New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-08-12

Frustrated again BY the embargo and SUD
seoueut war of 1912. st the general plcl-
fcat!on in 1915. we had 10 begin again, ana
take our chance with the rest of the world.
At this time, and up to the time OF the re-
neal of her Navigation Laws, IN lsl9, Eng
land had the exclusive carriage by sea TO
her own dominions she being the greatest
commercial country of the globe, and her
Canjtal the largest CITY of the world) Of the
product, of the East and West-Indies,
China. British North-America, South
America, Africa. Australia, several of the
principal ports on the Baltic, Black and
Mediterranean Seas. and various other less
important points all over the world. There
is no data by which to ascertain the proper
ton Of British shipping engaged in the for
eign and the coasting trade OF Great Brit
ain, as her navigation returns make no dis
tincticn between them but it Is fair to
presume that about one-hGLf is engaged in
each Surprising this 20 be the case, and
supposing British ships in the foreign trade
to be of the average burden of 500 tuns
each we have about fire thousand ships so
employed. OF this number, about Seren
hundred were occupied by the traffic be-
tween the United Kingdom and British
North. America and the British West In
dies. and about fire huadred in the East In
dia trade.
In addition to this, the traffic with Rus
sia and South-America required between
one hundred and two hundred ships Thus,
OF the whole British fleet of four thousand
ships engaged in the foreign trade IN 1850,
about one-tlird part were engaged IN
transportation. of which she had an entire
monopoly. Yet Notwithstanding this in
mense advantage over every other mari
time country, and notwithstanding the fact
that the United States has never had any
monopoly whatever of any foreign trade.
the increase OF British tunnage III the
last twenty wears has been but little over
trim per- cent. while the increase of ours
ha, been one iundred and ffly per cent.
British tGnnage in 1880 amounted to two
million and a half of tuns In 1850 it had
got up to four millions. American tunnage
in 1880 was less than million and quar-
ter of tuns. In 1880 1t exceeded three
millions If tuus To-day it Is hard upon
three millions and half, while England
has not gone much beyond four millions
This is the state of the case as we enter
upon the new era Of free trade in shipping.
The statistics we have given denote very
clearly that, without the abrogatiOn Of British
restrictive laws, the United States were des-
tined very soon to SHOVE Great Britain
aside from the emlnence she has so long
and proudly boosted on the seas. But with
the overthrow of her great monopoly of
sea transportation, this fact Is rendered
doublv certain. Into the extensive carrying
trade between all her colonies and the United
Kingdom, into the East-India, the South
American. the Baltic and the Mediterranean
trade. hitherto exclusively reserved to
British bottoms. and which we have seen
employs some fifteen hundred ships, the
ships cf tins country are now fully adj
mltted
Already We witness the effects of OPEN
inc this great new field to American enter
Prise. 4 new and magnificent class of
ships Is already being constructed especially
for that trade. Our clipper ships are al
ready the admiration Of nautical men, and
almost rival the speed OF the ocean steam
els. The long VOYAGES round Cape Horn
into the Northern Pacific, but recently oc-
cupylng five and SIN months, are already re-
duced to between ninety and hundred
DAYS while the great stretch from Lon
don around the Cape Of Good Hope to
Canton is accomplished in little more than
the same time American clipper ships are
already in Hong Kong. Calcutta. Ceylon,
Madras. Bombay and other Asatic ports,
competing with British vessels in freights,
which the latter have long been used to
consider exclusively their Own. In the long
voyage. the fastest ship is the best fellow,
and commands the fayorte freight and the
highest price. In the matter of the speed of
their ships, the Americans have never been
behind hitherto, and the indications thus far
are. that in the new class OF clipper ships
they viii still continue to keep ahead. 4
late trial Of speed from London to Hong
Kong took place between the British clipper
ship Reindeer and tie American clipper
ship Oriental. The American ship made the