The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1860-07-27


This prc,iimited amount Of means will save u.s. ~.
from doing TOO much, and the statistics wiil
save N from doing what We 40, IN pIonY
places. Adopt and adhere TO this course, sna'
Il seems TO me. the difficulty will be cleared.
Here Is the most direct antagonism on this
question between the Presidential candidates
now before the people Of Maine. Mr.. Douglas
Is most uncquivocally In favor Of taxing the
tonnage-Mr. Lincoln and Mr.. Hamlin both
uuequivocally against It, and In favor Of the
General Government making appropriations for
the improvement Of our Rivers and Harbors.
For which policy win the Ship owners and
commercial men Of Maine cast their votes.
Maine has nearly EIGHT HUNDRED
THOUSAND TONS OF SHIPPING. Should
1t only be taxed once in Q year at the rate Mr..
Douglns proposes, for the privilege Of entering
certain harbors, the cost to Maine would be
EIGHTY THOUSAND DOLLARS; II taxed
ivies, ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTY THOUs-
AND DOLLARS; II three times, TWO HUN
DRIED AND FORTY THOUSAND DOLLARS,
and 50 on In like proportion; and every ono
knows that taking the average number Of times
which our vessels would enter harbors In the
course Of the year. the tax would be quite like
ly to DO levied seven or eight times. The effect
would thus be to levy upon the ship owners OF
Maine an annual burden more than double a.
large as the entire State Tax upon oil kinds Of
property-amounting, rs that does, to but two
hundred thousand dollars. And then after
palsying commerce by such IN exaction, the
amount realized would DO totally inadequate to
the object in view.
The county Of SAgadahoo, small as II Is In
territorial extent. owns more than 10000 tons
Of shipping-Bath alone owning over $4,000
tons. The new county Of Knox owns nearly rs
much rs Sagadahoc. Let the Ship owners,
simply of these two counties, estimate the cost
to them Of Mr.. Douglas policy. Let all the
commercial cities, and towns Of the State, COM
mencing at Kittery and Kennebunk, and going
east through Portland, Yarmouth, Freeport,
Brunswick, IIarpswell, Bath, woolwich, Wal.
dobro', Thomastou, Rockland, Camden, Bel
fast, Bangor, Bucksport, Deer Isle, Castine,
Nachias, PASSPORT, Calais, and numerous In
tcryening towns not mentioned; let them, We
say, examine their respective amounts Of ton.
mage, and see what tax would be assessed up
on them II Mr.. Douglas policy were pursued !
During the very last session Of Congress, Mr.
Slidell, Of Louisiana, tried to get q bill passed
enabling the city Of New Orleans to assess q
tax upon the tonnage coming into that port, for
the purpose OF deepening the mouth Of the
Mississippi. Mr.. Douglas was the guide and
endorser Of Mr.. Slidell's policy, and II II had
prevailed in this single case, the ship owners OF
Bath and Thomaston, engaged in carrying cot
ton, would have been taxed more than FlF-
TEEN THOUSAND DOLLARS In single
year. Judging from this. what would the bur
den amount to II Mr.. Douglas system should
become general!
Our Rivers and Harbors should be made safe
for navigation; first, rs protection to human
life, and next tor the property which Is trans
ported by water. No outlay is extravagant II
II is necessary to render them safe. But how
maniftstly unjust that the expense should be
usScsscl ulOH Ouc CihcS VI ptope'y
viz: the owners OF tonnage-when oil classes
are interested, It would DO imposing an ex.
action quite as annoying, and thousand
times more onerous, than the "Sound Dues "
at the entrance Of the Baltic, the abolition OF
which, AFTER years Of Diplomacy, our Govern
ment succeeded quite recently In procuring
The proposition in itself |, as odious and un
just as 1t can be, and Is especially disgracefu
to its author whenit Is remembered that Mr.
Douglas did II to curry favor with those pro
slavery strict constructionists Of the South
who can find no Constitutional warrant fol
making appropriations from the Federal Treas
ury for the improvement Of Rivers and llar'
bors, but who can find all requisite power FOL
chasing runaway negro clear up to the Can
adas, with the whole force Of the NatioPal Ar
my, II need be. The ship-owners Of Maine
have now the opportunity to express their dis
appreciation Of Mr.. Douglas scheme, and We
doubt not they will do itwith unparalleled una
nimity.