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

^3j The foreign tonnage by that calculation is, MafTachufeits 8,000 — New-York 30,000 —Pennfylvania 28,000— Mary- land 26,000 —Virginia 29,000 — South- Carolina 25,000 and Georgia 13,000 — (I do not enumerate the fraftional part of a thoufand) in all 160,907. Now if it is fuppofed, as gen- tlemen fuppofe, but which I do not fuppofe, that the whole of this revenue falls upon the individual ftate where the duty is collefted, where is the great inequality that has been fpoken of? look once more at what each contributes^ and fee if the difproportion is fo great as apprehended. But admitting the inequality, is its inconvenience to be compared to the great national advantages refulting from fuch encouragement ? It was faid by fome gentleman on a former day, that a confiderable part of the produce was laying upon hand for want of dipping to carry it oft", and in the ftate where this is the cafe no tonnage duty exilts. I do not knov/ from whence the information came, but I doubt'the gentleman was deceiv- ed in alTigning the caufe why the produce was left to perifti in the warehoufes. I believe where it has often happen- ed, that conliderable lofs has been fuflained by purchaling articles at too high a rate, thofe people who have met with the misfortune, are apt to decline giving a price for it. The gentleman, I think, acknowledged that the merchants concerned in Ihipping the rice of the fouthern ftates, had met with a lofs of from 20 to 50 per cent, on M'hat they lent abroad ; if this is the cafe, can any body fuppofe they will continue a trade with this evident difadvantage ? The gentleman from the tobacco countries may expeft the fame, the exporters of that article have luifered hmilar misfor- tunes. We ought not, therefore, to lay that the reafon why our produce remains on hand is becaufe there is not flip- ping to carry it oft, fuch things have happened when there has been no want of Ihipping. If the price of produce is greater at home than abroad, it would not be tranfported, if the veffels were doubly as numerous in our ports as they are. Yet gentlemen complain that t^ie price of produce is too low, we have tince the peace received very high pri- ces for our produce, but I believe the average price now is generally higher than the average price before the re vo" lution. I remember tobacco was cheaper than it is now. It is truly fa:d, that the price of an article depends upon the quality and demand the tirft has encreafed very con- ; liderably, the latter httie if any. The cultivation of tobac- co has extended itfclf over South-Carolina and Georgia, 232 DEBATES before the revolution there was fcarce any raifed there. A. 17S9. Gentlemen do not imagine, becaule the fertility of our lands, and the induflry of our citizens, double tiie quantity of produce we have for fale, that the people of other coun- tries ihall confume double what is cultomary. Aman can ui'e but little more fnufF 01 tobacco, if it is much cheaper than common, and 1 itill fay the confunier pays the price, although that price depends upon the quantity at market, and the demand for it. It is apprehended by feme gentlemen, that a foreign ton- nage duty will fall excluhvely upon the fonthern Itates. \V e have feen this opinion not well founded; and the eifecT: is fuppofed by them to be this, as they have no Ihipping of their own, they depend upon foreigners, thefe will defert thein becaufe they cannot afford to pay 50 cents per ton, and of coniequence the produce of thole Itates mull perifli unlold. Let us examine and fee how likely it is, that fuch confequences will relult from the propofed meafure. There is ihipped to Great Britain annually, about 50 or 60,000 hogilieads of tobacco, of which the lubjefts in that kingdom confume about 13 or 14,000, the remainder is fliipped to other countries. 'I'obacco pays a freight from here to England of from 30 to 40 Ihillings Itcrling per hogiiiead, befide couimiilions and charges 20 (hillings more; after this, the quantity reOiipped pays another freioht be- fore it reaches the country where it is confumed. gen-Do glemen think the merchants of Great Britain would refign this lucrative trade, and the employment of fo many thou- fand tons of Ihipping, for the trifling duty oi half a dollar per ton. What does 3s. cjd. amount toon a hoglhead of tobacco or a calk of rice? On tobacco is. 6d. and about is. on a caflc of rice.W ill this affecl: the agriculture and deltroy the commerce of South-Carolina or Georgia? will it be equal to the burthen which American vefl'els are fubjeded to in Britilh ports ? Sir, the amount ol the light money- alone in England, is about 20I. flerling, on our ihips. They have innumerable advantages in their own ports over us, and they have excluhve advantages in our ports, they can take in freight for the Britifli Weil-India Illands, and we cannot carry them a barrel of flour. The trade be- tween America and that part of the Briiiih dominions, is of the very firil importance to that nation. Of the four million gallons of rum imported into America three million five hundred thoul:uid comes from the Britilh colonies. If we did not furnilh a market for this article, it would be A. 17S9. Of congress, -33 iifelels to them, but this is not the only advantage they derive from us, we furnilh them with certain ar- ticles for the exiltance of the colonies, which necefiary are either excluQvely got here, or the price is fo moderate that ic is not worth their while to get them eifewhere. But fome things are not to be gut in any other country, a proof of this, need hardly be adduced. Youhave feen the northern colonies planted