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

ftrain it too much ; though I do not know •wiw vve Ihould not take to our aid an excife duty, it cer- tainly is not unpopular as it relpects the dilhllai.on of I'pi- ri s. If 1 was an enemy to the Conftituiion, I ihonld be an advocate for hi^h duties, becaule it would dilgull the people, and render the government unpopular but as I ; am a fmcere friend to the government now eitabliihed, and delire its perpetuity, I am againft any meafure which I think will endanger its exiltence. Mr. Mad ISO M. Let us compare the probable amount of the revenue pro- pofed to be raifed by this iyllem, with what is railed in Great Britain, and we fliall not be apt to infer, that rhey are not lo opjirelhve as gentlemen leem to inlinuace. Taking the highelt eitunare that I have heard mentioned, and it will not produce three million dollars ; the population of the United States exceeds three millions fouls, hence the tax does not amount to one dollar per head. Great Britain on the hn>hei{: ellimation, does not contain eight million of inhabitants, and has an annual revenue to provide of thirteen millions Iter ling, it is true Ihc has recourfe to other means behdes an impoll for the pnrpofe of obtaining fuch a reve- nue, but thole other means are certainly more objection- able in that country, and would be much more fo here ; each individual of that kingdom pays eight times as much as is required by the United States ; now, \\here is the pro- priety of making a comparifon between them. Mr. Baldwin Allied, if the frovernment of the United States of Ame- nca was four or hve times worfe to be adminiltered than the governments in Europe? whether the public opinion •was tour or five times more unfavourable to fuch an admi- niltration ? If thefe quellions are anfwered in the affirma- tive, then the inferences which gentlemen have drawn of the impra6licability of collecting the duties laid in the bill is jult ; but this is not allowing the General Government the common chance of executing i:s laws ; if i: was the worlt government on earth, it might be allowed a chance of doing one quarter of whnt others perform, it we find by experience that we are too weak to execute a fyileui which is fo much ealier than other nations have adopted,^ it may be proper to alter it, we Ihall be better able to judge how far we are likely to fucceed, when the bill for the colledfion of the revenue is brought forsvard luch a : bill is now in the hands of ^ committee, and it is to be  276 DEBATES hoped when they report it, it will be A. 1786. found fuiEcient to enlure the colleflion, tiii iheii it will be beit to contiuue the x-atc as it Hands. Mr. BouDi^'oT. When we confider the arguments of gentlemen on both fides of this quefiion,we ihail lind they do not differ lo much as, on a fuperficial view, gentlemen may be led to iiniigine. It is agreed, that a revenue muil be obtained a- dequate to our wants ; but fonie gentlemen think we Ihall 3iot receive a greater fum, becauie we lay a high duty ; in this opinion I am with them. I think the prefent is a fa- vourable time to lay an impoll duty, and expecl; very con- fiderable aid from the public ipirit ; but I am in favour of . a low duty, becaufe I would do nothing to check that fpirit. If Vv-e lay high duties, and a man finds fmuggling the inoit profitable bufmefs he can follow, we Ihall have to contend with private intereft ; if we lay a light duty of 30 or 40 per cent, the temptation v.'ill be too ilrong for refiltancCj, and the fum collefted may not amount to ten per cent, on the whole importation ; whereas, if we lay 20 or 15 per cent, the whole may probably be collected, and the trea- fury be better filled, becaufe it does not hold out lb Itrong an inducement to evade the payment of the duties. Anorher objection has been ftated which is of great; weight, a fyllein of high duties will neccflarily engage us in a fyiiem of draw-backs, if we are forced into this inea- fure, it will be a great injury to the revenue. We ought alio to confider the inconvenience high du- ties will fubjccl our merchants to, it is a common cafe in America that our mercantile capitals are limited, gentlemen engaged in commerce can ill fpare fo l^rge a proportion in the payment of duties. It has been mentioned by gentlemen, that Great-Britain colleds four Ihiilings fterling per gallon on rum, yet Ihe is expoied to great dilficulties in obtaining it ; but I alk, gen- Tieinen, whether Great-Britain ever laid fuch a high duty in the hrii inftance, as we are about to impofe ? 1 believe iheydid not, they began, 1 apprehend, with moderate du- ties, and encreafed them as circumftances authorifed, when the people became habituated to the impoliilon. This is the vei-y principle I wilh to adopt, and fiiew the world that our conduct is founded in wiidom, jsropriety, and experi- ence. If we fhaii difcover our rnifiake in laying high du- ties, and are driven by neceflity to reduce them, fuch mea- iures will operate to the injury of the fair trader — where- A. 1789. Of C O N G R E S S. 277 as, if we encreafe them by degrees, it will be rather favor- able to their interefts than otherwile, at all events, it will injure none. If a fenfe of the committee could be obtained on a gen- eral reduction of 10 or 15 per cent on the rate the articles now Hand at, I fhould be glad to vote in favor of fuch a motion, but I could not approve of reducing the article of rum alone, becaufe I do not think it charged out of propor- tion with the