Richmond daily times. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1853, 1851-07-23

From the Republic
COMMERCIAL EXCELLENCE OF AA,r,,c.
AN APPEAL FROM THE WCr,D,S &c

II'ns Ia THIS great festival OF nations has been anv
ng put satisfactory 10 them ln spite of the inv ta
uon winch was extended to in common with Others
lhe 'eeing OF national rivalry is too strong to allow of
any coroaIity OF feeling between the of Albion
ana theif transatlantic cousins"
Some OF the English press sheer at the American
visitors as ill bred their inventions as The revival
ideas abandoned by The English Of their work mnnshp
as coarse and clumsy The doors of English fac,o,ia
according one writer, guarded with susncion
against Americans; and combinations have been form
ed, according to another for the exclusion of large
and respec able class OF American visitors from social
intercourse.
There is little reason 10 suppose that our fslIovci,i
zens will return from the visit 10 their proud and oris
ocrac relations with any other feeling than that thew
nave furnished matter Tor the covert mrh o. those ho
cannot appreciate them, and OF unconcealed inustic
from those who do
1t was not 10 have been expected that Government
held like our own to the srctest accountability for its
expenditures of money or exercise of authority should
have, like the despotisms OF Europe and Asia, fitted
out an ostentatious exhibition of national wealth or
wonderful illustration Of national ingenuity Such of
our people as had the time means, or ambition, have
crossed the ocean, entered the hall of competition and
with no prestige OF rank station-wth no claim to
consideration save the excellence of their inventions,
nave demanded comparison with Others and in some
instances have received the award of superior merit
But the show is arly over, the bazaar of nations is
soon TO be osed and England the worlds tavernkeep-
ef, Will now empty her till to mt the immense gains
Whch Tie curiosity OF mankind has bestowed upon her.
ohe mas certainly out Barnumed creation in the musem
e Dut whist her arstocratic exclusives adjoining
=
IRON cage, or inspecting live Jonathan through their
lorgnettes whilst they worship the shaws OF hbe the
gems OF turkey, or the silks, velvet porcelain or lew
elry OF rance, there other trials OF power
and skill going between the United States and her
respected progenitor, which are invisible TO the eve.
glass and lnaudble to those who imagine that England
has no rival in any thing.
The Is comparso being made between America
and England as to herrela i've possession ofhe great
elements OF national prosperity and the great materi.
ais OF national power.
It's comparison not made before the iurv of tba
Worlds Fair but in The open view of the world itself
Is comparison from which there is no appeal ex-
cep 10 the arbrement OF renewed effort and continued
competition
About the date that orr hosts were conpratulatino
upon the established superiority of despotic
diamonds and arstocraiic ad-lace-iust when it
seemed to be conceded point that cheaper fabrics
could be forced out OF starved and savage operatj es
than could be afforded by those who must have food
Sleep falment, and instructon-just then Parliament
was engaged in comparing the condon of the shipping
interest OF Great Britain with that ofthe Uned States
IL WI appear from the late that the tonnage
oithe United STATE had reached in ls49 the extaord-
nary amount OF 1884 05 tons, exceeding BY some thou
sand tons the whole tonnage ofGreat Britain!
Il will be remembered 'ha Great Britain repealed in
1919 the navigation laws which had been n operation
nearly Two centuries This admitted the SHINING If ali
nations into her ports upon equal footing with her own
About the same time she made special treaty. with the
United 5 aes, under which our vessels were to be-
placed on the same footing with her own, excep, that
each nation reserved its coasng trade to its own
shlppi ig. Thus admitted into fair competition tina
American vessels have proited greatly bv the liberai
y OF Engla9d. They have undercared her vesselsio
her own trade, and are iousy Interfering with that
supremacy" upon the ocean which England claims for
herself. r
Under this state of things. the port of Liverpool adj
dressed petition to Parliament, setting forth its oh
econs to the repeal OF the navigation laws and ask
ing CERTAIN notifications of the law. The petitioners
state that they are the owners of large amount OF
British shipping and that in common with others thew
are suffering greatly from the consequences arising from
The act repeating the navigation laws" They state.
further that AL the apprehensons which they enter
tanned at the time OF the passing of that act respectinc
injury which it would infct upon their interests have
been more than realized by the practical operation Of
that measure" They then proceed specify the IN.
1ent amongst them is the admission of the United
States 10 participation in their carrying trade which
cannot, from the nature ct things, be reciprocal The
reservation OF the sting trade has had this
'fect: line coastng trade Of England is comparatively
the foreign ship owner. Bul the Amer
can coasng trade has been determined to include the
from any port OF the Atlantic States any port
belonging to the United States or its Territories unon
he coast OF the Pacific. This secures 10 American
vessels the exclusive trade with California With this
advantage OF domestic employment, we are not sur
'esseis NOW soes San Francisco She d;,ohasn..
1er cargo there and then runs 70 China ~ nsv
De to the East Indies. At Calcutta she enters ,e.
petition with British vessels oadng for this country and
every oa OF which she there take is so much
clear gain. She sails then to this country and then
she loads again with cargo Of manufactures for New
ork; thus having made three freghts for her VOYAGE
The remedies asked for by the Liverpool petitioners
consist OF the imp oson OF dffers duties upon for-
e,gn vessels, under authority conferred by act Of
Parliament upon her majesty. They desire the reduc
ton OF certain duties marine insu ance, and OF the
fees charged BY British consuls in oiesn ports. They
complain OF the superior lnducement offered to seamen
in the "roya navy"
The Earl of Granville, in reply, admitted that the
Unite STATES the only country that was at all
rival with US in respect either to our COM
mercia transactions our mercantile marine" He
tn hat
commerce has not decreased directly, whilst he does
not deny the charge that The Americans have entirey
England in the Indian trade He then
states that he does not mean to deny that there
some pressure upon the shp-owners OF this country"
[ England This pressure, however, he aitrbu'es to
other causes l. Ia consequence OF the competition
with the internal compeon by means OF railways. 2.
The mode OF manning British ships, namely: "the
due proportion of British uJeets". four ltalicS.l
He was further of opinion that cher maiesty's gov
eminent did right in proposing to admit certain pro-
portion OF foreign seamen to be employed in manning
British merchant vessels" Ae also mentions it as an
admitted fact, that "a ship could be built cheaper in
rails were dearer in that country than 10 this" 1t is
also shown elsewhere by letter from eminent ship
owner, (Mr Lindsay0 that the American system OF
giving the captain interest in the vessels is be in
troduced Such is sketch OF the comparative cond.
ton of the English and American shipping interest de-
rived from their own showing 1t will be seem
l. That the United States exceeds England in her
actual tonnage.
2 That under the present navigation laws and trea-
ties the United States is supplantng England in the
East India trade
3. That tine United States can build vessels cheaper
than England
4. That foreign seamcu" are to be TO some extent
substituted for British seaman.
5. That the American system of interesting the Off
GERS oil yes eel in her eights is worthy of imitation.
We have extended the limits this article too far to
say more upon this subject We may hereafter take up
some other subjects of national comparison which have
not come within the purvew of decision by The jury of
the Worlds Fair, and show that country and its
citizens though they NAV have made an wkward show
in the saloons OF Mr.. Bull, stand in proud and unap-
proachabe emf upon the grand theatre OF ma
tona prosperity and OF human happiness BIB
For the present tits sufficient honor to have indicated
the wise apothegm of Raleigh chat whosover possess
the trade of the world will control the treasures
OF the world"
The SECRETARY OF THE TREAsURY.-A New York
paper states that teegraphic despatch sent from