Amendments to the Constitution, [8 June] 1789 — reading text

Mr. Sherman, Said it appeared to him, to be pretty vvell proportioned, becaufe thofe v.'ho accuftomed themielves to drink wine H 58 DEBATES A. 1789. confunied two or three times ps much as thofe who ufed fpirits and confequently paid a due proportion. Mr. FiTZsir/roNs. I fliall move you, Sir, that the blank be filled with 50 cents. 1 obfjprved Tome gentlemen in their arguments on the laft article, laid great ftrefs upon the impropriety of taxing the neceflaries of life, that were principally con- fumed by the poorer clafs of citizens. I do not think any of the members of this committe confider the article of Madeira wine a necellary of life, at leaft to thofe whofe incomes are only fufEcient for a temperate fubfiftance, there- fore no objeftion of this kind can be made on the prefent occafion. The propriety of a high tax on wines, I ap- prehend is fcif evident, .whether we confider the price of the article, or the ability of ilie people to pay, who con-, ir.me it. The value of a pipe of Madeira wine 1 believe is about 200 dollars — hogthead of rum a is worth about 40 dollars — the ability of thofe who confume the one and the other are, I fuppofe, in nearly the fame ratio. I do not j'retend to know what are the intentions of gentlem.en on this fubject, but my wiih is to raife lo coniiderable a reve- nue from impoft, as to render it unnecefiary to apply to anv other mode ; if this is the willi of the committee alfo, they will be inclined to raife a great part of it from the confumption of thofe people Nvho are beft able to pay, a- inong whom we may with great propriety reckon the con- furriers of Madeira wine. Mr. P. Muhlenberg Thought his colleagues obfervations were very judicious ar,d faid they met exactly his ideas^ he therefore feconded the moiion for 50 cents. Mr. Bland. I am liOt againft laying any fum on this article, which there is a probabihty ofcolleding; but I am afraid we are running wild in the builnefs, and altho' we appear to be in fcarch of revenue, we are purfuiiig a traft that will lead us v.'ide of cur mark. I am really lufpicious, if v/e lay a duty of 50 cents upon Madeira wine, we Ihall not have a Tingle gallon entered in any port of the United States, and we fiiall fully verify to the world the truth of an old max- im, in finance that 1 and 2 do not make 4. I would there- fore fugrgell to the committee the propriety of confidered well, whf^ther they can or cannot colled the high duty pro- pofed, if they are well convinced that it can be done, and will fatisfy me only that there is a probability of its being  — A. 1789. Of C O N G R E S S. 59 the cafe, I fliall cheerfully concur in the motion ; but at prefent I am of opinion, we fliaJl not be able to obtain any revenue whatfoever, if the taxis laid fo lu*^h. Mr. Lawranck, Apprehended the gentleman from Pennfylvania (Mr. Fitzfmions) was miftaken in the price of Madeira wine- he had ftaied it to be worth 200 dollars a pipe it might ; be fo when fold for conJ'r.mption, but it was not worth more than half that fum at the time of importation, where- fore on the prliiciple of proportioning the impoit to the value he would propofe 20 cents. Mr. FiTZsiMONs. I mentioned 200 dollars as the value of a pipe of Ma- deira wine, when fold for confumption, and lo far as my experience goes, 1 believe it to be the cafe ; Madeira wine is not only regulated by the firlt coli and charges on tranf- portation, but alfo by the time it is kepi to prepare it for — confumption and 1 know Sir, there are Madeira wines at a lefs price imported which are not confumcd, but I be- lieve what is actually confumed, fells for very little lefs than the fum I mentioned. iS^o wine can be bought in the ifland of Madeira for lefs than /.24 fcerling the pipe, this with the expence and charges ofiliipping, freight, &c. will bring the loweft kind of wine far beyond what the gentleman from New-Ygrk effimates it at, comparing therefore the duty with the value of the article, 1 believe it will be found, that 15 cents is not much too high ; if therefore the committe will not grant that fuur, they cer- tainly will fomething near it. Mr. Boudinot. I agree entirely v/ith the principle of laying duties ac- cording to their relative value, and hope the committee will keep up the line of proportion as near as poiilble. It ison- ly in the application of this principle on the prefent occa- fion, that I differ with the hon gentleman from Pennfyl- vania, for whole opinions I have the highll refpeft. 1 confefs too that he is much better able toafiertain the price of foreign articles than I am; but I believe with regard to this one of Madeira wine, I have it in my power to af- fertain it pretty well. I take it that a pipe of wine ufually cofts at madeira from 2'; to 30I. (lerling : Eut then I v/Dukl wifli the committee to take into conlideration, that thi> wine is paid for there in our own produce at a veryadvan. tageous rate, which reduces the nominal (lerling ium down in value to a like fum of our currency. I tlierefore look do DEBATES A. ly^: upon it that we may calculate the coft of a gallon of Ma- c^eira wine at one dollar, for I cannot conceive that any gentleman entertains an idea of taxing the rifque the mer- chant runs in importing the wine or the encrcafmg value it obtaiiiS' during the time it takes to ripen for fale. In* laying our duties we ought to apportion it to the value of the article at the time and pl.