, 1841-10-30

he navy itself, 10 the great relief of III,
Treasury, and saving of means to be applied
to the navy, where It would be far more eff
6cient. Theless considerate points might bt
safely left to the defence of cheap works
efficient to repel plunderiag attacks; as nc
large fleet, such as would be able to meet us
with such a naval force as that proposed
would ever think of disgracing itself by al
lacking places SO inconsiderable.
Assuming, then. that navy is indispensa.
bic to our defence, and that ore less than thai
supposed would be in a great measure use.
less, we are naturally led 10 look into trt
sources Of our naval power preparatory TO
the consideration of the question, how they
will be effected by imposing on commerce
the additional burden this bill would make
necessary.
Two elements are necessary to naval
sailors and money. A navy is an
expensive force and is only formidable when
manned with regularly-bred sailors. In our
case, both Of these depend on commerce.
Commerce is indispensable to form 4 COM
mercial marine. and that to form Z naval
marine; whence commerce is with us. if this
bill should pass, the only source of revenue.
l. iiou iSlliuS tOliitlICiCcl 10, tuCus III cNcIS IT,
spect, the basis of our naval power; and Grip
pie is 10 cripple that power-to
p~aralyze the right arm of our defence. But
The imposition ofonerous duties on
is the most certain way TO cripple it. Hence
this detestable and mischievous measure.
which surrenders the only other source Of
revenue, and throws the whole burden of
supporting the Government exclusively on
commerce, aims 4 deadly blow at the vitals
of our power.
The fatal effort of high duties on com.
merce is no longer 4 matter Of speculation.
This country has passed recently through
two perlods-one of protective tariffs and
high duties, and the other Of reduction of du-
ties, and the other of reduction of duties;
and we have the effects Of each in our Off
cial tables, both as regards our tonnage and
commerce. They speak a language not be
mistaken, and far stronger than any one
could anticipate who has not looked into the
tables. or made himself well acquainted with
the powerful operation Of low duties IN ex-
tending navigation and commerce.. As much
as | had anticipated from their effects. the
reduction of the duties-the tightening of the
burdens of commemorative greatly exceed
ed my most sanguine expectations.
] shall begin with the tonnage. as more
Immediately connected with naval power;
and. in order to show ~ relative effects of
high duties and low on our navigation !
shall compare the period from 1924; when
the first great increase of protective duties
took place, TO 1880, inclusive, when the first
reduction Of duties commenced, during these
seven years. which include the operation of
the two protective tariffs of 1924 and 1923,
that is, the reign of the high protective tariff
system-our foreign tonnage fell off from
629 972 tons TO 576.475, equal to 6I5,3IO.
equal to lO3,880 tons-making the falling off
in both equal TO 267.37O tons. Yes; to that
extent (IO3,88o) did our our c~oasting tom
mage dccline-the navy tonnage. the increase
Of which, it was confident predicted by the
protective party, would make up for every
public loss in our foreign tonnage from their
miserable quack system. Instead of that,
the falling off. in the c~oasting trade is even
greater than in the foreign; proving clearly
high duties are not less injurious ut home
than TO the foreign trade.
pass now to the period q will not say of
free trade--It is far short of that of reducing
Of high protective duties; and now make the
the contract between the two. | begin with
the year 1881. the first after the reduction
was made on a few articles. principally cof-
fec and tea,) and will take in the entire peri
cd down to tine last returns-that of 1910
making a period of ten years. This period
includes the great reduction under the com
promise act, which is not vet completed, and
which, in its further progress, would add great
ly to the increase, if permitted 10 go through
undisturbed. The tonnage in the foreign
trade increased during that period from 576-
AIS tons to 899,7 81, equal to 323.28s tons
not much less than two-thirds of the whole
amount at the commencement Of the period;
and the coasting for the same period in
creased from 6I5,5lo to l,2sO,999, equal to
665,699 tons-more handouble; and this too,
when, according to the tariff doctrine. our
coasting trade ought TO have fallen of, in
creasing, lin consequence of the reduction of
the duties;) and thus incontestibly proving
that low duties are not less favorable TO our
domestic than TO our foreign trade. The
aggregate tonnage for the period has mcreas-
ed from 1,I9l,776 to 2,lSO,763-nearly
doubled. Such and so favorable to low
duties in reference to tonnage is the result