The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1851-03-28
Limitation of the Liabilities of Ship
Owners---Debate in the Senate.

Mr., RGntoML.--f hope this bill will pass The
rule ol common law in relation to common carriers,
which is very old in Eng land, and which has been
applied to ships, and applied so far as to cover the
proposed to be provided for, has been found to
be ntolerable in Great Britain; and if ever there
was nation on the face OF the globe that adhered
with pertihacy to her ancient laws it is the Brit
ish nation. No alteration is made there without
its being argued and over again. II takes
years to force into the mind of the British nation
the for change of any importance in the
practice OF the old British common law But this
change is upon the face of IL required by princ-
pies of justice, so required not only by the shipping
interests, but by the interests of those whose goods
are transported, that the change has been brought
about in Great Britain. They have made the al
teraton which We now ask to make, and they have
c2rred 1t further than the first section of this bill
proposes TO carry it,
Sir, the honorable Senator from South Carolina
has truly told that the British nation is a nation
OF ship-owners. II is true but it is truer of us.
Ii the British nation is nation of shp-owners the
United States are much more a nation of ship
owners The tonnage OF the islands of Great
Britain and Ireland, excluding the provinces, is
little over three and half millions of tons Our
tonnage is considerably over that amount The
carrying capacity OF our mercantile marine at this
moment is vastly greater than the carrying capa-
city OF the mercantile marine of Great Britain and
Ireland Our tonnage is measured by different
rule. A ship that measured thousand tons under
LHt ou Tuity Wouu measure Twelve hundred Under
the new. Making allowance Sor that alteration in
the comparison OF the shipping interests of the two
countries, we find that our tonnageis much greater
than that of the islands of Great Britain although
they have thirty millions and we but twenty three
millions of population. If they are justified in
looking keenly and constantly to their mercantile
interest, we not only justified but we are re-
quired to look more attentvely to ours; for not
only is our shipping greater in proportion to the
population. but in some of the States OF this Union
the proportion of the shipping to the population is
sixtimes as great as the proportion in England.
1t England, rhen, is nation of shp-owners so
are we; and of the States OF this Confederacy
have live times, SIX times, aye, nearly times,
as much shipping in proportion as the islands of
Great Britain This, then, being the case, the in
teres' OF the shp-owners is an interest that this
Government is bound to look after.
But do not rest my support of this bill on thai
ground at all, say we are bound to pass this bill
into IL law, not only because it will tend to benefi,
The navigation oil this county, but because in its
ultimate effects II VIII benefit every other interest
The Senator from Kentucky has very fairly asked
whether this will reduce the rates of freight on
pork, tobacco, cotton and other Western proJuc,s
II were not satisfied thu the great agricultural
interests of the Union woulH be benefited bv the
passage OF this bill, should care very little com
paratively whether 1t passed or not, BECAUSE vas
is The navigational interest," the agricultural in.
terest is much vaster, and its welfare must be con-
suited by us in endeavoring to make the change
That we are now proposing to make. The only
mode we can determine how this bill will operate
on the rate oflre,shls is by finding out what deter.
mines the rates of freights. We find that it is the
proportion between the quantity of shipping to re
ceive articles, and the quantity of goods to bs
shipped and carried. The more ships there are en-
gagged in trade, the cheaper are freights. Ever
thing that benefits your navigating interests
every thing that makes the freight of your mer
chants easier, cheaper and safer in the carriage
VIII produce its beneficial effect. You cannot adj
thousand Ions to your shipping, without bringn
uown ine ra;es of freight. Yon cannot impose OF
,'H shrowner additional liabilities, or allow hin
10 reiht under liabilities, without raising tn
rtes OF freight, Or, at all events preventing thei
fed"elloh. The proportion may be very small
pl' so iaf as 1t goes, it has effect on him who's
articles are carried. The ship-owner, il is true
i,rst iees The benefit of the change but how lop
does he feel it! Just so long as il takes to bull
more ships, and 10 restore the proportion b.,wee
The profit made ont OF that trade and the prof
ma'ie IN other branches of business. CanilaI seel
an Investment in ships so long as thev Are nrol;,,
bic. The more ships are huii. the more freieh
are lowered, and tobacco, cotton and pork n,