The national Republican., 1869-02-24
EaseuFaesaert q tlss BeiIdlsG O
ssscn,ssips. -

ssseusships.
"A Almsmoriai In behalf Of tue s1oapshlp
builders, presented in the Senate by Mr..
conkling, of N. Y, concludes as follows,
Your memoriallst respectfully states and Is
prepared to prove BY indisputable evidence
that steamships built In the United States
cost nearly double the amount Of q steamship
built In Great Britain, and there is not now
one American steamship engaged In the
trans-Atlantic service, while nearly six hun
dred round voyages were made last year he-
tween the United States and Europe by
steamships built and owned In Europe, and
not less than t25, 600, 900 In gold were received
during that period blythe owners Of these
foreign-built steamships for freight, passen-
gers and mails. .-
Your memorialist asks that steamships
which were built In the United States and
which may be used In transporting the UNI
ted States mails to Europe under contract
with the Post ofice Department may DO re-
leased from all dues Of Whatsoever kind and
nature payable TO the United States, pro-
vided the said steamships shall not receive
more than the postages for such service.
| And your memorialist further prays that
the materials used In constructing and fitting
out any steamship In the United States, TO be
employed by this company or by any Other
| company or person under such mall con-
tract, may be released from all dues, whether
for customs or internal revenue, payable to
the United States.
Tho act Of May 2s, 1854, establishing a
mail steamship line TO Brazil released the
steamships Of that line from custom-house
dues and port charges, and granted an an
nual subsidy Of t150,0O to Il.
The taxes on materials used In construct
ing steamships are q protective tariff In
favor Of foreign-bullt steamships. True, oul
steamship builders are protected by the pro
hibition Of the importation Of forelgu-bulli
steamships; but what protection IL that II
only protects them In our coast trade, whers
foreign steamships cannot trade. Foreign
steamships, built at halft cost Of American
steamships, bring to our ports goods, emil.
grants aud mails, and take back our goods
and our malls. They do all the trans-Atlan.
tic service. The ocean is free, and we can.
not levy tax on them In favor Of our own
built steamships. They have equal rights
with our steamships to do this service, which
they have monopolised and In which they
are protected by our laws, which impose
taxes on materials used In building steam
ships.
Tariff for protection will apply to every
domestic manufacture except to steamships
to be engaged In the trade on the ocean
which Is free to all the world; and every tas
on materials used In building steamships fol
that free ocean trade Is protection Of the
foreign-built steamships.
Remove this protection Of foreign-buili
steamships, and soon our foundries will teen
with workmen, and steamship AFTER steam
ship will be launched from our now deserted
ship-yards but continue this protection Of
foreign steamships and soon the tools and
machinery Of the few foundries that yet re-
main will become rusty and useless, and oui
skilled artisans will lose their skill and be
compelled TO seek other employment, and Il
the time should come again when our countrJ
should need for Its defence ocean steamships
she will be found as she was In 1851, wher
rank rebellion reared Its hideous head. Tn,
remission OF these dues would not take on
dollar from the Treasury Of the Unite'
States, for the reason that without the re
mission, the steamships would not be built
hence the dues could not be received by tn
Government but by the remission Of tn
dues, the steamships that would be bull
would cause to remain In the United State
all the money received for freight, passen
gers and mails transported by them, an
thousands Of our citizens would be engage
creating capital, aud surely these gains woul
ten fold compensate the Treasury OF th
United States for the remission Of the dues.