The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-12-24
EDITORS CORRESPONDENCE.
From our European Correspondent.
OUR RECIPROCITY TREATIES.
No. XVII
FRANKPoRT-oS- rHE- NJ AINE. Nov % 1916

earth with the velocity of locomotive there is party Ia
the United Satesif deserve from lis homeopahian pro-
portions TO be designated such-which desires the adop
ton OF the principles contained in the obsolete Chda Mar
TINA OF England the notorious and odous navigation act
II Is composed Of the aestricdonss residing upon the
seaboard and its acknowledged champion is the Hon
Daniel Webster. When that distinguished made
his egress from the State Department. he sojoumed Ba
more day, where he edited tho merchants with ap
parenuy elaborate speech the workings of the recproci
" treaties which have contracted with foreign powers
Among other things he remarked with that gravity which
IS 50 eminenty peculiar TO him;
Il do, gentlemen, entertain the strongest belief that all
this principle of reciprocity acted upon by the government
IS wrong mistake from the beginning and Injurious to
the great Interests OF le country. What is Il BY every
concluded right trade other nations on
the same terms as trade ourselves. We give the
10 fetch aud carry between and all the nations of the
world on the same terms do, and practically they
Prncip e-ihe philosophy Of politics this SUBJECTS
hibed in the Old navigation law OF England, Introduced
by some Of the bold geniuses of Cromwes time, and ted
upon since The principle is his-the rule Is this
Any nation may bring commodities 10 us In their own yes
sells, and carry her ports, having the
IKE privilege but no nation shall bring the products OF
third nation, or carry between and that nation"
Tbs "old navigation law Of England" (enacted the
9Th Of October 1851 mentioned reveTentaly by Mr.
Webster, had toofold object neither OF which be
considered sufficiently laudable justify its advocacy in
country whose Interests wrthed under them for period OF
upwards OF century. The first promote the
gaon and commerce of the mother country the expense
OF her colonies, by prohibiting intercourse between them
and other nations The act expressly provided that
goods commodities whatever the growth, manufacture,
produce Of Asia, Africa, America should be imported
either into England Ireland Of the Plantations
eept ships oioned By English subjects The second
directed exclusively the Netherlands enacted that
no goods of the growth production, manufacture of
country in Europe should be imported Great Britain
except British ships in such bottoms bona fds
property OF the inhabitants of the State in which the
goods produced from which they could only be-
usually were exported The Protector envtous Of the
Dutch commercial marine, and he imagined that this
measure would inhct upon fatal stab, and establish
his supremacy upon the The very conception OF
the highly eulOgzed by Mr. Webster was lnquitous,
and all operations have been vicious and demorallzng
At the time of passage Eng could scarcely be contra
distinguished from nation OF pirates governed by an un-
prime piled usurpeT. She had single just proper
idea international law but the contrary, in her reck
less strides upon the common ocean highway she COM
menced without provocaon hosties upon the flags OF
,eber States whenever she magcd that they would benefit
her interests She actuated by solitary motiyc-the
motive of gain, however Illicit 1t is not wonderful, there
FORE under every view of the that she adopted such
policy as was embraced in the navigation but il
suedy wonderful that the principles of that act should
find Jealous and able supporter In American senator,
he has carried with him the counse OF the nation the
sentiments which he expressed in the city of Monuments.
Neither strange that in the supreme scishncss, the
utter when might and right were synonymous
in the vocabulary of the then acknowledged mistress OF
the that she should have persisted IN that policy until
forced to abandon it by the young and resolute nation
which her Yranncal deeds had created in the west but
il is assuredly passing strange" that voice, proceeding
from one who has denomn par ercenes the god
like by his friends should b, heard among the citizens of
that nation to pronounce the old navigation law of Eng
land" 1.-The prncple-the philosophy OF politics. for
conducting commercial intercourse with foreign
tries !!
But let US see what was thought of this principle of
navigation by the enlightened political economists
which Great Bri an produced Adam Smith, for de-
ensve purposes approved OF the navigation act but he
took remark at is not avorabe to foreign COM
81, t,utc ariza from
it, The OF nation in its commercial relations to for
egn nations, like that of merchant with regard to the diff
eren people with whom he dens is To buy as cheap and
cell dear possible But the act OF navigation, by
diminishing the number of sellers necessarily dmin
ish that of buyers and thus likely not only buy
foreign goods deaer, but to sell products cheaper,
than if there a perfect freedom OF trade Roger
Coke said that this act navgaon by lessenng the resort
of strangers ports, had most injurious effect
:" and he further said 'he English lost in
years from the time of its passage the greater part OF the
Baltic and Greenland trades" Sir Josiah Child, although
decided friend of the act, admitted that the English
shipping employed in the Eastand and Baltic trades had
decreased wothirds after its enactment, and that the
foreign shipping engaged in these trades had proportiona
bly, increased In Short the most intelligent and practical
individuals England became thoroughly convinced that
the provisions of the only imposed burdens upon
commerce, but diminished annually the amount OF ton
mage and number of But years elapsed be-
fore their opinions found favor with the government, and
then only the agency exercised by the American
public.
Ar the adoption constitution, the second act that
passed Congress was ''tor laying duty on goods
w res and merchandise imported into the United States,
wherein it was provided That discount of 10 per cent
on all the duties imposed by this act shall be allowed on
such goods wares and mechandses, shall be imported
in vessels built the United States and which shall be
wholly the property of citizen or citizens thereof or in
vessels built in foreign countries, and the 10th day Of
May last wholly the property OF citizen or citizens OF the
United States and continuing until the time OF imPorta
tion" The third act passed by the body,
.simposnp duties tonnage" 1t provided that son all
ships or vessels built within the said States UNITED and
bclonpnp wholly to u citizen citizens thereof,
built within the said States, but the 29h day OF May
I7ss belonging and during the time such ships vessels
shall continue belong wholly to citizen citizens
thereof at the rate cents On all ships vessels
hereafter built in the United States belonging wholly
in part to subjects of foreign powers al the rate of thirty
cents per ton On all other ships vessels at the rate of
ng derenta import and tonnage duties in favor of our flag
were enacted, and received the signature of GEORGE
WASHINGTON, in July 1882 BY them the germ
planted which, in the incredibly short space of y-seven
years. has productive of the second mercantile navy
| in the world
The laws from which have quoted, and those of sim
liar nature subsequently enacted, directed exclusive
w at the navigation system of Great Britain, expressed
in the famous act of 1851, and the force of them felt
with great severity by persons engaged in commerce in
England. At first disposition manifested by the
British government adhere rgdy to its policy, in des
pite of them but il perceived that we were rap
idy-growing people, tho evils complained of multiplied
from day 10 ay instead of diminishing Finally, after the
war of 1912 terminated commercial treaty concluded
between the two countries 1t signed at London the