The Portland daily press., 1867-12-03

The Commercial Bulletin of last week, after
noticing The complaints made by the South.
er, Western and Middle States of the diff
culties under which they labor in conse-
quence of existing systems of taxation, tariff
&C., indulges in the following pertinent refec-
tions:
II any particular section has right to grum-
BILE at the existing situation, and lay special
claim to the good offices of the government in
extending relief to its material interests, we
beg leave to suggest that it is New England
1t is here, in our densely populated territory,
that the great consuming masses are made to
feel the full weight of Federal and State taxa
ton: and it is here, too, that production and
commerce are most fettered and restricted by
the operation of our complicated revenue sys-
tenn, heaping "Pelion upon Ossa," and piling
up tax upon tax. In no part of the country
is industry at so low an ebb, capital so unre-
munerative in its investments, and their joint
products so poorly paid for, as here in New
England at the present time, The special
ties Of our skilled labor, which were once a
source of wealth to the capitalist and profit
able employment to the people, are now a
drug in the market, and refuse to 90 into con-
sumption at any price. They are relatively
much cheaper than the agricultural produces
of the West and South, or the raw mineral
products OF the Mldde states. a
Not only are our manufactures closed, or
running on short time, and SOur mechanics
and labOring men by thousands thrown out
of employment, but our commercial classes
are suffering immense losses from the stagna-
ton of trade and shrinkage in merchandise
values. The latter are obliged to "carry" not
only the products of New England commerce
and industry, but also to a great extent, those
of every other section of the country. Hence,
upon their shoulders the depreciation in prices
principally falls. And the situation with us
is rendered still more severe and trying, from
the fact that our foreign commerce and its de-
pendent interests continue in q depressed and
crippled condition. In fact, the noble race of
importing and shipping merchants, once the
pride and boast of cur New England seaports,
whose ships plowed the waters OF every sea
and poured into our markets the wealth OF
every cline, are now, alas, falling into COM
parative decay
Onr mercantile marine, swept from the
ocean during the late war, involving loss Of
millions of capital not shared by any other
section OF the country, shows no signs Of re-
covery from the blow. The high cost OF labor,
and the umtriendly policy of the government
| in imposing tax on tonnage, and discrimina-
| ting against shipbuilding materials, have pre-.
vented any attempt to repair that heavy loss
/ Our shipyards all along the coast, once reso.
nant with the livery chorus ofthe ak and the
hammer, are now silent and solitary as oui
| graveyards. The Canadian Reciprocit,
| Treaty which once brought a large and prof
| liable trade to our seaboard markets-inclu-
ding cheap lumber for ship building-has
been suicidally abrogated, and the raw prod
| ucts of Canada and the Maritime Provinces
| which were once sent here to exchange for
our West India goods and home manufactures
now pass by us to other markets.
| This is faint picture of the Eastern situa-
| tion, and of what New England has been cali
| ed to suffer on account OF the war and its Sc
| quences. Yet, we believe, she has borne
| what may be considered at least her full share
| of our national adversities with becoming
| fortitude, and has done rather less than her
| share of grumbling. She had very liberal
pile of accumulated wealth to fall back upon
at the outset, and, until that is exhausted,
abe will probably manage to keep cool over
her losses.
But, in common with other sections, she
is looking for turn in the tide, and thinks
| it high time the process oil material recupera-
| tion had commenced Like the West, the
| South, and the central States, she is looking
| to Congress to removeall unnecessary obsta-
cles which stand in the way of restoration.
Though she is not so selfish as TO insist that
her case shall be attended to first and with
out reference to his general bearing, yet, when
the internal policy of the government comes
up to be Temoulded and revised, she will de-
mand to be heard in behalf of her own suffer-
| ing interests.