The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1851-03-29

ration of the public good demands this. If the
Administration cannot stand upon the principles
of the message it does not expect to stand at ALL"
[DAsIEL WEBsrER's Letter TO the Union Meeting
at Wesfchssfer.
Reciprocity.
An important correspondence between the Amer
lean minister at this court and Lord Palmerston,
on the subject of the light dues on shipping. has
just been published, and has attracted much atten-
ton. Mr.. Lawrence complains that whilst through
out the United States lights, buoys, and beacons
maintained by our government, and no dues
are levied on British shipping, American shipping
cannot enter clear out Of my British port with
out paying heavy light Dues in the name of Z" reci
prooity," Mr.. Lawrence claims that the British
lighthouse system may be " speedily set free from
unequal and DO onerous restriction"
Lord Palmerston, in his reply to Mr.. Lawrence,
explains the difference in the two systems-that,
while the American Government maintains at its
cost its own lghts, buoys and beacons, the
whole system in Great Britain is maintained by
corporate bodies protected in their rights by acts
of Parliament. and il would be impossible to dis
turb those rights. Mr.. Lawrence, not satisfied
with this explanation addressed another letter to
Lord Pamerston, when the only reply was that his
mote has been referred to the proper department
of her majesty's government" There, probably,
it will remain for long period. Meanwhile the
press is discussing the question The Neios
marks that the Foreign Secretary seeks refuge in
generalties. such the difference of systems by
which lights for shipping arc provided in England
and the United States. if that not the very
thing Mr.. Lawrencc's complaints arose out OF; as
the inapplicability of the navigation stpuations
with the United States to solve this question;
as if their inability at all disposed Of the sub
stantial want Of fair reciprocity; and as the
equally bad treatment British shipping meets with
in the ports Of its own country, if sharp set
Yankee sagacity could find any consolation in the
fact that Trinity house is a greater nuisance to
Englishmen than it is to Americans To speak
plainly the Ne,cs says that there il of diplo-
matte skill than of sound reasoning plain deal
ing in Lord Palmerston's answer to Mr.. Lawrence,
and in this matter of light dues England is Who'll
y and incidentally in the wrong; it is much better
say at once, and to promise to correct the in
justice, for which, in the long run, ourselves
have to pay, than to shilly shay about the subject
That, however, the timidity of the Board Of Trade
prevents the Foreign office doing, and oil Lord
Pamcrston tell Mr.. Lawrence is, shat his note
has been referred to the proper department Of her
majestys government " The Neins, however,
says that later, all the shipping lights of
the United Kingdom must be placed under the
manag Of q central office, and their cost be
Hume, the powerful advocate of reforms, proposes
to abolish all light dues and in their stead to have
a tonnage duty of from Sd. to Is. cd. a ton, paid
once year; and this will lead 10 the lighthouse
charges being thrown the general taxation of
the country"
We take the above from the London CORE
spondence of the North american, because we
desire to call the attention of our readers to the
true character of the various reciprocal ar
rangements between this country and Great
Britain, and to show that their direct effect has
invariably been that of taxing ourselves for the
support of her people and government
As regards light dues, it is unnecessary to
add any thing to the statement given above,
by which we are glad to see that the attention
of the Government has been drawn TO the
enormous inequality of the present system.
We trust it will not be long before their
attention will be In like manner drawn to the
inequality existing under the patent laws. An
Engishman arrives here, and in few DAVIS
may obtain, at almost nominal cost, a patent for
the whole Union; but let an American visit
London for the same purpose, and he is delayed
for weeks by the necessity for obtaining the
signatures and seals of host Of placement
who live out Of the taxation thus imposed, and
at the close he finds he is taxed TO the extent
Of a hundred OF more pounds for England alone;
and that if he desires to include Scotland and
Ireland, his expenses OF time and money must
be doubled, if not even trebIed
30 Is 1t everywhere; reciprocity in shipping
regulations consisted in permitting our ships TO
90 to Halifax, whence nothing could be OBJ
tanned, and excluding them from Pictou. and
thus the whole trade was confined to british
ships.
Canadian reciprocity consists in repealinp the
duties upon grain, lumber, and all other Of the
goods that Canada desires 10 send into III,
Union, and permitting them to remain un-
touched upon tobacco, cotton, and all other of
the things that she desires to import from The
Union.
We could furnish other evidence of the ma
ture Of the thiag called reciprocity, but what
we have already given will probably suffice for
our readers at present. Let il be examined
when 1t may, 1t will be found to be all on one
SIDE We trust the attention of the proper AN.
thorities will be drawn to these things. and tb,,
through them Congress may be induced to act
in such manner as will bring about correc-
ton Of these grievances. The people of the
United States pay twice the amount of taxation
for the support Of the British government tina,
they pay for the support of their own.