The New York herald., 1869-06-09

ping Interests.

the latest monthly report, No. "a, of the
Deputy Special Commissioner of the Revenue,
in charge of the Bureau of Statistics, showing
the statistics of our commerce and navigation
for the months of October, November and
December, 1868, and for the year ending
December 81, 1868.
The salient point Of this report is its ire
futable testimony to the rapid and lamentable
decline OF American commercial and shipping
interests. 1t appears from the statistics for
the last three months of 1868 that over fifty
seven per cent of our imports, forty-one and
one-half per cent of our domestic exports and
ninety per cent of our re-exports for the period
mentioned have been transported in foreign
vessels.
In 1855 Mr.. Bright could say in the British
Parliament -'In ship building industry the
United States not only compete with but in
some respects excel this country" And the
official records of Great Britain show that in
lS6O-6l the tonnage of American sea-going
vessels exceeded that of Great Britain by
695, 18l tons in 1860, and by 732, 9S7 tons in
1861. "To-day this supremacy has passed to
ing monopoly of the worlds commerce."
The Secretary of the Treasury, in his report
for 1868, adverted to the fact that ''while Anne
rlcan tonnage in our foreign trade has fallen
of foreign tonnage has greatly increased;"
adding that ''the condition of our steam ma
rine is in lower condition even than that Of
our sailing vessels" These facts he illustrated
by the most alarming statistics. Mr.. Hamilton
A. Hill, in recent paper prepared for the
National Board of Trade, shows that the
absolute decline In our foreign tonnage from
1861 to 1867 was ffty-four per cent, or nearly
1,5OO, 900 tons, leaving it less than one-third
Of what in 1857 we should have been justified
by past experience in estimating what it would
be in 1867. Mr.. Franklin W. Smith, Treasurer
Of the Atlantic Works in Boston, commenting
on this statement says in his pamphlet entitled
'Wooden Ships Superseded by Iron, that the
gross foreign steam tonnage of the United
States presents still more unfavorable con-
trast. The estimate of Great Britain in 1867
was 775, 900, that of the United States 175, $50
tons, making a difference of 500, ,4sO tons.
This difference of nearly GOO, 900 tons is more
than the combined commercial steam tonnage
of the United States and Great Britain five
years ago.
The question naturally arises, Why this
rapid supersedure of American by British
tonnage? Mr.. Smith affirms that the statis-
tics given of the abandonment of wooden
ships on the Clyde for iron, in the construction
of nh oh IN pr;t IL, ,ok
far less advantage than in wood, reveal con-
elusive answer. He cites signal example of
the vexatious and mortifying disadvantage Of
American artisans in their rivalry with British.
An American house in Canton had lately sent
to Boston the specifications of an iron steamer
Shanghae Navigation Company, but was
finally compelled to contract for it in England.
"With natural preferences for the work of their
countrymen they were compelled to expend
the capital in development Of British skill and
the increase Of British wealth, endowing thus
more abundantly industrial schools for future
Alabamas." While the ship yards and ma
chine shops OF America are idle, for five miles
along the Clyde are heard the din and clangor
of iron, under the strokes of British workmen,
who are now building more ships than all the
world beside. None who pass along our New
York piers can fail to notice the prevalence Of
the British flag above our national ensign.
''The British now maintain" says Mr.. Smith,
Zone hundred and sixty-four lines Of
steamers to foreign countries, employing an
immense feet Of ships, many of large size.
Sixty-eight steamers Of English nationality
ply between the ports of the United States and
Europe, while an American seeks in vain to
return homeward by steam from British
port under the American flag" On the other
hand the instability of our revenue laws and
their discriminating and partial character
have combined to hasten the decline Of Ame-
rican commerce and shipping. While, as Mr..
Smith demonstrates in his interesting PAM
phlet, existing disabilities press heavily upon
American commerce and industry, foreign
nations afford all possible encouragement and
protection to their marine. France and Eng
land remit the duties and taxes on materials
and articles used in building and Quitting
ships. Prussia, since she has represented
consolidated Germany first class Power
is eagerly fostering her commerce and
specially protecting ship building of iron.
Surely, in view of the discreditable contrast
presented by the depression of commerce and
ship building in the United States, it will be
the duty of Congress to seek and apply some
remedy for so great national evil.
SoRosIs. is the matter with Sorosis,
that 1t is getting up hospital for itself at this
early stage of its existenceP A bad sign, this.
Healthy youth, buoyant with exuberance Of
life, never dreams of the necessities of age or
believes in the possibility of decay.