The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1849-06-06

And Sir Josiah Child. author of another treatise trade
and Sir Matthew Decker an eminent British merchant
expressed similar opinion The latter declared hat in
stead of increasing the shipping and Of England
il had diminished them both and that by rendering the
freight OF ships higher than it would otherwise have
BEEN ii had entaied heavy burden on the public, and
had been of the main that had prevented the
English from carrying the fisheries successfully
the Dutch McCulloch remarks that "there does not
be any good ground for questioning these
menls = and he adds, navigation and naval power are
the Children not the parentshe effect not the cause of
commerce If the latter be increased, the Increase OF the
former will follow as a matter of More ships
and more sailors become necessary, according the
commerce between different and distant countries is ex.
tended"
And who doubt these sound conclusions Who
can doubt that is the interest of every nation that has
surplus OF products of its own or wishes to create
commerce for itself by the exchange of the products of
sther nations, TO remove all obstacles which interfere
with such an obect' Who doubt that it is the true
policy of this country, with its immense surplus OF the
products of its industry agricultural and manufacturing,
and its extensive commercial marine now second only
that of England and which will be the first in the
with the exchange of those products with other coun-
tries or the employment of that marine in the
change of the products of other nations Would it not
be advantageous the navigation of the United States
our ships could take from own ports cargoes of
our own produce, carry them to the ports of other nations
exchange them for the products of the nation with which
they trade which may be again sold in the ports of other
countries, and finally returning with such cargoes
81
of trade by enlargng the field of operation for ship
ping add TO its profits, and stimulate increase in the
number of both vessels and seamen' And would not
the materials for naval power be thus greatly increased
And if the merchants and ships of other nations had the
same advantages in our own ports, would 1t not have
tendency to increase commerce. and the sale Of
our products? 1t would that the removal of
all such restrictions upon trade the navigation laws
impose would have these very effects We are therefore
grah6ed not only to witness the efforts making by
the enlightened statesmen of England to get rid OF those
restrictions upon the OF the world which she
has imposed by her navigation laws. but we are also in
favor of the repeal of our laws of similar charac-
And such, we infer from the correspondence which
it is said Mr. Bancroft has had with the British govern
men seems to have been the policy of the last admins
tration
1t would not of course affect the eo1sting trade of this
country. has been alleged by the restrictonss here
for the purpose of alarming that portion of the navigating
interest embarked in that business. 1t would only
move the obstacles existing against free and
strcied trade with other countries Therefore, while it
to shipping the domestic trade, it en-
lages its field of operations abroad The adoption of
the liberal system of policy proposed by the enlightened
statesmen OF both this country and England would be
beneficial to the agricultural, commercial and shipping
interests, by multiplying the markets, increasing the de-
mand for products, and giving still broader field of
operation TO ALL Yet if understand the policy of the
present administration, is opposed to all change the
present commercial system of the country and even in
favor Of reogradng from the point of advancemento-
wards liberal system of trade which has already
been attained under the wise counses and auspices of
the democratic party
Whether the provso in the act relating to the navigation
of the United States approved March 1917 would apply
to nations that may have subsequently repealed, or shall
repeal their navigation laws, is matter of doubt To our
mind it to have reference only to state of things
then existing and, therefore, in the event of the repeal
of the British navigation laws, in order to enable the
merchants and vessels of that power enjoy the
privileges in ports which merchants and ships
will then enjoy in the ports of that nation il would be
necessary that there should be some legislation on our
part, that the matter should be settled by negotiation
both of which understand the present adminstra
ton 10 be opposed, and very unwsey, in opinion.
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