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

embarrafs that part of our commerce muft inevitably have that etFect. A. 1789. Of C O N G R E S S. 143 Mr. Smith (of Maryland) In reply to the gentleman from New-'Vork (Mr. Lavv- rance) who had faid that the Britifh admitted all the pro- duce of America into the ports of England, would call to the recolleftion of the committee a very confiderable pro- dudlion which was reftricted, unlefs it exceeded a certain rate in that kingdom, it is wheat and flour — hefide, our veflels are always fubjefted to higher duties than Britiih— for thefe reafons he hoped the claufe would prevail. The motion then for agreeing to the difcriminating claufe was put and carried, and the duties were ordered to be, on all fpirits of Jamaica proof imported from nations in alliance, 12 cents per gallon, on all other fpirits from the fame nations, 10 cents. Mr. BouDiNoT Moved to reduce the duty on Madeira wine, from an apprehenfion that it would prove injurious to the com- nierce of the United States, The obfervatious he had made on a former occalion refpefting the amount of the duty, the length of time it was requifite to keep this wine before it was fit for fale, and the embarrafifment a forced fale muft occalion to the merchant, induced him to endea- vour to prevail on the lioufe to lower the duty. Mr. Madifon acquiefced in reducing this duty, becaufe it was too high to enfure its due collection, to 25 cents. Mr. FiTZsiMONS Oppofed the reduction, and thought the duty propor- tionably low ; the colledion of the import on wine would be as fecure as the impoll on rum. As to the objection that the merchant could not pay them, he might either de- pofit a part as fecurity for the payment, or bond the debt, and obtain time. He thought as it was a revenue princi- pally paid by the rich, that no objection could lie againfl: continuing it at 33 1-3 cents. The queftion on reducing the duty to 25 cents was put and carried. The duty on all other wines was of confequence reduced from 20 cents to 15. On motion of Mr. Ames, the duty on barley and lime was (truck out. And ihoes were reduced from 10 to 7 cents. The remainder of the report was ordered to lay on the table. The Speaker laid before the houle a letter from the Vice-Prelident of the United States, notifing the houfe that the Senate had appointed the Rev. Dodor Provoft 144 DEBATES A. 17S9; Chaplain to Congrefs on their part, and then the houfe ad- journed till April 27. The bill for regulating the taking the oath of affirmation prefcribed bynhe flxth article of the Conflitution, was brought in, engrofl'ed, and pafTed the houfe. Mr. Benfon from the committee of both houfes, ap- pointed to take order for condudting the ceremonial of the formal reception of the Prelident of the United States, reported, that it appears to the committee more eligi- ble, that the oath Ihould be adniiniftered to th6 Pre- fident in the outer gallery adjoining the Senate-chamber, than in the Repreientative-chamber ; and therefore fub- mit to the refpe«51:ive houfes, the propriety of p.uthori- fmg their committees to take order, as to the place where the oath Ihall be adminiftred to the Prefident, the refoln- tions of Saturday, afligning the reprefentatives chaniber ^s the place notwithftanding. The houfe concurred in the report, and ciithorifed the committee to take order for the change of the place thereby propofed. The houfe refumed the confideration of the report of tlie committee of the whole on the import buftnels. Mr. FiTZSiMoNs Propofed that a duty of 100 cents be laid oil cables and cordage iuftead of the 50 cents, lie hoped this alteration would take place, otherwife the objeft the committee had in view would be defeated, is novv become the interefl: of the importer to introduce cordage inllead of hemp, the freight is lower and the value greater. Mr. Goodhue faid that there ought to be a proper pro- portion obferved, and therefore he would fecond the motion. Mr. Madison Thou'jht the queftion deferved a careful examination, it had been difcuflcd in the conimirtee, and it was then de- termined to be as necefliiry to promote agriculture as ina- nufaftnres that the labour of extracting materials from ; thebofom of the earth, was as ufeful as that employed in giving them form, nothing had been faid to invalidate that policy and therefore he did not fee it requifite to cherifh ; the one tnore than the other by protecting duties. Mr. FiTZsiMOKS Adir/."cd the policy of encouraging agriculture, he was with the gt'i-tleman in that meafure : he hoped it might A; !;89; Of C O N G R K' S :?. 24^^ tend to I'uperceed the necefllty ofimportingboth hemp and cordaj^e, but if fome diilindion was not made ac prelenc,; ro give the latter and advantage over the former, we ihould have cordage imported all together, and the manufacture dellroyed for want of materials. A'lr. Geriiy Remarked, that the duty which was laid on cordage was intended to give a preference to the manufacture of that article,50 cents was deemed equal to the object ; but no' fooner was it laid, than the committee impofed a diuy of 50 cents on hemp, by which means the manufacture was as much without encouragement as if nothing had been done. He begged the gentlemen to conlider how important a jiianufaciure of this kindwas to tlie navigation of the country, and he was perfuaded tiiey could not hefitite to -igree to the motion now propoied. Mr- Madisox Obierved, that if cordage was fo effehiial sn jngrcdienc in navigation hemp was alfo uleful ; he doubted from the beginning