The Congressional Globe, Volume 13, Part 2: Twenty-Eighth Congress, First Session Page: 488
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488
APPENDIX TO THE CONGRESSIONAL GLOBE.
April, 1844.
28th Cong 1st Sess.
The Tariff—Mr. Wright.
Sen.ate.
importations, as an average, were free of duty.
That will be remarked as to five of the six years, by
a reference to the figures given above—the advantage
being about seven millions on the side of the free
g iods.
On the 11th of September, 1841, an act was
passed "lelating to duties and drawbacks," which
imposed a duty of 20 per cent, upon all free articles,
and all articles then paying a less duty, with certain
enumerated exceptions, the principal of which are
tea and coffee, raw and undressed hides and skins,
coarse wool, gold and silver coins and bullion, and
the list of articles used in manufacturing. This act'
was in force as to all. the importations of 1842, ex-
cept so far as those importations may have been
reached by the present law; and the consequence
was, that the amount of free articles fell down, from
more than an average of 60, to 30 millions, and the
dutiable articles rose up to G9 millions; being more
than the average for the five previous years, al-
though the importations of the year were much less
than in any one of the five, and very far below their
average. In this single year the dutiable articles
much more than doubled the free. Under the pres-
ent law the free and dutiable articles are very much
the same as under the law of 1841, except that the
coarse wool, and raw and undressed hides and
skins, are added to the dutiable side, at the low rate
of 5 per cent.; and yet the dutiable importations, in
the first year of its operation, are nearly 21,000,000
less than under the act. of 1841, which was in force
but one year; and the free importations have gone
up again almost 10,000,000 above what they were
under the last-named act, and to very nearly the
one-half of the entire importations of the year. This,
too, has taken place after the change from the free
to the dutiable side of full three millions in the arti-
cles of wool and skins. When to this astonishing
change in the character of the imports, in a single year,
is added the fact that, of the 40 millions of free im-
ports, in 1843, about 24 millions consisted of gold
and silver coins and bullion alone, the influence of
the law upon the trade of the country cannot fail to
be seen. The exchanges of commerce have been
crippled to an unexampled extent, and our produce
sent abroad for a market must be sold for what it
will bring in coin, as the merchant dare not ex-
change it for merchandise, and encounter our du-
ties.
This is a general view of the whole imports; of
the whole foreign trade of the country. It afforded
the ground for a very imperfect judgment as to the
effect of the law in detail. The rates of duty were
very various, and upon some articles of importance
they were moderate, and upon some very low.
Upon other large classes of articles, again, they
were very high and extensively prohibitory. A
detailed examination, therefore, was necessary to
present the action of the law in its true light; and to
enable him to make that examination he had referred
to other tables appended to the same report. "Ap-
pendix B" was a comparative statement of dutiable
imports, for the six years which had been mention-
ed, and for the first three quarters of the one year
under the present law; exhibiting the articles as
named m the present law, and the amount of import-
ations of each article, so far as that could be ascer-
tained from the different forms in which the import
tables had been kept, under the different tariff laws.
The first column showed the average importations
for the three years, 1837, 1838, 1839; the second,
the same average for the three years, 1840, 1841,
1842; and the third, the actual imports for the three
quarters of a year, commencing on the 1st of Octo-
her, 1842, and ending on the 30th of June, 1843.
"Appendix D, No. 2," exhibited the actual import-
ations, for the same three quarters, of each article
paying ad valorem duties under the present law, the
amount of duties actually paid upon each article so
imported, and the rate per cent, of the duty fixed in
the law, where there is no minimum, and the rate
per cent, to which the duty paid amounts, where
there is a minimum. "Appendix D, No. 3," gave the
same information, for the same period, as to all the
articles imported, paying specific duties under the
present law. In this table the rates per cent, of the
duty were calculated at the treasury, from the value
ot importations of each article, and the amounts
actually paid in duties; and both these documents
w re authenticated by the official signature of the
I IV-gister of the Treasury. To these three tallies
1 -,'ereriee was to be had for the data upon which the
following particular statements were based.
