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

flipping, and coining for- 1 ward to a greater diffrence at a future day, 1 hope the decifion will be in this way. The queltion now before the Houfe is for the reductiou of the tonnage duty, on the veflels of foreign nations in treaty with us, I would then alk, if theirs is iuch an over- bearing and preponderating influep.ce, as to make them dan- gerous to the American navigation? So far as we are in- formed, the veflels of fuch powers form but a fiiiall part of — what are engaged in our commerce luppofe then we re- duce the difcriinination between our own veiTels and theirs, it will be an encouragement for more of them to come and is it not defired, by gentlemen, that more of them may come? That they want encouragement, for this purpofe, is capable of complete demonllration. We fee every day, the manufactures of thofe countries, and the produce of this, which they require for their conium.ption, coming and going in veliels belonging to other nations ; this circum- itance forms a clear and evident proof, that our commerce is not in its natural channel. The report triakes a difcri- mination againii them, of at leall rive times as much as the whole duty on American velTels amount to ; if the differ- ence was double, or even treble, as much at this time, it would give great encouragement, and not materially affetft the revenue, and min;ht be extended hereafter, fo as to produce the effect which gentlemen aim at. Their objed, if I underftand them right, is not fo much to give our ihip- ping employment, for the prefent, as it is to induce the building of them in future, and laying the found^itio.n for ^ 13ft marine. DEBATES A. 1789. Then I take it, Mr. Speaker, their objecl will \ie better attained, by the meaiure propoied by the honora- ble gentleman from Virginia, that is, lowering the duty r.ow and encrealing it two or three years hence, to which period we are compelled to look for thole improvements in our navigation which feem to be wilhed by every gentle- man on this floor. Mr. Ames. It has been faid, that the duty on foreigners ought not to exceed more than two or three times what has been laid i]pon our own tonnage. 1 beg to remind gentlemen it never was the intention of the Houfe to impofe any duty whatever on American ihipping, the 6 cents that were laid was upon a different princij^Ie. This being the cafe, gen- tlemen will not draw any inference from what was done^ to favor what is yet to be done ; where the principles are jnconhfter;!, the comparifon does not hold good. Mr. GooDHUK. The difference propofed is but a trifle in favor of fo- reigners, indeed the whole duty is but low, perhaps it may be Deit to be fo ; but 1 arole only to call on gentlemen tq refiedl upon the neceffity there is of encouraging the Ame- rican navigation, and fee how much the fouthern ftates are interelted m the meafure. Suppofe, and it is no unlikely fuppolition, a war was to break out in Ein-ope between any power and the nation carrying on fo much, of our com- inerce, Ihe could not fend velfeis without charging a freight proportionate to the rifk ;in lucti a cafe the genilemen to the louthward mull look at home for the mean of tranfpor- latiof), if it cannot be got here, their produce mail remain ppon hand it cannot be fent to market. Mr. Madison. I do not dlittr wiili my colleague (Mr. Bland) when he fays that the agricultural intereit ought not to be iacrifjced^ J confider every other intereft as fecondary ; but yet Ibme conceliions ought to be made in order to prevent the ruiq of a very important concern 5 if the queftion was which of the two I'hould be dellroyed by the preference we give, I — Ihould have no hefitation,- but I believe both interefts are compatible and conrili:ent with each other. I do not confider thislubjecl as itrefpects revenue, my gi-eat object is to provide a maritime defence again(t a ma- ritime danger i I wilh in doing this that the burthen was equally borne, but I do not think a fmall difproportion is 3, fijfi^ieqt reafon for rejecting the meafure. The expedient A. 1789. Of C O N G R E S S. 237 J proj)ored will tend to lefleii the inequality, and therefore I hope it will be agreed to; I ihall move it if the queltion for reducing now betore the houfe is agreed to. Mr. AiMES. Declared himfelf againll reducing the duty fo low, and aficed the gentleman what he meant to propole for the pre- fent on the veflels of nations not in treaty. Mr. IMadison. Replied, that he would move to reduce it from 50 to 40 but then he \\ ould make it 60 cents per ton, after Decem- ber 1790. Mr. Page Said 40 cents was really nothing ; 50 was but a mere trifle. If gentlemen had attended to what had been faid, they mull fee that fuch a redu6tion would render the whole nugatory; 90 or a 100 cents would be very little after the time mentioned ? Can gentlemen ferioully believe that a Anallduty of 50 cents is too high, when they fee the Bririlh Ihips paying double that fum every day in Vir- ginia ; he conceived the dil'criininating duty highly proper and was decidedly in favor of it. If revenue was not ob- tained by this means, Congrefs would be obliged to have re- courfe to direct taxation ; he need not tell gentlemen how much more injurious this would be to agriculture than a ton- nage duty would be, their long experience on this point would fatisfy their feelings better than he could their judg- ment ; he hoped every propofition for a reduction of the duty would be rejefted by the toamiittee. The queition was put for reducing the duty from 30 cents per ton to 20 