The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1858-05-14
BALTIMORE.
FRIDAY, MAY IA, 1858.

1.-THE catching of cod is very momentous con-
cern," said FISHER AMEs in the First Congress
and a great many members of the Thirty Fifth
Congress, seem to share his opinion. Great is the
pother that has been made in the Senate of the
UNITED STATES, over bill brought in by Mr.. CLAY
of Alabama, to repeal the fishing bounties. For
the last few days, the discussions in that august
body have been altogether piscatory in their
character, and have turned chiefly upon the habits
of fish, and the different modes of catching them.
On Tuesday, Senators HALE and SEWARD dis
coursed in a style worthy of Izaak Walton, of the
art and mystery of taking mackerel and halibut
with hook and line These Honorable Senators
could find it in their hearts to be merry over a
question, which, by the constituents of one of
them, at least, appears to be thought no laughing
matter. Judging from the tone of the New Eng
land Press, we should say, that 'the catching of
cod'' was very "momentous concern" The
Boston ADVERTISER usually stad and sober jour-
nal, AYERS that the repeal of the fishing bounties
would be "a lamentabe proof that true states
''manship has departed from the national
''councils" The Portland Advertiser sees in 'this
odious measure of Senator CLAY' an insidious
attempt to ''strike a blow at an important New
England interest,"" and hidden desire to 'fwreak
vengeance upon the New England States for their
stubborn and uncompromising opposition to the
modern dogmas of slavery extension" That which
should be a pure question of public policy, and
met by all parties in spirit of fairness and candor,
is thus sought to be converted into matter of
sectional feeling. A simple proposition TO repeal
q tax the imposition of which favors particular
interest," and which is therefore thought to SAVIOR OF
the character of partial or class legislation is
made party question, and the friends of the
Administration, and the Opposition are called on ~
take sides accordingly. This simple fact speaks
volumes as to the state of political feeling in this
country and the utter want of pluck AID manliness
among our public men. The principles involved
in any measure pending before Congress, are not
allowed feathers weight in comparison with the
local or sectional interests which may be affected
thereby. Like the eccentric gentleman who repre-
sents the Fourth Congressional District of MARY
LAND and who always votes against the Admins
tration, statesmen nowadays seem to be gov
erned only by political considerations and TO cast
their votes not according to their convictions of
what is right and true but in obedience to the
behests of party and the commands of the whipper-
in. As for the particular case in point, about
which so much unnecessary excitement appears to
exist at the North and out of which much political
capital will doubtless be made, the question
whether or not the fishing bountes should be
repealed appears TO u.s. to have nothing to do with
party politics. 1t is argued by Mr. CLAY that the
fishing bounty was originally nothing more than
drawback on the duty on salt. The policy Of
our government was to tax consumption, not pro-
duction-mports, not exports. Cod was an art-
Gle OF export, but in curing cod, salt had to be
used, which was an article of import. Now salt
paid duty, which it was thought unfair to i'm
pose upon the fisherman, who used it for the pre-
paration of an article which he exported to
foreign markets. Therefore, an allowance was
granted, at first, in favor of the exporter
of so many cents for each quintal of fish, and af-
forwards, estimating the number of fish caught at
so much per ton, according to the tonnage of the
vessel in favor of the owners of the fishing smacks
This fact Mr.. CLAY proves, by the language of the
acts of Congress- by the arguments of the advo-
Gates of those acts, by the memorials of the fisher
men praying for those acts and by the construction
given by the Treasury Department to those acts.-
The allowance was drawback and not bounty
1t originated with the salt duty. 1t changed with
the salt duty. 1t was repealed with the salt duty
1t was revived with the salt duty. 1t has been
continued with the salt duty. The salt duty has
been reduced, but the allowance remains the same
Practically, therefore, it has ceased to be simply
drawback. It'll a bounty. Owing to the reduction
of the duty on salt from twenty cents to two cents
per bushe the sum due as drawbacks in 1857
would have amounted only to 500, 233 81 the
sum paid in allowances was S6Ol, 453, being an ex-
cess in the way ofbounty, of 1872, 2l9. This boun-
ty Mr.. CLAY proposes to take away, as being con-
trary to the principles of sound legislation which
forbid the attempt to foster any particular branch of
industry by means of any special exclusive privi
leges and immunites, and as species of taxation,
or rather appropriation of the peoples money,
which is unequal, and therefore unjust The reply
made to these arguments is in substance, that the
bounty is necessary for the encouragement of the
tisheries and that the encouragement of the fish
cries is necessary for the purpose of forming
nursery of American seamen, for our merchant
marine, and for our navy in time of war-an argu-
ment which admits of easy refutation. Apart
government, it is not true that the fisheries are
more entitled than any other branch of industry to
the fostering care of the government. The cod
fishermen of New England are not the class of
men from among whom, either our merchant SER
vice or our navy are recruited. They are not
professional seamen, but amateurs, who during the
fishing season, lead maritime life, but during the
rest OF the year, live at home, with their families
their wives and their children aud are not unfre-
quently engaged in other pursuits Besides, beyond
overcoming the natural repugnance of landsmen to
the sea, these fishermen do not acquire in the man.
agement of their tiny craft, that sort of nautical
knowledge which makes them any more useful on
board of our great clippers, our men-of-war,
measuring two or three thousand TONS than would
be the verest greenhorns. Even if the case were
otherwise the supply Of seamen afforded by the cod
fisheries would be altogether inadequate. The
whole number of seafarng men employed in
the United States, is 2lO, 4O5, of whom not
more than $4,000 are engaged in the cod-fsheries.
The fact is that ships are not manned by
Americans at all. The crew of the UNITED STATES
corvette ST. LOUIS, with whom Commander INGRA-
HAM was going to fight the Austrians, in the har-
Dor of Smyrna, contained nineteen Americans out
of one hundred and seventy seamen. The same
proportion generally prevails on board of our mer-
chant ships 1t is, therefore, upon high wages,
and good treatment, that we must rely for men to
sail our ships, and to carry on our commerce, and
not upon the cod fisheries, upon any love of the
sea, howsoever encouraged, which may be sup
posed to tempt young Americans to adopt sea-
farng life, when so many and greater inducements
are offered to every man to remain at home, and
seek his fortune in some less arduous and more
lucrative calling.