, 1870-05-26
GENERAL BUTLER As A FUNNY MAN.

GENERAL BUTLER As A FUNNY MAN.
The bill before Congress to encourage
American ship building provides that any
person huilding ship, whether Of wood,
'ron, or composite material, shall be en-
titled to draw from the Treasury Of the
United States SUN of money ranging
from Sle to $40 per ton and that, SO long
as the vessel is aAoat, the owner shall be
emitted annually to pension Of from 81. so
to s. per ton from the Treasury. This is
intended to be partial return to the ship
owner of the taxes paid to the protected
classes upon the materials Of which the
ship Is built Il is roundabout proceed
ing by which the ship builder is taxed upon
his materials, and then the whole people
are taxed to raise money to pay back to the
ship-builder the taxes taken out Of him.
and an annual pension beside.
This bill is advocated especially By the
members from Maine, all Of whom have
voted regularly against any reduction of the |
taxes On ship-building material The ship-
yards of Maine have nearly all closed, be-
cause of the taxes; no man can afford to
build ship when the materials are taxed |!
from GO to l25 per cent The representa- /
hyes of those ship-builders have strenuous
ly opposed the reduction Of this taxation. |
ana have proposed, in lieu thereof, to levy
new ta1 upon the whole people to re-
imburse the ship-bui1derB.
Mr.. Benjamin Butler, of Massachusetts,
IN speech advocating the scheme Of dis
eliminating duties, whereby all imports
hrnr,ryht +c tho Tuifad C4r4a,
bottoms shall be charged from 20 to Is per
cent less duty than when imported in foreign
vessels, pointed out the inadequacy Of the
relief offered The Hrs+ hill. ---a ---~a.-+
sumo very apt illustrations of its absurd1ty,
Ihe result of the taxation on ship-buildine
has been to transfer to British, French,
and German steamships our entire foreign |
trnde- BE stated that Of the oGs, 900 tons
of steamship lines between the. United
States and Europe, not ton is under the
American flag. The number of sailors now
employed on American vessels does not
exceed zoe, 900, while the number Of sail
ors on foreign vessels engaged in
the American t1ade is twice as
great. The bill before the House
Is urged on the ground that it Will encour-
age ship-building, and increase the number
Of or vessels In meeting the objection
that the discriminating duties will lead to
fe'at1atory duties " other nations, Mr.
Butler saI sa1a: Fl
,ther natons sT nnas ~ ~ be ssen + Tat
France, and Holland are doing he carrying tfads
he5 taae & bv ss2ac fai M 1hsx 81 az III mos, us,
lio our 3 SHIPS to sa7y goods into ter ports
lot ships enough to DO our own caTs1ns' se How How
IN that iniuIe us or our shlpplng7 IT. illustrate:
ng to me, .WhT. sit. II Ton d do ~ mi ~ rovf,
heer ne eaan not 60 into ny pasture Thai does
heep.' There can Ie no retaliation f6ere. Tae1e.
no POSSIBILITY OF retaliation in that direction"
1n's o'a MOI satistg Ar' L5nen, OF Na'ne' 0
ns Ut. ena1np'oo OF the snip-oualoets pension
ial' VINO tous antefposeo and Was answered;
nm nj L9sSn " Tant to AZ the gentlenar
nouIi W Inate thsscno 1,nn ~ ~ ~ ti1es n 1.
e. 91ds imported In In foreign vessels, other NATIONS
pods in ported into thes pol1s IN American vese d
~ y n-rr o,,...u..,.....- o
" nj. LYNcH. Assuming that to Be the case te
n not me snect inevitably oe that American YES p
i 20 bacE i6 fo9nan Ports IL ha,Iasr An3 Sss aaa
4 q foreign nations VII come % onf ports in o,
3rtss m Tnas 6 vii vii be he iuevabis % efecs &c ~ And Il
N not that lnsEitaely double 10 the sonsa@s!
,at the se1y - 7esut S Of - these restrictive laws and
'e reason for their abtogaton7 N
TO the Traditional policy OF thls country Wneu =.