Baltimore daily commercial. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1865-1867, 1866-01-22
Communication from Secretary McCuI-


The following is the communication from the Fec
retary addressed to Speaker Colax, which the latter
laid before the house:
Sir:-Py resolution adopted in the House of Re-
preSentaives, February 3d. 1865, | am directed to
communicate at the present session facts and inform
alton concerning the decrease OF the mercantile
rine. and to suggest such remedial legislation as
may deem eXpedient. Appended to the resolution
is a communication from Mr. Easton, United States
Consul at Cork, presenting an outline OF a plan TO
encourage and stimulate the building of ships in
which he the loss of our commercial marine
in the past five years to be four millions of tons the
total American tonnage being stated in round num-
berS at five millions before the late
1t is, however, ascertained by digent inquiry, that
shipping to the amount OF 9lU,i65 tons has actually
usappeared IRON our Lsts rom an causes causes 0U'5Ot
tons transferred to foreign owners and tons de-
stroyed by pirates, being less than fifth, instead
of four-fiths. in addition to the resolution above
mentioned, II have likewise received a copy of
another, insructing the Committee of Commerce, of
the House to INQUIRE into the expediency Of so
amending the registry laws of the United States as to
admit of the registry of any vessel actually owned by
citizen of the United States, without reference to
the place Of construction.
have the honor, therefore to submit express
sion of My views on the suhec The existing laws
exclude from the Triviieges of the American flag all
foreign built vessels and the vessels of domestic
build which, aftor having been once Gocumented un-
der the laws, are transferred to foreign ownership
TO since the first establishment of our commercial
system, and no general law has at any time prevailed
At variance With it, except the act of December 3.
1852. which permits under certain conditions, the
registry of foreign built vessels wrecked in the wa
tiers of the United States.
The prohibitiOu as far it relates to vessels of
foreign build upon the second section of the
Navigation act Of December 81, 1872 and is calcu-
lated to cherish and encourage domestic ship build
ing, which has been regarded as vital to our COM
mercial prosperity and whatever opinion may be
entertained to the propriety of eventful reaXa-
tion in the srngency of the laws do not regard the
present as an auspicOus moment in which to make
the experiment, involving as it would, radical
change in the established policy of the Government
The act of June q, 1897 forbdding the registry of
YES elS built and registered in the United States but
subsequently transferred to foreigner rests upon
different but quite cogent, reason, viz:the facility
that privilege of unrestrained transfer would afford
for the perpetuaton of frauds and the evasion of the
navigation laws. During the late war the transfer
in any cases it is believed cticious fraudulent
of American bottoms to foreign flag, has been IA
war rates of insurance and to avoid the risks of
capture. -,
Upwards of c ;Ght hundred thousand tons of ship
ping have thus disappeared from our records, for
large portion of which tho owners claiming
re-admission when the risks of war are no longer
imminent and the privileges of an American registry
are again appreciated. They tlnserred their vessels
with full knowledge of the sacrifice they incurred
regarding, it must be supposed, th6 temporary SO,
curity from losses equivalent for it, and should
be unwilling to advise, in their favor relaxation of
the rigor of the law.
Neither do l. on the other hand, recommend any
additional encouragement of ship builders by allow
of drawback, otherwise enjoying, as they do
an absolute protection from foreign competition.
cannot conceive that domestic ship yards require
any further stimulus or more extended privileges.
| am, very respectfully, II. MCCULLoCH,
Secretary of the Treasury.