The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1860-11-15
Maritime Laws Of En2la and the United

Mr. W g. LiSDaRy, a member of the British
Parliament and large ship owner, who has
| come to this country to argue some important
| changes in the maritime laws Of the two coun.
| tries, has made an extensive tour through the
| business towns of this continent, from New
York 10 Buffalo, Cleveland, Chicago. quebec
| aud Montreal. On Saturday afternoon ne al
| dressed the Board OF Trade of Pniinoeipn'a'
| and stated that the great matters upon winch
| an understanding between the Two co"h-
| tries Is desirable, is the satisfactory ADJUST
| ment of the responsibility upon ships In case
| ~ collision at seq the right Of way; the re-
| .,ac,ixe rights of masters and men the regu-
| ,.,,on of the coasting trade and reciprocal en-
| ,ox,nent of it. He had wondered why it was
| Thai no settlement of these ues lions had ever
| heen made and that between two such impor-
tant commercial countries an understanding
of mutual advantage had never been arrived
at.
Mr.. LINDSAY referred to the city of Chicago
where the exports Of grain this year will reach
fifty millions of bushels, while the entire ex-
ports and imports of the city would make up
two hundred and fifty millions of dollars. A
large amount of the enormous grain trade
goes down the shores of the vast inland seas
and through the ship canals. But the Ameri-
can law directs that this grain, however much
wanted on any part of its own shores, should
only be sent away in American vessels, whilst
the laws of Canada enjoin that the coastng
trade of that country cannot be done by Amer
lean bottoms. These laws, operating alike to
the disadvantage of both countries, Mr.. LIND
| sEY aptIy compared to two men tying each
| others right arms together and working only
| with their left hands. In 1912, England passed
| 4 law that none but English ships should car
| ry English products, while American law
| prohibits. English ships from carrying Ameri-
| can products but both countries soon dis
| covered the injury of these laws and abolish
| ed them. Canada sometime since increased
| the duties not only upon American produce
| and ma ufactures, but raised her tariff against
| English produce also. Mr.. LINDSEY said he
| had converted with the prominent Canadian
| officials upon this subject and they had
| pressed a Willingness, at any time that the U.
| States were prepared for mutual concession,
| TO throw down all barriers, and yield the free
| navigation of the st. Lawrence and the entry
| Of the Canadian ports 10 American casters
| to improve the navigation of her ship canals,
| and TO reduce the taxes upon American pro-
| duce and manufactures.
| Mr. LINDSEY stated that in 1850, England
| threw open her ports to the entire w orld and
she had been by all calculations a gamer
| The official value of British produce and
manufactures exported during ten years Of
strict protection were, in 1904, f22, 900 900, in
1si4, f32, 100000, showing an increase in these
| ten years of ten millions of pounds sterling
| These dates were just previous to the period
when England entered into its first CONNER
| cial treaty with the United States, and was
| the first step towards liberal policy. In the
| ten years since free trade was established, the
| official value of the exports in 1912 amounted
| to fl00,000,000, and increased TO fl92 100000
sterling in 1852; thus, while the increase dur
ing ten years of protection was ten millions
| sterling, it was, in ten years Of free trade, no
| less than ninety-ttco millions sterling
In regard to ships, it appeared by reference
to official returns, that the entrances and clear
| ances while they were nine millions of tons
| in ls42, reached, in 1910, which was the last
| year Of protection to British shipping, to
| fourteen million tons, showing an increase in
the five years of protection of five millions Of
| tons. But if we look to the increase in eight
years Of free trade-that is, from 1ei9 to 1857
we will find that the increase was no less than
| nine millions of tons; and that while the
| people of England were great gamers by this
| liberal policy, the British ship-owner, so far
Y
| be, has also been a considerable gamer for
| while the increase of British shipping amount
| ed to three millions of tons between 1912 and
| ls49 it reached four millions of tons between
| 1sig and 1857.
| Another point of great interest and import
| ance upon which Mr.. LINDSEY urged unity
| of legislation was in reference to crimes COM
| United at sea. American laws take cogni-
| zance of crimes committed upon English
| ship. in American ports, nor English laws of
crimes committed upon Americas ships il
! British ports. There are disputes, too, be-
| tween masters and men, arising at sea, in
| which the courts Of neither country have any
| power of adjustment. Mr.. LINDSEY sug-
| gested an Improvement, already made in The
| ports of England, which might be advan-
| tageously adopted in this country. 1t consists
in the establishment Of shipping offices, which
| have done away with the crimps and land
sharks. who formerly supplied the ships with
crews and pocketed their advance pay. The
| miseres and injuries of this system have
given place TO shipping offices in every British
| port, which are under the control of commit
| tees chosen by the ship-owners of the port
| Attached 10 each of them is money order
office and savings bank. Here all sailors are
| shipped, and here, too, they are paid of. The
| imu royement has been manifest. The num-
Der o. sailors families upon the parishes is
greatly diminished, the character and health
| of the sailor are improved. and the ship-mas-
ters and owners also reap the benefit. Regis
tiers are kept in which the names of the sea-
men are noted, and a seaman OF bad character
has little chance of employment. Unfortu-
| nateIy only British captains have access to
| these offices. If they were also established in
| America, England would reciprocate.
! Mr.. LINDSEY expressed his full concurrence
| in the doctrine that private property at sea
| should be respected the same property is
respected on shore, and that MIR. MARCY was
| right when he main tanned that America could
not, with her small Navy, abolish privateer-
| ing, whilst England could send her vast ma
| val force to burn, plumber, and destroy. Al
| together this mission of commercial reform
| which Mr.. LINDSEY urges in America is i'm.
| portant and practical ia the highest degree.
| and has in that gentleman an able and worthy
exponent.
.'Dividc and Conquer,
M IL.