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

whofe councils they had no Ihare, and the refiftance on this principle wasjuftified to their confciences ; but as the cafe is altered, fo that each has an equal voice in every regulation. I do not defpair of a great revolution in fentimentin this particular, when it is known and underftood that the man who wounds the honour of his country, by a bafenefs in defrauding the re- venue, only expofes his neighbours to further and greater impofitions. Under this imprellion, I truft the great body of the people will unite and drive out fmuggling from our country. Mr. PiTZSlMONS Obferved to the houfe, that the decifion of the prefent queftion in his mind involved fome very important altera- tions in the prefent meafure ;the confequences refulting — from Vi'hich ought to be well conlidered In order there- fore to gain time for this purpofe, he would move the ad- —— journment. > Whereupon the houfe adjourned. April 25. The lioufe, according to the order of the day, received the report from the committee of the whole houfe, to the bill to regulate the taking the oath or affirmation prefcrib- ed by the fixth article of the Conftitution ; and the amend- jnents to the faid bill being read and amended at the clerk's table, were agreed to by the houfe. Ordered, I'hat the faid bill, with the amendments, be engrolFed, and read the third time on Monday next. Mr. Benfon, from the committee appointed to confider of the time, place, and manner in which, and of the perfon by whom the oath prefcribcd by the Conftitution fliall be ndminiftered to the Prefident of the United States, and to coiifer with a committee of the Senate for the purpofe, reported as followerh : That the Prefident hath been pleafed to fignify to them that any time or place which both houfes may think pro- per to appoint, and any manner which fhall appear molt eligible to them, will be acceptable to him — That requi. fite preparations cannot probably be made before Thurf. — day nfext That the Prefident be on that day formally re- A. 1789. Of CONGRESS. 135 ceived by both houfes in the Senate chamber —That the Reprefeniatives-chamber being capable ot receiving the greater number of perl'ons, that thereiore the Preiident do take the oath in that place, and in the prelence of both houfes— That after the formal reception of the Prefident in the Senate-chamber, he be attended by both houfes to the Reprefentatives-chamber, and that the oath be adnii- nillered by the Chancellor of this ftate. The committee farther report it as their opinion, that Ic will be proper that a committee of both houies be appoint- ed to take order for farther conducting the ceremonial. Thefaid report was twice read* and, on the queftlon put thereupon, agreed to by the houfe. Ordered, That Mr. Benfon, Mr, Ames, and Mr. Car- roll, be a committee on the part of this houfe purfuant' to the faid report. The houfe then refumed the confideration of the refo- lutipns relpefting the impoit, as reported by the committee of the whole on the ftate of the Union, The motion made yeilerday by Mr. Boudinot, for re- ducing the impoll on fpirit from 15 to 12 cents per gallon, was put and loft. Mr. Smith (of Maryland) Stated that there was propriety in difcriminating on the article of fpirits between nations, in, and liot in alliance with us, for which reafon he propofed that a duty of 6 cents per gallon, be laid on all fpirit of Jamaica proof im- ported from the dominions of nations in alliance. Mr. Lee Obferved that a preference was given to our allies in the tonnage, if more was necelTary to be done, he would rather do it in that way, than by making fuch alterations in the iyftem, as would give a preference to the articles in- dividually, which America takes from them. Mr. Lawrance. French brandy 1 take it is as diltruclive to the morals and health of the people as Weft-India rum, therefore the ar- gument drawn from that confideration does not apply in favor of reducing the duty on the former — If we pay for French brandy in the produce of our country, we do the fame for Weft- India rum, therefore that argument is not more favorable to the one than to the other: I believe in ihort every argument that applies in one, will apply in both iniiances ; whether therefore it refpecf s the morals of the people, commerce or revenue, there is no reafon for 136 DEBATES A. 1789; the reduf'^ion unlels it be on the principle that the whole of the duties are too high, and it is propoled to lower them generally — But one obfervation further may be necefl'ary, to fhew the efted a partial reduftion may have upon the revenue, if brandy can be imported at a lefs price than rum, the confumption will encreafe, and in proportion as the confumption of brandy increafes, that of Weft-India rum will diminifh, if the importation of Weft-India rum is lefiened, the revenue will loofe all the difference between the duty on that article and French brandy. Mr. FiTZsiMoxs Thought when the difcrimination was agreed to in the article of tonnage, as much was done as the houfe could be difpofed at this time to do; it was certainly enough to ma- nifeft the good difpofition of the United States toward thofe nations it was intended to befriend, perhaps it was doing as much as commercial principles w^ouid warrant ; at any rate, the meafure would leilen the revenue without giving any material preference, and therefore was impro- per. Mr. Page Thought that brandy was a more wholefome fpirit than any other, but if it was not wholefome it