Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1844-07-02

Trade" that the English shipping employed W
tho Eastland and Baltic trades had decreased dt
least Mo-lhiltS since lis enactment ana lhal inc
foreign shipping employed in these trades hau
propollonably increased. Sir Mathew DecheI'
an eminent merchant. in his "Essay on inc Ie-
cline Of Trade" said that the Navigation Acl' by
rtidslia@ tic ffejeM Il SHIPS higher INN a ""aa
oihcyl-iu hare beeR Ind entNtt,d hc0rY beT"G"
on Tic puJlic. Thus, as regarded the interests oi
colancrce, the most enlightened minds IN England
were arrayed against this act Cat The time oi It's
passage and aiterwards,) which Mr. Webster
believes 10 lie The true principle--the philoso-
pix OF politics" on the subject OF navigation;
In .S1. the Continental Congress passed an y CT
of Navigation similar 10 the one then III force IN
England II was enacted, that all ioreiSh VcSSeiS
trading 10 The United States, should be taxed oo
cents-whch subsequently was increased ~ d
dollar--per ton duty, mare ta0h EGS tfdf'ea J'"m
tesuls saifa" andcr American co!ofS. As inc
measure was aimed al the British shipping anu
altogether reiaIialorv III its character II was con
>idcled bv other powers as nothing more ilah
rst: and even England could not take eycepiloaS
To il. as il was fighting her with her own Wea-
pons In this wise legislation OF our illti>lflous
sircs, the germ OF our maritime greatness "'s
planted The Northern States OF Europe, aic' !"
lime. manifested disposition 10 lolloW oui IN
ample. and the British Government becoming
frightened, alter lllUtI Ht9ltttAIti
be The safest policy 10 make concessions, WIN ds
htl. DELAY ms practicable Accordingly. III 1919;
by a treaty with the United StacS she coaSch'eu
TO relax in her rigid system so much As 10 permit
our ships 10 enter her ports upon The same eiiis
that hers were permitted 10 enter olis, ana 'iial
equal duties should be collected upon all ail'rhS,
the produce of The one country imported mo .nI
other. whether carried in American or BRUSH
bottoms. THIS 9raS tie caifyia" "Fdsc, me c.sh-
I,l sSS tnIt SYSTEM,
which Mr. Webster pronounccs MiS'Ahh
FROM THE BEGINNING" If il, indeed, M nus
| take from the beginning II IS miS"1t upon
which New England has reared lis slupendoiis
wranh-a "mistake' TO which The Gland OF steady
habits is indebted for all that ii enjoys OF COM
merca prosperity OF OF political consequence ~
the scale of the nation ior, II was lie ii'ed!s oi
! introducing into every chime S''ccessiuin' ia',
kcc notions" Without this mistake, Whal
wonld have been Boston. and New Bedioni, and
! Salem and Newburypoit, and Nanlucket sus-
| tanned hv no agricultural interest, ana Win Inc
emgratinr disposition of the descendants oil the
! Pilgrims? They would have long since been in
| langlShiag condition, compared with he ri>iig
cities of the West! The people oi the U. States
! in their relations with The whole world, want no
| thing hut RECIPROCITY. Give them lha', ana WIN
such a country they will 90 ahead Win Inc ra-
pidiy of a passenger car oh an atmospheric rall-
| road.
| After the British Government was forced, III
seli.del:.nce 10 make concessions 10 the United
/ STATES touching its navigation policy, Tie liahsc
| Towns. Prussia Sweden. &c, demanded more
privileges Tor their flags which entered her ports.
than hitherto had been extended 10 them, which
was followed by the conclusion OF RECIPROCITY
treaties The one with the liansc Towns, Was
ratified December > lS.l3 The United States
could mol hesitate as to the hest course for lhcm 10
! 81, ran led a -
They were At peace with the wolld-they wished
10 remove all obstacles to their ships moorln9 III
every haven 10 their sails whi,cnin" every sea
and 10 st.ouy and weak powers alike, they sad.