the policv of fubjecting either of them to a, duly. It was unneceliary to repeat the arguments he had" urged on a former occafion, the houfe would recoiled them,', and be iutistied th::: it was improper to raife the price of •in article necelTary to ihip building. Mr. Wadsworth. There is a material dillerence between the two objecT:s. There is but little hemp raifed in America, the manfafture of cordage is carried to great perfection ; if a duty is laid upon the foi'mcrs it will be necefiary to lay it heavier upon the latter, or we Ihall prevent the European hemp from coming amongrt us, the making of cordage will be altoge- ther at a ifand in America, while all our fupplies of ihW article are drawn from Europe the couiequences will be ; dreadful, the lofs of this manufacture will go far towards annihilating our navigation. Mr. Madifon laid, that 100 cents was too miich to be allowed 011 corddge, as a difference was necelTary in the duty between the two articles, he would move 75 cents. The queltion on 100 cents was taken and lolt, and jf^ adopted. It was then propofed by Mr. Fitziimons, that, tarred cordage lliould be taxed 90 cents. This was agreed to. On motion of Mr. Heifler, a duty of 60 cents on hemp was agreed to, but not to take place till the 31ft' December 1790. Tvvine and pack-thread was raifed to zee cents per 11 lib. 146 DEBATESOn MolafTes. A. 1789. Mr. Goodhue. The committee have poftponeti the confideration of this fubject, in ordtr to indulge the members of Maffachufetts with an opportunity to get information, that fo they might meet the difcuiiion with greater abihty ; but I believe they have been unfuccefsful on this head, no connnunications have been received from our if ate ; we muft therefore pro- ceed to confider and judge the queftion by thole lights which our own minds afford. The article of molalTes is intimately connecT:ed vv'ith the fifiieries of our country ic ; is produced almoit altogether in the French Weft-lndi3 illands ; it is procured from there in exhange tor our fiih ; nine months are our filhermen employed upon the banks, but a part of the lummer n)Onths the fiili they catch is un- fit for any other market ; therefore if vv-e do not find a market for this kind of lilh they mult remain unloid, nor can Vv'C get any thing in return even when it is lold but molalles or rum, for they allow us to bring away no other articles ; the reafon why ihcy allow us thofe is, becaufe they do not wiih them to be imported into Europe, leait they fliould interfere with their wmes. It is a well known fad, that if we did not take thofe articles, they would pro- hibit our fi(h. From this view, it appears to me, that if the importation of niolaiTes ihould fall through that our liiheries mult fall with it : it will likev.'ife be well for the houfc to conlider, that mclaiTes is a necefl'ary of life, at leaft '. 'idom has made it fuch among the poorer clafs of our peo- ple : thofe who cannot alford the expence of fugar, ufe .niolaffes. Each of our lilhermen confuimes, on an average. 1-2 gallons annually, while emplo) ed in their bufnieis. ^.;ow the commiuee have untied this article at 30 per cent, upon the prime colt, which is greater in proportion to its value ilian :my on the lift. The reafon that was urged in iupport of a high duty was, that the revenue might be raifed from country rum, in a ratio with what had been levied on W-eit-lndia. if this is the principal reafon, I think it would be more juii to raife it by way of excife at the itill-hcad, aiid not include that in the rough itate con- fumed by the poor. To ec^ualize this duty we have agreed to id. a pound on brown fugar : but 6 cents per gallon on 30,000 hoglheads of molaU'es will raife 180,000 dollars, which is -A much greater luin than all the fugar confumed in America will pay. JMaHachufctts imports that quantity of' inolailes, Aud v>ould coniribute more ch'in Penufvlvania for A. 1789. Of congress. 147 all the rum and fugar imported into that ftate for, on a ; calculation from the late ftatements, 1 find the duty on both thefe articles amounts to no more than 164,000 dol- lars; yet MalTachufetts imports her proportion beiide of Weft India rum and fugar : Now, it appears to me, that on the principle of equality this duty is too high, becaufe it affefts one ftate more than all the others together, befide it is too high in comparifon with the duty now collected in the feveral ftates. In New- York it is trifling, in Virginia it falls among the mafs of non-enumerated articles, in Maf- fachufetts it pays no duty. I am well perfuaded, that the houfe would not wiih to fubject any ftate to heavier bur- thens than the others ;but it will be the cale, unlel's they feparate the diftilled fpirit from the raw fubftance. If this can be done no other way it can be done by excife, which will give lefs umbrage to MalTachufetts than ib high an impolt. The houfe will therefore confider well befoi-e they decide the queftion, and on principles ofjuliice and policy reduce the duty. Mr. Sherman. Had not made up his mind on the fubjecl: but he thought ; it neceffary that fome way ihould be devifed of coming at a proportionable duty on country rum, otherwife the pre- ference it would obtain by the lownefs of the price, nuift occafion a conliderable diminution of the revenue by lelTen- ing the confumption of foreign rum. If an excife was an agreeable tax, perhaps it might be fo managed as to anfwer the end; but he feared it was a difagreeable one in fome ftates, and ought therefore to be well conlldered before it was laid. He