fince the peace, to ri^al us in thofe fupplies, but you fee thoie colonies them felves dependant upon us, alio for neceffaries. During the lafi: war, they paid in the ifiands 15I. ilerling, per 1000 for hogihead flares. Scantling, boards, fliiugles, and flaves can only be got from America, without thefe they can neither build nor cover their houies, they cannot procure calks for their produce, but if they could get them from any other it would not be worth their while, becaufe of the expence. Can gentlemen fuppofe Britain, would fore- go the advantage of fupplying us with 3 or 4,000,000 gallons of rum annually, and carrying in return the molt valuable of our commodities, would they be driven from our ports by fuch a paltry confideratiou as 3s. pd. Penfyl- vania currency per ton, yet the revenue to us would be confiderable, altho the duty is but moderate. I look upon the meafure as a wife and politic one, worthy of the Ke- prefeniatives of the United States, I do not believe any fuch dangers will arife from the execution of it as has been predicted ; the burthen will be unequal in a very fmail de- gree at firil, and niuil loon equalize itfelf therefore, in ; my opinion, not one of the objeclions made to it ought to have any weight on the minds of the members. Before I quit the fubjecl, 1 will add one further confi- deratiou. 'Ihis country can have no comm.erce without a navy. Whenever a war fhall break out, v.'hat a fituatioa will this country be in ? how are we to protedl our trade ? and upon the fuccefs of our cotnmercial enterprizes de- pends the iinews of our ftrength, if our commerce is ruined, our revenue from the impoft is annihilated ; but if we en- creafe our navigation, and add to the number of our fea- men, v/e fhall become refpedlable, and may be able to pur- fue our obvious intereft in fupplying the parties engaged, with the fuperabundancc of our foil, :nid enable us to itipu-^ late for reciprocal advantages in the Weft India commerce. If we do not now while we have time improve our fitua- tion,two or three Britifh frigates may prevent us from gathering thefe benefits hereafter. The decided advaa^ G 2 234 DEBATES A. 1789. tages of having fliips of our own to tranfport dur produce^ is too appajent to be much inlifled upon ; every gentJtman can Ice how the commercial and agricultural interefts are blended in this cafe, and that the benefits conferred on the fiffl, reflecl with great itrength upon the hii. I ihallconclude with reptating the expectation of the bommercial part of your citizens, they afk a preference for their own Ihips, in order to rellore the commerce of Ame- rica, which had been nearly ruined by the effects of the laft .war, they do not afk a high duty, a moderate one will fulRce ; 1 wiih to fix in gentlemens minds, in this place, that high d6ties are not advantageous to merchants, and therefore it is feldom they are benefited by them. High duties require a confiderable part of their capital in money, and the payments do not always come at the moft conve- nient feaibns, befide they fubjed their operations to re- flraints, and are therefore injurious. 1 will not enumerate the adv^aitages of the propofed meafure refpetling the revenue ii will raife, nor try to fhew the proba- ble encreai'e of Ihipping it will in a few years produce. I am fatisfied with the equality of the duty, and its faluiary effecl as it refpefts the political^ commercial, and agricul. tural interefis of the United States, and iliall therefore vote againft any redudlicn that has or may be propofed. Mr. Bland. 1 never am aduated by narrow or feifiili principles, and I fliould fuppoie that gentlemen, though they differ with me in opinion, are aduated in afhrnlar manner. The gen- tleman lail up feems to doubt every information given to the Houfe, in argument, except his own. In matters of calculation I always pay a deference to informed and intelli- gent minds, fo when he fpeaks or. the fuhjed of commerce, I conclude he fpeaks with information ; but he may err in a defultory calculation as well as others, and it does appear to me that no member can be pofl'eiTed of the proper data tQ form a judgment upon. Under this imprefiion, 1 could ivifh we had not gone fo early into a fyftem of perpetuity. If we had adopted fome temporary expedient to fecure our iijain objedl, revenue, and then ordered the proper informa- tion to be laid before us from all parts of the union, we jhould be able to walk with rectitude. I fear at fome fu- ture day, when we review our proceedings, we ILall be concerned to difcover how much we have deviated from that path, I do not prefum.e to fay it is intentional in the Hci;.'-:;, bec:v.ife I belifvf every gentlciKan prefeiU is dif-  — A. 1789. Of C O N G R E S S. 235 pofed to promote the general welfare ; but it mav arife for want of that full inforination and mature knowledge which the fubjedl moit unqueftionably demands. No fatisfaclory impreliions have been niade on roy mind how to vote on this occalion ; yet I am anxious fo toalliniilaie the intereits of the two ends of the continent, as well as txie interuie- diate parts, that the greatelt pollible degree of public good may be produced by the leait degree of evil. I'he agri- cultural interelt is the permanent intereft of this country, and therefore ought not to be facrificed to the other. Mr. Baldwin. After the fubjecl has been gone through fo fully, it re- mains for me to fay but little, i Ihould not have rifen at all on this occalion, it it had not been to exprefs my approba- tion of the propolition promifed by the gentleman from Virginia (i\ir. Madifon), refpeding a fmall dilcriinination at prefent in favour of American