The Portland daily press., 1870-05-09

eleven and twelve thousand hoI SEES. We know wSa,
WAS done by another company in the Trent affair."
we KNOW how ten thousand men were sent out to
Canada by the Cunard line of steamers and other
vessels almost at days notice. s.V5r
This last fact is one that the American
people ought never to forget; but, keeping it
fresh in remembrance, II solve that the princi-
pie OF econoiff shall never again be carried to
such an extent as to leave us entirely at the
mercy of any foreign nation. It is true econ.
omy in nation to avoid war by keeping con-
stantly in condition to resist aegressions.
The maintenance of an army and navy in
The price which nation pays for its indie
pendence. AS have endeavored to show,
our main reliance for defence must be upon
our Navy; and the most economical as well
as the most efficient navy, that which adds to
the wealth as well as the power of a nation,
is best secured threngh its merchant marine.
Upon this point quote Admiral Porter
again, on page 1872, in answer to the question
by Mr.. Judd: 30 zl ElffT p q. .1l1-l
II the government should enter upon this
system OF subsidies how would it affect naval
estimates? He said: 3 l.t ar
SIT would save the government millions of dollars
in case OF war, because do not want better ships
| in oder ali the time There is not ship running
ON those lines that is not put into thorough order
whenever she comes into port. We can take such
ships, run bulkhsads across them, and fit them for
privateers in a week. .-- Il llI-
Ihe naval approp iations for the last four
years exceed in the aggregate S69,OOO,OOO,
aOOut One-thlrd the amount which Great
Britain has appropriated in the same time
certainly not extravagant for nation of forty
millions OF people, having line of sea-coaS
OF more than five thousand miles, and border
| ing on the two great oceans of the world If
we had increased the appropriation thirty per
cent. we could have secured the construction
larger m
rine than we ever possessed. Ii our necessi-
ties absolutely compelled us to limit our APP
preparations, then by applying one.third of
the appropriation actually made we could
have done the same thing. ~. al
| Suppose instead of $69,O0OOOO we had ap-
propriated $45,00O,O00 to the Navy proper,
and S24OOO,OOO in aid of our merchant ma
rine. The $45,OOOOOO would have kept the
Navy intact, and the $24,OOO,OOO would have
provided fleet OF sail and steam vessels with
a naval reserve OF seamen worth many times
our present Navy for national defense, APP
plled exclusively to steamers it wot&d have
aided in constructing, under the aid afforded
by this bill, 100 iron steamships OF 5000 tons
each and paid subsidy toward maintaining
them OF $1,000, 900 per year. -.l.s--t
Can there be doubt that such fleet of
vessels would have more than repaid the
Treasury for the expenditure, to say nothing
|
And is not an appropriation in aid of
building up such an auxiliary naval force as
legitimate as when applied directly to the
Navy proper? Can the fact that the govern
ment is relieved of all the expense of taking
care OF and sailing these vessels in time OF
peace be urged as an objection as long as
they are entirely at its command in time Ofwar?
Having demonstrated what might have
been done by judicious application of the
mo tai La
what may be done in the future if pro6ted by.
our past experience and the example Of other
nations we adopt wise policy. Having con-
sldered the value, the necessity Of an efficient
| merchant marine, let us now estimate it's cost.
The entries at ports of the United States from
foreign ports in 1869 amounted to S,75O,362
tons OF shipping, of which 5,347,694 tons
were foreign and 3,402,66S tons American YES
sells. In 1861 the total was 8,241, 271 tons, of
which 2,217,471 we've foreign and 5O2S,917
| tons were American vessels. 1t has been eS-
timated that 60 per cent of the registered ton
mage of the United States is engaged in the
carrying trade between foreign nations. As
4 Stunning this statement to be correct, this part
OF our shipping ,652 tons-probably does
not enter our ports more THAI once year.
he other forty per cent.-626, 568 tons-prob
ably averages four times year, a large p0r-
ton of it being in the West India and South
|
! the rosssae would be oo follows: " g.. f8
| Tons, -a5r t.9 ID rs9gl r...
10Y o52 fnterlDg once year. ............ 939 85t
0-6,50S entering four times year. sos IT'S
1866 APO total entry of American tonnage 44e, 1924
OF the foreign shipping 25O,S11 tons are
steamers which enter on an average six times
a year, making 1,504S66 tons entering and
clearing. The 10000 tons sail shipping
probably averages three entries each wear.
According to this estimate the foreign ton
mage engaged in the carrying trade between
our own and foreign countries stands thus:
Ions IONS; -.f III Tons
/ 25o,sl1 steamers entering six times each
1880 100 sail vessels three times year ss $50
1,52O,6Ol -f f., ,.1 h 5,314.s3e
1t will be seen that an addition to our mer-
chant marine of 1,269, 795, tons of sail and
250Sll tons of steam vessels would suffice for
doing our own carrying trade. To build this
amount of tonnage one quarter of iron and
three quarters OF wood, under the provisions
OF the bill now under consideration, would
cost nearly as follows: 'aE
952 $40 tons wood sail vessels s7.Os. Tag
BIZ AL tons iron sail vessels. 5714,O46
2oo,sls tons first class iron steamships, at
Sz' per TON. Observation-Disclosures. 6, I'll e97
Making total of..,.......... 80. 500. 1o4 679
There are nine firms in the country prepar-
ed to engage in the building of iron ships,
providing the bill now under consideration
| becomes a law. These firms have been rep
resented before the committee during the pres
ent session, and state that they could with
| their present facilities build on an average
5000 tons each or 81, 900 tons. Allowing three
| times the amount of wooden tonnage, 1872 900
| tons, to be built, and it would give us 216,OOO
tohs per year. Allowing for a reasonable ir-
crease in the facilities for building iron vessels
| and the total amount of tonnage 1,52O,8O1
| tons could probably be constructed in five
years if required by the demands of business.
Ii built in that time, the cost to the Govern
ment would be in round numbers S5.OOOOOO
per year; from which would be deducted
100000 surplus received from tonnage tax.
| leaving but 100000 per year.
If we deduct from this amount the $7.61S.-
1856 drawback on imported material for wood
EN- vessels, which we may properly do, as the
vessels cannot be built without the remission
OF duties, so that there would be no real loss
Ofrevenue; and we have $12,4S5,943 to be-
paid out in the five years, or $2,497, 1888, less
S1,OOO,OOO received from tonnage tax, leaving
but 81 49,, 1888 per annum to be actually paid
| from the Treasury, and for it we should re-
| ceive twenty first-chss iron steamers averaging
$500 tons each, 10000 tons iron and $4,000
TONS wood call VaScoIc In, vio AZ