The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1870-04-19
THF PR ESS.
Tuesday Morning, April 10, 1870.

Tuesday Morning, April 10, 1870.
The London Times Plan for Stimulating
American Commerce:
The tariff bill is working its way SLOWLY
through the House, and when its considera.
ton is completed, We are told, the bills report-
ed by the special Committee on the decline of |
American commerce will be taken up. Mean
While these bills and the accompanying re |
port are the subject of much attention both |
IN TINS country and in Europe. On this side |
OF the Atlantic there is of course general ap- |
proyal OF measures that are designed to re-
store the American flag once more TO the
ocean, besides re- facilitating our shipyards
and restoring to their former prosperity SUBJ |
siliary industries, While this general feeling |
is warmly enlisted in behalf of the bills theie
are of course limited special interests that OF
pose what is designed for the common good.
There are, for instance, certain parties in
New York, who would find it quite sufficient
for their purposes if they might be permitted
to go abroad and buy ships, free of duty, and
have them put under American registers.
This plan the committee, with commen1able
patriotism, peremptorilJ rejected, arguing
with great force that it is calculated to aid
English and not American commercial enter
prise. But the parties who are interested in
this scheme will not readily abandon it, and
probably they will be well represented on the
floor of the House when the bills are eonsid-
cred.
As might be expected the English view of
the proper measures for reviving American
commerce is exactly that of the New York
gentleman above referred to. The London
Times has paid much attention to the sub
ject, publishing nearly the whole of the re-
port and column and half editorial by
way of review. On the whole the Times and
its American correspondent are unusually
complimentary to the committee, but our
- readers will be very mnch aronse' - ''''' r.
cuIlar English stolidity with which the RENE
dies proposed by our Congressman are set
aside, while this country is kindly advised vir-
tually to pay subsidies to England, probably
as a reward for the services of Great Britain
in destroying the commerce which it pro-
poses TO restore at large profit 10 ITSELF
The Times correspondent says:
The decline of American Commerce" is
subject of interest on both sides OF the At
lantic, and one of the most valuable docu-
ments OF the session is the report just pre-
scented to the House by Mr.. Lynch (Rep.) of
Maine from the Committee ON American Nav
igatlOn Interests.
4 The correspondent then gives a summary
Of fba in ralatiop RI which 10 Tim.
has long editorial, to the following extracts
from which we commend the attention of
those of our readers who desire to see how
England looks at the matter:
In our impression this evening will be found
the substance of a remarkable report Just pre-
scented TO the Congress OF the United States,
on the decline of American commerce. Its
purport is condensed in the letter of our Amer
lean correspondent, ana we'll deserves atten-
ton.
Of the animosity towards this country
which pervades every line of the document We
say nothing. That Topic we leave to the judg-
ment of the world and the reflections of the
Americans themselves at some future time.
We content ourselves with IeciJ'ng the facts
as stated, the arguments as offered and the
remedies as proposed. 1t must be assumed
that the Committee are accurate in their fig
ureS and dates, and indeed, there is no diff
Guilty in understanding how the commerce Of
the Americans must have suffered from their
civil war. Not only the insecurity of the seas
but the absorption of all the energy and re-
sources OF the country in that tremendous
contest, sufficiently explain the result 1t is
no wonder that such conflict cost the Amer
leans their ocean carrying trade, Every YES
sci available for service was bought up Tor the
various purposes OF the war; and the shipping
business, like every other department of in
dustry, ielt the shock of the rebellion But
though we perfectly comprehend this much,
n,cf IL hon &c hat nf4 10,
return with the return of peace.
That America after 1861, ''lost half its mer-
chant shipping and all its maritime prestige"
is only too probable; but why should Ameri-
cans now stand debating whether they
should without struggle yield all, and be-
come the mere commercial dependency of the
nation Tor whose commercial advantage they
have been thus spoiled and reduced?' The
war, which did all this mischief, is now by
gone thing. According to American ccmpn-
tation of time, il is an old world story. Five
years have elapsed since the restoration of the
Union, and the Americans have told us, evil
IDENTIFY with perfect truth, that the recovery of
the national wealth and powers is complete.
Then why cannot American capitalists, and
%froaanss AID s9ffsy 10 s hys
what they did with such natural skill and such
entire success in 1850? In other matters they
have regained their own with ease, ard more
than retrieved their lost ground. What pre-
vents similar revival in the case before us !?
The report, while giving Englishmen credit
for terprise and ability is careful to preserve
the reputation of Americans, and declares that
in all Improvements in naval architecture they
were fully able to keep pace with the world
Thu n what stops them? 1t is at this stage OF
the argument that we catch glimpse of the
truth. The effects OF the war We are told, in.
stead OF ceasing with the return of peace
were aggravated by the taxation which OPP
pressed all industry, but which operated With
peculiar hardship on this particular interest"
md
have ruined trade, and yet the committee,
though they condemn the duties, still cling to
protection. They see clearly enough that if
the Americans are again to compete with
trade of the seas, they must have
cheap ships for the purpose, and yet
they are scandalized at the notion that ships
might possibly be bought in this country,
(England) as the cheapest market: TT
would be humiliating indeed, to every Amer
lean. to see Great Britain employed and paid
by us to rebuild the shipping she SO effective
~ aided to destoy during the rebellion. II We
adopt policy that will admit of such results,
that nation could well afford to pay our most
Z .extravagant demands upon her for damages
inflicted by the cruisers which from her ports
made war upon our commerce during the re-
DeIlion. we should have thought, on the
contrary, that it would be rather gratifying
than Illuminating" to see the country accused
OF doing wrong employed in doing good, and
that the spectacle of Britishers engaged in
pulidlng snlpS designed TO take the bread out
of their own mouths could not be unpleasing.
We do not in the least suppose the Ameri-
cans will listen to English advice on this sub
- ]ect, but we should think their natural acute
ness would teach them that Commercial
success must be question of good ships and
cheap freights. There is free trade on the
seas and anybody may have the carrying
trade by bidding for it. If we bid more sue
cessfully than the Americans, there must be a
reason for the fact. To begin WITH we build
cheaper ships, as the Americans acknowledge.
Ihey might come to our market if they would
and get their own ships as cheap: but this
they refuse to do. They might, if they would,
Dulid cheap ships themselves by importing the
materials at low cost; but of this adyanta se
they have deprived themselves. Does it re-
quire much to show why, under such circum-
stances, their commerce" should have de-
clined? They now propose to call it to life by
liberal bounties-in other words, by paving
spectators to do what they would not do of
their own accord in the absence of probable
profit. How long would such system last ?
A trade supported by subsidies could only be
artificial, and as such would fail TO produce
the benefit expected from it. The Americans
are right enough in their belief that to a mari
time nation mercantile navy is q source of
strength, but it must be mercantile navy
growing of itself and by its own resources.
what would be the quality of ships and sailors
artlhclally maintained, and only holding their
place against better ships and sailors by virtue
oigovernment protection.
10 one half of the Committees recommended
tons we readily accede. No policy could he
better than that of cheapening the materials
OF shipDulldIng as the means of getting Cheap
uos n ,l,a,, A