Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1849-04-27
The Carving Trade,

The recent effort of Col. Puk's adminisra.
ton. under the prelence Of prompting "(ree
trade to surrender to the British in equal par
ticipatinn in the coaSling trade of the United
States, has excited the surprise of every one
disPuscd to regard the prosperity Of his own
country, as an obec. challenging the unremil.
ted attention of guvernmen.-We are happy
to learn that President Taylor has promptly di.
rected our minister u London. 10 proceed no
farther in this scheme or advancing English in.
tereSts at the expense of our uwn. The follow.
ing facts, collected in the Boston Alias will be
found Interesting:
In l847, as we before stated, the British ton.
mage entering our ports stood nearly as | to 2.
The whole foreign tonnage Of that year was l..
290 900 IONS, against l0l 00O American. The
whole value of domestic productions exported
was $3.50 $40 600. divided as follows, viz:
In American vessels. 500 $4,000.
In Foreign vessels, 52796 000.
by which It will be seen thai more Than ore.
third of our whole export Of domestic PrOduc.
lions were shipped in foreign bottoms.
The whole value of our export of domestic
productions of Great Britain and Ireland was
$86 900 600, divided us follows. viz:
Ia American vessels, $40 10000
In Fore ign vessels, 37088.O00
Are not these facts very curious commen-
tary on the assertion that on terms of equality,
our navigation has nothing to lear from foreign
compeliuon; that We shall always command
pr ference in the frcghIing business, because
we can curry better aud cheaper that British
vessels cannot compete with US, 'berause thew
are badly built and baey oficered and man
ned.
If Fritish vessels are treading so closely up
on our heels, IN our own ports and our own
trade, when we have monopoly of our own
coaSling business, which 81 materially helps our
(reghling ships AT all times, und especially when
lreighIs are low, how shall we stand The com.
pelIlion. when British ships are in fret placed
upon equal terms with our own, by an allowed
participation IN that business2 when they, too,
can commence their voyages from Boston, N.
York, &c., with rreights to- Southern portsl
We profess to have easonable share of ma
tona vanity, but we are not 50 blinded by ii as
10 believe that the American merchant and ship
master have no peers. Instead of indulgng in
such pleasant afftcIatlOn, we think it more wise
To act upon the opinion that whatever we can
do may be done by oIhers-Io look rather with
jealousy than contempt upon foreign compeli-
ton-and So learn To estimate our true position
and TO guard our own interests with waIchful
care.
IN military affairs, the General who looks up
on an enemy with contempt, is pretty sure tobe
beaten in the end; aud The business man who
acts upon the same principle, will often find
when too late, the folly Of over valuing himself
or under valunga competitor.
By referring to the debate which took place
in the House Of Commons on the 14ih of Feb.
ruary, and was reported in the Times and other
papers Of the l5lh, il will be seen that Mr.. La
bouchere and The British Ministry demand u
free participation in our cuasing trade, and that
every purI from Bangor to San Francisco, must
be open 10 the competition Of Brush ships.
The loiIowing is the language of Mr.. Labou-
chere: 81 certainly think, it We allow The Uni
ted States 10 carry on direct trade with our
colonial possessions we have very fair righl in
equity aud justice, TO ask Of the United States
10 admit our ships 10 participant on in our coas.
ting trade. | cannot believe thar the United
Suites would persist in a view so contrary 10
common sense and common reason"
Few men who have examined the subject and
have ascertained The extent and importance oI
! our immense coasling trade, and its rapidly in
creasng value, will be likely to give it up 10 the
competition Of British ships, in exchange for
right for our ships to trade upon equal terms
with The colonial possessions OF England.
Gazette.