The daily national Whig. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1847-1849, 1849-05-16

But though the disposition Of this ques-
ton belongs Of right to Congress, where the
Administration win leave it, we shall take
part in the discussion Of its merits, whenever
it comes up before Us, in the order Of things.
Our intention IS to answer the arguments Of
the author Of this letter, at length, and with
view to do him full justice, we begin by
giving him hearing in our columns.
From the Boston Courier, l2Ili May.
THE NAVIGATION LAWS.
WAsHMoTos, May 8, 1916.
Islhere any good ground Of controversy on this
eide Of the water In regard to this subject? As yet,
we believe not glance at the real condition Of
the question we think shows this. These United
States are at this moment far in advance of all the
rest Of the world In respect to free trade In shipping
We have made reciprocity treaties with some fifteen
or twenty powers OF the earth, the stipulaons Of
which place the ships Of all those powers on per-
feet equality with own in SO far as the acts Of
our government can effect this object. OF course,
we now speak Of our foreign commerce. We allow
the ships of every country with whom we have made
reciprocity treaties, TO enter our ports from every
quarter Of tho globe on the same footing with our
own Vesbeb. iucIt ~ nu cACiubiVh uilu Ho uiseti-
mnation. While we have done this England has
made no such treaty with any government in the
world. She has not single reciprocity treaty like
eurs nth any country In oil her commercial treaties
she has aimed Of securing advantages to her COM
msrce, through tho skill Of her diplomacy And she
has every where got The advantage. In the late de-
bate in the British Parliament, Mr.. Lahouchere ad-
mltted this, curiously enough we think particularly
rs regards Russia. But her commercial treaty with
Russia h In the main like oil the British commercial
treaties The leading point Of difference between
these treaties and onr treaties IL just this England
only permits foreign ships TO bring cargoes 10 her
ports from those countries 10 srhich they stperaiy be-
long And In some cases she clogs even this stipu-
lation. In her treaty with Prussia, made In 1871,
she did, by great stretch Of berality, permit Prs
sian vessels to bring Prnssian products from the
mouths Of the Ems, Weser, Mouse, and Elbe, be-
cause these rivers were the natural outlet Of Prussan
commerce.. And yet, while England Is TINS cxcu-
sive, she has, extraordinary II may SEEM obtained
from other countries treaty sllpuatons which allow
her ships 10 curry the productions Of oil the world
into their ports on the same footing with their own
bottoms This is the character Of English recipro
city In the year le49. Now, the United States per-
nit the foreign ships Of every country with whom
they have entered Into reciprocal commercial treaties
10 bring caygos into our ports firm epsry part Of The
elobs on tho same footing with our own vessels.
Thus, Danish ships came laden into American ports
during the laHt year, from no less than sersn'een diff
fcrent countries.
This natlon has been the pioneer, and still holds
the lead in this question Of free trade In shipping.
For fvo and twenty years we have been the pracli-
cal advocate and cxamplnr of unrestricted com
Inerce--both preaching the doctrine and setting the
example. We hnye said TO all nations by our acts,
- M r,ta lraaf e;r tsr.
Our offors have been met and reciprocity trenties
have been made with us, by every commercial state
Of any importance, excepting England, France,
Spain, and Holland and with these countries the
United States have been ready, we doubt not, and
we presume are now ready, TO enter into the same
Kind of reciprocal arrangement which we have made
with every other This is the character Of the prop
osion Of the late administration to the British Gov
eminent Certainly this must be so, unless it Is
proposed to recede from the policy adopted under the
administration Of Mr.. John Quincy Adams, and
steadily persisted in ever since. And this we lima
CINE no one anticipates.
In what light, then, are we to view the presen
actlon Of Great Britain in regard to her navigation
laws oithor In Itself In Its bearing upon this coun
,ry1 Simply as commendable effort 20 break dow
her own restrictive system In regard 10 shipping
She Is the great monopolist Of the wod at this hour
u.
seen that she has not single reciprocity treaty Will
any nation on the face Of the globe, Of that iberu
stamp OF those we have with sixteen or more princi
nal powers--from Russia down to the free cities Q
Hamburg, Bremen, and Lubec. Nearly all her com
ercal treaties are purposey framed to secure TO he
the Hons share Of transportation. She possesses
through her restrictive laws her onesded treaties
and her colonial system, almost the exclusive cal
ylaee 10 her own ports Of all the great freghpnyln
articles OF commerce not grown In the United States
The Asiatis trade Is, 10 very great extent in he
hands, She has OF least seven hundred ships CT
gagged In that traffic, mostly with her own posse:
slons--a commerce probably forty times as great q
the celebrated Dutch East India trade at the tim
Holland was at the pinnacle Of her commerc'
greatness. She has always kept to herself u
transportation 10 her own porte, Of the coffee, suga
and other heavy and valuable products Of her
sive possessions In the West Indies, Of the wood
British North America, Of The productions Of Sou,
Africa and Australia. And from the circumstan,
that Russia and Brazil have but few ships, she hi
likewise almost tho exclusive transportation 10 h
own domlnlons Of the bulky products Of these ~
great countries. An immense amount of BIRTH
tonnage IL Thus employed where England meets !
rivalry whatever. ss
Some Idea Of Its extent may be formed when v
state that the entries inward Into tho United Kin
dom, of the colonial commerce aIons-in le47 rds Il
millions Of tons, CONFINED exclusively to Britt
ships) oft Of q total foreign commerce Of sepsn M
lions Of tons. And yst these figures do not EXPIRE,
the full proporiIonate magnitude Of her cArryil
trade, where she Il almost without rival as a m
ment's reflection win enable the reader to see.
The eilorts u the Free-trndsrs In England are
rected 10 Tho breaking down Of this great monopol
w, al least, ought surely TO wish them succc'
rhs nv,s,uh 0overnmeut have no claim 10 he ronui
sy,d sincere In their efforts IL behalf Of nee ira
until they do destroy their own gigantic CONNIE
cisl monopoly, Il which we have here glance
me vusf Al fhfs bsfors thcv can claim Ia 6fnbd