Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1840-1842, 1841-05-17
From the N. Y. Times and Star.

|
| Our Commerce and Commercial Relations
Why sleeps the tardy justice of our country II
cannot erase the traces of deep sf ciions arising
from impotence and neglect-but il nigh, wipe aw ay
The miserable men and grovelling measures of the
| Van Buren, administration. Those W no have coun
seed in the measures runous to our great inter.
es,s, stand condemned like those who have in Off
cal conduct, assaied the purity OF elections.
The limited commercial intelligence and short
sighted views of the nesotator OF the Mclean Trea-
~ with England, have gone far to iniure our COM
| merce, and sacrificed much of our carrying trade
while Mr. Stevenson, our present minister embrac-
ing IN his views only the Slave and tobacco inter
ests, has sought no redress alienation 10 the con
sequent disasters of that i'll. iated treaty.
| Before 1880, when the treaty came into opera-
ton, the American tonnage TO British Colonial ports
was nine times much as the British tonnage
cleared from America to the same ports. But since
the treaty, the British tonnage is greater than the
American TO the same ports.
Our trade to the British Colonies thus diminished
Is however less injured than the commerce TO other
Countries. In 1880, when the treaty took effect,
Tue american tonnage to foreign ports was 81 500
IONS, ana nearly eleven times much as the Brit
ish tonnage cleared from American port, which
was then only S9,S 500 tons. Ii was in 1889 49l-
5OO tons, which shows n of increase under the
treaty, OF four hundred and forty -seven per cent
The more eitectually 10 injure the fisheries and
supnlant the carrying trade, American vessels are
not allowed by the treaty with England, TO go from
one colony TO another and can only make direct
voyage from the United States TO one of her coo
MES; and there they counIervailed by enormous
and disproportionate duties on produce brought in
American vessels In many of the w. |. Islands a
bounty is gwen the importation OF fish in the
ses OF the home country, greater than the value of
the article American shippers, If allowed &c enter
the port would gladly contract TO deliver any guam
tty OF the like FISH at the price of the bounty
other nations are thus skfuly taking care of their
interests and ehershing their fisheries and SHINING
But the Van Buren, Administration was so busy in
squabbling to keep up "The Party" that it could
not and did not attend TO such small matters as the
agriculture and commerce of the country. Its mi
nislers and agents were party hacks selected for
party purposes and altogether incompetent for the
high duties expected to be performed and therefore
the people wllled an entire change OF administration
FGnce-A treaty has been negotiated with
France, and with much Boosting it has adjusted the
claims and obtained indemnify for former spoliaons
on our commerce. But mark the fraud and the
manner IN which our government agreed TO be cheat
Cd The duties on the Importation of French pro.
ductlons, are to be so RENTED her wines silks
trnketS, &c. &c, that have given two dollars 10
France IN remission of duties upon the xuries inn
ported Tor every dollar she had To pay US for
spoIauons; and our incumbent minister fresh from
the Van Buren, Cabinet, has been content for wears
past with his salary and such a state Of commerce
The Corn laws Of England and France have
gone lar TO mjure commerce; have rejected all
reciprocity IN trade; have Frustrated the great asr-
cultural interests OF the country and have been ner-
mltted TO pursue their course of depression ana de
structlon without any adequate efforts OF resistance
or self defence the part of our administration or
any voluntary hindrances from either Of the dipo.
matte agents representing those great interests
which they seem not TO have understood
The returns of the census show an amount of
production IN the Upited States Of seventy-three
millions bushels Of wheat, and with the Capacity of
an increased and unlimited production. Ii has been
left TO decay on the farmers hands without anv
efforts to provide for 1t foreign market, while a
particular mission created to find Continental
market for tobacco alone.
