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

agreeing to the motion. The part of the propofition under confideration which he wifhed to alter, might Itand pollponed in order to give gentlemen rime to turn their attention and enquiries to fuch an important fubjed. He did not think by any means that a combination of the objeds of revenue, and protedion • of trade was fo difficult as had juif been reprefented how- ; ever, for the prelent he waved an enquiry into the fub- jed, and hoped the committee would pafs it over for the prefent, and go on to the following articles. The articles of teas and pepper were pafled over for " the prefent. Mr. BouDiNoT Propofed i cent per lb on this article. Two cents were afterwards propofed, when Mr FiTssiMoNs Remarked, that one gallon of MoUafTes weighed SIbs. that at 6 cents it did not pay a cent per lb. cciuid it there- fore be called any wife equal to fuch a tax on fugar. More- over fugar is an article of as general confumption as mo- lalles, and when it is of this inferior quality, it enters as much or more into the confumption of the poor as the o- tber, while at thcfame time moiaff^s will fweetea more A. 1789. Of C O N G R E S S. (5j according to its weight than even the bed fugar will, from which confiderations I think gentlemen will be fatis- fied by putting it on an equality with molafres ; therefore I do not oppcfe the one cent. On the queilion the coinmittee agreed to tax it but one 1 cent per lb. and loaf fugar 3 cents per lb. All other fugars i 1-2 cents per lb. On coffee 21-2 cents per lb. On motion of Mr. Bland, the commitee rofe and repor- ted progrefs, adjourned. Jpi-il 15. Mr. Tucker, Prefented a petition from David Ramfay of South-Ca- rolina, fetting forth that he had publiihed the revolution of South Carolina, and was about to publifn another book, entitled theHillory of the American Revolution, and pray- ing a law to pafs, fecuring him, for a certain term of years, the exclufive right of vending and difpofmg of the faid works within the United States. A petition from John Churchman Vv'asread fetting forth, that by feveral years labor, clofe application and at great expence, he had invented feveral dift'erent Hiethods by which the principles of magnetic variation are To explained, that the latitude of a place being given its longitude may be eafily determined ; and praying a law vefting him with 3n excluGve right of vending fpheres, hemifpheres, maps, charts and tables on his principles of magnetifni, through- out the United States. As alfo that he may receive the patronage of Congrefs to enable him to perfor«i a voyage to Baffin's Bay, for the purpofe of making magnetical ex- periments toalcertain the caufe of the variation of the nee- dle and how near the longitude may be thereby afcertained. The foregoing petitions were referred to Melfrs Tucker, White and Huntiiigton. Mr. Tucker. Prefented a petition from David Ramfay, fetting forth that William Smith' a member returned to the houfe as a reprefentative for the flate of South Carolina, vv'as, at the time of his election inelligible thereto, and came within the difqualification of the third paragraph of the conftitu- tion which declares, " That no perion Ihall be a reprefen- tative who Ihall not have been feven years a citizen of the United States," and praying that thofe allegations may be enquired into by the houfe. Referred to the committee of elefliuns. 64 DEBATES A. 1789V Mr. Benson Reported from the committee to whom was referred td confider of relpefting the ceremonial of receiving the Pre- dent, which was agreed to, as follows : That Mr. Ofgood the proprietor of the houfe lately oc- cupied by the Freddent of Congrefs, be requefted to put the fame, and the furniture therein, in proper condition for the relidence and ufe of the Prefident of the United States, to provide for his temporary accommodation. That it will be inoit elegible in the firft inllance that a committee of three members from the Senate, and five from the Houfe of Reprefentatives, to be appointed by the houfes refpeftively, to attend to receive the Prefident at fuch place as he fhall embark from I\ew-Jerley for this city, and condud him without form, to the houfe lately occupied by the Preiident of Congrefs, and that at fuch time there- after, as the Prefident fnall fignify it will be convenient for him, he be formally received by both houfes. That a committee of two members from the Senate, and three members from the Houfe of Reprefentatives, to be appointed by the h-.uife refpedively, wait on the Vice Pre- fidenc oi' the United States, as foon as he fliall come to this city, and in the name of rhe Congrefs of the United States congratulate him on his arrival. And aconnnittee of five was balloted for and chofen ac' cordingly, for the purpofeof waiting on the Preiident. Another committee of three was appointed to wait on the Vice-Prefident. The houfe went into a committee of the whole On the Jiate of the union. The committee refumed the coniideraiion of the enume- rated articles as objeds of iinpolt and agreed to lay on cocoa one cent per lb. On beer, ale or porter per gallon. Mr. FiTZSIMONS Meant to make an alteration in this article, by diftinguifli- ing beer, ale and porter imported in cafics, from what was impored in bottles. He thought this manufafture one highly deferving of encouragement, if the morals of the people were to be improved by what entered into their diet it would be prudent m the national iegiliature to encourage the manufacture of malt liquors. The fmall protecting duties laid in Pennfylvania had a great efFecl toward the eifabliJhment of breweries, they no longer imported this article, but on the contrary, ex- A. i;89. Of CONGRESS. 