-ice of importation without taking advantage of I'uch adventitious circumftances, behde there is a confiderable lofs attends keeping Madeira, the ftorage is no inconiiderable expence, and the evaporation is an actual lols in quantity which the merchant is obliged to replace by filling up the call-; under thefe confiderations ; I think it may be admitted, that 20 or 2^ cents per gallon is a fumcient tax, moreover it may be ealily dcmonUrated, tliat luch a duty would be more producl;ive than 50 cents; becaufe it would be vrith greater certainty colletied. There is another reafon that induces me to think 20 cents more — proper 50 cents for a gallon of wine is a large fum for a merchant to lay down in duties, it mull abridge his mer^ cantiie operations, and confequently tend to difcourage the Madeira trade, which in n^y humble opinion is one of the molt advantageous America has left to her from the Jelfilh policy that adtuates fbme foreign powers, therefore \ve ought not to burthen it to fo great a degree as the propofed duty feems to have in Qontemplation. Mr. Lawrance, Thought that a pipe of Madeira v/as not worth more than he had before intimated at the tim.e it was imported— it was true, that as the wine encreaied in age it became more valuable, and on an average might Hand at the time of confuniption about 200 dollars now if he was right, ; and from the obfervations that were already made, lie con- cluded he was, lajdng a duty of 50 cents v-ould be 150 per cent on the value or rather more, becaufe a pipe of Ma- deira generally held more than 100 gallons, and its value feldom on the importation exceed ico dollars; he thought it would operate as a premium to encourage fmuggling, and therefore was not inclined to vole for more than 20 cents. Mr. FiTZsiMONs. Withdrew his motion for 50 cents and moved 33 1-3 pents. The queftion was put upon 33 1-3 cents as the hige(c ["urn, and agreed to_, being 21 i'or and ipagainllic.  — A. 1789. Of C O N G R E S S. 6i — The next article on all other vjines prefented itfelf in, order for the conlideration of the committee. Mr. Heister Obferved there were a great variety of wines included in that general exprefiion, the prices of which were very different, foine worth even more than .Madeira and others ]efs ; he fubmitted therefore to the committee, the pro- priety of difcriminatingand taxing them according to their value. Mr. BoUDiNOT Acquiefced in the remark. Mr. FlTZSTMONS Did not think it worth while at this time to engf!ge the committee in making fuch a dilicrimination, the rich wines were imported in no very confiderable quantities, and if the duty was laid pretty high it would tend to exclude the moft inferior and low wines from being introduced. It was hereupon agreed to lay 20 cents on all other wines. The next article on the lift v/as behsa tea, on which Mr. FiTZSiMONs Obferved that he meant this article not only as a reve- nue, but as a regulation of a coiinnerce highly advantage- ous to the United States. The merchants ot this country have, from a variety of circumlfances, and finding rheir trade reftrained and embarrafled, been under the neceility of ex- ploring channels to which they were heretofore unaccuf- tomed At length they have fucceedcd in difcovering one : that bids fair to encreafe our national importance and prof- perity, while at the fame time it is lucrative to the perlons engaged in its profecution I mean, : Sir, tiie trade to China and the Eaft -Indies ; I have no doubt but v/ hat it will receive the encQijragement of the federri! government for Ibme time to cime — there is fcarce an)- uirtft mter- courle of this nature but what requires fome alTiitance in the beginning, it is peculiary necefiary in' our cale from the jealoufy fubfifting in Eumpe of this infant branch of commerce. It has been thought proper under fome of the ifate governments to foiler and proteA a direft communi- cation with India. I hope the goveinment of the United State has an equal dilpofuibn to (r'wt ihii trade their encou- ragement. 1 wifh therefore the committee Vvould pafs over the arti- cle for the prefent, and permit it to come m ac another place in the lift, where I mean to move, a difcrimination in tlie d^ty on teas, according as they are miported^ dJredly 62 DEBATES A. 1789. from China In our own fliips, or in any fliips from Eu- rope. Mr. Madison, Exprefledan apprehenfion that if the two obje^s of re- venue and commerce were blended together on enumera- ted articles, it would be diftlcult tofix a fcale of duties that would be fatisfadory he wiihed therefore to keep the hrll : objed diftind, lell: fome extraordinary trouble iiiould be given the committee, in dillinguilhing the degree of en- couragement proper to be allowed. When the article of tonnage on foreign and domelHc veiTels came to be afcertain- ed, the point the worthy member from Pennfplvana (Mr. Fitzfimons) meditated might be properly conlidered. Mr. Parker, Thought the proportion hinted by the gentleman from Pennfylvania, required time for conhderation, efpecially 28 it was novel, no indication having before been given on the butinefs. He mo'/ed therefore the riling of the com- mittee. Mr. FiTZsiMoNs Did not think the argument jult ufed for the committees riung was fuflicient to warrant them in