The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-01-12
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 1s, 1870.
j UDGE KELLEY'S RE VIEW OF COM
S2Cll MISSIONER WELLS.

Sadl3 MISSIONER WELLS.
TBE zeal displayed by the Special Commits
sioner Of Revenue in advocating the interests
of British manufacturers, in disparaging the
resources and Understanding the wealth of
ths United States, and in antagonizing many
important American industrial interests, has
aroused tho ire of the Representative of the
Fourth Congressional district, Judge Kelley,
who yesterday exposed, in an able speech,
delivered in the House of Representatives
the fallacies and follies embraced in the last
report of MIR. Wells.
The first point of attack is the estimate
made 10y the latter Of the wealth of this coun-
try. To prove that the times are out of joint
the Special Commissioner assumes that the
grand total cannot possibly exceed 1923, 400
600, 900, while other and better authorities con-
tend that the census returns will footup least
$4S, ,OOo, ,0OO,0 900. Mr.. Wells fixes the increase
of the value of property during the present
decade at less than &C per cent, or but little
more than one-half of the ascertained increase
from 1850 to 1860. So far as this region is
concerned, the rate of progress during the
present decade far exceeds that of the pre-
vidus ten years, and the personal and real
property of Philadelphia is at the lowest cal
cuiAtion worth two hundred per cent. more
than il was ten years ago. Many other por-
tions of the North show still more rapid
advance, and even in the devastated South
She advance in the value of real estate in some
sections has already exceeded all the losses of
permanent wealth incurred by the war.
The next subject of discussion is the rate
of duties on several American products, and
more especially steel rails, other manufac-
tufes of steel, and pig iron. few years ago
Tin 1867 even Mr.. Wells recommended high
duties on steel and the wisdom of this recon-
mendation has since been abundantly proven.
Before American capital and energy embarked
in the manufacture of steel rails the standard
British price was $3.50 per ton in gold, and
some importations made at time when gold
was as high premium cost American railroad
companies the enormous sum of 1890 per
ton, in currency. An immense reduction on
these prices has been already effected by the
establishment of few American steel-rail
works, and continuance of the protective
policy which Mr. Wells is anxious to over
throw will effect still greater reductions, and
ensure 10 our railways cheap and abundant
supplies. If the duty is materially diminished,
the British manufacturers, whom the Com
missioner of Revenue is so intensely anxious
10 serve, will supply cheap rails long enough
90 destroy their American rivals, and then
reap from extortionate charges ample profits
to richly compensate their official and unofi-
eial champions in this country.
Judge Kelley points out curious coinci-
denoo between new schedule of American
duties on various manufactures of scrap,
blister. shear, and cast steel which is known
to have been prepared by the manufac-
turers of Sheffield, and the rates proposed
by Mr.. Wells. He also quotes from the
statements of tho Collector at New York to
tho Committee of Ways and Means an asser
tion that ''the legal ability of England and
the Continent is constantly retained by for
eign manufacturers to indicate the means by
which our tariffs may be evaded." And il
Seems that wonderfully good understanding
has been established between the open foei
of the struggling industries of our country
who conduct their assaults by undervaluations
smuggling, and new combinations of mate
rials, and the insidious foes resident amonl
us, who recognize in the Special Commits
sioner of Revenue their most eficien
champion.
Against Pennsylvania, especially, Mr.. Well
levels his most desperate blows. He is neve
tired of devising plans to cripple the vas
and useful interests in which she has game,
prominence among her sister Common
wealths Nothing could apparently give hin
greater satisfaction than to see our steel fac
tories closed, our furnaces thrown out o
blast, our mines abandoned, and the old de
peudence ON Great Britain fully restored
He seems ambitious to become the Johl
Jones of the War Office to our State and t.
destroy its prosperity by mass of misrepre
sentations and false calculations. He shoul
remember, however, that sundry peril
always ''do environ those who meddle wit
cold iron" that there is fair prospect tha
his blunders viii be exposed as rapidly as b
makes them; and that he already stands con
victed of so many that his value as an all
Of the British manufacturers has been mate
rally damaged.
THR STORY told by Prince Pierre Bonapart
about the fracas that occurred in his apar
Yoent on Monday reaultino in tho daafh n