The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1863-02-03

EFFECT or THE LAW TAXING CoMNERcE-As
was predicted, the immense tax imposed BY
the act Of July last on vessels entering ct ports
OF the United States has given rise to much dis
satisfaction among our merchants and ship
owners, inasmuch as it is deemed by them to
be unnecessarily burdensome, unjust and partial
in Its operation. Many, on entry of their yes
sells, lave taken the ground that the act 10 in
contravention of existing treaty stpulations,
and have protested ags list the payment of the
amount demanded.
This law has been in operation Just one month
during which time there have been collected
under ii at this port alone twenty-eight thousand
two hundred and four dollars-an amount far
greater than was anticipated by either the
friends or opponents Of the law. The aggre-
gate tonnage on which this has been paid il
two hundred and eighty-two thousand and forty
TONS and it will be seen that, If we calculate
the value of the property taxed at fifty dollars
per ton, the rate would be little less than two
and one-half per cent per annum on the total
value OF the vessels. Add to this the stamp
tax, and the three per cent tax on excess Of
incomes over six hundred dollars per annum
derivable from this source, and it may readily
be that this class of property is excessively
taxed.
Petitions for modification or revision of the
law have been circulated and signed by nearly
all the leading shipping merchants and owners
in this city, as well as in many of the maritime
towns of New England, and forwarded to Con-
gress; and, as we have one or two practical bust
ness men or the Committee of Commerce, to
which these petitions have been referred, it Il
to be hoped that some speedy action will be
taken by which we shall be relieved from
portion, at least of this excessive tax OF com
merce. With these large taxes, added to the
danger of being captured at sea by the Ala
bama and Oreto, our shipping stands poor
chance in these days of rebellion.
The Fuss ABOUT ARBITRARY ARRESTS We
notice that the editor Of Philadelphia paper
was recently arrested By order of Secretary
Stanton, confined for day or two and then re-
leased. The consequence is that Secretary
Stanton has made this editor very great man.
and that his paper, OF which no one ever heard
before, will now be read with avidity by
thousands Of people.
We regard this and all other such arrests as
most absurd and mischcvous blunders In this
particular case both Stanton and General
Schenck were completely hnmbugged by For
ney, who, by the arrest Of an opposition editor
aud the suppression of an opposition paper,
sought to help along his own weak journal,
and at the same time give vent to the bitter
spleen caused by Cameron's defeat. Such
blunders are worse than crimes.
But Stanton's blunder is not bit more alb
surd and ridiculous than the article eulogizing
jeff Davis which the editor in question pub
lished, and which gave Forney an opportunity
to have the paper suppressed. JEFF Davis is o
most violent partisan and detestable tyrant.
Stanton's fault is that he seems inclined to
make jeff. Davis his model and to become just
as violent and tyraunical. The arrest itself,
the manner in which it was conducted and all
the circumstances attending it ought to be fully
investigated by the proper authorities, and
Secretary Stanton should be summariiy dis
missed and properly punished