356 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



The following No. on the subject of Straw Bonnets, 

 should have pre^rfed the last No. on the same n.b- 

 ject, published in page 348 of the present volume ol 

 the JVeic England Farmer. 



From the United Stales Gazette. 



On the Manufacture of Straw and Grass Bonnets. 

 No. VI. 



I have already noliced the contradiction of 

 the actual fact of the assertion m the Salem 

 Merchants' Memorial, that ^Uhe European pow- 

 ers were relaxing their restrictions *n Commerce. 

 Dr Cooper, in his late pamphlet agamst the ta- 

 riff applies a similar remark, particularly to 

 the ministry and parliament ol England. It is 

 somewhat singular, that a man who has been so 

 often before the public of England and the 

 United States, as a controversial writer, should 

 risque a position which he knew to be falla- 

 cious, and thus furnish his opponents with an 

 argument against the cause he defends. 



So far from the assertion of Dr. Cooper 

 being true, that not only the ministry, parlia- 

 men", but private men and societies are un- 

 ceasingly upon the look out for occasions to al- 

 ter the existing duties upon foreign articles, 

 which can in the least possible way affect the 

 home industry of their fellow subjects. Thej 

 seldom require an existing duty lowered, but 

 often ask to have it increased, or for a new 

 one to be imposed upon an article, before free. 

 The board of trade are particularly charged 

 with this important and truly patriotic duty, 

 and they attend to it with a zeal and vigilance, 

 that do them the highest honor. No sooner do 

 they tind out an article requiring an increase 

 of duty, than a law is brought forward by the 

 minister to do what they deemed necessary 



per' Do we not see that even since the publi- 1 bringing gram to England, until she is all- 

 cation of the last British tariff they have laid but starving. England by her greater ex- 

 in 18"-, a new duty upon Leghorn hats of pericncc, comparative cheapness ot manulactur- 

 ' - f . .- -- . , . ino- labour, arising from the use of machinery, 



low wages, and the poor diet of the workmen, 

 and above all, from the inferior East Indii 

 cotton used, and the flimsy texture of the stufiji 

 made from it, and from wool,* are enabled to 

 undersell the Americans, who have not all yet 

 gotten the improved machinery, and make strong, 

 stuffs from good cotton ; and eat butter and meat 

 twice or three times a day, instead of once a 

 week or once a month, in place of a daily diet 

 of water porridge, sovvens, flummery, or pota 

 toes; and although American workmen are con 



gl3,33 per doz. another of <f3,07, on plat not 



made up, and even a duly of live pe.r cent, ad 



valorem, upon imported straw? To talk of 



our relaxing commercial restrictions after these 



facts is an insult to common sense. 



It is unnecessary to quote instances of simi- 

 lar conduct in other European powers, to prove 



what is here asserted, as Mr. Carey has quoted 



several of them in his numerous and useful pub- 

 lications, to which I refer all those who doubt 

 the fact, or wish to be informed on the subject 



The British nation it is acknowledged can- 1 j^^f^j „,i;[j very small profits, yet the great 

 not cultivate grain as cheaply as the people pM jmpoitance of the command of cash to the 

 the Continent, and hence the landed interest in g|.i(jg|, manufacturer, induces him to sell his 

 England, after the late war, were clamorous to g^g^j ;„ America for what he can obtain. Henca 



Parliament for a protecting duty on fereign 

 grain, equal to the burdens borne by the grow- 

 er of corn in England. Accordingly an act was 

 passed to prohibit the importation of wheat, 

 barley, rye, or oats, until they reached certain 

 price's at home. The maximum price for 

 wheat was fixed at 80s. for the quarter of eight 

 bushels, and when it rose to that, the ports 

 were to be opened to foreign wheat, upon a duty 

 being paid. Some of their political economises 

 have contended for the unrestrained freedom of 

 the corn trade : but every attempt made by 

 them in Parliament to effect that object has 

 failed. No longer since than the 26th of Feb- 

 ruary 1823, Mr. Whitmore moved for leave to 

 bring in a bill only to amend the corn laws, and 

 was powerfully supported by the late Mr. Ri- 

 cardo, a man of the greatest weight in the 

 house on such subjects, but they could not suc- 

 ceed. The object was to lower the present 

 limits at which the exportation of grain could 



and parliament, relying upon their judgment, L^l^^ place, from 70s. to GOs. and to repeal the 



seldom fail to pass it. The United States ought 

 to have such a board, in place of leaving the 

 business to the Secretary of the Treasury, who 

 cannot have time to attend to it, and moreover 

 may be incompetent to the task, or fearful of do- 

 ing what may make him vnpopular, and affect bis 

 pr'etensions to the presidential chair. 



