The question was then taken on the passage of the bill, and carried in the affirmative by yeas and nays—yeas 65, nays 41.[12]
Thursday, March 22.
Protection against the Barbary Powers.
The House resolved itself into a Committee of the Whole on the bill further to protect the commerce and seamen of the United States against the Barbary Powers.
Mr. Griswold moved to strike out the first section, which is as follows:
“Be it enacted, by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That, for the purpose of defraying the expenses of equipping, officering, manning, and employing such of the armed vessels of the United States, as may be deemed requisite by the President of the United States, for protecting the commerce and seamen thereof, and for carrying on warlike operations against the Regency of Tripoli, or any other of the Barbary Powers, which may commit hostilities against the United States, and for the purpose also of defraying any other expenses incidental to the intercourse with the Barbary Powers, or which are authorized by this act, a duty of two and a half per centum ad valorem, in addition to the duties now imposed by law, shall be laid, levied, and collected upon all goods, wares, and merchandise, paying a duty ad valorem, which shall, after the thirtieth day of June next, be imported into the United States from any foreign port or place; and an addition of ten per centum shall be made to the said additional duty in respect to all goods, wares, and merchandise, imported in ships or vessels not of the United States, and the duties imposed by this act shall be levied and collected in the same manner, and under the same regulations and allowances, as to drawbacks, mode of security, and time of payment, respectively, as are already prescribed by law, in relation to the duties now in force on the articles on which the said additional duty is laid by this act.”
Mr. G. said, that it was much to be regretted that gentlemen had thought proper, upon this occasion, to connect with the great and ostensible object of the bill, any provisions which should produce a disunion in the House. The unfortunate event in the Mediterranean called loudly for vigorous and decisive measures, and he trusted there would not exist on the floor a difference of opinion on that point. For himself, he was disposed to clothe the President with all the power, and to furnish him with all the means which were necessary to bring the war with Tripoli to a successful and speedy termination. And when this was done, to make him, as he ought to be, responsible for the event.
It is always improper, said Mr. G., to connect in the same bill two subjects which are in their natures distinct; and much more improper upon this occasion, to tack to the provisions for the Mediterranean service, upon which there could be no difference of opinion, a new tax, in respect to which gentlemen could not agree.
The first section of the bill, which he had moved to strike out, imposed a new tax of two and a half per centum ad valorem on all goods now liable by law to an ad valorem duty. Goods paying at this time an ad valorem duty were divided into three classes—the first class was liable to a duty of twelve and a half per cent.; the second, to a duty of fifteen per cent.; and the third, to a duty of twenty per cent.
The addition of two and a half per cent. now proposed, would increase the duties to fifteen, seventeen and a half, and twenty-two and a half per cent., when the goods were imported in American bottoms; and if they were imported in foreign bottoms, the duties would be further increased by the addition of ten per cent.