Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1870-06-02

did nothing to open to her ship-Owners
markets of the world for the purchase
or vessels. Why? She had been for
wears struggling on with other nations
who could build vessels more cheaply
than she could. She needed to stimu-
late and protect and hem round her
own manufacturing industry. She con-
tinued to do so till the discussion and
agitation in lS4S-i9 ; and then for the
first time the navigation acts of Great
Britain were repealed, and her subjects
were allowed TO purchase vessels else
where. But why was this? Because she
had protected and stimulated her ship
building industry to such point that
she could gain more by selling than by
continuing her restriction But did she
do this rs we are asked to do it, in the
day Of prostration, with ship-yards
deserted and commerce dying? No;
she continued her policy of restriction
until she had changed the conditions
and was in position to outbuild the
world in cheapness.
Our course has been the same in
America. cannot 20 over this except
briefly. From the beginning we began
to protect; we Disseminated on differ
cnt acts.
Bv the act of Congress Of July 20.
l'9O, we Disseminated on tonnage
tax to the extent Of putting upon yes
sells built here after july, 1870, aud in
part or wholly owned BY foreigners,
tax of twenty cents ton, upon other
vessels fifty cents n ton, while upon
American vessels the tax was but six
cents per ton. By the act of June %,
l191, il is provided that vessels capt
ured by or sold to foreigners shall not
receive new register, but shall be
foreign vessels. The act Of Nav :,
1892, perfccts our registry laws, and
zealon,lv guards the privilege of
Amcrican-built vessels. 1t was not
until after the treaty Of 1915. to which
| nave before referred, that Congress
removed discriminating duties from
certain British vessels for the reasons
have 4ircn rs applying to Great Brit
ain. We recognize the same principle
aite rwarl in treaties made with other
Powers. but we have never allowed
torciLu-buiit ship to come under our
flag by any general law; they have
always been excluded. The act Of
February 10 1868. forbids the regis
tration ot American vessels put under
foreign flag, by the owners. The only
general exception is in case Of foreign
vessels wrecked iii our waters, purchas-
cd 4. wrecks and repaired to such an
! extent that II hccomc virtually rebuild
inL.
Mr. Speaker, have promised to give
the last half ot my hour 10 the gentle
man from Iowa, Mr.. ALLISON. | see
THAT my time i, nearly run out. | have
only Aai opportunity u dwell upon one
phase Of the opposition to this bill.
The propositions that have here com
haird, il adopted, will, believe, cause
the entire destruction of American
ship-buitling do not deny the proper
. force otthc argument, so often heard Of
late, that iron vessels are supplanting
wooden ones. This must be so to
. CpnniltlabIc ttITtt buJ me ulN mas
not yet come when the white sail is to
Ne hanishcd from the seas. Commerce
!, u extend AMI augment wonderfully
in the next thirty vca.s. There will be
work for sail and steam. We shall
/ build both. We have the materials at
hand. NJ ingenuity Is more cunning
than ours. no enterprise more auda-
/ cious than that of our capitalists and
mechanics. There is no direction in
which Government can 50 tittingly
stimulate as in this. We have waited
almost too long already. Our foreign
rivals are now specializing on their en-
tire supremacy upon the seas. Will the
American Congress let these specula-
tlOns te realized:
| will now yield the remaining por-
tioa Of nv time TO the gentleman from
Iowa. Mr.. ALLISON, according to
agreement.