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

it was politic to lay an impolt on cordage, would it not be the fame with regard to hemp he thought ; it would and therefore moved it. Mr. BouDiNoT. Hemp is a raw material neceffary for an important ma- nufafture, and therefore ought not to be fubjed to a heavy duty. If it was the product of the country in general a, duty might be proper, but this he believed was not the cafe. Mr. Madison. I faid before, I verymuch doubted the propriety of lay- ing a duty on fuch articles as entered into Ihip building, but it it is necefi'ary to lay a duty on cordage for the purpofe of encouraging the manufaciure, and making us independent. f^ DEBATES A 1789.. of tijie warld as to that arcicle, it is alfo politic to endea- voior to make us alike independent for the raw material ;. a great proportion of the land in the weliern country is peculiarly adapted to the growth of hemp, and it might be dware etiltivated to advantage if the labours of the hufband>- aixan were protected by the government. Mr. BouDiNoT TlJC«ight the foil of this country ill adapted to the cul. t3:((r3ituoiirii of hemp, even the llrong low lands which vt-ere fej. imvA became exhaulfed, it impoverifhed the lands wberever it grew, and dillroyed; the agricultural itamina. If lie was not raiitaken in this opinion, he thought the comamittee would with him dilagree to the motion. Mr. Partridge TBioU'dit a duty on hemp would tend to difcourage the A.!nfteriie3n iiavigation, her trade and iilheries, without any ^mf& refulting to warrant fuch an injury ; it was not ai- cenaicned whether hemp could be furnilhed in any toler- aibk «|aaRtities toaniXver the demand, and if upon experi- rwce k Ihould be found that the quantity was infutficient, what a ftab this would prove to all concerned in lliip beiSdiing r Mr. Ames E?q>refl'ed a doubt of the policy of taxing either cordage or hemp, becatife while it tended to encourage the agri- culture or manufadurej it difcouraged the maritime inter- cft, and therefore the difcouragement in the event would reject back upon thofe intereits it v/a& intended to cherilh. Mr. Moore Declared, the fouthern (fates well calculated for the cultivation of hemp, and from certain circumftances well indhied thereto, lie conceived it the duty of the commit- tee to pay as much relpecT; to the encouragement and pro- te£iion of hufbandry (the moft important of all interefts in the United State) as they did to manufadlures. Mr FiTzsiMONs Thought there, was a clear diitinclion between taxing nianufattores and raw materials, well known to every en- lightened country —He had no doubt but hemp enough could beraifed for the home confumption, nay for expor- tation alfo, and why it was not done he could not fay ; he recollected that before the revolution very little was im- ported, now confiderable quantities were brought from Euglatjd. When fuch a bulky article was capable of pay- jflg double freight, firit from HufTia and then from Eng- A. i;Sg. Of C O N G R E S S. 73 land belide irs firft Gofl ; he conceived that what was pro- duced in America had a very contiderable advantage it ; could not be urged that the people were unacquainted with the cultivation, becauie it had been earned to verv great: perfedion in former years, if 8 dollars per hundred is not a fufficient inducement to farmers to laile hemp, it is a proof that they diriei:!: their labours to more proritabls produrtidns, and why Ihould legiflative authority be exer- cifed to divide their attention? or for this purpole, why Jhould navigation and fhip- building be unncceflarily bur- thened ? He concluded with declaring that no duty w hich the Congrefs would agree to lay could give encouragement to the cultivation of hemp, if the prefent price of that article was infufficient. Mr. Scott Stated a fa^ or two, being perhaps as well acquainted with the weltern country as any member of the committee. The lands along the frontiers, he could affure the com- mittee, were well calculated for the cultivation of thisplaiit; it is a produdion that will bear carriage by land better than any other, tobacco not excepted. He believed an en-" courageinent of the kind now moved for would bring, in One year or two, vait quantities from that country at little expence to Philadelphia, even from the waters of the Ohio* the inhabitants expecl fome encouragement, and will be grateful for this. Although a gentleman has called it a bulky article, yet as much can be packed upon a horie as a horfe can carry, en- in a waggon as four horfes can draw » fo that its bulk will not prevent our countrymen trom feeking a market on the waters of the Atlantic. — The committee role and reported- Adjourned. Apkil 1 6. A bill to regulate the taking the oath or affirmation pre-, fcribed by the lixth article of the Conilitution, was read the fecond time, and ordered to beconmiitted to a commit* tee of the whole Houfe on Monday next. The Houfe proceeded by ballot to the appointment of a committee of tive, to attend with a committee from the Senate, to receive the Prclident of the United States, at fuch place as he fhall embark from New-Jerfey for this city. The members elected, Mr. Boudinot, Mr. Bland, Mr. Tucker, Mr. Benfon, and Mr. Lawrence. On motion, K 74 DEBATES Ordered, That Mr. Gilnian, Mr Ames, and Mr. Gale, A. 178^. be a committee in conjundion with