Portland gazette and Maine advertiser., 1817-02-18

70 navigate IL. The amount Of our tonnage /
in 1916. as stated in the treasury report, was
over 400, 900 tons but this Is presumed
10 be, by the author member oil this
House, Alr. pnkia) of statistical view OF
OR commerce, york distinguished tor
accuracy of research and correcsn=ss OF re- /
mark greater than the actual amount
which Tic states at l,25O,o00 tons ny the
treasury statement OF the amount oil tonnage
FOR 1915, laid On our tables yesterday, there
were ,56s,l27 tors: but the actual
mount for that year may be rated Al $50
600 t1ns: allowing one seaman iof every
30 tons, which Is rather under than over the
usua! proportion, it would require 81 500
seamen To navigate this tonnag-, II general
ly employed. The original cost oil this on
mage, on an average of 40 dollars the toa,
is $4,000 900 the actual value, at any
given period, will be found by drductln6
one third OF the original cost This will give
you an actual capital employed IN naviga-
ion, for is, OF thirty three millions aud
third Of dollars. The whole OF this Tonnage
requires to be replaced once in ten years IN
consequence of loss and decay herl
must, therefore be annually built $4,000
tons, eqIs in vslue e. 100000 Of dollars
which gives employment 10 more than
10000 artists and labore's in the construc
ton. THIS appears fir estimate from the
amount Of tonnage actually bull. in this
country, when commerce and navigation
flourshed, say in 1866. Ships OF war in
England, built in the Kings docks, of the
materials there geGeraily used, ale row es
tlmated TO last fifteen years those bull IL
The merchant yards, ten years giving an
average OF Twelve years and an half; our
mtrchant vessels may, therefore, he esti-
mated to last ten years. The trade of ship
building is extremely important in certain
parts OF our country MOI SO highly favored
as lher portions Of it,as TO soil and climate,
takea in conn, xion with the employ ment
Of the ships, il is essential to their prosper
lty ; nay, their population must greatly de-
crease without this employment, . he
people of this country ioi med the constiiu
ton of the United States, among o,her
things, to promote the general welfare T.
IS not this done by promoting the welfare
of every part. lthe people o. any par; suf-
ter peculiar privations and losses by The III
curious acts of foreign nations, and it is in
the power of this government 10 preyeut
them MIXTURE, is il not its duty to d. il Fl
1 he bill on your table will, it is presumed,
remedy some Of the evils, inflicted on This
county, by the restrictive laws of foreign
nations.
But to return to the subject Of our nayi-
CATION; consider the number and vatety OF
persons employed in the construction of a |
ship-iake ship oflwo or three hundred
tons A gang OF ten or fifteen men are frs
employ ed about a month in cutting limb |
different set Of men are then employed, |
with their teams, in hauling tito The ship
yard ; ten OF fifteen carpenters are then |
employed tOr two or three months in build |
ing the vessel before she is launched, "a |
different set oil men, the caulkers, perform |
heir part after being launched, the cor
dage having been manufactured, the rig |
gers nj and rot overhead the rigging aad |
the block makers, sail makers, and black |
smiths furnish their several paris; so down
TO the pauper who picks the oakum that is
driven into her seams. She is then ready ,
20 receive on board those entefprizing and 1
gallant seamen, who, in the meichants en-
pioy, carry The products of our country |
10 the most distant nations, and, in curl
avail service, have spread their own glory
and The fame OF their country, through The
world.
But what is the situation Of our navga-
ion, and oil our gallant seamen, at this mo-
ment! Owing in part TO the causes 10
which have alluded, the restrictions i'm
posed by one nation, at least upon our mer-
camille enterprise, and the many privileges
and advantages which the ships and seamen
of that very nation enjoy in our ports, in re-
Ference to their coloni.l ports, and even to
The direct trade with Great Britain, and in
some degree, no doub, 10 the general peace
throughout the world more than one halt
of our tonnage is now useless--dismantlrd
I the wharyes, and literally rotiing in the
docks. Many of our seamen are relus-
family compelled TO seek employ in foreign
countries, end TO sail under foreign nagS
Our ship carpenters, too, dts i,ute OF en-
10y, are obliged, for living, 10 20 INFO the
BRUSH provinces of New Brunswick and
Nova Scotia, there TO cut timber, even for
The royal navy of England, and 10 build YES.
sells 10 carry it 10 Great Britain Thus,
British merchants, with British capital en-
hoy our carpenters to build many OF the
vessels which are not only employed 10 car
~ on The direct trade With Great Bsitain. /
but to carry our lumber, our live stock, and |
our provisions, to their colonies. Hundreds /
of our artists and lahorers forunrrfv a,,,rlo,.