The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1851-04-04

ally 10 crush, had miscd ne Judgment OF most U
statesmen into the conclusion that II was all
essential regulation protect the navigation OF each ma
lion from the competition Of Others, Bu! The general
OF 1918 restored the long-suspended CONNER
them, and with sounder views
Of trade. Ii beeyedindeed II had become known
that there nations IN Europe who had become as
anxious the United States Were TO nd themselves Of The
+, imposed upon their commerce by the English
navgalon act They were not, however, IN eonditon
TO DO so immediately IN respect 10 each DINER, OF uheaY
az anst the supremacy OF English navigation Besides
our overures 10 OF them for indirect Trade had
not been met with the promplness or decision whch hsd
been anticipated The me was favorable oI as Ds m s
before II was a matter OF doubt and hesitation WIN
many OF our public men what could or should be done
y such crisis Fortunately there were l' dss aon
TO adopt the clause CT tie English Navigation act OF
which we had always complained. WITH THIS proviso
however. that il should not be extended 10 me yes,
sells OF any foreign nation which has not adopted and
which shall not adopt a similar reguauoh. ihc PRO
viso explains the purpose OF the act oil me lst Maich
1917. Before that was passed the United States hal
moi had Eavgaon act 1t was not, however, followed
Tor several years with any coincident result But about
that tune incident occurred in the political world when
Was destined 10 change in great measure Inc CONNER
cial intercourse between nations II was the revolt oil
the Spanish American provinces from SPAN ana the rec
ognon Of them by the United States and by England as
independent nations Both we're anxious 10 secure Trade
with these new States. The United States sought II
upon Terms OF the most extended reciprocity both as TO
vessels and cargoes-Engand with more commercial
ing that main point OF which prevented foreign sells
from having indirect trade to her ports. Indeed.
fixed had that exclusion become with the nations of Eu.
rope that France five years afterwards, would not ren
quish, in her treaty with the United States, her right TO
impose discriminating duties upon cagoes brought into
her potts by foreign vessels.
In 1925 The United States reaped the first fruits of the
act of March L, 1917. Then treaty was made with
Central America the inst known between nations eslab-
shng tina, reciprocity respect to vessels and caIgoes
which had been offered forty years before by the United
States to other naons and which had for years
been rendered by the act OF Marcn |, lsl7 That treaty
S.iIx, L,,A Auafr Han
mark, Sweden, Sardinia. Greece The Hanseatic Cities
Hanover, Brazil Ecuador and Venezuela made treaties
with the United States upon the same principle, The
vessels OF each of those nations were permitted to
carry into the ports OF the other, without discrmlna-
ling duties, The productions OF any foreign country,
whether they shipped from the places OF production
elsewhere In other words, the vessels OF the United
States, under those treaties, carry with those nations
an indirect trade which they can do in their vessels to
ports. The act OF 1917 was slow IN producing any
arrangement of like kind with Great Britain But il
has ultimately done The original Interpretation OF
by Mr. Secretary Crawford having been renewed by
Mr. Secretary Walkers circular, after an interruption o!
several wears, EQUATION opened with England
upon the subject which resulted in giving to both nations
the full intention and benefit OF the act OF tie Isl March
1917 operation, as we have SAID had been suspended
for several years from official msapprehension OF It's
import when occurred IN the circuit court OF The
United States for the southern district OF New York,
in which the learned Judge who PRESIDED gave me hrsl
judicial Interpretation Of the act Judge Belts IN that case
reviews the Legislative history OF The act The question
presented in the OF the Recorder and her cargo was
British vessel from Londoa OF quantity Of silks,
the production OF the British possessions IN India, was
prohibited BY the first section of the act OF LIST March,
1917 The court decided that the word county" used
in the section comprehended the British possessions
in India, and that consequently the importation was law
full The learned Judge took occasion also TO give his
views the effect OF the proviso IN the first section.
Upon the publication OF the courts opinion The Sece-
tary OF the Treasury awaited himself OF lis authority, in
connection with what had been the first Interpretation OF
the act. and sued his circular on the 9th November
is47 the collectors and officers OF The customs, direct
ing them that 'where 1t is satisfactorily shown that
any foreign nation allows American vessels laden with
goods the growth produce manufacture OF any coun
try OF the United States freely 10 enter and land such
merchandise any OF the ports OF said country whether
such goods be carried directly from the place OF origin or
from the ports OF the United States, or from any other
country whatsoever that the penalties OF the ac OF the
LIST March 1917, not TO be enforced against the yes
sells of such nations bringing like goods either from the
country oil production IRON the ports OF the country TO
which the vessels may belong" The opinion Of Judge
Belts and Secretary Walkers circular led to negotia
ton which terminated in Grea, Britain passing, in si9
the statute OF IL and 10 OF Victoria, CHI 49, and thus
compshed the grea, purpose OF policy which had been
proposed by the United States TO the nations OF Europe
to England pariicularyin 1885, by Mr. Adams The cir
cuar of Mr. Meredith OF the 18th October, lS49 shows
what that policy was, and why II was issued We give
II at length
"ln consequence OF questions submitted by mer-
chants and others, asking, in consideration OF The re-
cent alteration OF the British navigation laws, on what
footing the commercial relations between the United
States and Great Britain will be placed and after the
first day of January next,he day which the recent
act OF The British Parliament, goes into opeTalonthe de-
paitnent deems il expedeni al this time TO issue the fol-
lowing general instructions for the information OF The
officers OF the customs and Others interested:
First In sequence OF the alterations OF the British
navigation laws above referred to- British vessels from
British other foreign por,s, WILL under our existing
laws after the first day OF January next, be allowed TO
enter ports with cargoes OF the growth, nanufac
ture or production OF any part OF The world
''Second Such vessels and their cargoes Will be admit
ted from and after the date before mentioned The
duties imposs and charges, vessels OF the
United States and their cargoes."
With such facts TO sustain II as have been reced-and
they all ofcal-it may very truly be said that the
reciprocity OF navigation existing between nations
and particularly between Great Britain and the United
States, is in great degree owing to The perseverance oil
the United States proposing and conteDding for II for
than sixty years IL cannot therefore, be said,
has been by than foreign writer, that after the
American colonies had established their independence
they set about 10 form code OF navigation laws the
model OF those OF Eng land Those writers have mis-
taken our legislation for history without seeking in
the latter the causes OF the former.
Discriminating duties were never laid by Congress, ex
cept they etaaoy and for the purpose of coecng
other nations to modification repeal OF their Tesrc
lions upon and navigation The leading point
and constantly -avowed intention Of the United States
have been to produce that reciprocity OF trade for the
vessels OF different nations which had been denied by
the nations OF Europe for more than two hundred yeats
II the American system contradisng from the
European--the last now happily no longer TO the
extent OF its former and long continued excusveness
The Judgment of the circuit court is affirmed.
WM THoS. CARROLL. .E
c. s. c. u. S.
TUE rrxAY-By the arrival OF the steamer Cunapche.
from, in Grand, and Roma earn Indiana