The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-03-27
EDITORS CORRESPONDENTS.
lFrom our regulars correspondent

NEW oRk, March 70, 1916.
The tobacco contract made BY the French gopemsn JOy
lSa6-47, binding The contractors 10 ship ercuspsi
IN French resseis-Hsreioisrs opiiOnai--8gainsi dc
Trft cfTeepyoeai treaties - The French might be in
d"esd possibly TO modify s order, 10 place The
contract apo" the footing Of The engagements Of former
s'aTs.-Ihs osSring Of reciprocal treaties 9th he
Battle porfs--h JapOr Of them, il strictly such, and
'csre our materials for ship building less farsd than
they @s.--Io compete the ocean toih cheap bull
vessels under reciprocal treaties tcih Foreign govern
tnsns, the port charges Ia each eou,sirs should be-
sqai; and ships materials Of construction and for
stores, should mai be enormously Jared a, thy are by
the tariff Of l9+2.-Ths warehouse biH-h should
aloe ships 10 fake out stores, cables Sc. free Of ,
top1 them on footing icin English pss,es IDOL
ish tts burdens imposed al home on tie Skipping an
isres, or abolish reciprocal hsafies-J you sssiius
issab Jorsiyners IN one respect, do 50 N The oasy-
OSseftons 10 the ,oarehousiag bill bsfyrs Congress,
Usitsd States branch mint in Ns,e York, &C., &c.
The tobacco contract made by tho French gov
eminent Tor the year lS46-47 is complained Of by
some at our shipping merchants. They say, that
4 heretofore the government have only recommended
70 the contractors the propriety Of shipping the to-
| bacco in French vessels where they could be OH
tanned but that, under the present engagement the
contractors ase prohibited from making shipments
IN any other than in French bottoms This REQUIRE
ment will embarrass the contractors; for thew will
find II difficult 10 procure French ships in American
ports, while our vessels hitherto participating
IN the carrying trade Of this article 10 France are
excluded, The wisdom and expedency Of such
regulation may well be questioned. IL strikes one
Inconsistent with the spirit Of reciprocity which
should prevail between the shipping interests Of the
Two countries II is possible, that II proper repre-
sensations were submitted to the French government
by ours, IL might be Induced 20 make some modi6-
cation IN the late agreement. And II il did nothing
more, IL might be persuaded to place the contract on
| its former footing. 90 -.' M -....
As part and parcel Of free trade, I arm in favor
of reciprocal treaties, provided they are really what
they purpou 10 be, To be reciprocal, the tonnage
duties not only should be equivalent in each port,
but port charges OF all kinds should also be equal in
the ports OF the respective counties. For instance,
il ship Of FIVE or six hundred tons could enter the
waters Of New York and other American ports at
Qor example) ten dollars, and a weasel Of similar
size from the United States entering the port of
Stockholm or Gutenberg, in Sweden, should be
charged twenty dollars, there would be no fair re-
c'prociiy 10 this part OF the business. Although
they can ht out cheaper built ships on the Baltic
than we can, and the small port Of Bremen does lit
! tie else than ht out ships for competition with
American ships in our own trade, we can see no
great objection 10 1t, had our ships free trade and
fair dealing at home To extend free trade to other
4
| TO tax our own shipping interest at home by un-
equal and unjsst taxation, destroys or prevents our
power OF competition under free trade reciprocal
treaties. For Instance, we have reciprocity treaty
with Sweden and Bremen. The latter is free port
where all the materials entering into the eonstruc
lion and equipment Of ship are perfectly free
while with the duties levied on the materials of
| ship-building, rigging, &c, are enormously high
and amount to at least from FIVE 10 six dollars per
ton, which, on a vessel Of six hundred tons
1 nan 10 IN fhrSA ALL. T..
it is said a vessel OF this sze can be built at five
thousand dollars leas than she would cost in the
Uni,sd Ssaaes We put fvregn cheap hull, ships on
free reciprocal footing with our own as to mutual
tonnage duties, and then, as IL to sink our
own vessels in this reciprocal competition, we
wheel round, and, by imposing heavy take.
on yellow sheathing on sail duck on chain
cables, and great variety OF other things including
ships stores, &c, we apply razor we're to our
own throats. In this way our commercial carrying
| marine has been most seriously crippled If our
shipping interest cannot he relieved from the oppres-
sive taxation TO which is subiectedif it cannet
enter the field, the highway of the ocean, in recipro-
city Of free competition without being sadded with
| burdens and taxation-if it cannot go forth from
our shores, comparatively free and elastic, to meet
TO outstriP reciprocity combatsnts, it would be far
better to abolish all reciprocal treaties make our
vessels and building materials comparatively free in
our ports before subecting our vessels to free
| competition on the high seas.
| The warehousng bill is defective inasmuch as it
does not provide that outward-bound ships may
draw their from public warehouses free of ali
| duty, TO place them on an equal footing with the
| ships Of Great Britain The bill is also wrong in
requiring bonds from merchants, who place goods
in the public warehouses, as the possession Of the
goods ought to afford ample security for 90 or 30
| per cent. of their value.
| At another time, wish to notice some of the de-
! fects and absurdes in the mode by which our pub.
lie revenue is collected at the United States custom.
| hona Morn I'd
and injurious forms and requirements for the obse r
vance Of merchants in the entry and clearance of
goods and merchandise were never contrived in
| civilized country. Their enforcement acts most
detrimenially and injuriously upon the mercantile
| interest.
Another important subject for the consideration
of Congress, Of which have seen no notice vet of
its being taken up, is the establishment of mint in
this city. 1t is measure of great consequence to
the merchants and government Of the country. an,
AS this city has the most extensive foreign trade
which reaehesthe Tinted States lands II Nss York
To convert II into American coin, merchants are
compelled to forward the foreign specie to Philadel.
pbis for coinage, which involves them in much risk
insurance, &C., to and from Philadelphia, besides
laying out Of the use or interest Of the money.
There are many other arguments which might Be
adduced in favor Of this measure did time permit. 3
Nsw York market, this day AZ p. nr--The stock
market experienced another tumble to-day. Prices
of most descriptions fell off about per cent. on the
average. ,-fr Il, l.y.qf rrl-, 7a,1rr7 az -..r ..-
Only 400 or 400 bales of cotton sold to-day. Mar
ket firm ct decline since the arrival Of the Hiber-
mia of only to previously noticed. Holders con-
tinue firm in their demands and seeu, unwilling to
enter the market until later advces, expected by the
Unicorn. '-a-.a.t .tf II rNvtE 40 De-.
" Upland and N. Orleans and
Florida. Mobile.
INFERIOR none. none. ~
Ordinary to good ordinary 6ja7}c. 6ia Nc
Mid TO good mid d. maze. TIA 81 c.
Middling fair to fair g 81 c. sf a oil c.
Fully iair to good fair sis9 c. Ok l0f O.
Fine nominal.
The arrivals have been from New Orleans, 626
bales; from Florida, 507 bales; from Georgia, 1874
bales; from South Carolina, SCI bales; from North