was lefs noxious, and on that account merited more favor ; but the real principle on which the motion was founded, was certainly a difcrimination favorable to our allies, and on this account he would fupport it. Mr. FiTZsiMONS Reminded the houfe, that the French had already, by the vote of the committee, a very confiderable advantage in the artitle of wine. The French wines were frequently of the moft fuperior quality, and yet were fubjecled only to an equal duty with the loweft from other countries. Mr. Madison. Difcriminations however fmall may have a good politi- cal effect, even a difference of i cent on brandy may have :>. tendency to advance the intereft of the United States. I differ efTentially from the gentleman from New-York (Mr. Lawrance) on the fubjeft of preference, I think we have a great deal in our power by this policy, if we make a right ufeof it. 1 wifli to teach thofe nations who have declined to enter into commercial treaties with us, that we have the power to extend or withhold advantages' as their conduft If the fituaticn of cur countx-y and our public iliall deferve. wants admitted the experiment ; I Ihould interdid the  A. 1789. Of congress. 137 importation of ruin altogether, until we ihould be allowed to carry to the Welt [ndia iilancJs, in our own vefl'eis, the produce of America, which necelftty compels them to take. In any cafe, where we have made a treaty to open all our ports to the vefTels of a nation without ilipulating for reci- procal advantages, I agree we mult abide by it, but where we have entered into no Iiipuiations 1 would give no en- couragement, unlefs equal advantages were obtained 00 our fide. We have now the power to avail ourfelves of our natural iuperiority, and I am for beginning with fome rnani- feftation of that ability, that foreign nations may or might be taught to pay us that refpeft which they have neglected on account of our former imbecility. This language and thefe lentiments are the language and fentinients ot our conffi- tuents ; the great political revolution now brought about, hy the organization of the new government, has its foun* dation in thefe lentiments. Senlible of the felfifh policy which ai^luated a nation long difpoied to do all Ihe could to difcourage our commercial operations, the ftates fingly attempted tocounteraft her nefarious fcheines; but findmg their I'eparate exertions ineffectual, with an united voice they called for a new arrangement, conitituted to concenter, conduct, and point their powers, fo as to obtain that re- ciprocity which juitice demands. The arrangement has taken place, and though gentlemen may contend, that we are not at this moment prepared to ufe it in the latitude I could wifh ; yet let them concur in doing what fliall indi- cate, that oh a proper occafion we dare exert ourfelves in defeating any mealiire which commercial policy Ihall offer hoilije to the \\elfare of America — The mere fhewino- fuch a difpolition at this time may have a good effed:. i believe fuch a difcrimination as is propofed will be a mani- feftation of that difpolition ; but perhaps a lefs difcrimina- tion may effedl the bufinefs as well as a large one ; if fo, I would rather brandy (hould be reduced 1 or 3 cents below the Weil-India rum, and then the revenue would be but little diminiihed, and the confumption could not be fuppofeJ to encreafe conliderably. Mr. Sherman. The probable amount of tlie duties we liave agreed to, W'ill not in njyopinion exceed 2,000,000 dollars, this fum is anfwer the public exigences, therefore I infufficient to Ihould be forry to reduce much upon any article :In this cafe it is not intended perhaps to a)ake a great redu(5lion, it is only to Ihew a preference to our allies, but if the dii>>' S  138 DEBATES A. 1789. crimination on tonnage is not fufficient for that purpofe, I would rather make a difcrimination on any 'other article than ardent Ipirits ; the importation of which does notde- ferve encouragement from any part of the world. Mr. Lawrance. It feems to be admitted that the fupply from the impofl: will not effedually anfwer the demands of the United States. And that the article of rum is to be principally re- lied upon for raiting revenue, thefe coniiderations induced the houfe not to agree with the motion ot the gentleman from Jerfey (Mr. Boudinot) for reducing diftilled fpirits. Gentlemen that urged thofe coniiderations are now advo- cating the reduflion of the duty of other fpirits of equal — proof The natural confequence of this meafure mull be to encourage the importation of the latter, and limit the importation of the other — Will not this diminiili the reve- nue ? And do gentlemen come forward with a lubftitute which will provide for the deficiency ? I fay if the con- I'umpcion of Jamaica fpirit is lefTened, chat of brandy will be encreaied, and we lefTen our revenue, in order to pay tribute to our allies ; to manifeft our regard at a great ex- pence to ourfelves ; but neverthelefs, we are told, it is proper to do it, and the public fentiment of our country is in favor of the meafure, though it is contrary to the prin- ciple of intereif which governs all nations — When it is a proper tinie to make thefe dii'criminations, I ihall not be againlt it, but the United States are not in a condition at prefent to engage in a commercial warfare — Such regu- lations as thele will be met with other regulations by the nation againll which they are aimed, and they will proba- bly operate with more fevcrity on us than ours can upon them. — I feel