The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1851-03-25

Per ton. II shs sverags = tskss q u. ~ ten, .
ship Of $40 tons voald pay -. and ne skps With
eli6 900 annually. and ii il mot probable that thu
amount Of tonnage will decrease in coming years;
$500 AMERICAN ships mast have paid. with tom
mayo Of 2, AZ. AZ the sum Of cl2l 900, nearly
| $50 900. And within ten years last past, the
shipping of the United States has contributed upon
1872 vessels, the aggregate tonnage of which was
i 4,66l 3D. the immense sum OF EZtS,OO,
LOO 0O0 for the support of tho lighthouse system
| Of the United Kingdom.
During the last year, there appears to have been
levied upon the shipping o. the world for the light
G500,0C0. OF this, one-fourteenth part paid by
citizens Of the United States; while British sub
| jects with feet doubtless equally large in the
ports Of the United states, have not been taxed ut
| all for the maintenance u lights The govern
ment Of the United States, in view Of its liberality
| is justified in asking her Majestys government to
do away with this great inequality and remove this
restriction on commerce.
The undersigned believes that no other nation
levies heavy tax upon ships. IN the form Of light
dues, as this. There are in the United States many
more lighthouses &C. than in the United Kingdom,
yet the annual appropriation for tho construction
Of new, the repair Of old lighthouses and the main
tenance Of BOTH does not equal one fifth Of the
nual amount raised for this purpose in the United
Kingdom by the tax on the shipping coming into
| its ports.
| In conclusion, the undersigned. on behalf Of his
government, expresses tho wish that her Majcsty's
| government may take this grave subject into con-
sideration; that it may speedily set free American
shipping from SO unequal and so oncrous rcstrc-
| ton; that it may complete its great for
/ commercial freedom, and may thus increase still
more the INSTRUMENTATION which is already pro-
ducing such happy results.
| The undersigned, &c. ABBOTT LAWRENCE.
vIscouNr PAL MEnsros TO MIR. LAWRENCE:
| FOREIGN OFFICE, Feb. g. 1851.
The undersigned, &C., has the honor to inform
| Mr. Lawrence, &C., that her Majesty's government
| has had under its consideration the note which Mr..
Lawrence addressed to the undersigned, on the 3lst
I1fh .vNor ntntnp hat Ipht HAS
are levied on American shipping in the ports Of the
United Kingdom, whilst no dues of the same kind
are charged upon British ships freqnenting the ports
| of the United States and Mr.. Lawrence says that
he is instructed by his government to request that
measures may be taken in order that American
vessels may enjoy in British ports in regard to
emption both from light dues and other similar
/ charges, the same advantages which British vessels
| enjoy in the ports Of the United States
In reply, the undersigned has the honor to state,
that the difference between the treatment OF British
/ vessels in American ports, and that Of American
vessels in British ports in regard to light dues, is
consequence Of the difference which exists between
the system on which coast lights maintained in
i the United States, and the system which such
| lights are maintained in the United Kingdom.
| In the United States, the coast lights erected
and maintained by the federal government, and the
expenses connected with those lights form part Of
| the general expenditure of that government. The
federal government, therefore, has right to deter
mine whether it shall reimburse itself for this out
lay by levying light dues upon. shipping, OF. whe-
Il
vantage Of the United States, and more conducive
to the commercial prosperity of the nation, that
this charge should be borne by the public revenue,
and that the commerce of the Union should be freed
| from any burhen in the shape of light dues upon
/ vessels frequenting the ports Of the Union. The
/ government Of the United States having power to
decide this question: has determined wisely, as her
Majcsty's government think as well as literally, to
/ free the commerce Of the Union from any burthen
on this account, and to defray out of the national
revenue the actual cost OF erecting and maintaining
| the coast lights.
| If the coast lights Of the United Kingdom had
| been established upon the same principle, and
| if they had been erected and were maintained
at the public expense, and if they managed
| and administered by department Of the State, it
| spossible that her Majcsty's government might
think that il would be best for the general interests
of the nation, that the system of the United States
in regard to these matters should be adopted in this
/ country, and that the commerce Of the Unite,
Kingdom should be relieved from the. burthen Of
| light dues.
/ But the British government has not the power to
| deal with this matter as it pleases; the various
lights which established round the coasts of the
/ United kingdom have been erected and main
tanned by various corporate bodies and those cor3
porate bodies entitled, by patents and by acts OF
parliament, to levy certain dues upon shipping, in
order to raise the necessary income for paying in
terest on the capital laid out in the construction of
the lights, and for providing the means requisite
lights.
Her Majesty's government have no right or power
ing these dues, and these dues could not be made to
cease, unless parliament to vote such
would be necessary to buy up for the public the in
terest which the private parties concerned have in
these lights; nor unless parliament were at the same
time to authorize the government to abolish light
dues for the future, and were to charge upon the
public revenue the expense OF maintaining the
lights.
| The cxpedicncy OF adopting such a course has,
| indeed from time to time been suggested, but the
question has not hitherto been considered with
| view to any practical decision.
| Her Majesty's government, however, cannot adj
| init that the difference which exists between the
/ system which prevails in the United States, and
that which subssts in Great Britain, in regard to
coast lights, has the effect Of infringing upon that
principle Of commercial reciprocity between Great
| Britain and the United States, which forms the
basis of the treaty Of 1915. II is part of the
engagements Of that treaty, that the internal sys
tenn and local arrangements of the two countries,
| upon commercial matters, shall be the same. But
the principle distinctly laid down in the second pa
ragraph Of the first article Of the treaty of 1915 is
that the vessels Of each country SHALL in the ports
Of the other, be treated, in regard to duties and
charges, in tho same manner and on the same foot
| ing rs national vessels; and this stipulation Is
strictly observed In regard to the light dues which
| are levied upon American vessels in British ports
for other or higher light dues levied in those
ports upon American vessels than are levied in those
ports upon vessels belonging to the United King
dom.
But If the British light dues cannot be deemed to
be any infringement Of the principle Of reciprocity
which forms the basis OF the treaty OF 1915, neither
can they be considered rs in any degree conflicting
| with the liberal principle upon which the present
navigation law Of Great Britain Is founded For
that navigation law relates to the admission Of
foreign ships into British ports with certain goods
on board, and coming from certain voyages, which
goods and voyages would before the passing of that
law, have involved an exclusion from British port;
but that law has reference to light dues or hnr
| Dor dues, nor does IL make any mention of such
matters, and il cannot therefore, be appealed to
| requiring, for its complete execution, that any
| change should be made in such matters.
/ Her Majesty's government are quite ready 70
discuss with the government Of the United states
any question which may arise in regard to any sup
posed incompleteness in the mutual application Of
that principle of reciprocity in matters Of nayiga-
ton, which Is contained in the Act IL and IL Wet,
il mil l.o