Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-04-02
HOUSE.

Several private bills were disposed Of
The House then went into Committee OF
the Whole on the tariff bill An hour was
allowed for general debate.
MIR. Garfield, after eulogiZing the system
of internal revenue taxation, said there
we're now AS iron furnaces in blast, OF
which 10 were in his district This bill
proposed to reduce the duty on pig iron 81
per ton, equivalent to %! per cent. If the
House thought that ought to be done he
would not resist it, although his constitu-
ents were opposed to it. He thought 1t
however rather inconsistent on the part OF
the Committee on Ways and Means to pro-
vide that castings in iron, such as water
pipes. the cheapest kind of iron casting,
not costing over one-third more than pig
iron, should pay duty of Il cents per
pound, equal to $50. 90 in gold per ton, and
he was firmly of the opinion the wlsest
thing the protectionists of the House
could do was to unite in d reasonable re-
duction of the general rate of duties on I'M
ported articles He was the wisest man
who saw the current of public opinion and
tried to protect home industry against sud
den collapse and sudden change. If he did
not misunderstood the temper of the times,
| the protectionists would be compelled, If
| they did not do it of their own volltion, to
| submit to violent reduchOn-one which
| would. without much discrimination, sweep
| against industry in vigorous way. lie
| warned them there would be reaction
/ which would break down the protective
| system, and he believed the wisest thing its
1 friends could do was to stand by and see
1 that a reduction was steadily, prudently
| and carefully made. He warned them
there were several Democrats on the floor,
who we're nearly all avowodly free traders.
| MIR. Wood don't know a single free
| trader as such on this side of the House.
Mr.. Cox rose, and Mr.. Garfield indicat;
him. said, There is one.
Mr.. Cox-Yes sir.
Mr.. Mungen-Here is another.
Mr.. Wood am in favor ola tariff rev.
enue. but am not for establishing free
trade, and l believe that to be the general
opinion of this side of the House.
| Mr.. Garfeld-In addition to that force
over wonder. let me say that if you draw
| a line by the west side of Ohio and by the
north side of Arkansas, you will find nine
States, every one of them Republican; yet
if l have correctly taken the census of the
States in the House, out of 81 votes, which
4
who will probably vote for reduction o
tariff in some shape, and if they be no
| pratifed by some substantial reduction
they are likely to go good deal farthe
towards our Democratic friends than the,
might otherwise go. This is my view of tn
situation, but wish to call the attention Q
the country to it as one of the forces in tn
case: with these forces before us, and with
| oYxhnIHy. without gavin
as some have, that the importers are utter
w hostile to American interests or withou
characteriZing manufacturers as greed
| cormorants, sucking the-life-blood of til
nation. we should look to the treasur
| and to the possibilities OF the case, and Ink
wise men adjust ourselves to the situatio
and agree to come down to suitable pol
2 CIV which shall accept neither OF the e.
2 treme doctrines urged on this floor.
= The House then proceeded to considt
e the bill by sections for amendment, vine
$ ON motion of Mr.. Schenck after discussion
n the blank in the first section fixing ii
}, time when the bill shall go into effect, Wa
: fixed with Oct. l, 1870.
. The following clause having bee
I reached, "On teas of all kinds twent
cents per pound, Mr.. Longbridge moved
! amend, adding proviso to admit, free
duty, tea when imported in American We
IS sels or foreign vessels which are entitled
3 reciprocal treaties exemption from di
P eliminating duties.
y The amendment was discussed
e Messrs. Cox, Schenck, Ingerson, Steve
: son, Boyd, Atwell, Wood, Murgen al
# others, but without action. The Comml
tee rose and the House again took
private calendar.
Tn: Jefferson
Business on the Speakers table was ne
= considered.
le Senate bill authorizing the Librarian
Congress to return to the executors
Thomas Jefferson his private papers,
at passed.
4, Evening session for general debate
the Presidents annual message.