, 1861-03-12
THE oOAsIINGs TRADE-MR. LIND
SAK,S PR0P0S1Il0N.

The New York Chamber Of Commerce re-
teFTed the mattr to q Special Committee,
and We are hoYdi ii possession Of both the
'tiajs1fty aniaf i5annorng reports of that Com
mittee.- = Tie 1tlhhJJmity report is adverse to
the proposition of Mr.. Lindsay in e**ety7s
particular They think that Great Britain
would be. immensely the: gamer by it, but
that American. ship owners would not be
compensated for the surrender Of, the ad3z,
vnntages now secured to tiem BY our Nay;
igation laWs-- They assert that our coasts
ing trade is increasing at the rate Of 100000
tons yearly-that the: vast. extent of our
1coast, thea hcl1ies 1ar is1ra nsga1tation Oh
our railroads, greatly increasing the rapid;
.>ly developing ng1esources Of our great inte;
rl6r, render it d;fficultto oyerestimate the
Importance Of Eetaini ing the; c1htFdl Of our
: eoasting trade Mr Llpdsay's proposition
etnsbHraeed v thin its scope the trade Of the
Northwestern Lakes. On this point the
Il. .opsning:iha IaEe t,ade We: Should have
much tn,1pse: little ttu}sain.:- MIR Lindsay
!; tru1ysaysf@ 1.-The ship-owner is amere carrier,
and does mot create trade; the trade must be
: share of the. tzadeou the Lakes; sufficient ton
mage. ta< carr it On. xiiIh ab9naaat material
!, for its -ifcEeas6-When FeedireA-Iake AGchi-
. gan ia exclusively m Americau1ake; the trade
at the present time Ia eaQal TO. A. not greater
: than5 a the; Gahs ah sher6 Of the other lakes.
-Ahd; wien we look at the number Of miles of.
railroads, bringing to the shores Of this lake.
f6e products Of millions Of acres Of the rich.
est 1and,'a small portion only under cultiya-
tion, who can calculate the future value Of the
trade of this hikes: Turning to lake Superior,
na ssagS a9d ~ tns1sss ads aRd1s a,nSft S35
The Canadian feinainb a N4FdeFness little
known. except to tho hunter, fisherman and
excnssionist Some idea Of the importance
Of the trade Of the lake may be formed d:4rna'
The fact that 200 900 tons Of iron ore wern,
shipped during the ptst year, not to enume- ).
sats piE iEo2 copper ez; she large amount Of
! The majority IT,: take:: equally decided
ground against the granting oefegisters to
british or foreign ships They complain
bitterly of the lliberality of the; laws=of
England by which, according to Mr.. Lind
says own showing an annual tax Of one
million Of dollars, is levied on American
: shipping, ,uwishnnt'a single. corresponding
ehaIge-dhat willie ligsiht ddues arc collected
by Great Britain from American ships for
lights which they never er,tse, and port dues
for ports which they never enter,-:Englisll
ships arenot charged for those American
lights which they Actually Il use, The Com
mittee think there should be petfect re-
ciprocity in these matters, before further
:. Confessions rs to to the Soastitng trade and the
registry Of foreign ships IS granted.
The minority report is brief but: decided
.ip jts advocacy of Mr: Lindsay's PROPOSE
ton. Ii regards tie maj jority report as the
result Of viewing the whole subject from
s>the ship owners sstaapld apld point Its argument
is condensed into" The foAowing para
graphs, --........ - I
Looking IT. the interest Of the couutryht
large, a1d not to that Of ship osaners alone,
:. THAT foreign Tetsels ought to be allowed
to participate IN oHEslake-trafe. and in our
coasting trade; far and near, as freely as they
do in our foreign trade.
'-rItss tbs epinfon cpf' ,sume, am aware, that
IL that Should permitted, -opat own tessels
would be inte1teTed with go much aag tS
make the business Improbable to them. But
nI cAItnbt sec It IN that light, andWopld point
to onr tfade Win the West Indies and South
Americs. On those rontes foreign y{8gtk
have now every advantage that We have, aud
yet tie whole pf rhat teatTyEng trade may b.
said to be in our hadd5. I think it would be
the same IN our eoasting trade. It ap-
s.peara TO ME :that whoeyer will do tic
WorE best and tnEapssstt Fbnght to have It, mud
hASe no leaTs for the result, I think, how
Tint cur eii..zenss ousht tn n9ve the privilege
wherever thcy> may find iT'theif interest to do
,BUs ana That those :Fesgeisr rehonld he entitled
to registry In the United States the same as
vessels built in this country.
:, With respect to English light due4, think
It ve1 probable Z 51r 1 Goseanment should
open the coasting and lake trade on condition
thatthe English light duties should be abol'
I Ri2aGb2a hsf ESaf %ad e & as e.e
incur fayor:--
The subject was discussed at som e lengtl
by the Chamber Of Commerce, and its con
side1ation hid over until the next meeting