The New York herald., 1870-02-18

DAY, FEBRUARY B, 1870
1 snd Brvmen thsre are finely appointed tansa lansc
ins n,sai mater from Great Bntaln ana he Unitsd
/ 6sAtoA besides direct aid rom tac NOrtA German
ing from Irestc ana Venice and csrryins .he mails
for Mediterranean posts. One or Doth theae hines
Arc pushing toward India snd ChMa. Holland has
/ regular hne 70 and from her East Indian COLONIES
aud spain one also TO the Philippine Islands. All
tnese governments see the advantages derived from
aevel0pment 0I the -thrOugh route" steamship sys-
TEN. Even Japan. Just waking up TO tho Influences
OF Western material progress " encouraging tho l0r-
o. steam n mare a aas own Cs ana
~ enly nst class steamers, paying literally for the
transportation Of the mails between her own ports
| 1 INADsQuAOY or THB AMERICAN LINES.
In striking contrass,wisht the sSttsy displayed BY
own During tae @ year % ending june 50. lsss. there
was paid Dy the United States Tor ocean mall service
y, ,lol674, Of which amount $s3d,lSS was paid TO
| We nave hui TWO lines Of mail steamers running
on the Atlant'c-pne. semimOnthly. 70 RIO yaneiro
and % Pernambaco; ssSpp.Sx sSs other Paclnc % maiI,
iIom New YorI 70 Asplnwar, stopping q
Panama, one line 70 San Francisco, and from there
" i0k0nama and sbanxhae From the same port
there is = semrmonthly line To Honolulu, sandwich
Islands, one TO ancoiyer Island, carrying the mails
to Oregon. British Co.umbia, and the Puget Sound
couuhry. ami one, AeAn-n0nshly 70 Mazatlan- Mex
nnse 6eapsecn. Tne BukisA Pennsuiss sud Urssnaal
iy ss d when sss man carriers sas Ss ss Esss and
Y0ar conmittss srs Of opsntua tsas she resdms
ioreaga Aas dugana sne rebsiAaon y against soand
pnbssc potey; ma! 70 ALLOW cistzens auas lhea
ernept durng peace and escape ati Ihe risks OF
supporsng u turtag war, by placing tner pr0uerty
ern,nent would be q dangerous precedent 10 cssao-
heh Most Of the vesSels which changed their nation
ahty were placed under the rag OF y nation tnat,
unuef the guse OF neutrality, Was making war
upon our commerce for the benent of its own. They
ioealbed iher interest with those OF our enemy.
anu OOaiued ali the advantages resulting from sush
connection. 10 readmtt them now W the same
privileges accorded to vessels which adhered 10
nag and fortunes OF the country through all tie
perlls, ana under Oil the disadvantages incident TO
tue war, would be 10 encourage deserSlOn times
when the country most needed the ald 0i clt-
zenS.
Tne argument in favor OF the policy Of admitting
foreign mutt vessels to American registry is based
upon the assumption that the change wnlch mas
,aKen place the character Of commercial vessels
from wood TO iron and from sail TO sJeam vessels
has given to foreign nations, particularly to Great
Bntaln, such advantages IN regard ~ the cheap
construction OF this latter class Of vessels, AZ 10
make 1t impossible for us to compete with her, and
tnat reduced 10 the alternative OF either pur
chasing our snIps Of her OF surrendering to her
the ing trade. II ID further urged That this
trade contributes cont 70 GREAT. greatly 70 tn9 Weaitn OF
sailing foreign built shps TO whcn end Ii neces-
sary that all restrictions upon the purchase OF sucn
ships should De removed from our statutes.
