cannot Init strongly condemn. This principle is, that when government taxes 

 an article it confers a monopoly or " prerogative" npon the person so paying 

 it, over the article upon a\ hich the duty is paid, and upon all like articles 

 coming in competition with it. If this be so, let us see where government and 

 iudivi(hials would fitid themselves. The importer brings all kinds of woollen 

 goods into the United States, and pays a heavy duty upon them. With like 

 justice he may assume that no woollen goods should be manufactured and con- 

 sumed that did not pay a tax equal to tliis duty. His payment of the duties 

 gives him a "lien, a preriigative" over the farmers' wool and his household 

 manufactures. The domestic flannels and jeans must pay an internal tax equal 

 to the duty paid by this importer on like flannels and jeans. If he is not 

 required to do this, " the prerogative of the im])orter is shamefully infringed." 

 Should the farmer buy some cotton sheeting, and fill between an under and 

 uppt^r sheet of it a l.'iycr of wool, and stitch them together so as to mike a com- 

 fort, it is a use of his wool, like his present use of his unmanufactured tobacco, 

 and upon th s use of the wool'he must pay an internal tax equal to the duty 

 paid by the importer on comforts. Tint the treasury might not be cheated of 

 its dues, and the prerogative of the importer not be shamefully inf, inged ; that 

 these " prior claims" over that of the grower of the wool to his home use of i':, 

 might be duly enforced, a host of treasury officials would fill every neighbor- 

 hood, lo search the bedding and the under-garmcnts of the farmer's family; or 

 to avoid his wrath, the treasury would furnish each one of these officials with 

 a spy-glass, and declare by an ajpt of Congress, duly passed and approved, that 

 Monday should be the common wash-day of the country, and the clothes-line 

 be placed in some open spice which could be clearly viewed tli rough these 

 glasses, at a safe distance to the treasury officials. No farmer, or farmer's 

 wife or daughter, should be allowed to have more than a single change of 

 woollen garments, that the clothes-line might be a waving attestation to tlie 

 number had by the household. The justice of these taxes is apparent, for 

 "while imported woollens in every form pay duties, no man should be allowed 

 to manufacture for himself a pound of his home-grown wool." The policy of 

 appointing this host of officials is also seen in the fact, that now " well-nigh 

 half the mauufactui-ed tobacco is disposed of in populous cities by an illicit 

 commerce." 



Assumptions of stich prerogatives call to mind what Hume has written of the 

 monopolies granted by Elizabeth ; who, like our government, was " often engaged 

 in a death-grapple with insolvency." 



" The active reign of Elizabeth," says Hume, " had enabled many persons to distiugu.sh 

 themselves lu civil uud 11. iiitury enipio_v uients ; aud the queeu, vvlio was not abie, lioui her 

 revenue, to give them any revvaid.s jjiopuitioued to their services, liad made use ol' au expe- 

 dient which tiad beeu emphjyed by Uer piedecessor, but which had never beeu carried to such 

 au extieiue as uudt-r her adiuiuisiialiou. fehe giauted her .servants aud couitieis patents fur 

 uionupulies ; aud these jiatents they sold to utlJCiS, who weie theieby enabled to iai.se com- 

 modities to what pi ice tiiey [jleaseU, aud who put invincible resiraiuts upon all comuieice, 

 iudusti}', aud emulation iu the aits.^' It is astuuishiug to consider the uumber aud import- 

 ance ot iho.'re comuiodilies which were thus assigned over to patentees: cunauts, salt, iron, 

 powder, cards, calf-skins, felds, pouldavies, ox suiu-bones, train-oil, lists of ciotli, potaslies, 

 aniseeds, viuegar, sea-coals, steel, aqua vitae, brushes, pots, bolties, saltpetre, lead, acci- 

 dence, oil, calauiine-sioue, oil of blubber, glasses, paper starcli, tiu, sulphur, new drapery. 



