The New York herald., 1870-01-17
Proposition for Atlantkc stoanship
Lino-Tho Questlou Of Subsidies.

from Mr.. Jacob Lorilard, one of our most
public spirited and liberal merchants, stating
his proposition to build and operate an Ameri-
can line Of Atlantic steamers. To our thinking
he presents an argument against his proposition
in this sentence :-"The immense difference in
cost Of construction, and the excessive rate OF
interest and taxation on tho investment OF the
necessary capital to establish such line,
would make it impossible to compete success
fully against the foreign lines now engaged in
the trade, unless subsidized by Congress.
With our flag practically driven from the ocean
in this great trade of Atlantic ferriagc 1t 10
but natural that our merchants possessed or
patriotic spirit should chafe somewhat, and
their restless eagerness to do something
is altogether praiseworthy; but it is coming
to be generally conceded everywhere that
the principle of subsidies is an error, and
the policy OF every government tends now
to its abandonment. Subsidies are for the
time being specious assistance to COM
merce that help it through some difficulties, at
the same time that they prevent it from ever
reaching the development that would give it
the power to overcome difficulties in virtue of
its Independent, vigorous existence. And
while this is now recognized everywhere shall
this government, which was the earliest to
teach the wise lesson, return to the exploded
notion?
We can do better for commerce than to sub
sidize line. Granting subsidy at this time
would be making one bad law to remedy the
harm done by another bad law. Our plan
would be to repeal the law that does the harm.
What our commerce wants is free trade in
ships. The relation of our commerce to legis-
fation is the most astonishing anomaly ever
known in the history of law or trade. Our
shipping trade has been sacrificed to its para
sites. To develop our shipbuildng resources
we have rendered it impossible for any one
to build ships. To protect our shipbuilders
we have absolutely annihilated their industry
and with it our national commerce. Our COM
merce is one of our greatest national con-
siderations, and shipbuilders are only of
account as its adjuncts; yet We have put the
shipbuilders in the first place, and by making
laws for their exclusive benefit, without regard
to The correlative effect of the laws upon COM
merce itself, we have protected the dependent
at the expense of that upon which he
safe on the branch of q tree and to assure him
against any likelihood of losing his position
we have cut down the tree.
All we need do for our commerce is to re-
peal some Of the foolish laws that now keep it
bound hand and foot. The laws that make it
impossible for our shipbuilders to compete
with foreign shipbuilders are SO worked into
the fibre of our system that they will not be
easily plucked out. These laws, however,
in their primary operations only injured the
shipbulders They did not injure commerce,
since the merchant was still at liberty to buy
his ships in the cheapest market, and could
hold up his head in the world. What we must
repeal is the foolish law that commanded our
merchants to buy ships only where they
were dearest; that forbade them to buy
where they were cheap; that closed to them
all the markets Of the world save the one in
which they could only buy ships at such
ruinous rates that in their use there could
be no fair competition against the merchants
Of other nations. The law providing that
ships bought abroad could not have an
American registry, made to relieve the oppres-
sion Of one class, only oppressed another, and
we must repeal it.
The steam commerce of this age can only
succeed in iron ships, and our commerce can
only live by having those ships from the yards
where they are best built at the lowest price
The commerce Of every nation finds this to be
its first condition, and thrives. by observing it.
The English lines, the German lines, the
French lines--all have their ships built in the
same place. In virtue of our excessive taxa
ton, or of some other causes, the English
excel us in the construction Of this class of
steamers. This is a fact that is plain before
us. 1t is our own fault and folly if we permit
them, in virtue Of this fact, to drive us from
the sea, and to keep us from the sea until that
period in the future when we also shall have
Mr.. Lorilard it is obvious that there is the
right spirit among our merchants to do their
share If Congress will remove some obstruc-
! tive and foolish laws. Mr.. Lorillard and
others like him will do what is necessary with
the field once opened to fair enterprise, but
with the field closed all they may do will be in
vain.
| The INDIAN Pc ACE COMMISSION Com
mittees on Indian Affairs of the House and
Senate, the Secretary Of the Interior and
Commissioner Parker held meeting in Wash
ington yesterday and heard the reports of the
Peace Commissioners who have recently been
travelling through tho Indian country.
| THE FEMALE OPERATORS, who are disposed
to take their chances with the other telegraph
strikers, are well able to assert their own dig
nifty, as appears by their card. They expect
some especial persecution because the COM