National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1869-02-05

for so much, and that the duties on
rice, cotton and lard should not be
advanced. The duties on tobacco
were not to exceed four thalers per
centner Tor $2.SS per 40 pounds,
and not over three thalers per
centner Oh stems. We, through
our Minister, loudly protested then
against the injustice of higher du-
ties, land yet we yourselves now impose
upon unmanufactured tobacco i'm
ported into the United StatOs "a
duty of 35 cents per pound, equal to
about 54 thalers per centnef, or
more than thirteen times rs much
as then appeared reasonable to us
that the Prussians should levy upon
our tobacco! Yet today very few
pretend thas we can do with less
Beside, il will be seen by the tariff
promulgated years since by the
ZOllverein, that they have, without
requiring an equivalent from us,
continued cotton on the free list, as
it was plain from enlightened self
interest they must, and have re-
duced the duty upon tobacco to the
identical and magical figure of four
thalers per centner. Without any
treaty or SO called equivalents we
now have all the advantages sought
for by President Tyler. The states
manship of the State Department
seems to have been unequal to the
task of forecasting for 20 years, or
even for Is. But this blindness
will be much more apparent it we
examine the equivalents, so called,
which we were to have given for
the distinguished consideration to
tobacco. The catalogue of reduc.
tions to occur in our tariff are too
long to be fully repeated, and em-
braces to a great extent the luXuries
and toys of commcrce-the very
sources from which, since 1851, we
have most largely increased Custom
House supplies. No higher duty
than 20 per centum dd rdlorem was
to be placed on WOODEN, wOrsted, or
cotton hosiery, lnitts, caps, bind,
ings, drawers, shirts, and all similar
manufactures made on frames, nor
upon musical instruments, except
pianofortcs. No higher duty than
Is per ccntum ad ralOrem on any
manufactures of silk, OF which silk
should be component material of
chief value, nor upoE Thibet, mcrino
shawlS, and all manufactures of
combed wool, or of worsted and silk
combined, nor upon polished plate
glass, Silvered or unsilvered, toys,
wooden clocks, cologne water, scis
sors, files, saws, planes, scythcs,
needles, copper wire, bronze ware
of all kinds, fshhooks, leather
pocket books, and all sorts OF similar
fine leather manufacturers; pocket
looking glasses, snuff boxes of pa
pier mache, lead pencils, &c. No
more than 10 per centum dd rdi0rcD'
on all thread, laccs, inscrtingS, lace,
treSseS, tasSels, knots. stars of gold
and silver, mineral water, spelter
&c. And, finally, we were to agree
not to increase the then existing
rate of duty upon wines; and the
duties upon wines in 1874 We're a,
follows: On Madeira and sherry, il
casks or bottles, so cents; cham
pagnc, 40 cents; clarct, six cents
per gallon, and on white wines, Z.
cents in casks, or 20 cents in bottles
+ per gIllon.
1t is quite apparent that tn,
/ American negOtlator OF the PROPOSED
= treaty, however learned and accom-
+ plishcG in other respects, was sadl,
! deficient in practical knowledge q
D revenue laws or of the industria
= interests of the United States, an,
e without any apprehension of tn
I strides these interests were dcstinc
e to make in the immediate future
{ Whatever of budding promise ther
;. might be i'll tie efforts then bein
+ made or subsequently made to e.
= tabliSh manufactures of worste,l.
I. of silk, of linen and hemp, of WOO
II Ell and cotton goods or frames, {
y scyths, saws, files, planes, iishhook'
G lead pencils, and so on to the enc
y or whatever were the prospects c
n American wines, it is quite certai
II that if this treaty had been accep
y ed all these varied interests, no
/. counted by millions, would ha,
=. received their death kncll, or if no
)f their advent would have been pos
le pOned for a generation and if I'll
- treaty had been in force at Il
)r outset of the rebellion the Cover
H. ment of the United States Won
e. have been almost paralyzcd, ~
r. without the power to mend !
TO financial condition so far as tn
II then depended upon receipts Il
10 duties upon foreign merchandise.
rs II was found necessary, for reven,
&c purposes, to place three or fo
OF times the amount Of duties up,
H. many of these articles which COZ,
to not have been done had the Zoll,
ne rein treaty been in force, and und
IL snoh rates Of duty the protection
- home manufactures has been
IN great that we have largely diminis
VI ed our dependence upon fo:ciI
q. supplies for silks, worsteds, al
III Who'll classes Of other manufactur
en- inclnded in the treaty. This on
nc illustrates the extreme inexpedien
q, not to say folly, OF retiproci
~. trnuttau A sv,.aaN anl .xru,,;,,,. I,