From the 1st of October, 1842, to the 30th of
June, 1843, being the first three-quarters of one
year of the operation of the present tariff law, the
importations of wool, costing more than seven cents
per pound, weie valued at $54,695; and the amount
of duties paid upon that sum was §21,941 88, be-
ing at the rate of 40.11 per cent. The average val-
ue of the importations of this same description of
wool, for the three years, 1837, 1838, and 1839,
was $801,087; and for the three years, 1840, 1841,
and i842, $1,004,312. This is equal to an average,
for the six years, of $902,699 per year; while the
$54,695, for three-quarters of the year, under the
present law, is only equal to the rate of $72,927 per
year; showing a falling off of the importations,
compared with the average of the six previous
years, of more than 91 per cent.
The value of the imports of cloths, cassimcres,
and other woollen goods paying a duty of 40 per
cent., for the same three-quarters of a year, was
#1,472,381, upon which there was paid in duties
the sum of $588,952 40. The average value of the
importations of these same goods, for the six .years
before named, was $5,613,920 per year. The aver-
age importations for one year, under the present
law, at the rate of the three-quarters given, was
$1,963,175, showing a falling off in this importa-
tion, as compared with the six years, of 65 per
cent.
The whole importations of the manufactures of
cotton, for the same three-quarters of a year, were
valued at $2,958,796. The nominal duty, in the
law, upon all these goods, is 30 per cent.; but the
minimums, or artificial valuations, which the law
fixes upon various portions of them, makes the ac-
tual duties paid vary from 30 to 70 per cent., and
raises the average upon the whole to more than 38
per cent. Still the tables of importation, if care-
fully examined, will prove beyond question that largo
classes of the cheaper cottons are entirely prohibited
by the operation of these minimums. Thus, every
yard of printed or colored coton cloth, cost what it
may, is to be valued at 30 cents per square yard,
provided it costless than that sum, and is to pay the
duty of 30 per cent, upon that valuation; while all
know that it is almost difficult, at this day, to find,
in a country store, a yard of cotton calico of so high
a price as 30 cents, while much is retailed for 10
and 12 and 15 cents. He would refer senators to
pages 72, 73, 74, of this report of the Committe of
Ways and Means of the House, for a statement of
the rates of duty upon the whole range of cotton
manufactures, calculated upon the English prices,
where they will find, if the importations could be
made, that the duties would range from 30 to 162
per cent. The average importations of the manu-
factures of cotton, for the six years named, was in
value $10,047,099 per year; and the average per
year, under the present law, calculated from the
three quarteis above gncn, was but $3,945,001—
being 60 per cent, less than the rate of importations
for the six years.
Worsted stuff goods, worsted yarns, mits, gloves,
and the like, were free of duty under the compro-
mise act; and a duty of 20 per cent, was imposed by
the act of 1841. By the present law, that duty is
raised to 30 per ccnt. This is a class of goods man-
ufactured to a very limited extent in this country;
and the duty, upon every principle, sliould.be u iev-
enue duty only. The average importations, for the
six years, were valued at $4,581,587. The average
per year, under the present law, calculatcd from the
three quarters, is $608,068—showing a falling off, in
comparison with the six years, of 83 per cent.
Silks were free under the compromise act, and
paid a duty of 20 per cent, under the act of 1841.
By the present la v, the duties are mostly specific,
and levied upon the pound weight, but differing
somewhat upon different descriptions of goods.
These duties, calculatcd ad valorem, ldngcfrom 16 to
65 per cent.; while the ad valorem duties imposed
by the law vary fiom 20 to 40 percent. The actu-
al average duties paid upon the importations of the
tbree quarters, of silks paying specific duties, was
3:2 per ccnt; and of silks paying ad valorem duties,
26 per cent The average value of the importa-
tions of all silks, for the six years, was $15,247,330
per year, and the average per year of tiie same im-
portations, under the present law, calculated from
the three quarters, was $3,622,347—being 76 per
cent, less than the rate for the six years. Upon
these goods, too, the specific duties have the cffcct
to impose the highest tax upon the cheapest and
most common article. A plain, firm, black silk,
such as is most usually worn by those who wear
silks in the country, will weigh much more than a
fine, ti.ch, figured, French silk, such as is worn by
the more wealthy in the cities; the cost of the for-
mer will be about half that of the latter; and yet the
pound weight of each pay the same duty, making
the rate, upon the common article, from 40 to 50 per
cent, and upon the rich article from 20 to 25 per
cent.—just about half. Here, top, there is no man-
ufacture to protect, and no apology for any other
than revenue duties.
