The Portland gazette. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1818-1824, 1823-09-09


portations allowed. The intermediate voyage
to be performed, from the origin OF the mer-
chandise to North America, must take place
in foreign shipping. On an attentive survey
of existing circumstances for we do not agree
with those of our philosophers, who consider
ing commerce free as air, hold all intervening
obstacles to be as permeable and pliant,) IT
will readily occur to the practical statesman
that the habits Of navigation acquired, first by
neutrality during war, and secondly, by usage
and investment of capital, will cause no small
portion of the productions of the East Indies,
and of the shores of the Pacific, to take that
route in coming to this country; and the re-
Taxation of the old law will naturally encour-
age the navigation of the United States, and
the consequent strength of their maritime
power. This is the more to be apprehended
on account of the full range possessed by the
Americans in the navigation of the Indian O.
cean, unfettered, like US, by the interference
of any privileged company. So long as our
vessels continued to labour under this disad-
vantage, il might have been advisable to sub
iecs imports of the produce of Asia and Africa,
coming from America, to the same limitation
which is established on merchandise OF those
three continents, when coming from Europe
that is, to bar the goods SO brought from inter
nal consumption.
| Even at this moment, the continent of Eu
rope is almost wholly supplied through Ameri-
can shipping with East India produce, and We
nv considerably with that Of the West Indies.
From Sumatra, Java, Mocha, China, their YES
lseis carry the several productions direct to
Europe and from our own possessions, first
proceeding to the United States, the ports OF
which are made the repositories whence the
consumption of Europe is mainly furnished
An act was passed in the session of 1921, 10 al
low our vessels to proceed from the East Indies
ldirect TO the neighbouring continent but Sc
vexatiOus are the restrictions as to tonnage
form Of licences, and other shackles under
which this liberty is conceded, that scarcely Z
cargo has been so dispatched; while every
day the shipping of the United States is arriv
ling at the ports of Europe, laden with the pro
duce Of our eastern and other foreign posses
sions We may impose upon their vessels. Sc
far as in us lies, that is. in the intercourse viii
our CO onies, the necessity proceeding frs
TO America probably commodious to them fol
re-shiprnent); but such are the advantages o
small shipping, and the absence of all Other
controul, that they are rapidly becoming the
general carriers.
A An editorial article in Bells Weekly Mes
lsenger of July 2lst, on the present situation
of Spain, pays the following compliment tC
the free institutions of our country -
1--WE earnestly hope to live to see the time
when the European continent will become as
free as the United States of America are al
the present instant. Thinking and speaking
as Englishmen, it is amazing to us, that the
common sense of the continental nation!
should SO long remain the dupe of the igno.
rance and absurdity of the feudal systems
and should have imagined, and still continue
to imagine, that such bodies and such institu
tons, such mob of nobility, and such swarm'
of privileged classes, such counts, such prin
Ces. such diets and such chamberlainS anC
courts, in an infinite number, should be ne
lcessary 10 manage the common concerns of ma
i tions; or should be enabled to manage til err
better and wiser, than councils and president:
selected more Immediately among ourselves.
/ The mischief of this folly, as we have had
often occasion to say, is not that it promotes
or occasions any actual tyranny, but that by
the means Of taxation it takes two parts out
of three of every mans subsistence, and i'm.
poverishes whole nations for the benefit of a
few. Almost the whole police service in
America is performed by an unpaid militia
instead of having those vast standing armies
which Austria, Prussia, and Russia are com
PEELED TO keep up in order TO controul the
people. Who can reflect upon the recent
events in Portugal, for example, without the
most painful feeling. The ancient despotism
fully triumphant Again we say, we hope to
see these things at an end"