Tne OppOslte policy OF allowing only American
built vessels the privilege OF the American Hag aud
register was adoped at the formation Of the govern
ment ana has been uniformly adhered to since
mOdhcd only Dy the act OF December %, 1862 winch
permits foreign vessels wrecked IN the waters OF the
amounting to Of the vaiue or the yes
sci, 70 t0ke out al American register. the best
proof or the wisdom Of ihis policy rs the rapid and
n which attained n A
mercial nation under Its operations. Great Britain
became the first maritime naAon Vi the word under
ike policy which she never relaxed untu her mer-
chant marine was strengthened beyond danger from
competition.
marine IN foreign country for the reason tnst the
countries in which we build will have every auvant-
age over rs In competing Tor the carrying trade
which is 70 sustain euch q marine. FIRST IN the
PROFITS OF the business or building and iLung out
the vessels second, IN the command OF cheap capi-
managing interesis, winch can only ce done in Ine
country where the ahippng ~ buiit, and fourth, IN
the prestige such Countries would obtain py
own and also those which were to CON-
pete for the business with American owned
~ tsas American capital Would be sent to Europe 70
build ships with which to compete on equal terms
for business with the ships OF those who build for
tnem unless these foreign built vessels were allowed
participate In our c0astlng rade-a change IN our
policy which would not only entirely destroy every
branch Of mecnanlcal industry ih the United States
dependent upon shipbuding, but would rum the
present owners OF coasIlng vessels. 1t would be ad
mittingso the enjoyment OF American business for
egnerB rho pay no taxes to the American govern.
ment and wno by virtue Of that exception, would
be enabled to drive American taxpayers out Of eul-
plOymenL
The pc.cy Of admitting foreign built ships to
American registry, on payment OF Q duty, has also
been urged upon US. Inc committee cannot recOn-
mend such legislati0n tor whatever duty might be
80 imposed would operate only to the advantage Of
the foreign ship0wner with whom the American
purchaser and owner or such foreign built ships
COmUGt9. III Admit
foreign built ships to american registry ~ All. It
would be with the view OF enabling our snipowners
a. that paid by foreign competitors. An American
shipowner must IN such case be able to purchase
snps; otherwise ne deprived 0f that equality of
ability compete which is an essential condition OF
the success desred oy those who wisn TO engage in
In Itself q sulfcient answer TO the proposition.
CAUSES OF DECLINE.
The decline has been wholly IN the shipping OF the
United States. Wnie that OF other nations has been
depressed from the causes alluded to, there has not
only been no absolute decline but as has been
shown, O constant increase In tonnage and In Inc
efficiency OF their vessels 1t s obvious from the
foregoing that the causes operating to produce the
present cOndltlon OF the navigation interest are
speclal-Such as affect American tonnage only
ana, as your committee beiieve, may be readily
ascertained.
The steady increase OF our shipping engaged in the
foreign trace up TO the commencement OF the re0sl-
hon and the sudden snd rapid decline from that
cadence s attributable manly II not solely to lnci-
dents OF the war. According TO the best available
data 9i9 400 TONS Of American shipping disappeared
from our lists during The rebellion. OF this amount
l1O, leS tons were destrOyed ~ anglo Confederate
pirates, wnile sos. so3 tons were either soid
70 foreigners or passed nominaily into
their hands and 0btxined the protection
Of their nags. Here was an actual loss to
the private owners of less than Ave per cent,
and loss to the nation Of about thirty-seven per
cent or the total OF American tonnage engaged In
the foreign carrying trade Tue loss OF this amount
OF tonnage would not Of itself have produced such
disastrous results We have seen had not the value
OF what remained been virtually destroyed BY the
peril in which II was placed from English piraucai
vessels sailing under the Confederate nag. The risk
Of sailing under the American nag was 80 great IS
to divert large snare Of the carrying trade into
foreign bottoms. principally those OF Great Britain.
That changes which have occurred In naval
architecture and IN Ihe materials OF which ships are
now being constructed operated anterior 70 the re.
bellon and tended 70 produce revolution In the
shipping OF the word n undoubtedly true. Iron az
buliding material for ships was fast superseding
wood, and screw steamers were as we have said,
crOwdlng out sail vessels on ali ocean routes wnere
the carrying OF passengers and mails could be COM
b,ned with the general frelghting business But IL by
no 0ows tnat this revolution IN the character
l4