The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1870-03-28
~Frst Page 7o-day-Titles of Acts and
Resolves.
Fourth Page-Country Children (poetry)
Mr.. Zachariah Chandler ON the Shin.
ping Interest,

Mr.. Zachariah Chandler ON the shin.
ping Interest.
We are certain that we owe our readers M
apology for reverting again and again to a
subject which is of immense importance to
the people OF Maine, which has been made the
subject OF special message by the President
ot the United States and of a series of resolu-
tons by the Legislature, and which has for
several years past presented topic for earn
est discussion to the national Congress.
Conscious that we may have heretofore pre-
sented the case as partisan, espousing too
eagerly in behalf Of the shipbuilders and ship
owners of Maine the cause of our depressed
commercial interests, we now lay before our
readers the speech of Senator Chandler OF
Michigan on the resolution authorizing the
printing of 5000 extra copies of the report
of the. special committee of Congressman. It
will be seen that he opposed the printing Of
the report. His ground of objection is in a
trifing respect different from that of Mr.. Pike.
another enemy to the revival of shipbuildipg
The latter complains that the bills embraced
In the report are adverse to Maine interests:
the former contends that the same bills haze
reference to nothing but Maine interests! Mr..
Chandler is an ultra protectionist and is op-
posed to the drawback on shipbuilding mate
rial, yet If English workmen can be allowed 10
put the material together he is in favor of al
lowing the ships to come in free! The state
ment is SO paradoxical that one is in doubt
whether 10 regard the doctrine of the eminent
"Michisander" as mad free trade or idiotic
protection.
Mr.. Chandler as the Representative of
Michigan copper mines holds that we should
be permitted to 60 abroad and buy ships
where we can buy cheapest. Like Mr.
Pike be believes that the days of our Maine
built wooden vessels are numbered (see Pixies
letter from Europe) and that foreign iron is
our only resource for reviving commerce. Yet
it is difficult for the natural understanding to
comprehend why Mr.. Chambers beloved cop
per is not equally within the scope of his ar
gument. in favor OF buying in the cheapest
market, and why small Michigan interest
should be protected" while national inter-
est, of special Importance in Maine, is left to
perish. But here is Mr. Chambers speech
with the timely rejoInder of Senator Hamlin:
Mr.. President, am opposed to publishing
this report or giving the sanction of Congress
10 it in any way. The whole, was going to
say-but it would not be respectful to sa,
what was about to say. THIS committee OF
the House OF Representatives has spent the
summer as sort OF travelling concern, Dur.
porting 10 huntup evidence in regard to the
shipping interests, and they have not discov
cred In all their examination one important
fact; AID that is, that the whole commerce o.
the world has changed within the last nine
years. Nine years ago wooden vessels were
In use. Now all the ships OF the world, out
side Of the United States, are built OF iron
Iron ships have greater capacity, are more en-
during. and are cheaper in the end than wood
en- ships.
This committee might just as well have in
troduced resolution to protect the makers of
wooden hand-rakes from competition with
the great horseraks, or the sickle from com2e-
tition with the reaping-machine, as to make
the report they have made. They come in
now and ask protection. For what? To pro-
tect their old wooden huks when they have
gone out OF date years and years ago. Let
them learn the business of the present da,
and generation, and not undertake bv pro
lection to keep up what will not pay in any
event. Let them 60 and learn to build iron
ships, suitable ships.
But here in this report is the gist of the
whole matter, and ask the attention of the
Senate to it. 1t provides: Here the Sena-
tor rectes the provisions of the bill allowing
q drawback on material entering into the
construction Of vessels and an equivalent in
money where American material is used
That is to say, they are to receive premi-
um. NO matter ii materials are actually
lower here than abroad, they are still to re-
ceive as premium the whole amount of duty
on these articles: Nov, sir, if you abandon
your iron, your bolts, your screws, and every
thing else, what do you want to protect?
gethere You talk about preserving your
commerce. Sir, what are your sbip-yards
good for If you have nothing to manufacture
vessels with in case of war? You abandon
everything that goes into ship-rigeing
nails, bolts, planks, copper, jron-and yet you
are going to protect the men who put these
materials tOeether
But, sir, the thing itself is a fraud. They
propose this not for the foreign trade. but tor
domestic trade. We have between four and
nve million tons OF shipping, of which four
nIlns, and perhaps more is engaged in the
coasting and inland trade That is an abso-
iufe!y and close monopoly, confined exclu- |
sively 10 American ships. as can be imagined |
No foreign ship can touch pound OF this do |
nestle freight. Now, sir pass this bill and /
you reduce the whole amount of this inland i
coasting traffic by the exact amount YOU al |
low q premium on new ships built, to wit, |
about eleven dollars ton on the whole, But |
one step further aud you will see what this |
means:
dere Mr. Chandler gives the provisions of
the section giving bounties to vessels engaged
In the foreign trade You will see, Mr..
PRESIDENT, that in case they see fit to air the
nag by one voyage abroad, occupying six
months, then you will pay them an actual d.
rect bounty OF 81 80 ton on every sailing
ship, and tour dollars ton on every steam.
ship engaged in foreign trade. The other six
months Of the year they will be in the domes-
TIC trade; but If they find it profitable accl
dentaly or incidentally or in any other way
70 take this shipping abroad and exhibit the
neg then you pay them four dollars ton for
doing it, 1t is SO absurd that am unwilling
inat the Senate shall even by the printing Of
IL seem TO give its sanction to it.
Mr.. Hamlins reply was as follows:
The report is signed by John Lynch. of
Maine, man of forty years. commercial ex-
Perience, than whom no man is superior in
that little State to which he and / belong:
James Bufiinton, of Massachusetts; Cadwala-
ger e. Washburn, of Wisconsin, Giles W.
aotchkiss, OF New York; Daniel j. Morrill,.
u IeunsyiVanla; Henry Z. Calkin of New
York; Erastus Wells of Missouri-all the
members of the committee, think, except
Two. What have they done? They have
met the leading commercial men in Pbiladel.
Rhia, New York, Boston, and Portland for
tne purpose OF asking them what are the rem
edies that ought to be applied at this period
of tine, when the American tonnage is so
much decreased and three fourths of all our
importations are in foreign bottoms.
Here is presented the evidence that those
gentlemen gave; and who are the men who
have been Intercepted upon this subject9
Not to know them is to argue ourselves I'M
known. In New York are the names of A, A.
Low, who has commercial reputation as
broad as the Union, George Opdyke, Edward
Aihcken, Ambrose Snow, r. P. Buck, W. H.
Webb; in Philadelphia, Francis r. Cope,
Henry Windsor, Henry R. Edmunds, Henry
Iatum; in Boston, E. s. Tobey, E. II. DERBY.
Franklin ". Smith, Paul Curtis, Donald Nc,
Kay, X. y. Forbes, and gentlemen of that
class who have long been identified with the
commerce Of the country, and who / think
know part OF its alphabet They have civ.
en- their opihions. l care not what NAV he
the opinions OF the committee, if YOU please
but there is the evidence collected and nrint,