The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1845-06-05

ing the first cost and repairs and arma
meni,) for the ship Of the line, "DeIa
ware, us $ ,O5l 900; forth "CoIumbus,
s674,000; for the " Pennsylvania" 1884,
600; for the "Ohio" S843, 600; for The
" North Carolina" S8l2,OOO. The nv,
eTage cos! of a line of battle ship is
S83O,0O(
One year in service, wages, pro.
visions, &C., 100000
Ships proportlon of Navy Yard, &C.,
$4,000
100000
The expenditure has been, for The irig
ate Po'omac," 1927, 600; for the Mac.
edonian," $2690O0; for the Brandy
Wine" 5000 900; for The Columbia,' "
$398,OO0.
Average expenditure for a frig,
ate, $4,000
Oae year IN use, 10000
Navy YARDS &c, $4,000
100000
For the soop of war Warrca," $267 ;,
coo; Vncennes," S3O0,OOO "Fal.
mouth" S335.000; adams" s275,>
600.
Average expenditure for a sloop
OF war, $4,000
One year IN service, $4,000
navy IaidS, &c, 10000
S375,0OO
The average expense Of each gun thus
carried, as we say, uselessIv, over the
ocean, for one year, amounts to about SIS.
600. Now admitting the profit OF an
American ship 10 be four thousand doIlars
per annum,-and this rate Of profit would
cover the ocean with ships,-it will take
the years earnings of one hundred ships
10 pay the expenditure necessary 10 have
sloop of war and to use her for one year;
one hundred and fifty ships fora frigate
and nearly three hundred ships for line
of battle ship; i. e. little feet of seven.
ly'four and rigate and sloop requires five
hundred and fly ships 10 do profitable
business, 10 earn sufficient ia year 10
build, repair, aud sail this feet.
Serenteen hundrcd merchant ships must
be thus probably emp loyed eregy gear to
earn the annual expenses Of our navy, if
every ship clears $4,000 per annum
We have about 100000 tons Of ship.
ping engaged in the foreign trade. which
Is, two thousand ships, averaging five huns
dred tons each. The cost Of this shipping
is $50 per ton. The actual value OF our
mercantile marine is about $40 per ton, ta>
king them together, new and old. This
would make the value OF our shipping 10
be forty millions Of dollars ,ahout five times
the annual cost OF our navy. Our navi-
CATION, therefore, must earn every year or
benefit the country, 20 per cent. of its val
NC, to pay for lis protection by our navy.
The ship owner does not, upon an av.
erage, one year with another, earn five
per cent. beside the interest on the capital
employed. This estimate-5 per cent -
would give two millions as the profit 10
the owners. The captains, officers and
American seamen engaged in foreign
trade. do not receive over three millions
in wages. The increased value of Amer.
ican ship building materials, (princlpalIy
timber, for the iron, copper, hemp canvass
are mostly imported,) on account Of the
construction of ships. does no! exceed one
and half millions. The labor paid in
shir building, is about one million dollars.
4 altogether seven and half millions are
the national profit of our navigation, or
about the cost of the navy.
Bat, if YOU please, double this estimate
OF the prof! OF our navigation prove, il
you can, that uuderyaIUe The benef! con
cerned of cur commercial marine, and that
oyervaIue the cost of the fighting ships,
still it settles nothing in favor OF the navy,
for the navy is not of the least practical ad.
vantage TO the navigation.
There are nations now enjoying prof. |
table navigation, who have not single yes
sci Of war and who are sailing their ships
so cheaply, as to interfere, most seriously,
with he employment of our ships by our
own commerce.
La time OF peace, oil the protection for
merchant ships, which will be claimed as
necessary, is protection against pirates
now seventy-lour's and frigates never
catch pirates, certainly not as manv as
they educate to the business for it is uni
yersaIly admitted. that pirates are made bv
men living among dealh-dealing instru,
ments, by their being trained to The use of
the weapons of war If we mus, have
defence against pirates, it should be small
vessels always in commission, not ships
Of the line, or frigates, swinging lilly at
their moorings, o. making their passages
across the ocean. Who, in his senses,
would employ our large ships TO catch pi-
rates
10 peace The hugs, clumsy, floating bat,