Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1870-02-22
NO. As.
MITIGATION INTERESTS.

gress from the Special Committee on Naviga-
ton Interests, deals .throughly with the subject
in hand. The first topic presented is the de-
cine IN American Ocean Tonnage. In 1861
our tonnage engaged in the foreign trade was
2,642, ,628 tons, while that of Great Britain was
3,l79,683 tons. We held the second place in
rank among the nations. In 1866 our tonnage
IN the foreign trade had decreased to ,492, 1926
tons, and Great Britain's had increased $780,
7l5 tons; ours had shrunk 43 per cent. and
hers had gained 80 per cent.
In 1850, seventy-fve per cent. of our total
exports and imports were shipped in American
vessels. In 1855, seventy-fve per cent. in
American and twenty-fv per cent in foreign
vessels. In 1863, thirty -four per cent in
American to sixty-six per cent in foreign ves-
sells. Our exports have doubled since 1858,
while the percentage carried in American ves-
sells has fallen from sixty-seven per cent. to
thirty four per cent. 1t is estimated that fully
one-half the regular tonnage Of the United
States is engaged in the carrying trade between
foreign countries, on long routes, carrying the
bulky cheap freights, while, as has been shown,
foreign bottoms, the freights going to enrich
our commercial rivals, and swell the foreign
balances against US which must be settled in
gold.
The advantage which Great Britain obtained
by her ocean steam lines is very great. She
has built those up by liberal policy, giving
them large subsidies. France has pursued tho
| H.. liz
to America, North and South, and other lines
toal parts Of the world. We have but two lines
of steamers running on the Atlantic.
The causes which have destroyed our COM
merce are mainly found in the war; In seek
ing for remedies tine committee do not think
that vessels which sought protection under
foreign flag during the webellion should be
again received under our flag. Neither do
they approve of the policy of admitting foreign
built vessels to American registry. The COM
mittee say ''the opposite policy of allowing
only American built vessels the privilege Of
the American flag and register was adopted at
the formation of the government, and has
been uniformly adhered to since, modified only
by the act of December %, 1852, which per-
mits foreign vessels wrecked in the waters Of
the United States and repaired in our ports,
the repairs amounting to three-fourths of the
value of the vessel to take out an American
register. The best proof of the wisdom of
this policy is the rapid and uninterrupted pro-
gress which we attained as commercial na-
ton under its operations. Great Britain be-
came the first maritime nation Of the world
under q like policy, which she never relaxed
until her merchant marine was strengthened
beyond danger from competition.
The decline in our shipping interests has
not been on account of depression of business,
for this cause must have operated upon other
nations, but they have increased while We
have decreased.
The steady increase of our shipping en-
gagged in the foreign trade up to the COM
mencement of the rebellion, and the sudden
and rapid decline from that point leads directly
to the conclusion that its decadence is attri-
butable mainly, if not solely, to incidents Of
the war. According to the best available data
9l9, 469 tons of American shipping disappear
ed from our lists during the rebellion. Of this
amount ITO, l63 tons were destroyed by Anglo
Confederate pirates, while S03,30 tons were
either sold to foreigners or passed nomnally
into their hands and obtained the protection
of their flags. Here was an actual loss to the
private owners of less than five per cent,
and loss to the nation of about thirty-scven
per cent. of the total of American tonnage en-
gagged in the foreign carrying trade. The loss
of this amount of tonnage would not of itself
have produced such disastrous results as we
have seen had not the value of what remained
been virtually destroyed by the peril in which
it was placed from English piratical vessels
sailing under the Confederate flag. The risk
| of sailing under the American flag was so
great as to divert a large share of the carry
ing trade into foreign bottoms, principally
those of Great Britain.
That changes which have occurred in naval
architecture and in the materials of which
ships are now being constructed operated an
terror to the rebellion and tended to produce
revolution in the shipping Of the world is
undoubtedly true. Iron as building mate
rial for ships fast superseding wood, and
screw steamers were crowding out sail vessels
on all OCEAN IOutcs WHcTe tie carrying OF
passengers and mails could be combined. with
the general fregh,ing business. But it by no
means follows that this revolution in the char
acter of the mercantile marine of the world
would, if peace had continued, have prevent
ed us from maintaining with foreign nations
our relative position as great maritime pow
er. The war not only deprived us of the ad-
vantagcs resulting from this change in the
character of commercial vessels and the cur
rents of trade affected thereby, but gave an
impetus to all business connected with ocean
navigation in the hands of our great CONNER
cial rival, and an advantage over US that, but
for the war, she would not have obtained.
OF the encouragement which is to be offered
the Committee speak as follows, and report
bills embodying their recommendations
| The Testimony taken nv the conmittea ia