Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1820-08-15
DUTY ON FRENCH TONNAGE.


The French government has shewn
some excitement al The tonnage duty Of
S ~ imposed by The last Congress upon
french vessels IN Our ports. Ii has been
mentioned even in the Chamber of De-
puties, aud with some surprise. France,
however, eau scarcely he surprised al
such a measuTe.-We have the DOcu.
menls before us transmitted by the Sc
ereiary OF State 10 The Committee Of
Commerce in March last. They embrace
Mr.. Gallailns correspondence on our
commercial relations with France froa
2Sih July 1918, 10 Goth January last. 1t
appears from this, that since Mr.. Gala
Inns arrival In Paris, he has spared no
exeftions 10 conclude with France, com
Merclal arrangements founded on foot
ing oil perfect equality as we have
adopted with Great Britain. by the Con-
vention Of July 1915. We proposed, for
example. lst that her vessels or articles
should. pay Io higher duties III our ports.
than our vessels or the same articles
brought IN our vessels---2dly. that we
should lay no higher duties on her arti-
cies than on similar ones OF the same va
Iue from other countries. These two
provisions TO be reciprocal. France,
however, was persuaded by her mey,
chants 10 do nothing. On The 25,h Octo
Der last, Mr.. GalIaiia again addressed the
French Minister CT Foreign Affairs in
which he frankly told him
" Both France ara the United States hare in order
20 encourage their ORR. ndvgatiot passed tauS lay
ins eLtre a"tes on foreign oeSse!s, ans o ne
ch1ndSe imported va such UesSeiS. BIT the saeqKat-
hy IS at present SO much greoter in France thar IN
the United States. asd the mode heretofore adopted
in america 30 cO1mtsrGct that inegnGiit is 50 Re-
Jectire tAaf IL This system sDas Yerfkeaio continue
on both sides. the commercial intsrcourse 6etmssa
the tto0 countries tpottd, Ia snort time be carried
on aIHiost exclusively az french vesseks. In order
10 ObtGiH their dne share ia ne naUigetioa 6etweea
ne two Countries aud they cEain nOthing more than
their share, The OEisG Suites ;riH be comyeffed 10
alter their lars, uRdto Iay Sach 0dditionaL erfrc
mites or the tonnage Of french veSsts.
chd1fdise imported therein wilI. iatA respect
restore PsyJect equality in tie commercial satey.
course Of The fir0 nations.
=" This plan, howeUer, j0r zach government EayiRl
ertra duties order 10 cOanferVdt those iaid By III,
other rs dffended uifh serious inconyfnieHces on
| both sides fhe snip oWners Of each country are
dtipdyS apt 10 think thct tie erfra duties paid B..
them. are greater and more oppressive than th,se
faid on The UeSsekS 81 Tie other They ciaiN the pro
lection Of their government. and ask khat these
should be enhdncsd Il Spectsso Of cOnercat hosttitI
taxes piece, rhich nay hare an ngtaUorabte e6set
the nHinue and an9voiddbie tendency of me system
| channels"
On the same day, 25th October last
| Mr.. GallatiB states TO MIR. Adams,
| american vessels are ddiky tGihdrawing from
The tr0de, and fhe cuit is nor corrected the thoi
offhe 5sfweeH the tao countries fti 500,
De carried on utmost exclusively, IN French UeSSeis
our c0wNterUdN7g system of elfrG duties is ThoA
INEFFICIENT 10 protect our navigation amt fIhgg ar
sftn more increased on The same Pian. The tteRe
duties continuing ne sumo the ultimate effect UORL
be, that all our impOrtdfioHs from FraUce uoaid b
made in american and all rtdtionSto France
ia French vessels. This considering the reSpecfiU
buts Of 10th cOHtd gite tie French INNS Of h
| navigation 6etweeH The two countries.
TIE diNioUtty, in that case, spiH be to fpd an en-
| cieH reDIedy. hare already alluded TO II IN ~
| despatch No rs, fH which suggested Me injury o
| obtaining amendment 10 fheconsfitHtion ofthe 4
St0tfS, whch woutd authorize Congress TO Iay aduf
on prOdHce ofthe United states, uhen exported
toreigH vessels. INT that process Is uncertain an
dftdf0Tg. ON rejecting tie SHbjecl, IL has apped
ed TO me- that another mOde might be Adopted trhif
Ibeg leave 10 submit TO your consideration.
~ consists iHrepediiHg eJiSfiug diScriniindfin
| dutv LOT 10 per cent. OF the ordinary dntyl
chdHdize imported in foreign vessels and IN sgbsti
ting 10 az an dddtioH0t duty on tboss UsSsets, eqHG
on an Average to the ertrd duty fchich foreign cOu
tries lay on our Prodace, uhcn imported theie
american UesSeks.
To apply this 10 France. and taking The Fren,
ertra dntg on cotton uhich Is our principal caro-
| there, as the criterion, the diGereHre Jetpeen q
| duty laid here cotton phgH imported la our N
] SETS, and fhat tafdO5 u trhen imprinted liz FrcR
UessetS. Is about one cent and quarter per POM
| SNpposiHg MeH, that vessel carries ef the rnte
about 900 pounds Of cotton 60 me ton the dfHG
eHce amounts 10 about tDeIpe dollars and haLJ y
Ton and this Is the addtiOHdt tonnage which BEL
f1td, IN 0nr ports, oil French UeSSels trifhoHf
? gard TO their tntrSrd or OHltrdTd cUTg0ss iron
eouHtsrVgiS, IN direct manner, the french eat
dirty"
. On The 18th January last, he inform