The Portland daily press., 1867-03-01


Memorial of Maine shiPb"iiaen'
The following memorial was submitted 10
tbe uonses of Congress on the 2lst ult., by
tbe committee appointed by the convention
of shin owners and builders held in Augusta
on the 30th January:
To the honorable Senate and House of Rep
resentatiyes of the United States in Con-
gress assembled: sA't'sf.N
GENTLEMEN Your memoriallsts are %,
committee raised for specific purpcsII ~
large and intelligent convention OF SUPP pSaine.
ers and ship owners held in Aueusia, s;ytv,
January Both, eighteen huhdieu ''
seven. ,dar which
they act: ,,s;..;ux 81
Hon Samuel Cony, Hon. n y. HichDorn,
Hon, 10. w. Stetson, HoH is'oah otet,
son, and Hon - " amS a og ia .Sat
tba ShinhniIding interest of Maine be
, r,G from the heavy burdens imposed by
Conrress upon this important branch of in
dnstTy through q drawback on duties on all
foreign articles entering into the construction
of ships. e. 59#F5f fi sE
In accordance with the above instructions.
your memorialists proceed to say that. among
the prominent interests of Maine. doubtful
If any are more so, is her navigable: in fact,
III is second TO none but her agricultural
She has usually had engaged in ship-buid-
ing some six thousand to seven thousand
men, and twice that number in sailing or nav
lgating them. Some one hundred persons are
thus dependent upon the same for livel-
hood. 30 @ z CO. 4i.iea
SO well adapted are the facilities and OPP
portlnities of prosecuting this essential branch
OF national as well as State industry, and SO
-anprpaficalIv haya hpr citizens DUrSlleQ III,
when untrammeled by onerous burdens, tnat
she has actually constructed for series OF
years. on an average, more than nifty per cent.
OF all the sea-going vessels OF the country.
This she will undoubtedly continue to do, but
it is for Congress TO decide whether that per
centum shall be few or many.
If the onerous burdens now imposed by
tariffs and taxes can be lightened, the hum of
industry, as of yore, will be heard in our ship
yards; ship-owners will again increase, and
our commerce send Maine ships TO bear our
flag wherever civilization is known.
The effect OF continuing such a policy must
be not only TO destroy the business, but actll-
ally to deIeat the ends of the government in
imposing the burdens. If no ships are built,
of course no dutiable articles are consumed,
and no revenue paid to the government This
is the simplest problem OF arithmetic
During the year ending June, eighteen hun
dred and sixty-five, one hundred and nine
ships and barks were built in the United
States. Maine built seventy-iour of them !;
forty-six brigs were built, and Maine built
thirty-four OF them. The number luilt per
year since has, probably, somewhat increased,
the ratio built in Maine remaining about the
same. These vessels have been built mainly
from sales of ships out of the country during
the rebellion, but 50 heavy has been the cost
that they have ceasedto be productive proper
ty, and hence little preparation is making for
building in the future. High costs and I'M
produetveL ess are elements that never fail to
check business. 'AH 20 GOV
Ii is estimated that some one hundred and
twenty thousand tons OF shipping were built
in Maine during the last year, and from care
fully prepared memoranda it is aScertained
that the duties on articles actually entering
into the construction of ships amount to about
ten dollars per ton. This in the aggregate
amounts to one million two hundred thousand
dollars per annum-a sum equal to the whole
taxation of the State. Such burden cannot
Tail of its results. Relief must be had or the
business dwInde to a close; our ship-yards
be abandoned, our builders lose their bust
hess, and mechanics be discharged to seek 9TH
er employ, and PROBABLY In other STATES.
Again: the law for collecting tonnage dues
is so framed that ship registered for the first
time IN december must pay Tor the full caen-
dar year. Suppose the register to be dated
December thIrtetn, the ship must pas for a
fuii year, thirty cents per ton, and ten ID she
Gear and happen into port IN ano,uer dis
trlcG on january nrst, she must pay another
thirty cents per ton. IhiS is expensive and
veAaGOuS. l6 cannot be the intent OF the law
to lax ship for time expiring before she is
butt or registered.
Once more: the admeasurement of The
houses OF ships, and entering the same in the
register, worRs wrong in many ways to the
owner, sllla out little comparative good to the
government.
Inc excise tax, also, upon the manufacture
oil many arIlc4es, sucn as rigging, sails, tanks,
DC, Is unequai and onerous and needs read
lusCment mot repeating.
mus We nave recIled briefly the diSabili-
ties under which this speciality of Maine in
dustly rests Ii these disabilities upon ship
bulluers must continue, Maine must bear more
Than one-us@if the Wnole burden thus imposed
upon me Ddlon; and that, too, with but very
slSnt conpensaIlve consideration. Maine
has out comparatively lew manufactures,
grows but tI6Gle wool, and prOduces NJ coal,
very ntJie iron; ners it seems TO be TO do anu
bear DuU 1t Is not rom local considerations,
aione tnaC We urge reHeI in this direction. IL
nsoives, We filinK, a national question of no
ordinary moment.
AS HAS been aeli said by the Secretary oil
the Treasury, IN his recent able report, the ma
tons tildJ Dtuid SHIPS SAN lnem; and If We
Cease 10 SAL, hence ceases that hardy ,
pIacJcai training on the seas in the merchant
marine winch SO eminently hts our sailors Tor
the defence oi the country on the water in
time oil danoer. Should the future, which we
tear Is not unlikely, md us engaged in for
eign war, It's great Dattles must be fought on
tue seas; aud At wouid De unpai donable tor
nation Oh our means and experience not TO
have an extensive merchant marine from
wnich to extemporlze such men as SO summa-
ry sent tue Brush bulit and manned Ala
bama TO the bottom. Further than this,
should sudden conflict with a commercial
nablon arise, the extensive ship-yards OF
Maine, and her numerous strong EARNED and
weli-skliled mechanics, may all be needed 10
meet the emergency. ru..rr rfEl sf4F
-nr Once more: commerce is now admitted to
be the great equalizer and ciViliZer of the
world; ana 1t is our duty, as well as our priv
ilege, 10 send our nag Wherever intelligence is
known. AS IL now Is, our citizens, induced
by the superior advantages offered in neigh
boring provinces, are taxing our TIMBER, carry
ing it 10 said provinces, there constructing
their ships ior foreign trade, and sending them
abroad. American SHIPS, manned by Amerl-
can sailors, and bearing everywhere a foreign
f1agl Sucn poley, long continued, can but
work INFINITE wrong to our country and its in
situations. flaei-fu taefu ..af+.n T.
la From such a condition your memorialists ask
an intelligent and apprecative Congress to
save the otate and nation. ..,fai ii lao !
And as in duty bound, will ever pray. ,t
la-s 4z,aie SAMUEL CoNY,
.a .4ei ~ rah 9i N.G. HICHBORN,
treR sshA adi K. W.STETsON,
IEE .Hf0 .8as iL ~ fg ISAIAH STETSON,
T j. p. MORSE. i5il