The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-02-25

being likewise made for all articles
not specified Many of these articles are
not imported into the country at all,
are not even used here: some of them are i'm
ported in such small quantities that the duties
collected do not defray the cost of collection;
while others again are imported only because
something else is interdicted' by heavy rates of
duty. All this is puerile and does not in the
least subserve the cause of protection. in the
supposed interest of which this portion of the
system was established. Let few principal
articles be selected as the incidents of taxa
tion-for it must not be forgotten that it is the
people who pay the taxes and not the articles
themselves. Therefore, as question of rev.
enue, or even protection, it practically matters
little, except in respect of justice and economy
in collection, whether the customs revenues
are based on twenty articles or twenty thou
sand Let the rates, when once fixed on these
articles, remain fixed for term of years.
Duties on imports" says the Secretary of the
Treasury in his recent report ''are now i'm
posed under fourteen principal statutes relat-
ing to classification and rates, besides twenty
other acts or resolutions modifying or affect
ing tariff acts, all passed between March 1,
1861, and March 4, 1873 to which must be
added the very numerous customs revenue
laws enacted prior to March. 1861, and re-
manning either wholly or partially in force,
and which the act of that date was intended
to, but did not, supersede. Here are thirty
four attentions of the tariff during the course
of twelve years. Is it not patent that such a
kaleidoscope system must reduce the foreign
commerce of the country to the mere level of
gambling? Who is going to invest his capital
in importing merchandise when the expe-
renee of the past twelve years proves that
nearly three changes per annum will be made
in the future tariff laws? And who dares to
be content with moderate profit who enters
upon such venturesome trader
Reform number three has reference to the
basis of valuation. 1t 80 happened that our
commercial and navigation system was estab-
lished at time anterior to the great reforms
which these systems have undergone in all
other countries, and this, perhaps, accounts
for the fact that we still adhere to the foreign
valuation basis long after its abandonment as
impracticable by nations more progressive in
this respect.
We have also adhered to Oliver Crom-
wells navigation laws, which he copied
from Spain, and, until within few years,
actually measured our ships by the model of
an antique galleon which, two centuries be-
fore, Charles IL had caused to be moored in
the Thames for q standard In 1912 or 1843,
through some oversight of legislation, this
foreign valuation was for few months set
aside; but, the mistake being rectifed, it was
resumed and has continued ever since. In
1865 it was rendered still more difficult of
practical application by the addition of charges
and commissions, and it is under this feature
of the law that much of the trouble sought to
be remedied by the bills lately introduced in
Congress has occurred. But even without
charges and commissions the s'foreign market
valuation of an article is often difficult, and
sometimes impossible Of precise determine
ton. The remedies proposed will, therefore,
not meet the case. What we need is q COM
plete settlement of all doubt as to the dutiable
value of an article, and this can only be OBJ
tanned through the adoption Of home valua-
ton in the place Of foreign valua-
tion-i E., the average value of the
article in the principal markets of the
United States, to be ascertained and fixed
by our officers of the customs, as
is now done in England and elsewhere
Coupled with the adoption of this measure
should be such lowering of the rates as that
the sums of the new rates on the new valua-
tons should not vary materially from the
sums of the old rates on the old valuations.
The country wants no commissions to brood
over or expatiate on these reforms, nor to
mingle their discussion with that of other
questions and so endanger their adoption
We want no more Qualifications of the laws,
no more printing of regulations. We have
been through all this before, and even now
are paying at the same time for no less than
three different codifcations What we want is
a brief bill from the Ways and Means Com
nttee embodying the reforms mentioned, and
specifying some time in the future-so as to
give fair notice to everybody-when they shall
go into operation.
This being done, we shall hear no more
jobs Matched by Jayne nor contracts by San
born, and our foreign trade will be free to
again assume proportions commensurate with
the rank Of our country among commercial
nations.
AN EXCELLENT OPpogTUNITY.-A creature
who signs himself R, F. B. is unable to under
stand how lady can have given check for
five hundred dollars, as reported by us, with
out furnishing any clew to her identity He