From John Adams to Cotton Tufts, 12 June 1789
To Cotton Tufts
New York June 12. 1789.
Dear Sir
The last Evenings Post favoured me with yours of the 6th.1
Many Gentlemen are in favour of a national Excise: and Some would have the nation take upon itself all the State Debts. Mr Morris particularly: but I cannot say what will be done.
My Burthens are not very heavy: but my health is not very good.— I have been obliged to decide many questions on the Impost Bill, the Senate being equally divided.—2 I was obliged to reduce the Duty on Molasses from four Cents, and to prevent that on Salt from being raised from 6 to 9.— My Vote on Molasses I Suppose will displease the Southern Gentlemen: but that on Salt, ought to attone for it.— so the ballance is even.
Drawbacks on Exportation Seem to be necessary to Support infant manufactures and Some branches of commerce not fully established.— But whenever the Manufacture or the Trade will bear it, it Seems to be good Policy to make the foreign consumer, pay the Duty. The Senate has rejected the Drawback on Rum; and reduced the Duty on Molasses to 2 1/2 Cents. if the Rum trade will bear it, I shall be glad. if not, it is ill Policy. My Friends the Dutch have the Art to make Foreigners pay two thirds of the Duties to the State.3 They Suffer no Drawback when the trade will bear the Duty.
The Note inclosed in your Letter I burned as you desired as soon as I had read it: but not untill it had made too deep an Impression on my heart as well as Memory.— What Shall I do, with that tender hearted Fool?
When will Mrs A. come on? I Suffer, very much for Want of her assistance.4
My Love to all our Connections / yours most Sincerely
John Adams.
RC (NHi:Gilder Lehrman Coll., on deposit); addressed: “Dr Tufts”; internal address: “Dr Tufts.”; endorsed: “John Adams Esq / June 12. 1789.” LbC (Adams Papers); APM Reel 115.
1. Not found.
2. During the Senate’s long-running debate over the impost bill, Richard Henry Lee recommended doubling the 6-cent duty on salt to 12 cents. William Maclay opposed the idea, arguing that the price posed a hardship for new settlers who lived far from the coast. JA broke the deadlock in the Senate by voting against raising the duty. Faced with three motions for reducing the duty on molasses, JA decided that the Senate should vote first on the proposal for reducing the duty to the highest amount, 4 cents. After the senators voted in favor, JA raised a point of order to continue voting for the lower amounts of 3 cents and 2 cents. The Senate further reduced the duty on molasses to 2.5 cents per barrel, which the House carried without debate. George Washington signed the bill into law on 4 July. Writing to his father on 28 June, JQA reported that Boston merchants “have not . . . been so much pleased with any Act of the President of the Senate, as his turning the vote for reducing the duty to 3 cents” (vol. 19:425, 468; , 9:57, 59, 68; , 8:383).
3. Since 1680, Dutch customs duties tended to be lower than those of competitors, allowing merchants to import goods from China, India, and Japan and sell them at a profit in foreign markets without the benefit of a drawback, or refund, of the import duty (Marjolein ’t Hart, Joost Jonker, and Jan Luiten van Zanden, eds., A Financial History of the Netherlands, N.Y., 1997, p. 25; Jan de Vries and Ad van der Woude, The First Modern Economy: Success, Failure, and Perseverance of the Dutch Economy, 1500–1800, Cambridge, Eng., 1997, p. 387, 458, 459).
4. AA left Braintree on 17 June 1789. She was accompanied by CA, Louisa Catharine Smith, and two servants, Polly Taylor and Matilda. Arriving at Daggett’s Inn in Providence, R.I., on 19 June, AA and her travel party were met by a welcoming crowd of Federalists. After dining with John and Sarah Brown in a company of 22, AA toured the town and drank tea with John Francis, Abby Brown Francis, Sarah Brown Bowen, and their families. Reaching Newport, R.I., the next day via the packet Hancock, Capt. James N. Brown, AA stayed at the home of Henry Marchant. She arrived in New York City on 25 June (, 8:373–375, 377–380).