WILMINGTON [DEL.],
March 29, 1854.
DEAR SIR: We have
taken the liberty of enclosing you herewith a memorial, which we shall esteem a
great favor, indeed, to have referred to the proper committee, and we have sent
a similar one to Mr. Riddle.1
Our reasons for
presenting this petition are that under the Tariff of 1846, English Galvanized
Tinned Iron is permitted to come in at a duty of 15 per cent. Whilst Common
Sheet iron not galvanized is chargeable at 30 per cent duty. The English
manufacturers, of this article, by a very simple and cheap process, tin their
iron before galvanizing it in order to bring it in, under the duty chargeable
on Tin Plates, (which is 15 pr. centum) thus saving this difference in duty,
and after its Importation into our own country, disposing of it as Galvanized
Iron. By reference to the Act of 1846, you will readily observe, how the law is
thus evaded, and by the present recommendation of the Secretary of the Treasury
Galvanized Tin or Galvanized Tinned iron, is placed on the Free list.
This, if effected,
you will perceive, would paralize the efforts of our own Manufacturers in this
country as the chief and intrinsic cost is embraced in the value of the Iron
itself, prior to Galvanizing it, and this, proposing to be admitted free, will
then give the foreign manufacturers, the entire trade of this article in the
United States.
We have, within the
past eighteen months, commenced the manufacture of this article, in this city,
and with the advantage of the same protection and duty that is now chargeable
upon common sheet iron, not galvanized, we fully believe, that we would then be
enabled to compete, successfully with the Foreign (English) makers. As we
think, the article is destined to be brought into very general use, in our own
country, relying with the above advantage, in connection, with its own
intrinsic usefulness.
1 George Read Riddle, a Representative
(1851-1855) and a Senator (1864-1867) in Congress from Delaware.
SOURCE: Charles Henry Ambler, Editor, Annual Report of the American Historical Association for the Year 1916, in Two Volumes, Vol. II, Correspondence of Robert M. T. Hunter (1826-1876), p. 158
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