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

call upon them, and coUedl in their debts in this manner ? But if they had not this inducement, the duty is too inconfiderable to retard them from purfuing the profitable buiinels of our carrying trade. Can it be thought, when we have fo fair an opportunity to tax foreigners, that we ihould be acting the manly part to ijiriiik from the experiment ? I afl-c, would it be following their own example ? does Ihe admit us to a participation in her carrying trade i are we the carriers of our own pro- duce into the Weft- India iilands, where they cannot make a ihift to live without our ailiftance ? yet every perfon knows it would be our intereft to go there, and would be glad to have the privilege, on moderate terms, as well as Great Bx-itain has to trade to the fouthern ftates : bat in- A. 1789. Of CONGRESS. 227 {lead of a reciprocal advantage, ariiing from our intercourfe with Britain, (he will not adrnic us into her ports in that quarter upon any terms whatever ; we cannot get from there even a lingle hogOiead' of fugar, while their Ihips get full freighted here. The Britiih merchant could not com- plain of a trifling duty of only 150 dollars upon a vefTel of 300 tons ; why, fir, it is fo inconliderable that it could not be felt or hardly thought of. If we agree to this duty we ihall have fomething to give up to Britain when Hie is willing to enter into treaty with us, for thofe advantages we mean to ftipulate for in their Weft-India trade. That is a profitable branch of bufinefs, and the people are ready to return to it as foon as they have it in their power ; it is more profitable to our people than ever the carrying trade to the fouthvvard will be, becaufe it is more in their way. But Great Britain will not be induced by a fmall tempta- tion to favor our commerce, flie is jealous of the profits arifing from her carrying trade, and will admit none that fhe can help to participate in that bufinefs. Wehave now an opportunity of making our own terms, and have little more to do than take hold of the advantages which are as it were put into our hands. It has been faid, by another gentleman from South- Carolina (Mr. Tucker), that this is not tax upon Great Britain, but a bounty in favor of our brethren of the eaftern ftates, who will get the money for two- thirds of the ton- nage employed in America, from the planters and farmers who fend their produdions to market. Let us examine this point a little. Do not we all believe that the con- fumer pays the duty on every thing he confumes ? This is a univerial maxim, and although it may not be ftrictly true to the utvaoft nicety of calculation, yet it is generally true. Is the rax on molafTes paid by the planter in the Weft- Indies ? By no means ; it is a duty paid by the people who ufe it, either raw in fubflance, or dillilled intolpirit. No perfon can poffibly conceive, that the duties we pay oa merchandize imported is a duty paid by the people of fo- reign countries from whence we get them •nor can they fay that they are any more necelTaries of life than the rice, flour, iron, and lumber we ihip to other nations. Another idea is ftrongly infilled upon, that the duty in contemplation is too great a facrificc to make in favour of the northern ll:ates, that 30 cents is much too high a duty on the fliips of our allies, or too great an encouragement. to the northern fliip- building. In the firfl place, we j^r/-. 228 DEBATES A. 1789. not laying a burthen upon any particular part of the United States, it" I unclerltand the matter rightly, the ducy is to pervade the whole, and if there are benefits ariilng trom tlie ineafure it may be partaken by all. But it will en- courage the lliips or the northern Itates, gentlemen fay, I trull it will ; but does not the effect of the benefit expand to every part ? A fyrtein cannot be improper which, be- lide procuring confiderable revenue, operates beneficially on a great part of the community without injury to any. Thus it is, that a ducy on cloathing is eligible, while it rai- fes revenue it promotes frugahty and indultry a duty on ; rum is laid to nuprove the jnorals of the people, by leflen- jng the coiifumption, therefore it is proper, though, by the by, 1 queltion whether the duty we have laid on fpirits will lefl'en the confun)ption. The tonnage duty, belide raiiuip- revenue, gives encouragement to the indultry of ihip-builders ; but this encouragement is not confined to northern Hates, it may be participated by the m.iddie and foutheru ones But then it is faid, that the foucherri ftates are not poil'efTed of navigation, why are ihey not? they certainly might become proprietors of Ihips if they thought proper ? the crops they raife will purchafe ihips if they have not the convenienie for building them it they n)ake ; n-iore profit by their produce thr.n by fliip-building, fo much the happier are they, and fo much the better able to contribute their fliare of the public taxes. From all of thefe conliderations I am induced to think, that the duty agreed to by the committee is rather too low than too high, at any rate it cannot be thought too much. "^* ^-.