others. Mr. Jackson Differed from his colleague (Mr. Baldwin), bethought, although the Britilh laid 4s. on rum, they did not colleft it, and that their cudom-houfe eftablilhments was fo ex- penlive as to leave a mere trifle for the nett produce of the inipoft duty— if America employed fuchahoft of reve- nue officers as to fecure the payment of high duties, there would be very little left after compenfating their fervices, to fupply the federal Trealury. Mr. Wads WORTH Delired gentlemen to confider, that the citizens of the United States owned veffels as well calculated for fmug- o-ling, as any that were employed between the Netherlands and England, therefore they had little more fecurity againft fmuggling than Great-Britain. Mr. Jackson. It is well obferved by the honorable gentleman from Connefticut, (Mr. Wadfworth) that America has veflels well adapted for fmuggling, I can declare it from my own knowledge to be the i\ict. It is not, Mr. Chairman, the large veflels coming off long voyages that we are to appre- hend dangier from, it is our coaiters, fmall veflels conliant- ly coming in and going out ; thefe tan run goods from foreign ports adjacent to the United states, they are bed acquainted with the unfrequented parts where they can depofit their cargoes with iafety and will make ufe of thefe advantages to defraud your revenue. With regard to the equity of the impofl fyftem, I con- ceive direft taxation will be more equitable, we in the fouthern dates fliall then pay in proportion to our numbers but under this law we fliall contribute much more. Gentlemen talk of improving the morals of the people by taxation, for my part I conceive revenue has nothing to do with the morals of the people, therefore fuch conlide- ration have no weight on my mind, all that I contemplate is drawing as much money as we can with equity and here 278 , DEBATES A. 1789. I beliei'C more can be obtuiiied by a lefTer impoft than by a greater, therefore I am in favor o( reducing the duties ; it will likewife be more honorable to the government to begin gradually and win the afFedlions of the people, rather than difgult them by opprelhve nieafures, for if we loofe their confidence we looie our power and authority. Mr. Gerry It appears tome that gentlemen place their arguments, on the name of high duties, rather than on principle, for if they were certain that the energy of government would effect all they afpire at, then it would follow, that we have nothing more to do, than to name the fum we want, but if thefe ideas are not well fupported the fuperflrudlure they have rnifed upon them mull fall to the ground. The ener- Jiy ^f your government depends upon the approbation of the people, no doubt the citizens of tiie United Slates will fupport the government they have adopted, fo long as they approve the mealures it piirfues, but no longer. Gentle- men trult much on this occafion to the co-pperation which- they exped:fromthcir conftituentSjbut I would wifli them to examine this argument thefe duties are to be colleded from ; the feveral fiates into which certain goods are imported, if the people of MaUachufetts ihall conceive any particular du- ty peculiarly oppreflive on them, they will feek to evade it ; this opens^a door for fmuggling all the other articles. I conceive gentlemen to be miifaken with refpeft to the effeds which high duties will produce on the mercantile in- tereft. 1 think there cannot be a doubt, but they will be obliged to fmuggle; if they mean to continue their bufinefs their capital will be infuflicient for the purpofes ot com- merce and the payment of high duties. Gentlemen will not draw knowledge from the experience of Great Britain therefore it is unnecelTary to adduce her example, but let us lee what we are taught by the praftice of our own (fates. MaUachufetts drew a very confiderable revenue from an impolt, Ihe lately tried toincreafe it by doubling the duties but indcad of doing i'o they found the revenue ieiTened and they were obliged to alter what they had fo injudicioudy attempted. 1 am willing to fuppofe with gen- tlemen that the government is invefted by the conftitution with fufficient energy to carry any regulation of this kind into efleft, but is this the time to try the enerp-y of your government, when your conmierceis fti'uggling with every kind of difficulty and embarrafl'ment ; formerly our mer- chants were able to extend iheir operations by the nieans> A. 1789. Of C O N G R E S S. ^79 of an eftablinied credit in Britain, but unfortunately this is 110 longer the cafe ; how then is it pofiible they can continue their trade when you lop off another part of their capital • belicieas was faid by the worthy gentleman from Virginia (Mr, Bland) there is not money enough in the United- States to pay the duties. I believe it is well known that our commerce is greatly diftreffed by the univerHil want of fpecie, there has not been lei's in circulation for many years than there is at this time ; gentlemen who have property cannot convert it into money, then how will the merchant be able to raife cafh for the payment of duties equal to 30 or 4opt'r cent on hiscapital theie are ierious and alarming ; circumftances, and fuch as prove to my mind that the com- merce was never lefs able to bear a high impolt than at pre- fent, nor ever flood in greater need of the folteringhand of government for its fupport. If gentlemen are convin- ced of the truth of thefe obfervations and they are fo noto- rious that they cannot have efcaped the knowledge of any one, they will