The last British tariff of 1819, shows a deter- 

 mination to pursue their restrictive system to 

 the former full extent; none of the old duties 

 ar.T taken off, but many additions are made, and 

 that there might be no possibility of missing 

 revenue from any thing brought to England, 

 that nothing might escape, it is ordained that 

 all the articles not particularly mentioned, shall 

 pay a duty of fifty per cent — even eggs pay a 

 duty.* Can any thing be more plain, or deci- 

 sive of the opposition of the fact, to the posi- 

 tion of the Salem memorial, and of Dr. Coo- 



* From a late English paper. 

 Foreign Eggs. — The following is an account of the 

 number of foreign eggs imported into Great Britain 

 in the year ending the 5th of January, 1823, (at a du- 

 ty of lOd. per 120,) distinguishing the countries from 

 ■which the same were imported, with the amount of du- 

 ty received thereon : — 



Denmark - - - 240 



Holland - . - - 120 



Flanders - - - 949,263 



France - - - 49,425,124 



Guernsey and Jersey - 269,278 



Total quantity imported 50,644,026 



Amount of Doty received (17,587 16j. 



duty upon its importation. Ministers and the far- 

 mers do not wish the subject legislated upon, 

 for fear of the movement ending in giving 

 encouragement to the free introduction of for- 

 eign grain at low prices ; and yet in the face 

 of such uniform conduct, we hear of fine 

 speeches from ministers and their adherents in 

 Parliament, and at public dinners, in favor " of 

 the great principles of commercial freedom :" 

 and against " restrictions, and about reciprocity 

 in trade," &c. &c. and we find their writers sup- 

 porting the same sentiments. It is easy 

 to talk and write thus, but as their actions con- 

 tradict their professions, we must expose their 

 in sincerity. The expression is not very digni- 

 fied to say that the British are endeavoring by such 

 language to throw snuff in the eyes of the people of the 

 rest of the world,to blind them, but the idea convey- 

 ed by it applies so forcibly that it cannot be with- 

 held. The merchants of Salem and Dr. Cooper 

 are willing to believe the British sincere on the 

 subject, for they quote what the British say, as an 

 argument against Congress protecting borne in- 

 dustry by increased duties on certain imported 

 articles. Now, the case applies forcibly to the 

 United States. England as regards the cultiva- 

 tion of grain is precisely in the same situa- 

 tion with the continent, that the U. States are 

 as to herself in the business of manufactures 

 The greater cheapness ef labor and living and 

 their wider field for agriculture, enables the 

 people on the continent to undersell the 

 British ; they are therefore prevented from 



the manufacturers in the United Stales, require 

 the same protection in the way of duties, to ena< 

 ble them to compete with Britain, that England 

 does for her agriculture against the cheapei 

 cultivation of "the continent. Unfortunately 

 many of our legislators think otherwise, ami 

 from an ungrounded apprehension that foreign 

 commerce will be ruined, oppose any alteration 

 in the present tarifl, the absurdity and inconsiS" 

 tency of which have been amply detailed h\ 

 Mr. Carey. We eagerly copy the follies ant 

 fashions of England and France, but carefull; 

 avoid the sound sense they often exhibit, ani 

 most conspicuously on the present subject. Wi 

 hope however for a change in sentiment, and t 

 see the day, when domestic industry will be dul. 

 protected. It is not for the United States to se 

 the example of this commercial freedojn, abov 

 which the people of England talk. Let th 

 governments of Europe take off their restri( 

 lions, and we will not object to do the same 

 but absolute ruin would attend the unlimite 

 entry of foreign goods without duty, nor can w 

 be said to be upon a fair footing with them ; 

 respects protection to manufactures until ot 

 workmen are enabled to keep out certai 

 foreign goods. A nation without a tariff, woul 

 have no mcfre chance of existence, among th 

 nations of the world, than a bank would have ( 

 preserving its solvency, that redeemed its bil 

 with gold or silver, while all other banks in th 

 same city or country with it, were permitted t 

 suspend their cash payments. The position af 

 plies with proportional force to a nation, the d( 

 mestic industry of which is only partially pr< 

 tected, or to a bank paying part in cash. Th 

 prosperity of both will be restrained in a direc 

 ratio to the unequal footing in which they ar 

 placed, with respect to other nations and bank; 

 This is an aphorism in politieal economy su{ 

 ported by the experience of ages. 



* To make up for the actually flimsy texture of th 

 cotton and woollen clothes, made in England for salt 

 at auction in the United States they are thickened wit 

 flour of wheat and starch. The cotton fabrics go t 

 piecesafter a few washings. 



A Mermaid. — Mr. S. Dodge, New-York, pai 

 senger in the brig Otter, arrived at this poi 

 yesterday from Manilla, has in his possession 

 mermaid brought from the coast of Japan. Pe) 

 sons who have seen this new comer, say th. 

 its appearance corresponds with the descriptioi 

 giveu of this_^«/i andjlesh in fabulous history.- 

 Patriot. 



