Mccullough And Co. to Senator James A. Bayard Jr., March 29, 1854

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.

We inclose you herewith a sample of the article manufactured by ourselves.

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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