Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1817-02-08

Drunswick, on the 10Th Feb. lslo'-thcy

uuiy rc@utucU, VIII EMPLOY IL, 900 tons OF
additional British shipping, being more
than y used III all The rest vf The trade of
thc Province"
That The centraband trade between
'lic Ports ar the i;;y Of fdt. = and the
DATED states OF America. ha, neen bane-
tul to u, prosperity OF the couutrv. not
only BY tae Introduction of Illegal mer-
chandise, but b., lis ruiuous drain of
specie ilomit.
That dnoincr prominent evil arising
ont ct'lilS trade is, shat IL great portion Of
the Numerous vessels belonging 10 the
oul-pcrts OF tie Bay al fundy, are only
nomiDaiis British, but virtually American
bottoms" DO. After oihcrobseryations
aud after advcriing 10 the interest which
their" sister province ofNova Scotia" had
in this trade, HEY further resolved, that
rei.t,Cl to the Legislature of this prov
ince, now in session, be immediately for
varded, expressive of the substance OF
the foregoing resolutions, aud humbiy
PRAYING that eiicctual regulations be e
nactcd, 10 the end, that no Plaster ct Pa
us may be delivered in the neighbour
hood %. the American lines, or ony ,chere
totis etstGdrdof Boston, i'll such way as to
enable the American coasting vessels TO
carry II from the sad lines 10 The places
ofcons0mpiInn.'
Hence, the pais,eriaw above mention
ed but as Rnston must be the victim
when amy thingtik port bin is iii agi-
taiion, no plaster, by the act, can be de-
li,ercd east OF Cape Cod, without paving
the prohibuory duty.
will now, sir, tor Il moment take avicw
of the navigation OF this country, and of
It's Importance, not only TO the ndividu-
ais who may own IT'S tonnage, not to that
part of the country where the principal
part is constructed, but TO the nation at
large, in y, ldiion TO the hands aud mate
rails employed III It's obstruction, the Il
mount and value OF the tonnage, aud, a.
bove all, III national point oi view, for
manning 0ur navy III case of war; with
the number oil Seamen required 10 navi-
gate It. Ihe amount OF our tonnage in
1916, as stated in the treasury report, was
ever 100000 ions but this is PRESUMED
to be, by the author "a member of this
House, MIR. fiillm Ola statistical view OF
our commerce, Ia work distinguished for
accuracy of research and correctness of
remark,) greater than the actual amount,
which he states at $50, 900 tons by the
treasury statement of the amount of tom
mage, laid on our tables yesterday, there
were 1888, i27 tons; but the actual a.
mount for HAT ear may be rated AT L.
2SO,OOO tons; allowing one seaman for
every 20 tons, which Is rather under than
over the usual proportion, ii would require
%, 500 seamen To- navigate this tonnage,
ii generally employed. The original
cost OF this tonnage, on an average of 40
dollars the ton, Is S50, 900 900 the actti-
al value, at any given period will be found
by deducting one third OF the original
cost; this will give you all actual capital
employed III navigation; for 1915, of thir-
" three millions and a third of dollars
J he whole of this tonnage requires 10 be
replaced once III ten years, IN conse-
guence ufloss and decay. There must,
therefore, be annually built TX, 900 tons
equal IN value o 6,G0o,O0O ofdollars,
which gives employment 10 mere than
10000 artists and Iaborers in the con
struction. This appears fair estimate,
from the amount OF tonnage actually
bnilt III this country, when commerce q
navigation iloursheti, say ia lSOj-6. Ship,
OF war in England, built in the Kings
docks, OF the materials there generally IL
sed, are now estimated TO last ID wears
those built III tile mere hants' wards, ten
years giving an average Of twelve wears
and Il half oi!r merchant vessels may
therefore, he c j aied 10 last ten wears.
The trade OF siip-bnilding is extremely
important III certain parts of our country
not so highly favored as other portions of
1t as 10 sOii and climate taken in connec-
ton with the employment of lie ships, it
Is essential to iIcIr prosperity : nav,
their population must greatly decrease
without this employ ment. The people of
This country formed the constitution of
the United States, among other things,
8 10 promote the general welfare = is not
this done by promoting the welfare of ey-
cry part If the people of any part suf-
fer peculiar priVations and losses bv the
Injurious acts ot foreign nations, and it Is
III the powcroiihis government TO prevent
them III future, Is il moi lis duty to do it {?
The bill on your table WILL il is presumed
remedy some of the evils Inflicted OF this
country, 10y the restrictive laws offoreign
iaflons.
Bat to return to the subject of cur nav
igailOn consider Che number and yarie-
~ OF persons enploycdin the construct
on OF sbip-iake sisi, oftwo or three
hundred tons. y gang of ten or fifteen
men are first employed about month in
cutting timber; a ditf rent set OF men
are then employed, with their teams, in
hauling IT 10 The ship yard; 10 OF II carpen-
ters are then employed Tor two or three
months in buiidin. the vessel before she
IS launched, different set OF men, the
eaullers, perform tlleir part after being
launched, the cOrdag having been man
nidciured, the Triggers iii and put over
head The rigging and The block makers.
sail-inakers, and black smiths furnish
their several parts SO down to the pa,l-