The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1856-05-15
usuchern Direct r,raAs--lntsresssnr stats,-

Ties.
From the Chaxlestoa Nercury.l
The following memorial presented n ON commit.
tse of the Chamber Of CJumeroe
10 fw Bow TVS AAyos AND ALDERMEN OF mx ClIY OF
The memorial of the undersig.sd, committee Of the
Charleston Chamber Of Commerce, respectfully repre-
Chamber, and instructed, its behalf respectfully
dissent from the policy Of ponag tax upon csps,
ssted In shipping and to pray thst the ordinance to
that effect may not be ratified by Council
The obvious inequality in the comparative growth and
prosperity Of the Northern and Southern sections OF this
so.isdsracy has Justly been ,scsssd in great sgres
the same tune, It must be admitted, in osndor and
rness that have been deficient in those qualities Of
which mainly depends the successful Of the
industrial Of country and most especially Of
in commercial cspabiities
Of laws passed In opposition to pubic scott nent
ct the South, We have been charged With in
our In. IN barren msnt is ov v1c i w.s
evils instead Of dsvotng energies to those works Il
steal utility with which the other States have laid
truth Of this allegation We were forced in great mss-
sure 70 admit for We exhb ed to the world the spec
s.s: Of s,sss people. to whom the value and ..eni
indentsdon Of their maritime frontier presented the
strongest inducements to embark In tho ingoratng and
whose ssp.nsnsss vas such hat they did not own
single ship Producing annually 6000o0 to 7e0 900 tons
Of cotton Alone recurring IN The Prosecution Of their
more than two thousand shps We have hitherto been
content 70 suffer an annual expenditure Of nearly
swn pockets into those Of people more sntsrprdng
and energetic than ourselves. These self accusations
have Sssn shoas.nd times repeated, in our legislative
every statesman II distincdon has urged the subject
appeals have BEEN MAZE to tie commercial classes sspe
eAlH to rouse II emseves from the lethay and make
suitable efforts T. redeem the South from this condition
~ s,,d {f,c~l ;rk,rSo rJkv
In these sentiments the City Council Of Charleston
have always unanimously participated, might have
largely commercial in its character the eesators Of the
chief seaport Of the State and the chosen guardians of
the interests Of ancient commercial city, mari
time and other advantages had already FOR her
The honorable sppeation Of Queen City Of the South
At the session Of the Commercial Convention Of the
Southern and Western States held in this city April TO-
1854 the city Of Charleston represented by twenty
sne delegates, appointed By the City Council. A.
meeting Of this delegation held in the chamber you now
have the honor 70 address you, it vas unanimously
resolved tnat the only measure they would brig con-
sesolution embodying these opinions and sentiments
xhis was accordingly DONE and the wing resolution
preceded BY IN elaborate report was submitted by the
Resolved That this Convention nmends, in the
most earnest manner to the people of the South and
NOE particularly to the merchants in the sesport to
embark suitable portion Of their capital in the
Juction or purchase Of ships to convey directly to
foreign ports agricultural and other productions and
CCmmCClLie5
hat commercial marine capable Of performing this
SERVICE would relieve the South nom an enormous tr
Auts, paid TO other States Of this Union and to
oreign countries and turn the gains Of this lucrative
xnd invgcrAtpg pursuit into element Of Southern
epalence and strength Procsedinss Of Conn., Con-, p 49,
This resolution clearly embodied the public sentiment
AAd made direct appeal to the patriotism and enterprise
Ct our own czsnsAn appeal that has been responded
10 on their part by the purchase, with their capital
unaided BY any public contributions lountes or priv
eyes, OF some twenty twenty five shpe which consh
tate the pioneers OF that commercial marine from which
70 many advantages are expected. And We would now
respectfully submit to your honorable body that Is not
only not in accordance with the policy here deneated,
bat seems to be in direct contradiction to the utsnons
10 b inferred on the sentiments then entertained BY
should be now imposed on the ships thus scquired-hat
The city of Charleston, maritime port, and the chief
recipient Of the benefits to accrue from the ablshment
II thi commercial marne should herself impose tax
npon the FIRST capital invested in the enterprise That
when the State reraire from taxing such enterprise and
gone further, and exempted Fl om taxation the
ocs imported in these shipsand that too ct the sIg
sticn Of the representatives from Charlstonhat the
,jy should herself impose upon them not oay burden
Inc crpcracn. must necessarily be odicusy and iDju
riousy oifc eliminating In It's opsrAtons-a tax from
eheh the shpownsrs Of other States are entirely exempt
though enjoying equally with our owa AL the advan-
nges Of our hsrbor-wnich cannot reach shipowners
rssioirg . few feet only beyond your corporate
Emis, ana from which present resident may At
hmsef BY sinply removiog bis doic to the
village of Mount Pleasant tax, the most striking char
acterc OF which is the singular dscrmina lion Of put
his own waters than all the rest Of the world.
We ought not TO be surprised perhaps that the ?u'
4 exieszces should have led yous honorable body 20
ronsioer the proprey of tax on shipping, bu. We feel
persuaded that the more profoundly the subec. shall
Be INVESTIGATE the clearly sill it appear that IL
% IN the highest degree est enal to the general welfare
OF our citizens not only to refrain from throwing
pedment in the way Of this enterprise, but to give
Il the support Of an assured policy.
IL ss to
the utcre iateRto OF Council AMI yoar nenoriasts
earnestly hope that the same sentiments and opinions
which called this infant marine into existence will
evince th eseves in renewed Of public favor
and protection. In the consideration Of this subject 1t
nust not be lost sight Of that the ssab tshuent Of these
nes Of ships Of to foreign ports Ia but extern
ZION Of that system Of railroad connections with the int
ror Of and contiguous states which forms so de-
r IN Ser
the ships-that their construction equipment and ma
>agsent the result Of unaded private enterprise
lions Of money from the public treasury aud been ex
empted from taxation bg special acts OF the Legiaa-
ture.
Il ID also entitled 70 much weight in the
II this pusjsc-that while ships contribute largely to
Abe general prosperity by the commerce which they bring
city and their earnngs which are returned and
expended among they visit port bus seldom, aud
fr not than few weeks Ut time, and in case OF
Disaster. even from de they enjoy to limited extent
only the protection Of tine city and their occupation be-
ing to psss from country to country and port to port
they ere real estate and othsr local aud
Ae medium Of port charges sud other dues even more
buYthensome, from none OF which would LAX at mons
exempt them.
II oueht not be denied that ships earn, by their
Freight, . large sum annually In proportion to the
capital invested but must not fall into the error
Of conSoun6lpg gross receipts with peofts. For
examples ship tina. will earn 900 per anaum fire.
qusnily expends amongst citizens in the form
Of all that is LETT after ceducag expenses
abroad without leaving any profit to tae owner aad the
net gains too 1t must not be often, have last to
be bardsned with the replacement Of the ship, which is
finally out and worthless. These enter prises on
q ~<nfo at RAG
ap this time, in the light Of perueas whose results,
far the Concerned are still undeter-
mined. We have hitherto confined remarks TO our
foreign shipping alone, but we respectfully submit,
whether to that class Of vessels engaged in
the coastiDg and river trade the proposed taxation may
not b considered . still greater degree onerous and
polite. II is well known hat, for any years, this
State almost entirely dependent on the North in this
ssc trade Ill political dangers produce popular
feeling In favor CT own vessels; and now under the
proposed law these vii be placed upon wJrse footing
rival from other States, unless the owners
driven Cut of the CITY BY this Inequality, should seeks
resd.ncs elsewhere, that they may be enrolled among
TIE favored class.