a coniniittee from the Senate, to wait on the Vice-Prelident of the United States upon his arrival in this city, and to congratulate him there- upon in the name of the Congrefs of the United States. I'he Hoafe according to the Handing order of the day, refolved itleif into a committee of the whole Houfe on the Hate of the union. Mr. Speaker lefi the chair. Mr. Page took the chair of the committee. Mr. Hartley. Notwithftanding what gentlemen had faid yefterday to enforce the propriety of laying a duty on hemp, it was ia the knowledge of every gentleman, that America did not furnifli this article in quantities fufficient for the confump- tio\i ; any reltraint therefore on the importation of the raw material would llrike at the root of the inanufadlure. A contrary policy v. as purined by England in all cafes where a raw .material was neceflarily imported. He conceived, that the fenfe of the committee was already exprefled to countenance the making of cordage which is a moft necellary and valuable branch of iliip-buildmg, therefore he doubted the policy of the propoleJ meaiure, but, for the fake of conciliation, he would agree to a very fmall duty. Mr. Moore Thought it good policy to encourage the manufadure of cordage, but was not convinced that it was bad policy to encourage likewife the growth of the raw material in America that fo we might become as independent of all ; the world for this article, as we are already for every other uied in the llrudture of vellels. He believed it would he difficult to perfuade the farmer, that his intereft ought to be negledttd to encourage particular artifans ; he therefore begged the committee to do as much for them as was in their j.ower, believing that the event of fuch policy would UiUtually benefit the manufadlurer and agri- culturift. Mr Heister Remarked, that a heavy duty on hemp would not encour- age the railing of it this year, becaufe the time was elapfed for comnjencing the cultivation, but a duty to take place at lome future time would no doubt be beneficial. He af- lured the committee of the ability of the lands in America to grow heiijp equal to any part of the world ; and there- fore joined heartily in giving it legifiative encouragement.  — A. 1789. Of CONGRESS. 75 in order to induce the people to turn their attention mure particularly to the lubjed, but would recommend the duty to be laid fo as to commence its operation at a diftant day. Mr. White Remarked, what \\#s good policy in England might be the contrary in America. England was a maritime nation, and therefore Ihe gave a bounty on Inch articles as v\€ie requifite toiupport her maritime importance — America \\ as an agricultural country, and therefore ought to attend to the encouragement of that interelt. It the Legiflaiurc take no notice of this article, the people will be led to be- lieve it is not an objed worthy of encouragement, and the fpirit of cultivation will be damped ; wliereas, if a Imall duty only was laid, it might point out to them that it was deitrable, and would induce an encreai'e of the quantity. The lands were capable of bearing this plant many years without being exhaufted. He could not lay exactly what fum would be proper to fill the blank, but inentioiied 75 cents for the coniideration of the committee. Mr. Partridge Admitted the propriety of encouraging agriculture, but it ought not to be done at the exj ence ot the ihip-builders, efpecially as the good would not balance the evil. He told the committee, that hemp had rifen within three or four years forty per cent, in Ruflia, owing perhaps to the encrealed demand which the prelent northern war occaiioned. Ihis naturally operated to encourage the cultivation in America, and perhaps was fuificient without the aid now intended to be given. If gentlemen were delirous of having it Itand among the felecied articles he lliould not objecf, but hoped the duty would not exceed 5 per cent, i'orry cents was about equal to that rate, and he moved to till the bla.nk with that fum. Mr. Law RANGE Thought that a high duty would prevent tlic importa- tion of hemp and encourage that of cordage, lo that tne raw material would be lellened for the a)anufacture, and the quantity of foreign ready made cordage encrealed The effedl of this would be the annihilation of the inanur ; faclure, without any advantage to the hulbandman lor ; when fufficient quantities could be railed there uouid cs no perfon to work it up or if gentlemen perlilttd in lay- ; ing a duty on hemp, they muft agree to re-conlidei that on cordage, for the purpole oi railing it, in 01-aer to niake . 76 DEBATES A. ^7%^.. the two bear fach a proporticn that the home raanufaciure might have a preference over the foreigii. Mr. GooDHUK Was difpofed to lay a duty on hemp for the purpofe of encouraging the cultivation, but he •id not think that the duty on cordage was proportioned to what the gentlemai- frouj Virginia (Mr. White) had propofed on hemp. He therefore inlllled on the propriety of railing the former. Mr. Pa!<tridge Informed the coininittee, that the Hate of Maffachufetts impofcd only a duty of i per cent, on the importation of hemp, which was applied to forma bounty of a dollar per cwt. on that railed vvirhih the Itate. Mr. BoUDiNoT Took it for granted, that hemp would be fubjeded to a duty, and accorded with the gentleman from Maiiachufetts in making it 40