The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1851-04-08

donai condition were lost. An English writer says
the acts passed ~ the nrst Congress that met under
ting tonnage dutiee, did not escape the notice Of
British statesmen Their injurious effects upon the
navigating interest Of Great Britain were at once
perceived by them. They. saw that American COM
merce was no longer at the mercy Of thirteen dis
tnct legislatures subject to the control Of the
King and council. As early as September, l7oe,
fered to the lords Of the Board Of Trade. The
same committee was afterwards Instructed to
consider and report what were the proposals
of commercial nature it would be proper
States. In January following the committee
| made a report upon the subject Of American
duties, and also upon the general subject of the
commercial relations between the two countries
| The report was drawn up by Mr.. Jenknson, then
Baron Hawkesbury, afterwards Lord Liverpool.
On the subject Of commercial treaty especially in
respect to navigation, 1t states: after full con-
sdcration Of all that has beon offered on the subject
Of navigation the committee think that there is but
ono proposition which it would be advisable for the
ministers of Great Britain to make on this head to
the government Of tho United States, in a negotia-
tion for a commercial treaty between the two coun-
tries Wis that British ships trading to the ports Of
the UnitedStates should be treated, with respect to
| the duties upon tonnage and imports in like man
the ships of the United States shall be treated
in the ports Of Great Britain; and also, if Congress
should PROPOSE it certainly WILL that this prin-
| ciple of equality should be extended to our colonies
and islands, and that the ships of the United States
should be there treated as British ships, it should be
answered that this demand not be admitted even
| a subject of negotiation"
These extracts from that report show that the
statesmen af Great Britain did not entertain the
| liberal notions of trade and navigation which then
prevailed in the United States They were brought
up under an opposite policy, which had long pre-
to- very hhrpe at ' Is War
Dutch, the great rival of Great Britain; but il had
| become with most of her writers and public men
fixed principle Of the protection which each nation
e1.. 1os.
competition of other nations. We do not intend to
| enter upon that discussion But in confirmation of
those differences of opinion concerning trade and
navigation which at the time excited between Ame-
| rican and British statesmen, we refer to Lord Shelf
fields contemporary structures the necessity of in
| violably preserving the navigation and colonial
system of Great Britain.
Pursuing this point, however, that the stand ORR
ginally taken by the ned States had contributed
to the present extended reciprocity of navigation
between nations, we remark that the example Of
England towards the United States had directed
| the commercial policy of all the other nations Of
| Europe with which the United States then traded
| The utmost that could be gained from France,
| Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands, Denmark, and
be put upon the footing OF the most favored nation.
| That, however, very short of what the United
States had proposed to Great Britain and the other
nations just mentioned.
| Those nations, yielding to the commercial supre-
macy Of Great Britain, had not then made an effort
| to release themselves from it, Nor were they in a
condition to do In three years afterwards, the
intelligence and enterprise Of the United States,
| subdued BY past failures, induced them to renew
their efforts to gain more extended trade and
vigaton. MIR. Jefferson, then Secretary Of State,
made reportto Congress upon the subject. It has
the ability OF every paper written by him in his long
political career Mr. Forsyth says that it suggest,
ed, lst, friendly arrangements with the several
tons with whom the restrictions existed, or sepa-
rate acts Of our legislation to counteraet these de-
fects. The end proposed to be attained by the first
would have been % free commerce Of exchange be-
tween the different nations in those descriptions Of
commodities which nature had best fitted each to
produce, subject to such notifications as purposes
| Of revenue might render necessary; and it
was supposed that its operation would be
an exchange Of the raw materials, then
produced in the United States, for either
manufactures which had received tho last finish
ofart and industry Of mere luxures Failing this
the alternative Of statutory prohibitions and coun-
terysLng duties and regulations to be applied"
REPORT Of the Secretary q State to the Senate,
3Oth December, 1889. Upon the earlier State pa
pers and newspaper essays already mentioned-thc
report Of Mr. Jefferson, another by Mr.. Hamilton,
(Which preceded IT'D and tho proposals OF Mr.
Adams in l7S5-we rest our assertion that the L nj
ted States in advance Of other nations in res
pcct to the principles by which commerce and navi-
CATION should be conducted between nations. The
corresponding spirit, proves IT, From what has been
said, II must be admitted also, that, from the be-
| ginning, ths countervang commercial legislation
Of the United States has been strctly rctalatory.
a
found in the correspondence Of MIR. Jay, connected
with his negotiation of the treaty Of 1884 with Great
Britain and in the treaty itself Asall Of US know
| the restrictions which were put upon our commerce
by that treaty, offensive to the pride well as
the interests Of the American people. But, being
the utmost that England would yield at that time
OF her own long established system il was thought
that the exigencies Of commercial condition re-
quired its ratification. Results provedit to be So
II did not reeprocate in any way the liberal views Of
| commerce which had been INDUCED in the United
states. But We now know that II tho most that
could be got; and history not only relieves Mr. Jay
| from the complaints Of that day, but places his
memory far above them.
Notwithstanding the failure Of every effort to
place our navigation and commerce upon better
footing, nothing done lcgisatively by he Uni
ted states from which il be said that there was
| any departure from the liberal policy which had
been proposed to other nations The natural advan-
tagcs Of the United states, the value Of our pro-
| ductions, aud the wars in Europe aiding the con-
sumpt ion OF them, were constantly overcoming for
cgn excrtions, and kept forbearing ii not always
IN good temper. In fact, except discrim mating du-
ties upon tonnage in favor Of vessels, to coun-
| teryail such all the nations Of Europe had inn
| posed in favor of their ships-several Of them
intended to bear particularly upon American COM
| meree-our legislation was, up TO that timc and
for twenty years afterwards exempt from every in
| terference with free navigation In 1879, as q
war measure, Congress passed an act doubling all
duties upon goods imported into the United States
with an additional duty OF 10 per cent upon such
might be brought in foreign vessels. The act also
increased the duty upon the tonnage Of foreign ships
| ono dollar and fifty cents. That IL was strictly
war measure i shown by its Limitation to the con-
tinuancc Of the war with England.
| When the war was at an end, and those in Europe
hadccasedby the overthrow Of Napoleon, the United
states took the earliest opportunity to renew their
Efforts Tor more liberal nav gaton than had been
at any time allowed by the nations Of Europe with
| each other or with the United States.
In March, Isis, Congress declared that the dis
eliminating duties laid by the act Of July. 1872 up
nm fLaew
| be levied, when the President should be satisfied
that the discriminating and counteryaing duties Of
any foreign nation had been abolished 20 far they
orerated TO the disadvantage Of the United States
When that declaration was made, or shortly after
Il, our plenipotentiaries. MIR. John Quincy Adams,
MIR. Clay, aud Mr. Gallatin, were in London, engag-
cdinnegotiating the commercial convention OF 1915
/ with England. Ii Is not doubted that the act had
/ its infncncc mnon the rnsnlL Tho cnr.