Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1858-09-03
speech Of Hon. stephen C.FOster.
9f MAINE,
IN TIE HOUSE Oh REPRESENTATIVES,,
May %, 1853.

pullcV OIL tnis voNcTiiiueUt, Irou I've io"h""-
ton, and under all changes ofadminstration.
with a single exception, to encourage our
cod and mackerel fisheries by bountics and
allowances for the salt consumed in curing
the fish This proposition will not, | think
be controverted by any one who will invest-
r,ftc the subject And it is equally clear to
nv mind, that the object of the Federal Gov
crnment, in thus fostering the fisheries. has
been to train seamcn for the public service
in time Of war.
| will proceed, briefly, to establish the
historical proof of these propositions. and to
show the wisdom of the course which had
been pursued. Sir, the second act of the
first Congress, passed July 4, l7s9-an act
for raising rcycnue--was not unnlindful of
the duty of protecting the fisheries. The
fourth section of the act is in these words:
That there shall he allowed and paid on every
auinttl Of dried, and every barrel Of picked
fish, Of the fisheries Of the United States, aud on
every barrel cf saltcd provisions Of the United
S,s,cs, exported " any country without the lin
Sts thereof in lieu Of drawback of the duties i'm.
posed ON the importatons of the salt employed
and expended therein viz
"On every quintai of dried fish. Ave cents
Won every barrel of picked fish, FIVE cents
"0n every barrel Of selted provisions, five cents.
The first section Of the act laid duty on
supported salt Of six cents per bushcl 1t
<,lso laid duty Of scvcnty-fvc cents per bar
rel on imported picked fish. (Sce stat. at
sArge, vol. |, =. A,)
It may hc alleged that this bounty was
only intended as "a drawback of the salt duty
But TIE allowance or drawback is ac,smla-
sIcd hy heavy duties upon imported p,cklcl
and dried fish--duties ten timcs the amount
'of the salt duties--and furnishing a most
s,mple remuneration for the latter. How
then can il ne doubted that the object and
purpose Of the first Congress was to foster
fisheries!
In August, l79A, the same Congress pass
ed another revenue act, doubling the tax on
salt, aud doubling the allowances 10 expor-
t"r. of fi-.,. (Sce Stat at Lrsc, vol. |, p.
tNl
In l792, February III, Congress passed
another important act touching the fisheries,
and leaving no Doubt the mind of any one
that the object was to protect, encourage.
and t.etcr them. as schools for sr,n,en. The
previous act paid the allowances T. the cx-
y,artcrs of fish, in other words to mcrc ants
who bought fish in the markets for exporta
ton The FISH consumed in the home mar
kct produced no bounty t. the catcher, or
t" any one else, excrp, that indirectly accrl
aug from the high duti,s uPsn i"ri ~ fish
Iut the act .f l142 went much farth r. aud
4','' e'"' '",''.. ~ '"e y" u VS.
81 ~" is'''s' y, '''s "'' S",>
sun 'e"'>' ANY lingering "''o'
30 10 ~ '''' oofe' anu F"'isEc VI 'S 'i-
"on' ny r"t"'r'"7 '''' '"e ",n'"o ,>'r''
s..a'' rtha'n ~ sea- '"sase' l" '"c '"s,''S'
OF ca"h'''S "s" y. ns's' .ou' n''"'", ", VI '.'
"s"'"S SEASON. l. '"r "nre' VI ,"o ",''"'H
was s,'"ry I" 1e'nn' '"e s''' u''y, '''r'
w"u'd not oe ehe e's"' =. F F''c'. !" "",
"i these regulations "'h h"cn an ".,FF.
an v""' s"e '''serh"'c"'' pt '"c l'''n.S'
dictates OF common sense, "'n'" '"'s ''t"'r'
the production OF me "a t'i ''sh IL c",'''-
N'n 4i re'u"d,ng tue d"'S q" s'tt' anu II
"oni' nc "t"a''s "'s"r' an. ""J"., u IN
'e''e'c WIN tnc contracts oe'"e," ''.' Ls"-
'rmen anu their employers OF % require f1nr
month, III the performance ei a labor winch
might be dispatch d N Two or three. viii
read Oh. material parts Of this act in order
that the Committee. aud these Who may
think proper t., Rad my remarks, may r
that have not misrrlT,r ,ranted it. II MA
passed, as have said, ou the 10th oi fehrn-
arv, l1122, AMI is entitlsi An act eoncrrn-
in. certain fisheries Of the | nitci states,
and ior III, r,ypiat,aa and government "i the
fishermen uipl,ycI therein. Ii cnaets.
..rh., H.. ,,,,,.. mas, ,n,J. ,,.,,D ,L.. .x,,r.
i,,ion .t dried i.h af the s.hrr,e. ot the ntc,l
states in lieu of drawback OF the duties paid on