, 1869-10-28
CLASS LEGISLATION,

Congress, at its last session, appointed
number Of Investigating committees, with
power to act during the recess. Among
uhtrs there vas committee to inquire
into the causes for the destruction Of Amer
ican stip-building. The causes for tha
alpost total stoppage Of American ship
building are easily aseertained. They ore
patent to everybody., The cost Of the ma
tcrisl Of every kind used in shlp-buildiug is
80 reat that no ship can be built in this
country and compete with foreign-built ships.
ships is rapidly declining, and the dcaaanl
Of all nations, and for ali purposes, is for
iron vessels. But tho sano reaaod which
prohibits the construction Of wooden ships
in the United States applies equally to tho
building Of iron ships. building ships Of
either wood or iron has beon taxed to death.
Once, We built vessels for alt the nations
Of Europe; nov, our Eng Is disAppeus-
ing from tho OCEAN, and is no longer seen
in the ports Of other countzies- Our laws
refuse certificate Of nationality to my
ycssel built hoyond t1a United States, or
which has over borne foreign flag. Our
shipping interest, therefore, can neither
build vessels, nor buy them. and have to
do business under foreign flags.
The remedy for this ine1cusab1e annihi-
t lation Of ono of the largest and most ad-
vantsgeo,s Of national industries is plain
and direct onc. Repeal tho taxes which
prohibit shir-l,uisainR, and ship-huilding,
both in iron and wood, will be resumed,
and with yigor aud to an extont hitherto
unknown. While there Ia but one remedy
for ths evil, it Is not tho leas trae that,
among nil tho Propositions made to the
Congressional committee, thAt one IS
not 1ncntionod. Thun, tho ropreaen-
sativcs If the ahip-owners urged the
committee to recommend that Con
g.ess repeal the .aw prohibiting the
purchase md registration Of fozeign.bu,lt
vessels. This interest cares nothing fol-
tho ship-buldcrs, but asks tho privilege ol
purchasing rhips md stcamers WHEREVER
they can bo had, aud Of converting then
into Amet,ca1, vessels Armed with THU
privilege, il is d tnntter If utter Indifference
to t4c,n whether anuther keel be ever lait
in any American yard. On the other band
the representatives Of the ahip-huilding in
irrest protest ngaiust this perpstual prohibi
ticn of American ship-building. Thoy 1i1g'
the committee to racoumcna to Cungres
to c,ntinue tho law prohibiting the issue o
American Registers to foreign-huilt vcsse!s
but also To recommend that thore be q 10
m;ssion of nil duties na,d on imported arti
r,as nsaa IN st;D.buildina. Tbey care uost
J mo snr thc ;ntorrsts of men engaged in III
: connar. iron. wood. or cort,acs business
1'her care n,th,no for anv interest bu
the;r oun
} Professor Perry, in his recent debat
: With Horace Greeley, stated tha. ncube
8 Of the Committee of Ways and Means DE-
1 claretl that it would make auy man fre
3 trader to aerve on that committee, and 10 vii
ness the supreme selaahness which mArke
= every application for change in the tariff
Not IN applicant had the slightest coucez
for sny interest bnt his own; each wante
: TO tax he pnblic to tho highest point fo
his special profit.
> We pzutest against both of these pr
posed mcaDs Of relief Not that We do ns
J. wish 10 havo American ships, owned m
$ built by Americana, but because We are oE
9 posed to any more job legislation. Les
t ,han eighteen months ago. Congress-, b
ir | - .....;,x IT ~..... .aj.5 E,
khe AipA1u1 cAcAe1oe Va fo"e4r 3e -
u cents per pound TO thu price Of cotfee; an
d ona American Senator renresentino 4 Ne
II r.,1.,a st.,a vb;,a vot;no far u
le I'M co,fasaca that fc,m Tho nAs.sf
f. ~ ,h., ut ,h,,. vo'1d mt he .nothsr ~
o.,,hotto.na,, reoss, hn;,t in r., .Y1n;t.
Sta.cs, Yet. knowing that such would
L tha ogac, ~ III, In ba voted for it The
s.ms. ,,....+.r ont,.na H., th.t ~,
is w. "a, 11n IN tb.t t,ma ibere x.s not a
1e ra,nd Of foreign conner imported to 1
= ~, ~ Arar;c,n rnnnar consnnred in
10 s,u,,trr Tho eoooer ,uiues needed ,
l