The southern press., 1851-03-29
From the Commercial advertiser.

NE Ah0HT DUES OF 0kEAT TAN.--1ne
London Shipping and Mercantile Gazette Of the
7th inst. publishes correspondence between Mr..
Lawrence, United States Minister to Great Bri-
tain, and Viscount Palmerston, H. B. M. princi-
pal secretary Of State for foreign affairs, on the
subject ofthe light dues exacted from the mercan-
tile marine of the United States entering the ports
Of the United Kingdom.
The letters are four in number. The first from
Mr.. Lawrence il dated on the 3lst Of December,
1850. 1t commences with an allusion to the late
repeal of the prohbtory navigation laws Of the
kingdom, and asks Great Britain to carry out the
principle there developed to establish reciprocity
IN fact as well as in name. The reciprocity be-
tween the two great commercial nations of the
world, intended be effected by the repeal of that
law, will not be realized if American tonnage con-
tnues subject to the present light dues OF
Great Britain.
Mr.. Lawrence calls attention of the foreign Sec
retary to the fact that the lighthouses, beacons,
&c, Of the United States are supported entirely
at the expense of the government, and are given
for the use Of the world. without tax charge of
any kind. In the year lS48 there were within the
limits of the Union 270 lighthouses, 80 floating
lights and 1000 buoys, besides numerous fixed
beacons. AT the present time, including those in
the course of construction on the Pacific coast,
there are probably more than three hundred light
houses, with proportionate number of floating
lights, &c.-a much larger establishment than
that of the United Kingdom OF Great Britain.
Under the lighthouse system Of Great Britain
between <400 900 and 1500, 900 were levied upon
the commerce of the world, of which one-four-
teenth part was paid by the shipping Of the United
States. The hardship and injustice of this taxa
ton is thus illustrated =
The American mail steamers entering at Liver
pool pay for light dues the sum of S62 for each
voyage. IL the British steamers were subjected TO
the same charge in American ports, It would
amount annually to the great sum of f3 ,224. Two
0fa fhA ooh,
ing from New York to Bremen, and touching on
the way at Southampton, paid last year light dues
TO the amount Of $500, including the charges for
the Heigoland Light, which the undersigned is in
formed they have never seen. The steamer Frank
lin, running between New York and Havre, and
touching at Cowes, but without anchoring, mere
ly TO land its mails, has been subjected TO light
dues, which have been paid by order of the Trini-
ty house, but under protest of the consgnees
One commercial house in New York, running
sixteen ships between that port, Liverpool and
London, paid last year for such dues, f2, 49S 9s.
Cd. Another American shipping house paid for
lights, in lS49, the sum Of l2, ,252.
The number Of American ships that entered the
ports of the United Kingdom for the nine months
ending October j, 1850, was 602, with a tonnage
of 473 900 If one-ihrd be added for the last
quarter of the year, the total will be 752 ships
and about six hundred thousand tons, being an
average of nearly 800 tons to each ship. Assum-
Jug W DC SUBSTANTIALLY correct,
appears from the trade list that 1909 American
vessels have entered the ports Of the United King
dom IN the last four years, with tonnage Of
!, ,a22, 492 During the last ten years, the num-
Der of American vessels entered into the United
Kingdom has been 1872, with an aggregate of
4 ,68l ,925 tons.
The light dues are not the same in all tho ports
Of the United Kingdom. The rate at Liverpool is |
lOld. or Id; whereas in London the charge is
i3d. per ton. If the average is taken at Is. per
ton, ship of 800 tons would pay Gao, and 752 !
ships, with 100000 tons register, would pay
about f30, 900, or $l46,000 annually, and it is
not probable that the amount of tonnage will de-
crease. In four years 1909 American ships must
have paid, with tonnage Of 2, 422, 400, the sum
Of El2l 900, or nearly $500 900 And within ten
years last past, the shipping Of the United States
has contributed upon ,S72 vessels, the aggregate
tonnage Of which was $4,6Sl 1875, the immense
sum OF f234 900, over g. 100, 900, for the sup
port Of the lighthouse system of the United King
dom.
The letter concludes with expressing hope
that her Majesty's government may speedily set
free American shipping from so unequal and on
erous restriction.
The reply Of Viscount PaImerston is dated on
the 9Th Of February. He says that If the coast
lights Of Great Britain had been established upon
the same principle as those Of the United States,
and were maintained at the public expense, her
Majesty's government might think it would be
best for he general interests Of the nation that the
system Of the United States should be adopted
But the British government has not the power to
deal with this matter as II pleases; the various
lights which established round the coasts Of
the United Kingdom have been erected and are
by various corporate bodies and those
corporats bodies entitled, by patents and by
acts ofParliament, to levy certain dues upon ship
ping.
The only method, therefore, by which the light
duss could be abrogated by the government, would
be for Parliament to vote the requisite sum to buy
ap for the public, the private interests vested in
hess lights. The expediency Of this measure
bas been heretofore suggested. but has never been
considered with view 10 any practical decision.
He denies that the light dues infringe upon the
,rincipls Of commercial reciprocity bstween Great
Britain and the United States, which was the
oundAtion Of the treaty Of 1875. or conflict with
he prupsnt navigation laws of Great Britain.
To this Mr.. Lawrence responds on the 18th of
'ebruarv, that he il perfectly Of the system