The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1865-12-18

rampant secesh Legislature behind them, her
representatives in Congress will have very
little influence at Washington in favor of any
thing for the benefit of Kentucky.
The Interests OF Commerce.
While we perceive that at the seat of govern
ment there is constant activity in the discus
sion Of certain political questions, and indeed
q creditable examination of many particular
subjects, there Is also q very reprehensible
neglect of others. II seems to be quite forgot
ten that this is commercial country, that we
have large body of merchants, numberless
ships, harbors and seaports, and vast traffic
on q natural basis with distant countries. It
seems to be too little considered that our GUS
toms revenues are material support to the
credit of the funded debt of the country, and
that the receipts In this direction have been
hitherto, and might be again. sufficiently large
to permit reduction Of our present heavy in
ternal taxation. We are, therefore, not salts
fed with the apparent neglect with which the
interests of commerce are postponed to other
less important considerations.
It is we'll known that our foreign trade, or
q greatpart of It. is carried ON under CONNER
cial conventions, treaties and arrangements
which were the work Of former years, many Of
them quite obsolete, and that reciprocity Of adj
vantages has long been lost sight ofon our part;
that all over the commercial world important
local, if not general, changes are taking place,
by which we do not profit, Of which indeed
most of US are ignorant, and which are
not officially made known to our merchants
and shippers. 1t is doubtful, at this moment
whether complete copy of foreign tariffs or
port charges can be found together at any one
place in the United States certainly they are
not to be seen anywhere in this great COM
mercial emporium of commercial access, and
are not within the reach Of the most enterpris-
ing merchants ut the chambers of commerce
and boards Of trade. There are local port
regulations constantly occurring abroad, of
which we are not informed, working directly
against the convenience of our shipOwners
and shipmasters, and of which we should not
be ignorant
II is also fact that the British government
is at the present moment, and has for years
past been, engaged in procuring more favorable
notifications for her foreign commerce in the
various countries of Europe, and recently with
much success. But even where such changes
have general bearing, and, in fact, might
inure to our benefit also, there is no method
by which we in this country may be early APP
prised of the changes. Here are two striking
examples within few months past the East
India government has materially reduced its
import and export duties, making, in many re-
spects, change highly favorable to American
production and commerce, and yet the fact
itself is scarcely known in this country. The
government of Brazil has also very recently
lberalized its commercial regulations so far as
almost to free its ports duties have been
lowered, the salines opened to trade, and
steamers under every flag allowed to navigate
its rivers, whose shores are lined with the most
valuable natural products.
The British merchants are in both cases
already in advance Of US in reaping these
new advantages. Indeed, their government,
ever on the look out for trade and commerce,
exercises sleepless vigilance in seeking new
outlets; nor only this, but by constant pub
LEGATION Of their we'll written Consular reports
in popular form as well as in the newspa
pers, keeps the British public constantly ad
viscd Of every promising opening. Thus, fol
example, take single instance A Consular
agent recently wrote home from China that the
people of that country were beginning to use
common window glass in their dwellings in
place Of oiled paper. This was Immediately
communicated at home, and thus, while oul
own China ships cannot find at our wharves {
cargo which will bear transportation to The
nowery land in return for teas, the British mer
chants are fitting up China with window glass
at a profit. The truth is, the Consular docu
ments continually made public in England (no
in great and cumbrous quartos Of inconvenien
size and rarely seen) are most valuable and able
productions, and materially assist in the pro
gress and extension of its commerce. He
Consuls are generally first class men, and arr
obliged to possess certain qualifications o
education, language and experience, which
give them great advantage over mere Hitter
ate Office seekers and politicians who swarm
| from this country all over the world TO mis-
| represent MS.
If American commerce is to take the ranl
IL should, IL its official agents abroad are t
bear any resemblance TO the splendid ships w
build, and the superior masters who command
them, our system must be changed essentially
And, FIRST of all, our existing commercial con
ventions must be revised and modernized. There
are some countries where we are trading at ar
immense disadvantage for mere want of pro
per attention to the subject Our relations
with Spain might be placed on much better
footing than they now are, and at one time the
change was within our reach, but suffered t.
escape from sheer neglect. Our commerce
with South America is all at loose ends, tina
with (,olombia il fagt leaving us under the