Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1871-03-28
LRY MAIL

THE REPEAL OF THE DUTY ON COAL,
WASHINGTON, March pa word
Of explanation is deemed necessary
respecting the bill passed by the House
and now upon the Senate's tables, re-
pealing the duty on "cOal." In the
| first place, the bill in no wise affects
anthracite coal. No country in the
world produces IL except this; and,
there being no competition from any
quarter, there never has been, OF
course, any duty levied upon il. The
case is different with 5ittEHsiR0us coal
Secondly, bituminOus coal is not used
at all by the public at large, except in
the Immediate vicinity of the mines.
THE REPEAL or THE DUTY
would, therefore, only benefit certain
gas mOnOpOlies and large manutactur-
ing establishments, ETC., run by steam,
and principally located at the East.
Every Eastern man in either House,
therefore, voted for the "repeal, 4"
Thirdly, the placing of this coal upon
the free list would simply operate as a
bounty to the same kind of coal pro-
duced in Nova Scotia, and the mines
there are owned principally by East
ern capitalists-a member Of the pres
ent House Of Representatives from
Massachusetts being very largely " in
terested." The tax, amounting to
about
HALF A MILLION PER ANNUM,
under the peculiar circumstances Of
this isolated piece of " free trade
advocated 50 strenuOusly by iRVeter-
ate prOtectiOnists,' y would go into
the pockets exclusively Of the colossal
"NOva Scotia Coal Mining Company"
composed of Yankees who
LIVE UPON PROTECTION.
For, fOurthly, it is not proposed, be 1t
remembered, to reduce the tax upon
Bessemer steel (which is now S25 per
toni, and other articles, of which our
railroads are constructed; whereas
there is no duty at all upon this article
in the British possessions, or north of
our northeastern boundary line. The
price ef transportation from the Mary
land OF Virginia mines to the East
for example, TO Boston or Lowell
beyond that upon the Nova Scotia
mines (including the advantage to the
latter in the matter of the price of
railroad irons etc. must needs give
A MONOPOLY TO THE NOVA SCOTIA
COMPANY.
Not a cent would be gained by the
small consumers, even further south,
than the extreme Eastern and North
ern States. And when did ever a gas
company, or any similar monopoly
anywhere, reduce its charges for gas
voluntarily, no matter under what
circumstances
Nevertheless, Maryland and West
eTn Virginia Senators and members of
Congress 1.-THE former unanimously
would cheerfuliy support a thorough
revision Of the impOst system, upon
the principle Of a strictly revenue
tariff, and consent to q total repeal of
the duty on coal (althOugh il produces
revenue without detTiment to the pub
lie at large) If connected with and
made part of any proposition looking
toward a fair general adjustment of
the duties on imports. It win be seen
that Mr.. Hamilton, OF Maryland, yes
terday prOffered this solution Of the
apparent difficulty, which was, how
ever,
REJECTED By THE PROTECTIONIsCs.
But to expect our representatives to
sacrifice the interests Of their people
by eOncurrinR ia this species Of iso-
lated legislation, at the behest Of the
NEST virulent enemies. is to expect
the Atlantic ocean to freeze to the bot
torn In the month Of July, and ioW-
ers 70 "spring WantOn to be pressed" In
mid-WinteE on the icy shores Of
Alasksl