, 1869-06-07

IGe laws ol tQe OHlscQ otatts pfo'Aoo'
l. Tint 20 ship built in any other coun-
try shall be registered or enrolled, or have
the privileges Of American shipping.
,. No vessel built in the United States,
and for ans cause placed under foreign
t,ac. c;,E crex resume the American daE.
4. We have placed such ta1ea on iron,
cables, sails, rigging. copper, and az oshe7
nasteriats that no american shlpbuildes caa
build either wooden or an iron vessel for |
sale, OF lor order, except at q cost lar e1~
cecding TINT Of other countries.
The notural and unavoidable result Of
these hws is that American vessela Of I'll
kinds are decreasing in number. We
cannot brild md VIC are not al
lowed 10 buy, and soon the Ameri~
can aae viii he stranger upon
the coean and in the ports Of the world
If this oppressive ta1 upon iron were 10
moved or reduced, the United States would
become the builders Of iron ships for all
other countries. The United States have
an unlimited quantity Of iron ore Of the best
quality known to the world. It is to be
found in all parts Of the country. Here IS
tho 1nateriei ready 1t our hand, and of
quality In all the essentials Of shipbuilding
that forbids competition. uuI iron has
strength and toughness not found in Brit
ish iron, and is less subject to oxidation
But we are not permitted to build ships
with it. The national policy has been to
DIVE American vessels from the ocean, and.
undo. the preseu Of protecting American
industry. to make England the great ship
buiIder eud carrier Of the commerce OF the
world, The relative cost Of an English and
nm Americsu-built iron sailing ship, A J,
LOCO tons, would be, it is stated By thost
engaged in the business, in cuuancy, $le'
per ton, An English vessa Of the san''
cha1acte, would cost 500 per ton. Thl
increased cost Of the American vessel Is no
one caused by any competition N laboE' oa
in the price Of the material, There ls q u
of IS per cent On iron, and, while thes
would not be pound Of foreign iron use
in shipbuilding, american industry, it
said, is best promoted by rendering it II
possible to build an Ame ricsn lro
shin. The margin between th
cost Of the English and the American ve'
sel is but % per cent, even with tn
of s. per cert on the iron. Without sedu
ing The price Of labor either in the mine
furnaces or foundrics Of the country;
,educ.ioa Of this tai 70 one-hAu its p1ese'
.ates would permit the immediate COZ
ncnecueut Of American iron Ahlpbu''
inc. There is no pretencc TINT tbs do
j. needed to afford the manufacturers
pig iron profit it has been shown oeyo'
au question that they arc, Under the Ii
able TO demand profit Of sle PER ton
all The pig iron they produces profit eqs
10 TO pcr cent Of the whole cot a p
auction. It viii be seen. therefore, u
tie ouoc immense American industry
Ahirbu:ldins has been taxed out Of en-
enee, and that, though the United sss'
have the iron in IN abundance. .and quA
not cquAlled by any other country, v
which 70 become the bullde1s ct 1pon a
steel ships 81 all classes for the wo1
the same oppressive and crushing taxat
foei,ids its use for that purpose, AMI
throwing, not onls tho shipbua1aing,
tha commerce Of the world iato tic hal
Of Eaca;sh capitalists md English workm