important letter relative 10 the
proposed Of per pound cotioa and the
memorial OF the New York Chamber Of Commerce to Congress
in opposition TO same has been addressed to he Chairman
Of the United States Revenue Commission.
Bo-Ioy. Mass May % 1866.
T. the Chairman of ne a. Rr,Ha' Csnmissi9s.
SIR Your report recommending tax II i've cents pound
on cotton Endorsed by the Committee u Wa'f and Means
meets my approval and appnr 10 be wei sustained by
the printed evidence relative To cotton submitted with you
report As your recommendation based upon very close
and elaborate investigation Of this subject regret Y" see II
c@nsre.s ~ tho Chamber Of Commerce q NewYok
examined these resolutions aud figures and an convinced That
thew were drafted gentlemen who had not examined the
evidence and reports before Congress or who drew Their
conclusions from very insufficient data.
These resolutions suggest that 1t Is the duty Of Congress at
The present uncure 20 deal literally with TIE south. and 10
se M res too heavy 10 be borne m which opinion too
concur But they intimate taat tie i've cent tax is ~ this
character and that u designed for the benefit II
Observation-Disclosures beesuse II l. accompaned by drawback OF
the taY on cloth exported The further suggest
that India Egypt and Brazil have been enriched by the high
hose countries that increased facilities have been and will
49, bas heen edped 10 lis use and STANDARD fabrics pro-
duced from its admixuro with American cotton that the
which is on Us way or has arrived from Egypt indln
ton that such production has and
has the t weeks dragged down the price OF our cotton
al Liverpool fifteen cents per pound.
The subject before Congress is national one and trust
Am Justified BY its importance IN drawing attention 10 TIE
49, ,o which the respect.le genteusn zho submittei
tie resolutions fallen from their very curory examna
ton OF the subject aud 10 the comendabe eando with which
they admit that their knowledge Of your proposition mainly
derived from the bill before Congress ignoring both your
report and printed evidence on which II Is founded
Let consider their first two resolutions IN which these
gentlemen enormously that nothing has yet secured TO
check the production Of cotton In india Egypt or Brazil The
It's number for week. that official adviccs have been
ceved from the English Commissioners In less than eight
important cotton districts India which show that within
year cultivation Of cotton has been greatly diminished
India The devoted 70 1t In these districts hive been
reduced 20 per cent crop s higher Of 50
For the yeirs ending April l. 1865 and leo the
these districts devoted to cotton In 1865 5o iJ7 acres
Inc cotton produced by these
In sG O4 candies Of i7s n in lso6 lO- oJi candies
OF AZ n.
by high prices but the natives have advanced their
and The yerv moderate produce under the above returns shows
oSbnty; ranging from 40 TO 20 pounds per acre only
With rising wages and such pay returns need fear the
respects Egypt instead Of the tabular state
oflhe British commercial journals show that there has
been decline Of one fourth In tue crop last gathered
pared with that Of the previous year
Saint iaire OF tho French lHstitne volume recently
published reports that the valley Of the Nile yields four crops
Of maize annually from the same field But Egypt last
oyertaxed Itself IN raising cotton trebng the price Of labor
and has thus been obliged import beads aud reduce the
area dey Oed TO cotton.
The slight increase Of 100000 bales in Brazil this due
to the high prices OF last will not suffice the
decline in India and Egypt The suppression Of the slave
trade has diminished labor In Brazil held hand can pro
coffee than cotton with less space and labor The
been given in India Egypt and Brazil
The Chamber Of occasion thus far to be
disturbed by the railways OF India one has been INNS 90
from Calcutta to Delhi another runs through sde another
IL climbing the mountains OF Bombay but nearly all the cotton
reaches Bombay by bullocks navigation There 10 little
cotton transported the railways c6peed IL they
ally transport it, they will do more to preserve its quality than
TO lessen its cost
respects the fourth resolution II is doubtless true that
England has adapted Of its mechanism 10 Suat cotton
and obliged 10 do during the dearh Of cotton She
probably, with the American staple she has
used uie shoddy in combination with wool but t relative
value continues nearly the before tho When
Newt Orleans mddng cotton commands recently has
20 cents al Liverpool middling only
half the price II inferior article weak and subject
waste of staple and when take into view Its inferior
quay and price we have little reason dread Its compet
ton II can be manufactured by cheap labor only.
The fifth resolution which nfers from the arrivals in En-
gland from Brazil and the East during tho first quarter Of
1850 great In the production OF cotton Is wholly
by the English journals for they ascrbe these arrivals
TO very different causes viz the check expectation
1865 by termination Of the American and the
auent decline prices which held back Of the crop
iii the of the IL not production but dccnHHd
nor Of produced bor and the Of cotton this eide
beyond the English which has produced the
recent panic and temporary decline In Liverpool IL Is the
coincidence Of such with the delay Eastern shipments
which has caused the alarm.
The Chamber OF Commerce does great injustice 10 English
manufactu did not well know originate
with They approve II as great national measure de
signed like the English export duties in India on sntpeter
cotton and opium and Dutch duty Java coffee
part Of burdens TO foreign consumers No one de
signs 10 Cypress the South and the South itself after duty Of
In gold 10 sustain Secession after having
realized neafy prices from accumulation Of2JOOOO
bale, which most nations would have confscated
reasonably object fourth OF the Rebel tax levied chiefly
foreign consumers.
The future price Of cotton depeuc not on Brazil Egypt
India, but production or Over-ProductOn.
China Japan have ceased 90 send cotton 10 England
Egypt and Brazil have more remuneraive crops. We
can command own prices unless We break down the
beyond her average annual payments for cotton Tor half
supply The recent decline will stimulate consumption.
Great Britain has in motion nearly all her spndcs and