cents, on the veffels of nations with whom the United States have formed commercial treaties, and paiTed in {he negative — -Adjourned. May 7. Mr. Smith, of South-Carolina, from the committee ap- pointed to wait on the Preiident of the United States, to know when it will be convenient for him to receive the ad- drefs of this Houfe, reported. That the committee had, according to order, waited on the Preiident, and that he figniiied to them that it would be convenient to him to receive the faid addrefs, at tvv'eive o'clock on Friday, at fuch place as the houfe fhall be pleaf- ed to appoint : Wliereupon, Refolved, That as the chamber defigned for the Prefi- dent's receiving the refpecTiive houfes, is not yet prepared, this houfe will wait on the Preiident, to prefent their ad- i3S DEBATES A. 1789, drefs, in the room adjacent to the reprefentatives-chamber. On motion, Refolved, That a committee of three members be ap- pointed to confer with any committee to be appointed on the part of the Senate, in preparing and reporting joint rules to be eltablifhed between the two houfes, for the cn- rolhnent, atteftation, publication, and prefervation of the afts of Congrefs as alio on the mods of prefenting ad- ; drefies, bills, votes, or refolutions, to the Prelident of the United Jirtates. The members appointed, Mr. Bland, Mr. Trumbull, and Mr. Vinino;. A meiTage from the Senate, by Mr. Otis, their Secre- tary. — Mr. Sneaker The Senate agree to the amendment propofed by this Houfe to their ainendment to the bill, entitled, " An ad: to regulate the time and manner of ad- miniitering certain oaths ;" they have alfo appointed a com. mittee, agreeable to the propolirion this day communicated in a melfage from this Houfe. And then he withdrew. The order of the day for the Honff to refolve itfelf into a committee of the whole Houfe, on the bill for laying a duty on goods, wares, and merchandizes, imported iiuo the United States, was read, and poltponed until to-morrow. The Houfe refumed the confidei-ation of the report of the committee of the whole on the duty on tonnage, viz. On all vefTels belonging wholly or in part to the fubjecis of all other powers, at the rate of 50 cents per ton. Mr. Madifon moved to reduce it to 40 cents, and at the end of the year 1790 to encreafe it to j^ cents. He was fa- tisfied to go as far as 7^, becaufe he expeded, under fuch encourageuient, a fufficient number of velTels for the whole commerce of America might be conllrufted, if he was not too fanguine in this expectation, the meafure would be both fafe and expedient. Mr. Smith (of Maryland.) Both in Virginia and Mar) land Britilh fhips pay a higher- duty than what is propofed, yet they continue to carry on an extenlive trade in thofe Hates, which, in my opinion, prove thofe lums to be too low American ihipping derive confiderable advantages from the regulations made in this rclpeft by thofe two Itates, if that protedion is withdrawn from them by the General Government, it w'ill fubjeclour connnerce to very great inconveniencies and ablolute dif-, trtfs, I ihall therefore be o.ppofed to the redufticii. A. i;89. Gf C O N G R E S S. 235J Mr. Ames. The gentlemen from the {outhward, who fuppofe their dates iTiolt Hkely to be aHeded by a diicrimination in the tonnage duty, have couckided their arguments with a can- dour, which I conceive does honor to their patriotifm ; they declare themfelvts willing to encourage American ihipping and commerce, though they do not join with us in the fum we think necefl'ary to be laid on foreign tonnage to accompliih fo important an objcdt. If fufficient encou- ragement is given, and by our regulation, American veflels are put on a footing with foreigners, I think we may flatter Gurfelves with the prolpecf of feeing our navigation im- mediately fiourilh, we have reaion to expet^l; a very con- fiderable addition to our {hipping in the courfe of one year. Experience has convinced us, that 25,000 tons can be built within double that period by the town of Bofton alone, the other ports in Maflachufetts can furnKh 37,000 tons, New- Hampfnire a conhderable quantity, and if the other ibtes furni'h their proportion, we Ihall foon find ourfelves inde- pendent of European nations for the tranfportaiion of our produds. If 40 cents at prefent, and the 75 cents in ex- pectation, are thought a fufficient encouragement for the purpofe, I fhall not object to the m.otion. Mr. Goodhue. On the fame principle, a5 exprefTed by other gentlemen, 1 fliould be willing to fall the duty, not only to 40 cents but to 35, provided, at the end of two years, it was raifed fo as to anfwer the purpofe intended, but I think, in that cafe, we ought to go to 80 or 90 cents. I am by no means an advocate for high duties in the firft inilance, if there is any probability of their being partially oppreiiive. Mr. FnzsiMONS If it is intended to encreafe the duty at the expiration of 2 years, it c<^tM:ainly is proper to reduce it in the interim ; but I very much quelfion fuch policy. The bufinefs of ihip building I conceive (lands at this moment m v»'ant of the greatelt encouragement in our power to give ; if fuffi- cient encouragement is given at this time to produce a quantity of ihipping adequate to the demand, when we once are in poiieilion of them the bulinefswill ftand in need of no further encouragement; if the citizens of the United States were now in polTeflion of a fuflicient quantity of (hipping and had the ability to employ them, I conceive they v/ould not ftand in need of any encourage- ment whatever; but this is not the cafe, and therefore an  ;