^^^V Mr. Bland. I ain in favor of the lowed fum, although am a friend I to the propoied difcrimination. I conceive, Mr. Speaker, that it isamoit important ducy incumbent upon the Legif- lature, to attend particularly to the intereft of the agricul- tural part of the United States. I do not think we are prepared; at this early period, to give to commerce the high encourageaient propofed by the refolution before you. The gentleuian who was lall up oblerved, that the Eritilh merchants would not be deterred by the tonnage duty from coininp to take our produce in payment of their debts. Fe may be milhiken in this opinion; he Ihould recolledt the New Conftitution makes treaties the fupreme law of the land, and under that foreigners may recover, in the Federal Courts the amount of their debts by a legal pro- csh ', the fevere executi'jn cf this law iiuiy enable them to A. i;89. Of C O N G R E S S. 229 obtain our produce even at a cheaper rate than what it now fells for. Independent of our want of tonnage co tranf- port our commodities, we Ihould feel coniiderable dilad- vantages, but oeing ac the mercy of the Bntiih merchants for our tranlportanon, the fouthernftates willluff'er prodi- gioufly by a duty on their Ihipping, they will be forced to employ them, and forced to give them what they demand. Gentlemen fay, they have it in contemplation to raife revenue by a tonnage duty. 1 think, Mr. Speaker, it is but doubtful policy to lay a tax on commerce, and burthen the agriculture of America. If you aim at expelling fo- reigners, I have ferious apprehenlions you will throw the trade of the union into a fpecies of convulfion that may prove dangerous. Is it proper, therefore, to nSk a fubjedt of inch ma4)^nicude at prefent ? If the policy of encouraging Ihip-building in the manner popofed was clear, it would be a different cafe, but there is even in this houfe a great con- trariety of opinion on that point ; from this circumllance 1 conclude the meafure under conlideration is of quellion- able policy. 1 ihould therefore be in favor of adopting fome temporary fylfem, in order to give time to the houfe to get in;;)rmatioi) relative to the llace of agriculture and counnerce ; tor wiihcut a more perfedf knowledge of thofe t'^vo intereils, than one at prefent we have, 1 believe our regulations niiperfeft, if not inexpedient. Mr. Jackson. Are we of the fouthern itates to loofe our agricultural adx^aniages, if we cannot carry our produce to market, we are cut oif from the means of paying our debts, or im- proving our country, this in our deplorable {iiuation, will unpeoi)ie our lands, for no ftate is in fuch a lituation as Georgia aiid South Carolina. New-Jerfey fuffered a great deal no doubt trom the ravages of war, but were they fo generally exiled and their property laid in ruins, are they ac this moment wariingon their frontiers ? have they heavy debts hanging over their heads? No, New-Jerfey cannot now be fo diltreiled, ihe has fuccefsfully recovered, and her wounds are nearly healed over, while thofe of South Ca- rolina and Gcorg'.a are deep and painful as ever. If our commerce is retrained, how are we to pay our debts, no merchant will take our produce unlefs he can export and difpofe of it to advantage. What will he do then ? Why, lir, the poor planter muft be left to his mercy, and we know the tender mercies of the Britifh nation to be cruel- ty. If this is not experienced in the ealtern ilates it is tjo DEBATES A. 1789. happy for them, but the iron hand of oppreflion is held over the fouthern ones, I dread every thing that can encreafe its weight, fearful left it check the operations of indulhy. The agricultural intereft ought to be encouraged and pro- teded inftead of depreffed, this being the principal and leading intereft of the United States, requiring the ferious attention of the legiilature, and v^^e ought to be governed, on the occafion, by what will be moft conducive to its fup- port. Mr. FiTZSIMONS. I confider this as a very important fubjed, Mr. Speak- er ; it is of confiderable importance as it refpe^s the ftate I have the honor to reprefent. Some gentlemen have feemed to fuppofe, that the duties we have impofed are favorable to commerce, and that we have done a great deal to befriend thofe engaged in that purfuit ; but, fir, it is not true that an impoft is an encouragement to commerce, the diredl contrary is the faft. Look at the revenue then which you are about to derive from that intereft, and fay, if it does not require fome degree of protection in return. All that your merchants aflc or expeft for the facrifices they make for the genei-al good, is, that a preference be given to American fliipping — the reprefentatives of the people •will gratify them in this if we can fliew that the fupport of their intereft is intimately conneded with the intereft and welfare of their country. I do not know how it happens, that gentlemen give up the idea of revenue from this fource ; but, to my mind, the revenue derived from a fo- reign tonnage will be very confiderable, and paid by the people of other nations ; for, notwithftanding all that has been faid to the contrary, I am firmly perfuaded, that in many, if not in every inftance, this muftbe the cafe. I can demonftrate, that confiderable quantities of our produce will go to a market where our veffels cannot go, and that the confumer, in fuch cafe, muft pay the duties we lay on the fiiips that carry on that trade, I inftanced feveral ar- ticles fo circumftanced on a former occafion, it will be un- necefiary to repeat them to the houfe. Haw it becomes contemplated by ferae gentlemen, that the tonnage duty on foreign veffels will be exclufively paid by the fouthern ftates, I cannot tell, I think they are not well warranted in fuch a fuppofition. The calculation of the tonnage employed in America, as ftated, and I believe was ftated from good authority by the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Madifon) does not fupport the opinion.  — A. 1789. Of C O N G R E S S.