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

not contribute her pro- portion on other articles? this on examination will be found not to be the cafe ; gentlemen lay the Hate that ex- ports lealt, imports leafl but does it not follow, that this ; llate pays according to her ability to pay ? If the produds pf Maffachufetts are neither fo rich or valuable as thofe of the loutbern itates, ought flip to pay the impoit in til? ^aijie proportion ? A'. 17^' Of C O N G R E S S. 165 The queftion is plainly reduceable to this, ihall we tax 4 neceftary of life in the fame propprtion as a luxury? gen. tlemen will not conteiid for either the juihce or policy pf fuch a meafijre ; but they fay the neceihty of the cafe ooli. ges them, they cannot come at the luxury but through (he raw material. They fay they cannot lay an excile, 1 aflj: why not People may jultly think it burthenfornc to raife ? all our fupplies from iinpolt —much C3n be obtained from this fource to be fure, by touching every thing — but I would recommend touching iuch things as arc effential to fubfifk^ ence hghcly, and bring in the excife as ^ mean of obtaining the deficiency, it will be the more certain way of making country rum contribute its proportion. 1 am not againfl a — duty in this ihape but if the hand of government jsltretch- ed out to opprcfs the various interefts, 1 have enumerated by an unequal and oppreflive tax on the necelTaries of life^ I fear we Ihall dellroy the fond hopes entertamed by our conftituents, that this government would enfure their rights, extend their commerce and protedt their manufadures. Mo- thers will tell their children when they iblicit their daily and accudomed nutriment, that the new laws forbid them the ufe of it, and they will grow up in a detelfation of the hand which profcribes iheir innocent food, and the occu- pation of their fathers, the language of complaint will circulate univerially, and change the favorable opinion now entertained to diflike and clamopr. The houfe will not fuppol'e we are actuated by local in- terefts in oppof(nga meaiure big with fuch dangerous con- fequences to the exiftance of the union, they will admit we havereafoa for pertilling in our oppofition to a high duty, and may be inclined to join us in reducing it either to 5 percent, or at moll to 1 cent per gallon ; if the apprehen- iions we have exprefled Ihall eveq be realized, let it refi upon the advocates of the prefent meaiure, we have done our duty, and it only remains for us to fubmit to that ruin in which the whole may be involved. Mr. Wadsworth Wiihed to fhew from fafls that fitheries and diftilleries were better able to fupport themfelves before the revolu- tion, than they would be under the prefent arrangements ; this appeared from a retrofpeftive view of the trade ; the duties paid in the Dutch iilands did not amount to more then 5 or 8 Itivers the quintal on iifli, now there were from -20 to 25, the port charges were one half lefs than they are at this time ; payments were then made in the  . i66 DEBATES A. 1789, now we are limited and fpirits nioft advantageous manner, is allwe can get in exchange, they took filh of an inferi- or quality, now we carry to Surinam the belt kind. Thefe fafts will Ihew gentlemen that the bufinefs of the fifheries and diftilleries labours under confiderable embarraflnients — Another great fource of profit was found in the African trade ; the American velfels had then the liberty of en- gaging in the flave trade, now they are prohibited. He — did not make thefe obfervations to prevent a proper duty being obtained from country rum, he wiihed it and every kind of di'itilled fpirit to contribute to the public exigen- cies ; but he thought molafles ought not to be taxed in the fame proportion, an excife would obtain revenue on principles of jultice, and therefore was to be preferred to the prefent nieafure. Mr. Sylvester. I believe the difcufiion has been fo full on this, as well as on former orcafions, that there will not be much advan- tage in extending it, efpecially as gentlemen differ fo wide- ly in opinion. I would therefore hope that the queflion be taken, and the duty fixed by way of compromife ; if it is either too low or too high, it may no dqubt have fome of the inconveniencies mentioned, to avoid which it will perhaps be better to take a middle courle. Mr. Madison. The gentlemen from Maffachufetts has endeavoured to prove that no advantage the general government can give to New-England rum, will bring it into ufe, he proves this by the obfervations 1 made the other day relative to the effecH: produced in Virginia where French brandy is imported in ; certain vefTels free of duty ; I Ihali add nothing more on this point than ftating what is well known to be the cafe. In Virginia the habits of the people are fo ftrong in favor of rum, both foreign and domeltic, that it requires the greatcti exertion to change them ; they confume vaft quan- tities of this article, if we lay the duty low, the more of it will come within their power, and the tranfition from one kind of rum to another is more eafy. It was afked, if the bufmefs of diltillation was able to iupport itfelf under the difcouragement of government, why it would not do as well when it received encourage- ment ? To this it was replied, that fome of the channels of the trade are dried up, and fome obftacles now occur in procuring the raw material. But is not the population of 4he United States encreafed? and is not the home market A. 1789. or C O N G R E S S. iOj daily extending