come TO our ports as often aS YOU please bin"
what Won please take what You please and 90
where YOU please. We reserve nothing To our
selves that is not granted 10 You, except our
coaStino trade. In return, we ask similar tene-
fits as far a. il is in the power OF the parties,
with which We make contracts, 10 hcSlow them
ON the lith of October, 1926, Reciprocity Treaty
was ratified between the United States ami Den
mark-on The end June. 1928 between the United
States and the lIanse ToWns-on the 18th June,
1923. between the United States and Sweden ana
Norway--on the ith March, 1922. between the
United States and Prussia--on the ION February
1881 between the United States and Auslna-on
the I,h Nav, 1883, between the United States
and Russia These. by Limitation, all expired,
sU.llP tltllt Silltt--diiu tN1i'~ 49,
10 be given. by one party 10 the other, before they
areJisccn,nuet Itmay not be ami>S 10 remark
that The four frs, Of these Treaties were concluded
while AIR CLAW was Secretary Of State: the
5th while Mr.. Van Buren, filled that office, and
The 9Th while Mr.. Livingston was the incumbent.
In the midst. and dnrins the continuance Of thc
Lish excitement on Tie Tariff question, from 1921
10 is3i The propiiety of entering into them was
not doubted. Erec If0de, thus far, was recog-
nized a saluiav. with nnanimiiy oi sentiment
crcditabc 10 the era at which il was adopted.
The good. resulting from This policy To the ma.
lion generally, cannot be questioned IL "pcncd
a vide field for commercial enterprise, which has
hroueh, purchasers TO oar own doors iorour yarl-
Gus surplus products Il has rountcT5alanccd to
some extent The evils III high TaliS, which OH
crwiac would have been insupportahle Ia our az
ricuuralist>. i,lo,c treaties are abrogaled, and
the existing duties on foreign merchandise cont
nucd the tiller of the soil will he left in but illle
better condition than a newer OF wood and draw
or of wafer" Ia addionto the imFod f"f Whlch
he pays this measure would al oh'e c'y an &C.
pori tGt on every staple which the earth produces
This tact is susceptible Of demonstrations A plant
er Of Charles County, Maryland, ior Instance, has
in The hands ot his merchant in Baltimore loo
bhds oil Tobacco iol sale Tie agent Of an Am
>ierlam house has an order Tor the article, WHICH
he is anxious to execute The quality suits HIM,
but the price is ~ cents on the 100 lbs. above his
limits al the prevailing rate OF ireighls-say 80
shillings per hid The planters merchant, Ind
inc that nothing better can he done; determined TO
submit to The offer made by the agent. Al this
moment. the consienee oil a Bremen ship. who
has orders to fill hcr up on her owners ac-
| count calls upon him and purchases The tobacco al
the price which he originally asked for it. Now,
bnt iur the Reciprocity Treaty with the Hahse
| Towns. the planter would, in effect, have been
compelled 10 pay an cfpor duty of ten cents OH
the one hundred pounds Of his staple, and that al
time, when it is 50 low in value that he can
merely live "by The skin Of biz teeth Which is
| the most important interest, would ask Mr. Web
ster in Maryland-thc ship-owncrs, the tobacco
planters The latter cannot be much short OF
twenty times as large as that of the former, while
| il is durable, and should be shielded from unne-
cesSay oppression.
The ihd,rta trade i, cnoyed it is alleged in
loo large a proportion by tie shipping of the
| Hanse Towns, under this Reciprocity Treaty,
over that Of the United States 1t is considered
| n great outrage, thai Bremen Ships should he per-
! mittcd to buy cargocs of flour in Baltimore sail
| with them 10 Rio Ianciro, and return 10 New CIR
leans, or other ports, ireighcd with coffee. Bu;
what is the working Of dis upon the ceaefat good
I OF the country. II unquestionably contributes 10
! the accomplishment of that great dcsidefdiHm, i'll
the prosperity Of a nation bHgiag cd"oP Gnd SCI
| ling hg1 Competition amongst purchasers, tn
hances the price of an articc-compeition
amongst sellers, reduces H. Therefore, the grain
growers ii Maryland arc benefited by The indi
rect carving 10 Rio, while the coffee drinkers are
benefited in similar manner by the indirect car
/ rying fom Rio This is not confined 10 Mary
land alone, bul 10 all grain-protucing and coffee
| consuming States.
| have no data before me, by which a correct
estimate can be formed Of the capital employed in
agriculture in the United States. In the culliva-
| ton of cotton alone, it is asccrained 10 be $500
| 100000 This NAV he a sixth Of he entire
amount--in all, 5000 900 ,000-lhe largest single
interest in any country on the globe The capital
employed in ship navigation is about 100000
| 600 Thus they stand 10 each other in the posi-
| ton Of scycnty-iiye 10 one. Now, under the be-