Wednesday, July 5.
Duty on Salt.
The House went into Committee of the Whole on the bill for laying an additional duty on salt; when
Mr. Gallatin moved to strike out all that related to the allowing of a drawback to vessels employed in the fishing trade, on the ground that he yesterday stated, viz: that the allowance at present made was too large by $40,000 a year, taking the year 1794 for his data; but it appeared that in the year 1795 there was a deficiency in that trade, owing principally, it was supposed, to the great demand for seamen in the merchant service. He, therefore, would take the calculation of the gentleman from South Carolina, (Mr. Harper,) made yesterday, and, instead of calling the amount of drawback allowed $90,000, he would state it to be $78,000; and even then, he said, the drawback at present allowed would exceed by two thousand dollars the drawback to which they would be entitled, if the present duty took place.
He spoke generally against the tax as oppressive to the back country; but if the gentleman from Massachusetts, and others, were determined to increase the tax, he should wish their part of the country to pay their share of it.
This motion was supported by Messrs. Venable, Nicholas, Clay, McDowell, and Macon.
It was opposed by Messrs. Sewall, Otis, Harper, Coit, Brooks, Kittera, J. Williams, and Dayton.
The calculation of the quantity of salt estimated to be necessary to be used for a quintal of fish, (one bushel,) was said to be stated too low; that the sum allowed was not only meant as a drawback of the duty, but also as a bounty on the fishing trade—as being a nursery for seamen, and serving as a kind of naval militia for the United States.
If it should appear, however, that the present allowance was too great, (which, by some gentlemen in favor of this motion, which was in blank, seemed to be acknowledged,) a less allowance might be made in this bill; but they could not consent to the bill passing without a drawback.
The question for striking out the clause was taken, and negatived—49 to 41.
Mr. Coit moved to fill the blank with 50 per cent., instead of 66-2/3, which was the drawback allowed by the present law.
Mr. Hartley thought this sum too high.
Mr. Williams moved 33-1/3 per cent. which was carried without a division.
Mr. Nicholas moved a limitation clause, to continue the act in force for two years, and from thence to the end of the next session of Congress.
This motion was carried—42 to 39.
The committee rose, and the House agreed to the amendments. The yeas and nays were called upon the limitation clause, and were taken, and stood—yeas 47, nays 43.
The bill was ordered to be engrossed for a third reading this day; and before the House rose, it received it, and passed. The yeas and nays on its passage stood 45 to 40, as follows:
Yeas.—John Allen, James A. Bayard, David Brooks, Stephen Bullock, John Chapman, Christopher G. Champlin, Joshua Coit, William Craik, Samuel W. Dana, James Davenport, John Dennis, George Dent, Thomas Evans, Abiel Foster, Dwight Foster, Jonathan Freeman, Henry Glenn, Chauncey Goodrich, Roger Griswold, Robert Goodloe Harper, William Hindman, Hezekiah L. Hosmer, James H. Imlay, John Wilkes Kittera, Samuel Lyman, William Matthews, Lewis R. Morris, Harrison G. Otis, Elisha R. Potter, John Read, John Rutledge, jun., James Schureman, Samuel Sewall, William Shepard, Thomas Sinnickson, Samuel Sitgreaves, Jeremiah Smith, Nathaniel Smith, William Smith, (of Charleston,) John Swanwick, George Thatcher, Mark Thompson, John E. Van Allen, Peleg Wadsworth, and John Williams.
Nays.—Abraham Baldwin, David Bard, Lemuel Benton, Thomas Blount, Richard Brent, Nathan Bryan, Dempsey Burges, Samuel J. Cabell, Thomas Claiborne, Matthew Clay, John Clopton, Thomas T. Davis, John Dawson, Lucas Elmendorph, John Fowler, Albert Gallatin, James Gillespie, Wm. B. Grove, John A. Hanna, Jonathan N. Havens, David Holmes, Walter Jones, Matthew Locke, Matthew Lyon, Nathaniel Macon, Blair McClenachan, Joseph McDowell, John Milledge, Daniel Morgan, Anthony New, John Nicholas, Thompson J. Skinner, William Smith, (of Pinckney District,) Richard Sprigg, jun., Richard Stanford, Thomas Sumter, Abram Trigg, John Trigg, Joseph B. Varnum, and Robert Williams.