by natural means? What then is to be ex- pedted from the encouragement given but an enlarged de- mand ? But after all the embarrafments which the gentle- man from Mafrachufetts (Mr. Ames) has detailed, it does not appear that the number of diftilleries are lefTened ; nor did we hear any thing in reply to the obfervation I made refpe(5ting the ufe of this article in the filheries ; can they fufFer mdre under the policy of the United States than what they are fubjefted to by the ftate of MafTachufetts ? The hardfhips which our regulations expole them to, are not greater than thofe of every other part of the continent. Another argument was urged to (hew, tftat the fjate of Mafl'achufetts did not contribute in proportion to other ftates. It was ftated, that where the produce was fmall, the exports and imports were in the fame proportion.' Compare the imports of Maffachufeits with thofe of Vir- ginia, and you will find they do not exceed one thijt'd of what the latter amounts to ; then of coufequence, under a fyfteni of import:, they do not pay in proportion either to their piopulation or reprefentation. The fouihern flates import many articles which the eafteru flates do not, many things that are necefl'ary to the poor, and why may we not with equal juilice colour our reafoning by a defcrip- tion of our lufFerings? may not public exclamations be ex- cited, and the children, for want of cloches, be taught to breathe a vindidive fpirit ? But lee me aflc gentlemen, why thelc apprehenfzons for one part of the union more than the other ? Are the northern people made of finer clay ? do they refpire a clearer air ? do their breads burn with a more generous ardor for their rights as men, or for their country's happinefs and glory i are they the chofeu few ? are all others to be opprelled with accumulated bur- thens, and they to take their courl'e eafy and unreftrain- ed ? jNo ; I truft the general government will equally effecl all, they were inftituted for the protection all, and it is expeded they will accomplifh the end for which they were appointed but it can only be done by a6ls of juflice and ; impartiality, and on this ground I reft the decilion to the houfe. Mr. Fftzsimons - I beg leave to trouble the commitee with an obfervation or two before the queltion is' decided ; it has been faid by the gentleman from Maflachufetts, that there are 3,000,000 gallons of molafies imported into that flate, if fo, there is at lead one miUion gallons of rum exported, and certainly tiB ]b E B A T £ S A. I the gentlemen do not contend that they pay the duty on the rum confumed abroad. The price of molafTes is about ao poths of a dollar, the duty is about 5, and the expenc« 0f diftillation may be 6 more, in all 31 -90th or 2s. and yd. Other rum lifually coftsaibout 3s. or 3s. arid 6d. to which ^dd 13. duty, it will bring it to the confumer near 4s. and 6d. A gallon of New England rum can be afforded for al- moft one half of the price of Weft-India, and will gentle- men tell us that this regulation will deftroy their diftille- ries and fifneries. But it will afFecl the mandfaflure in other ftates as well as MalTachufetts, the bufinefs, is carried 6n to a confiderable extent both in New-York and Phila- delphia, and it is my opinion the duty could be well col- le<Eled, at leaft at the latter. Nor are the poor inhabitants of Maffachufetts to be taxed other wife than all others ; in Pennfylvania confiderable quantities of molafTes are ufed, though perhaps not quite as nmch as to the northward, fo that the objection of inequality does not lie to fuch an ex= tent as has been mentioned. Gentlemen fay molafTes is a necefTary of life, and infer from thence, that it ought not to be taxed ; if we are not to lay the impoft on articles in common ufe, I fear we flial! obtain but little revenue. It is faid the fiiheries will be ru- ined, becaufe each filherman confuuies 12 gallons annually. Suppofe there are eight men to each of the 480 vefTeis em- ployed in this bufuiers, who ufe molafTes at this rate, what will the whole amount to? 2800 dollars and are gentle- ! men ferious when they afTert this will ruin our commerce and navigation, it is a tax of not quite three quarters of a dollar per man, is it to be imagined any ones proportion can be lefsand provide for the wants of government. Mr. Goodhue. Ithas been monticmed Mr- Speaker that MafTachufetts does not import one third part of the amount which Virghiia does ; but the gentleman did not offer to prove this, fo that I take it to be mere matter of opinion, for my part I think fhe miports equally as much ; it was faid that 2 gallons of country rum will cofl no more than one of Weft-India. A gallon of molafles is worth a quarter of a dollar before it isdiftilled, Wefl-India rum about 2 piftereens ; molaf- fes was purchafed for much lefs before the war, while the fifh and lumber we gave in exchange is fallen fo that the trade is hardly worth carrying on. I take it Mr. Speaker that we are in an error, they who contend for a high duty have nothing but taxing rum in  ; A. 1789. Of C O N G R E S S, 169 view, and we want them to confider it as a neceffary of life, certainly the 1 objefts have no kind of connection if we ; lay a moderate duty on the filh, and an excife upon the latrer, we {hall both have our delires accompliflied. We ought to ufe a confiderable Ihare of circumfpedtion in this bufinefs, and not give any juil caufe of unealinels, efpeci- ally at the commencement of the government though I ; do not pretend to fay but MalTachufetts will be as