Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1858-08-20
Free Trade Report. - Attack
on the Navigation Laws, sc.

on the Navigation Laws, sc.
Mr.. Boyce, Chairman of the Special Com
mittee Of the House, to whom was referred
the subjects Of the Navigation Laws, the
gradual repeal of all duties on imports, and
a resort to direct taxation, made a Report of
which 5000 extra copies were ordered to be
printed The committee consisted Of Messrs.
W. w. Boyce of So. Carolina, j. A. Quit
man of Miss, r. P. Trip of Ca, NJ. R H.
Garnet of Va Richard Mott of Ohio, J. R.
Wortendyke of New Jersey, and F. E. Spin
ner of N. Y. Messrs. Garrett and Trip did
not fully concur in all the conclusions of
the Report.
The first subject Of inquiry, is the public
expenditures of the government. This is
quite an important subject at this time, and
is very generally elicitins attention. A com
parison is instituted between the present
enormous amount of the cost Of carrying on
the government, with that of the year 1928.
The receipts for that year. with population
in round numbers, of l0, 900 900, were $20,-
54O,666,26. The expenditures S9,7s4, l54,-
50. Receipts in 1857, with population of
% 10 millions, were 500 900 900, almost
Expenditures, independent of the public debt,
$65,032, 1916. BY population, the expen-
ditures ought not to be at this time, only
about $50 600 900; whereas, including ap-
preparations to supply deficiencies,it amounts
to the enormous aggregate of 100000,
900, making an excess says the Report,
over the ratio of expenditures in 1923, of
Sc, 900 900. This Report is good democrat
ic authority and cannot be gainsaycd.
Mr.. Boyce, after this exhibit of the waste
full extravaganza Of the 50 called Democratic
party, proceeds in search of remedy
This is to be found, says Mr.. Boyce. in a
change in the existing system of taxation -
That is, we must jump from system of a
moderate protective tariff, into free trade and
direct taxation. This no doubt would call
into practice in governmental affairs, more
rigid economy, for q while: but whether in
the end. it would be for the best interests of
the country, as whole, is another question
It does not seem now, according to the logic
of this report, thas the government should
be, necessarily extravagant. For it says, ''to
make government extravaSant, you have
only to supply it with an unlimited amount
of money! Let the government quit bor-
rowing money to stimulate extravaganza,
and quit issuing government Shin-Piasters for
the same purpose, and the cause of all this
mischief will be at an end, according to the
report. We imagine the trouble lies deeper
than the postulate Of this report. There is
something back Of a plethoric Treasury and
a willingness to keep it in that condition by
borrowing. The cause is to be found in the
character of the men who are administering
the government. Another such pack OF
greedy cormorants has never been seen.
To institute comparison between the
President and Secretary of War of 1858,
in moral fitness for Office, with President
Monroe and his Secretary of War of 1923
would show wider disparity than is shown in
this report in their financial administration
Of affairs.
Among the many governmental contrivances
to eat up the substance Of the nation, this
,eport mentions nineteen Custom-Houses,
that costs 1914 900 more to carry them on than
all the revenue they collect there.
This report then passes to the subject OF
our navigation Laws, very important mat
ter to Maine. Bat few years since, the
coast of Maine was lined with vessels in proc
ess of construction. Every cove, harbor,
and creek on the coast had more or less of
them. The number ofmcn employed in this
branch of business was very large. Aglance
at the statistics will show the commercial
standing Of Maine, and how serious an injury
is meditated against our most valued inter
ests by the democratic party.
In new vessels our State ranks first in the
Union in the fisheries second in the gener-
nj aggregate of tonnage the third: in im-
ports the eighth and in exports the eleventh.
In the number of vessels annually built she
took the lead in 1920 and has maintained
that supremacy ever since. In 1920 her tom
mage of new vessels was 81 ,705, while in 1854
the tonnage (new vesseis) was les ,63l,
against that of New York, the next largest,
of72,O7s, and Massachusetts,, the third state
Of II. 900 tons. This aggregate of new tom
mage of our state for 1854. at $1,000 per ton
would amount to over 6 1-2 millions OF dol
hrs. In 1856 the numtcr of vessels of all
kinds built in Name was SIC, and amount of
tonnage H9, 1907 1895. By this brief state
ment Of this important interest we are pre-
pssred to look ut what this democratic report
recommends. On page 9Th it says -
cas- regards the navigation laws, we do not think
il necessary to go into q detailed examination of
their various provisions, especially bill has
seen reported to the House, and is nov before it,
f,,m one of the standing eo,nutsces, for the pur-
rose Of perfecting the details u The present code
81 navigation laws. In general terms, however,
=. wenId say that the present regulations are
,.nneeessnrily complex, and might, with great
~ly.nt,rc, 30 simpliied. There are, however,
!, ), Il dsiscts in principle, a. We conceive IN