TAKIFF. 



671 



in 1856. Until this discovery, data were en- 

 tirely wanting upon which to base the age of 

 these palicozoic slates ; and this genus being 

 peculiar in Bohemia, Sweden, and Great Brit- 

 ain, to the lowest fossiliferous strata, the slates 

 are now referred to the same position, and are 

 claimed by the advocates of the Taconic system 

 as belonging to the lower portion of this group. 



In Wisconsin and Iowa, the lowest fossiliferous 

 rocks also contain Paradoxides, Dikellocephalus, 

 ifcc., which render it questionable whether they 

 too do not belong to an older group than the 

 Potsdam sandstone, to which they have hereto- 

 fore been referred. 



The recognition of the Taconic system is 

 strongly opposed by Mr. T. Sterry Hunt, of the 

 Canadian survey. He does not admit the over- 

 turned position of the strata as explained by Dr. 

 Emmons ; nor the greater age of the Green 

 Mountain gneiss, than that of the rocks it rests 

 upon. He considers this the Sillery sandstone 

 metamorphosed, and in its regular position 

 upon the granular quartz and Stockbridge lime- 

 stone, which with the other groups, excepting 

 the Taconic slates, and Black slates, (7 and 8 of 

 the series named above,) are regarded as the 

 Quebec group, having the same stratigraphical 

 position and lithological characters ; and this 

 group by its fossils is the palreontological equiv- 

 alent of the calciferous sandrock of the lower 

 silurian. The slates beneath, (which Dr. Em- 

 mons places at the summit of his system,) Mr. 

 Hunt admits, may contain a fauna distinct from 

 the Potsdam, and hence "might be retained 

 under the name of the Taconic formation, as a 

 lower member of the primordial zone, to which 

 the Potsdam sandstone unquestionably belongs." 

 * " It yet remains to be seen whether 

 Dr. Emmons can retain from the wreck of his 

 system the lower slates as a Taconic formation 

 older than the Potsdam sandstone of Lake 

 Champlain, and subordinate to the primor- 

 dial zone, whose fossils he was the first to 

 recognize." 



The subject is discussed in a number of 

 papers, in the March, May, and November 

 numbers of the " American Journal of Science" 

 for 1861, and also in the " Proceedings of the 

 Boston Society of Natural History," 1860-62. 



TARIFF. The tariff of duties on imported 

 goods has been the means on which the Federal 

 Government, during its existence, may be said to 

 have exclusively depended for its support, and 

 it has been amply sufficient, not only for that 

 purpose, but for affording money to extend the 

 territories, carry on wars, execute treaties, and 

 accumulate a large property in lands, buildings, 

 war materials, &c. It has also been for many 

 years an issue of animating interest between 

 political parties, and thereby for a long time 

 postponed more exciting and dangerous ques- 

 tions. The friends and opponents of the meas- 

 ure have in the main admitted that it is the best 

 means for raising the public revenue since di- 

 rect taxes, although readily paid for State, town, 

 and county purposes, are impolitic for Federal 



revenue. It has nevertheless been charged by 

 the opponents of duties that their ultimate effect 

 is very injurious to the agricultural inter- 

 ests. The great wealth of the country lias con- 

 sisted in its cheap lands, from which large 

 annual products are drawn ; but these, being 

 greatly in excess of the home consumption, de- 

 rive their chief value from the exports to for- 

 eign countries. The proceeds come home in 

 the shape of goods on which the tax is laid, not 

 only for the purpose of revenue, but to protect 

 the home manufacture of the same article, which 

 is raised in price to the consumer to the amount 

 of the tax ; consequently the agricultural pro- 

 ducer who consumed the imported or domestic 

 goods, paid not only the Government tax, but 

 the tribute or bonus to the manufacturer. The 

 result in a long period manifests itself in vast 

 wealth to those manufacturing districts that 

 were formerly poor, and in continued compara- 

 tive poverty in the agricultural regions, where 

 much wealth has been produced. The friends of 

 the tariff denied this effect, but alleged that to ad- 

 mit foreign goods freely in exchange for produce 

 would ruin the whole country. These debates 

 and discussions had at times occasioned much 

 excitement ; but, nevertheless, when the Gov- 

 ernment has, through commercial revulsions, 

 been in want of money, all parties have united 

 in increasing the tariff of duties. The revenue 

 from this source has, in times of prosperity and 

 great commercial activity, far exceeded the 

 wants of the Government, and it has fallen short 

 of those demands when financial reverses have 

 overtaken the country. This has been a main 

 reason why there has been so little stability in 

 the revenue laws. In the forty years, up to 1860, 

 some twelve general changes took place in the 

 rates charged, and in 1861 the difficulties grow- 

 ing out of the war united all parties in support 

 of higher duties, and three alterations took 

 place in the view of obtaining more revenue for 

 the Government. The protectionists did not fail, 

 however, to seize the opportunity for discrim- 

 inating in favor of the articles in which they 

 were interested, even to the extent of diminish- 

 ing the revenue by prohibiting the importation. 



The operation of high duties, at a time 

 of much general commercial depression, has 

 more of a prohibitory nature by far, than in 

 times of activity and speculative excitement. 

 The prosperity of the past few years, -with 

 abundance of money and raw materials, had 

 stocked the markets with goods that found an 

 inadequate demand when the war paralyzed 

 trade. The tendency of prices was downward, 

 and such a moment was not propitious for 

 higher duties, which raised the cost of goods. 

 The new tariff did not therefore, in the first 

 few months of its operation, produce the rev- 

 enue expected from it. 



The following table shows the alterations that 

 have taken place since 1821, the amount of 

 customs revenue, and the annual imports free 

 and dutiable, with average rate of duty upon 

 the whole imports : 



