Hon. D. R. WILLIAMS,
_Chairman Com. on Military Affairs_.
The bill authorizing the appointment of additional general officers in
the Army of the United States, was then read a third time, and passed
by yeas and nays: for the bill 95, against it 30.
MONDAY, February 15.
_Suspension of Non-Importation._
Mr. CHEVES, from the Committee of Ways and Means, made the following
report:--
The Committee of Ways and Means report: That they have deemed
it to be their duty, that the public service may not suffer
and that the public credit may be duly supported, to look
beyond the ways and means of the present year, and to take into
consideration the revenue which may be wanted for the year
1814. That an estimate of the probable amount of the revenue
which will accrue under existing laws, and be receivable within
that year, has been submitted to Congress in the Annual Report
of the Secretary of the Treasury made during the present
session. That, comparing the amount thereof with the sums which
will probably be required by a prudent regard to the public
credit, it appears to the committee indispensably necessary to
make a further provision; that this may be done by a partial
suspension of the non-importation acts, which will not greatly
lessen their injurious effects upon the enemy, by an additional
duty on foreign tonnage, and by the imposition of internal
taxes and duties: That, in their opinion, all these means will
be necessary to supply the revenue which will be wanted: That
it is impracticable, during the present session, consistently
with a due attention to the other business of the nation, to
enact the laws necessary to embrace the last-mentioned object;
but that this may be done without difficulty and without a
delay which will be injurious either to the public credit or
the public service, by an earlier meeting of Congress than the
constitutional period, which it will be the duty of Congress,
or the Executive branch of the Government, to fix at such time
as shall be deemed most proper and expedient: That it is,
however, necessary that the suspension of the non-importation
acts which is contemplated should be enacted at the present
session of Congress: and for this purpose and the imposition of
additional duties on foreign tonnage, they beg leave to report
a bill. They also report herewith a correspondence between the
Secretary of the Treasury and this committee on the subject of
this report.
_Letter from the Chairman of the Committee of Ways and Means to
the Secretary of the Treasury_:
COMMITTEE-ROOM, Feb. 3, 1813.
SIR: I am directed by the Committee of Ways and Means to request from
you the favor of a reply to the following questions:
1. What, in your opinion, would be the probable amount of revenue
applicable to the service of the year 1814, which would result from a
modification or partial repeal of the non-importation acts, such as is
suggested in your letter, of the 10th of June, 1812, addressed to the
Committee of Ways and Means?
2. Is the modification suggested by that letter the best in your
opinion that can be devised to obtain a given revenue, with the least
possible diminution of the effects of the non-importation acts? If not,
be pleased to suggest such alterations and improvements as occur to
your mind.
3. Are there, in your opinion, any further legal provisions
necessary, or will any be expedient, more effectually to enforce the
non-importation acts, or to insure the more effectual collection of the
revenue?
4. Would it, in your opinion, be advisable to increase the duty on
foreign tonnage? If it would, to what amount? and what would be the
probable addition to the revenue applicable to the year 1814 by such
increase? I am, &c.,