Year: 1859




The following abstract and extracts coy-
er the leading features Of Senator BlGLER's
great speech.


No question, save one connected with
our form of government has led to so
much controversy, IN and out Of our Cons
gress, or given existence to such an abund-
ance of conflicting and dissimilar opinion
as that Of the tariff; as well on the theoreti-
cal principles involved, as on the prlcti.
cal workings OF given details. Nor is this
at all singular; for in its very nature, it is,
to greater or less extent subject OF
conflicting interest, real or imaginary, be-
tween different sections OF our common
country, and interests, pursuits, and clsss-
es of people within the same section, each
having like claims upon the justice and
favor Of the Government; whilst the close
and well. balanced relations Of producer
and consumer, operative and capitalist,
to the subject, has very naturally excited
the utmost vigilance on the part OF each
cl these classes in tie maintenance Of their
rights 0nd interests as inyOlvcdin its opcr-
alton. Nor has any measure so uniform
lv baffied the foresight AMI judgment of
public men. Its practical operations upon
the Treasury, and upon those industrial
interests encounterng severe foreign com>
petition, has been all the while a problem
"a grand mystery. No one of the sixteen
regular laws adopted since l78g has met
the expectations of its advocates in every
particular, nor has there been one which
did not, at some time, seem to produce eff
fects which no one had anticipated, and
thereby controverts the most universally
accepted theories on the subject, the re-
suits nuctuating to great extremes under
the same rates Of duty.


He then proceeded to illustrate from
the figures the fluctuations in the receipts
of the Treasury under the same Tariff,
ranging from FIVE to ten or twelve millions
in different successive years He then re-
marked there has never been q tariff law,
and | do not believe there ever will be
one devised against which plausible if not
well founded objections may not be made
by some interest or class of people. on
some point or other of its operations and
no public man need be rcproached be-
cause he did not toresce, with accuracy,
what a given tariff would do, for the most
sagacious have failed to do this. have
myself no faith in the cure all school OF
doctors on this subject; nor do | believe
the tariff can dotas much for home inter-
ests as is claimed by some; nor sympa-
thize in the unreasonable doctrines Of ex.
treme protectionists, or respect the policy
of some who are constantly saving what
they know cannot be granted; and still
less in the efforts Of others to persuade
large classes of the people that they should
RELY rather upon the Government and the
laws for prosperity, than upon their own
enterprise, energy and industry. But |
believe that in meeting the Constitutional
obligation to provide revenue to defray
the expenses of Government. we should
endeayor to distribute the burdens Incl
dent thereto as equally as may be; giving
al. the incidental protection and aid we
can to such manufacturing and other in
terests as encounter vigorous competition
from abroad.


There is no dispute as TO the right o.
Congress to levy. ihpost duties. That pow,
er is expressly conferred in the Constitu'
ton. Nor need it be seriously denied that
in the exercise of that power, it is not a!
well the duty as the right of Congress {
take into consideration the effect of sucL