To encourage domestic production, a duty OF five
cents was land on imported sugars, and 10 aid COM
| merce, a draw back of FIVE cents WINS allowed M,
expectation. In the zeal 10 break up any protection
\ TO domestic labor, the duty foreign sugar has
been reduced TO two and one-half cents hile the
dra" back on e'exportation is continued at cents
Vessels loaded with sugar, bound to foreign ports.
touch at American ports 10 get this dference of
and one-half cents on the drawback. Such is the
present course OF trade, and it Is well suited To The
| late administration. il permitted commerce 10 draw
back double the sums paid in duties; and allowed
S"aTisOui, HOyt & Co., &c. sc, TO draw out any
! residue. No wonder we have a deficit treasury =,
Even BddIe might have been trusted with sucb =,
balance sheet as sIfely as Woodbury.
| IL is the boast of England that the steam mower
used ~ her works is equal TO the labor of FORTY mil
lions OF men. The returns to the census shoIy ,b,
cur farmers have nineteen millions sheep and obout
thirty millions pounds Of WOOL The wheat and The
wool, At they had any market, would pay all bal.
ances on mportaLons, and leave out of debt and
! prosperous. But no matter Tor the farmeTsil Let
thelr wheat and wool decay on hand-import freely
! the productions of English labor and the wines
silks and sswgaws Of France-drawing the specie
OF the country TO pay foreign balances on inportn
tlons-and when rendered bankrupt with the policy
OF such an administration wonder what is the mat
Ter with the currency and the banking stem oT the
country. II any little bank in the country sbal he
found TO have afforded aid by loans to farmers IN
their need, pursue II 10 destruction with the hate OF
the administration. Ouch has been our late poI,cv
Spain-dsgraded and fallen. Our Diplomatic no.
iations with Spain, from Van Ness, inclusive. nav.
been TOO bad TO write about And yet the present
Chntge merits an exception Heis a sober man
and with new instruction, he would serve his coun,
trys interests TO the utmost Of bis power
Congress passed TetsIiatory aci putting on ia,
commerce OlSpaln the same burthens Il in6icied nm
ours. This act is tridod and made void by heoyv
duties on cotton imported into Spain, IN American
bottoms; but duty free, when brought from her eo.
lonY Of Cuba IN Spanish bottoms. Thus our cot
ton from the Mississippi Is naturalized nj Cut,,
and we have lost the carrying trnde OF this article
Of our own production. This blow js the more
grleyOus 10 the trade Of New Orleans, and the n,
ton, when il Is remembered, that the coEon Of the
Red River is turned away, by duty Of prohibition
~ 'aVor OF our cotton growers, and lis commerce
and carrying trade is sent 10 foreign port and IN
foreign vessels. This is like the case ,gitb our
wheat, -four, beef and pork, on the west and north
and upper Lakes. They are kept out Of our canals
ana @nl lhto Canada, where they are natuTnIz ed
ms Coohlal produce. 50 our wheat flour, besCnnj
pork at Boston, or any eastern town. iaHd we are for
making bridge and rail road to send any au,ntitv
from Albany, eastward,l ~ forwarded coastwi,e IN
the nearest British port. All " Tins naturnI,,.J =,
Colonial produce, and shipped in Brush vessels IN
the West Indies. Ifshipped from the United gt,,ss
ia American vessels fOUf is charged a duty M =
shillings and beef and pork duty Of 20 saLings
sterling This Is prohibition. An Amer.yhE, y.
sci - not allowed, under the treaty TO tuksN - u
from one British province to another. ThNIsye
We by diplomacy, or the want Of it, lost the carry.
ing trade Of our own produce.--Ths late admins.
tralion was busy trying 10 make President IL
had not time; is minister had his mouth full Of 10.
baeeo' a"d no one could speaka word foT the ship
ping interest
lILLT-is acountry productive in wines and elk.
- why, az sacrifice, get those articles from
France Italy has a Catholic population Of 90 mil
lions Of inhabitants; onehfh Of the time their rsl
gion requires them 70 dispense with meats-thoy
i've on hsh; good customer for US, with our fshs-
res CHERISHED az great expense nursery Tor sea
men. But England has the monopoly o( her 6sh
market-she has even treaty with Naples, bv
winch she " secured commercial advantage OF ten
per cent In her favor any other most favored
nauoa. bngish marked quintals OF fish are seen
| N res N Italian ports and cities where American
married hsh and the American Gag are unkeown. or
| khoWh oecssiJnally, as strangers 70 set all tbis
| mauet nghl, and open new avenues Of Trade and
commerce, the part y" selected from all the eYoeri
enee and talent Of this nation, y. r. Tpoup--iLI an
fnss Of The unfit. wv WV
AVsrRiA-io prepare Pennsylvania Tor The Pc.