6^^ ported confiderable quantities, and in two or three years, with the fofteriug aid of governnjent, would be able to furnilh enough lor the whole confnmpiion of the United States. He moved 6 cents per gallon. Mr. La\vrance Seconded the motion. He would hxve this duty fo high as to give a decided preference to American beer ; it would tend alio to encourage agriculture, becaule the mak and hops confumed in the manufacture we're the produce of our own grounds. Mr. Smith (of McU-yjund) Was oppofcd to fuch high dtnies as fetined to be in the contemplation of fome members trf .riie xoininitttie he ;• thouTht enough mio;ht:be railed if the tax. was lowered : he formed this opinion from lome calculations he had made with refpeft to the imports at Baltimore. He ffa ted them to amount for the hi\ year, ai the rate now propofed, to 258,163 1. to this, if he added five other dii.rids'ni Mary- land, the probable amount of which, on the lame principle/ would be 185,537]. then thefe two funis nmlriplied by 12, the fuppofed proportion that Maryland ought, t'o bear of the national debt, would produce 5,324,4001. a fura. ex- ceeding very couilderably what the wants of the union required. Mr. Galk Thought a duty of 9 cents would operate as a prohibi- tionupon the importation of beer and porter. He re- : marked the advantages which America poircUed'in^growing malt and hops for the manufafture of thele articles, in ad- dition to this, the rilk and expence of bringing it from Europe was to be confidered, Upon the whole, he con- eluded fo high a duty as 9 cents, would give the brewers here a monopoly, defeat the purpofe of obtaining revenue^ enhance the price to the confumer, and thereby eihblifh the ufe of fpirituous liquors—For thefe conliderations he was againft that fum. " Mr.. SiNNICKSON Declared himfelf a friend to this manufadure, and thought if the duty was laid high enough toeftciil: a pro- hibition, the manufarture v/ould encrcafe, and of confe- — quence the price be leflened He confidered it of impor- tance, inafmuch as the materials were produced in the country and tended to advance the agricultural mtereft. Mr. Madison .. ' Moved to lay an impoft of 8 cents on all beer imported. He did not think that this fum would give a monopolv., but 1 cio . DEBATES A. 1789. lioped it would be fuch an encouragement as to induce the nianufatlure to take deep root in every Hate iu the union ; in this cafe it would produce the collateral good hinted at by the gentleman from Jerfey, which in his opinion was an obje6l well worthy of being attended to. He obferved, that in the (late of New-Yorl< the article paid a duty equal to 6 cents on importation, and if brought in foreign veffeJs it amounted to B cents, and yet quantities of it were ftili imported, which proved that 8 cents would not amount to a prohibition. The committee agreed hereupon to charge it at 8 cents per gallon. On all beer, ale or porter, imported in bottles, per doz. 25 cents agreed to without debate. ; On every barrel of beef It was moved. to lay a duty of a dollar per barrel. Mr. Bland Thought that very litde revenue was likely to be col- ]fe<fted on this article let the duty be more or lefs and as ; it was to be had in fuflicient quantities within the United States, perhaps a tax amounting to a prohibition would be proper. Mr. Thatcher Admitted that there was beef enough to be got in every — part of the country, but it was frelli beef fome {lates, irom local circumllances,, were unable to fait and preferve it, therefore a tax on this article would operate as a partial, tax upon thole itates. If there is a fufficient quantity in the other Itates to anlwer their own confumption they will feel no part of the burthen ; but it appeared to him unne- ceflary to by this rellriftion, becaufe he found fome ilates capable of exporting beef on terms as reafonably low as any other country could, and it could not therefore be contend, ed for as a requiiite encouragement to this braixh of the agricuhural inierelL Mr. Goodhue Did not contend that it was neceflary to lay a particular duty on beef, although it was among the enumerated arti- cles admitted by the committee. He was fatistied of the meat could be put up cheaper here than in Europe, faft, that and afforded at a lefs price, fo that there was little to apprehend from rivallhip. Mr. Madison Thought that almoft every ifate in the union had more of this article than was necellary for its own confumption,^ and confequently there was no danger ot its being import- k. 1789. Of C O N G R E S S. 6/ ed, unlefs the quality of the foreign beef was fuperior. He would not objeft to gentlemen gratifying themfelves with this meat, efpecially as the conlUmption was neither fo great or general as to eft'e6l the revenue and therefore he judged it might be (truck out. Mr. Tucker. Thought with the gentleman from Virginia, that the regulation was unnecefiary, and that it would be better to throw it into the common mafs, taxable at a certain rate per cent. He therefore moved to have it ilruck out.