(Jpon carpets, the duty is also specificie, being le-
vied upon the square yard; and the rates ad valo-
rem, calculated upon the actual importations, range
from 28 to 87 per cent. Although the amount of
duty varies upon various descriptions of carpeting,
yet the heavy rates fall upon the common and cheap
goods, and are almost entirely prohibitory of them.
The whole importations, for the three quarters,
were valued at but $181,810, and of this amount
$150,948 was Brussels carpeting, a description
much more expensive than that in most common
and extensive use. Of the remaining $30,000, $17,-
099 was an importation of 7,372 yards ofWilton car-
peting, the foreign cost being about $2 50 per yard,
and the rate of duty but 28 per cent.; while upon the
Brussels, it was 42; and upon the treble ingrained, a
much more common article, 87 per cent. The rate
of diminution in the importations of carpeting, dur-
ing the one year, under the present law, compared
with the six previous years, was 41 per cent.
Cotton bagging is another article upon which
heavy specific duties are imposed, averaging about
53 per cent, ad valorem. The average value of the
imports, for the six years, was $379,718; and for the
one year, under the present law, calculated from the
actual imports of the three quarters, $141,755—being
a falling off of G2 per cent.
The duties upon glass-ware, and window glass,
are also specific; the former upon the pound weight,
and the latter upon the superficial measure. The
rates ad valorem, upon the actual importations of
glass-ware, ranged from 29 to 186 per cent.; upon
window glass, from 62 to 243 per cent.; and upon
vials and bottles from 11 to 165 per cent. The value
of the whole importations of crown window glass
was but $310; and upon that were actually paid
$688 75 of duties—being 222 per cent, upon the
whole. The total value of the importations of glass
paying specific duties, for the three quarters of the
year, was but $55,214, while the value of the im-
ports of large glass plates, plates silvered, painted
glass, &c., paying au valorem duties averaging but
32 per cent., were $61,591. The falling off in the
importation of glass of all descriptions, comparing
the one year with the six, was 77 per cent.
The average importations of sugar and sirup of
sugar, for the six years, was $7,600,449; and for the
one year, under the present law, calculatcd from the
actual importations of the three quarters, $3,376,824—
exhibiting a falling off in the importations of this ar-
ticle of 55 per cent. The duties upon sugars, calcu-
lated ad valorem upon the actual importations, range
from 67 to 101 per ccnt., the highest rate being upon
loaf and other refinsd sugars. The rate upon sirup
of sugar is 161 per cent.; and the provision of the
law shows that it was intended to be prohibited.
The importation is merely nominal—but $57 in
value in the tluee quaiteis of a year. The rate ad
valorem of the duty upon molasses is 51 per cent.;
and the importations had fallen off 52 per cent.,
comparing the one year with the six. The average
value of the importations, for the six years, was
$3,192,683; and for the one year, under the present
law, calculated from the actual imports of the three
quarters, $1,513,693.
The importations of hemp, cordage, ami sail duck,
together, for the three quarters, amounted to only
$095,571, beni£ at the rate of $927,428 per year; while
the average importation, per year, of the same ar-
ticlbs, for the six years, was $1,408,525—showing a
diminution of the imports of these articles, under
the present law, at the rate of 34 per cent. The
rates ad valorem of the duties upon hemp are less
than 32 per cent., and upon duck Uss than 23 per
cent. Upon some articles of cordage the rates arc
enormous. Of untarred cordage, the value im-
ported, in the three quarters, was $5,798, and the
duties actually paid amounted to $10,103 71, equal
to the ad valoiem rate of 174 per cent. So, of un-
tarred yarns the value imported was $1,028, and
the duties actually paid $2,046 96, equal to 190 per
cent. Here the prohibition upon these manufac-
tures rested most heavily.
The actual importations of paper, for the three
quarters, were very trifling, the whole value only
amounting to $32,180, being at the rate of $42,907
for a whoje year. $17,753 of this amount was
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United States. Congress. The Congressional Globe, Volume 13, Part 2: Twenty-Eighth Congress, First Session, book, 1844; Washington D.C.. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth2368/m1/498/: accessed April 24, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.