The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1872-02-26
Hamilton's Administration Of the Treas.
ury Department.

Then followed in rapid succession those
great state papers suggesting financial meas
ures, the embodiment of which into laws lev
led duties on foreign wines, spirits, and coffee,
and, on domestic productions, taxes compar-
atively high on luxuries, and moderate on the
necessities of life. The comprehensiveness of
these enactments did away with the divers
conflicting systems established by colonial
laws, pleased the people, and secured for the
new government the confidence and respect
of foreign nations.
Next turning his attention to commerce,
Hamilton conceived and brought forward his
great project regarding tonnage duties"
which levied six cents per ton ON United
States vessels arriving from foreign ports,
thirty cents per ton on those owned abroad
but built in the United States, and fifty cents
per ton On all Others. These discriminating
duties in favor of American shipping, and
statutes of similar inspiration, confined the
coasting trade to vessels built in the country,
and laid the foundation of our foreign COM
merce and mercantile marine.
What Hamilton in the mean time was do
ing for his personal interests may be perceiv-
ed by the following note, addressed to friend,
dated September 80, 1901:
"Dp.p sp If un,, oo., oo.,.......,..
have twenty dollars for a fsw doys sanJ ~ ~,
bearer A H.
n, tho os.h &c rol ,,o, ~.
brought forward his bill to establish United
States bank, to aid in the collection of the
taxes, and the transmission of government
funds from one part of the country to 10th
broad and deem of those Great d;sonsS;c1,S 40,
finance which IN atar doSs ,',oro o. ioi" u,-
der everv odm;n;strot;or a,,.;.ataS ~ ioss
trv and orlT,;natoJ -. e,.ss:"i sno ,,.n ooun-
hv the ssremoyai Of tha daaos;.a |. 1n .I
admin;strot;on nf Gono.i IIpoIi'o, 7poI, unuei 'iie
The banL raco,nn,audai YsuAI2ii. i''. &,,,.o
ostahs;sLod ,,S s ,,i;1s' ~ naliiItoh was
tration Of tba Treos''r,, naa us a,iiiiilis- ni
sd tba roso,,roos os .iiy Depsltiiieht , ueVeiop-
nover;sbeJ ,,aor,o " of .11 county, .ne the I'M
,o,o 80, =. ,'' so .mo P,eVlous years
tha Stnol tbdt Gdnoa, - Sneh peion 70
Ssth "f 0otnb"u Izn1 M"snihstoli' on the
follo,v;no II nis nag r,ie
ron;d Ssor;,,t;n.' .n AZ Inc
wbP;ch oonnrip.oJ 70 Tue Ghiteu states banE'
,o,nad ~ hd n''Se; II Siisie uay .he sum al
and n,aos;~ so o ,,;Sa' - among the stIiklhs
sai,,dps 80 81 s s mncn present lhein
noa,t ~ - oSa,,.oa s.' ny ~ .ne SoNe,n
We con o,.' Ia.oo;,ua -, VIC I
,,.ad',oi San dom pe.oeNe, py reviewing the
Troaa,'- ne,,1,. u ue liacnIery Oh the
,Ia,,s of AiaInnSa,. sa.' u' n9m Peilect were tne
P,ai.; " a,.1.As: flrSt inspired
i;5, nS 81 eanie .ne ACT Whlcn estaD-
hsheI us a,1 ane lou.ine . py wnicn customs were 10
s la,em ioiomou the acts ior Ihe
,esys u t oa4es anu IN Tue acculnuatlon OF the
I . neAs eaiii9 'lle nhPositlohs on silps,
anu oui colliiieI9iu lnarine, iorelgn ana 40
. AZ was estao.isneu s tnen ene Dank ior
.ne uePosltory ol 1le couected iunds, and ior
0 1nelr uistrioulloh tnrougnout the country.
Sua5 One shi.g more was needed 70 complete the
slaHu 4s s.lue.ure, aia VIZ, tganzed mstlt9tlon