New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-05-01
WASHINGTON.
TARIFF DISCUSSION IN THE HOUSE.
MIR. +. II. ROBERTS ON OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES O.


Mr. L. IL. ROBERTS ON OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES OF
THE REVENUE REFoRMERs.
IBY TELEGRAPH TO THB TRIBuNBl
WASHINGTON. Tuesday. April 80, 1871
AZ soon as the House went into Committee OF .i0
Whole to-day, for the purpose OF resumng the farm u
cussio about twohrds Of the members took their ha's
and left the HAL. Those who remained appeai'u
anxious 10 get some light upon tho vexatous quesuo"
and were attentive listeners E. H. Roberts Oh ~"
York. n member Of the Ways and Means Conini''ee
opened the debate the side OF Protecuon' III 'o'
pleasing and sensible speech, when rose u. ''"e' ~
nights OF genuine eOquence He Thought inc Dill VI 'o
Commi,tec woud be amended by the House SO that he
sould give IL his support. To many features oi 'e WI
he strongly objected the ground that they sne'o"
az, and struck at great industries, and were
intended to adjust duties in tho interest
.f commerce and not In those OF Protection he IN
dorsed in the main the Internal Revenue features OF inc
hill and thought that considerable reduction cOuu pc
made in custom duties in way to cheaper comforts
without reducing wages. He sad there were TWO
theories OF tariff one Of which looked to increase com
merce as the result TO be obtained and the other 10 the
protection Of home industry. The first was the brsn
and the latter the American theory we couiu NOT ""
wished enter into race with Great Britain because we
would 20 Handicapped" with high wages anu Soei''
,ouality He referred 10 the history OF Venice
Spain, Portugal, and Holland as NATIONS feS i"s
rhieav upon their commerce, which had eacn
IN turn seen the scepter OF power pass
from it, The secret of long duration OF nauo9a &
was develop industries when heeueu ~ thsn WOO
we should extend home industries rather thau
the dangerous prosperity which rests upon tne se' @
Roberts maintained that the TACT lhat our @ Tho
larger than our exports was not an alarming one.
excess of imports exports In Great brla III io,w
Mere told nv the Free Traders that going 70
ruin, and were called upon 10 lmtate sIe pNrbard'
shcorv thaf tariff duties are bounties" and pen
sions," eXacted from the south anu "os sUddIa
the benefit of the New England ana the Muult nc
state
manufactures for the last ten years ne proven W oe ~
Goods He drew glowing picture Of the future pros,
prity of the country and said that al that was heeueu
If American citizens and not for British importers lie
presented interesting statistics shoWlnS to
had been marked increase IN ~Sges d ~ u me ma
during the last decade and especially during INC P"S
1--WE years This fact he said must oe recOgneI AZ
legislation To strike at great industries SoIu
blow in the face of American labor In conclusion, MI
Roberts said there ought 10 DC no ~ eyent for
further than had been made III lnteIIal tAes, M
the purpose of simplifying the schedules without
industrial interests The friends OIL AHerca rS
were, he declared competent 10 Degh uue reNeh"o io
form.
After speech by Mr. Beck, who opposed laying
taxes to pay the debt, because the people could make
their money worth oper cent while the bonds drew but
FIVE OF six, Mr. Brooks brought forward the financial
scheme of the Democratic members of the Committee
The proper expenditures Of tho Government he fixed at
tae oooOOo annually which he arrived at by taking the
expenses $780, and adding 80 per cent Tor increased
regulation 10 per cent for premium on gold the interest
Oh the public debt, pensions, and the SINKING
fund From customs proposed to raise sl52oOOOCo OF
this sum- chiefly sugar, WOOL woolens, glass; ron
end steel fixing the duties in all cases as high as they
were under the Wing tariff of 1912, with which he said
the manufacturers satisfied. Salt COAL and lumber
n ont on the free list together with between COO and zoo
ar,clcs on which a tariff is now LAID FROM INTERNAL
revenue lis plan contemplated obtaining SlOOOJOoO ~
laciuc the tax spirits at CO cents, as nAeu III inc
ommittoe's BILL making the tobacco tax UNIFORM AT ~
cents. continuing the present rates on ierlhehted
iouors. and also stamp taxes and the taxes
mn hanks except savings banks ADDING 10 the cusO
receipts and the internal revenue, SOOO from lanu
saes ga 600 900 from miscellaneous sources, and $1,000
900 from elasticity Of the revenue he reached tOtal oi
income of S272OOOOOO leaving surplus over expena
tres OF $50 100000 toward reducing the DEBT or 70
he diminished by further reduction OF taxation he
Thought ne debt should not be reduced more rapidly
than per cent per annum as provided by the sinking
fund He discussed at length the decline or American
,onmerce and the falling off the export trade, when
he thought attributable to the hlgh taIiH Dung M,
Rrooks speech amusing conoquy took place between
him and Dawes. each endeaVoring to ascertain II
tie other would vote for the Dill OF the
Commttee and each taking for granted that the other
wanted TO dodge the question. Finally, Mr. BrOOks
agreed 10 cive a direct answer on condition that MT
dawes would do the same. Mr. Dawes asserting, Mr
Rrooks aid he would vote for the bill and for every
her available reduction Of the tariff MI Dawes SAID
he should not vote il in its present shape MI kel
bill Mr. Beck asked MI. Dawes why he had reported IL
II he was opposed IT, Mr. Dawes replied That was
hecause the Committee had instructed him 10 report IT,
Mr BROOKS raised laugh by saying that 1t was very
fairly constructed COmuhttee-there were four ana a
hall men on each side of the Tariff question.