New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-02-23
srEAMsHIP Subsidies.

10 tie EditOr o. Tie IFttUHG
SIR: A letter entitled "'Ghe Commercial
Marine Of America appears in your columns to-day.
beg YOUR permission to expose its many inaccuracies
Tho writer alleges tlut over S10OB.Cn Of American
Irop,ry Wis DESTROYED 10y Rebel cruisers fitted ont by
The British nation IN reality less than 10000 tuns Of
American shipping were destroyed 10y Rebel vessels and
mich Of that by vessels with which the British nation
had nothing vhateyer To- do a. for example the sumter
Tie value of the tuuuace did not exceed an average az
So per tun-maSins t55OOO0O for the shipping. Tie
c-oes have been valued at 8 OoO CO Ia Si0O1Ot Many
az the vessels were haers with hut little rareO board
He also charges that the British nation" has swarm
Of agents lowering about the hotels and Hobbies or Wash
mgtOu fortified with money and instructions 10 prevent
the passage Of any bill Congress might pass 10 aid our
crippled merchants in restoring our commercial marine"
The only person who is in Washington lobbying in Oppo-
stou TO the Subsidy bills is gentleman who is there as
Tie representative Of Nev-York slGp-owners, who
81, to be permitted to purchase ships abroad.
60 - n-fd in our foreign trade alouc-a con.
ees,ion TO our shipOcIers which Is vigorously
opposed 10y the applicants for spesl..I. subsidies,
H. also asserts that there ], no ecedn mail line NV in
existence which has been able u maintain itself with
out aid from Government. This as if he had never
heard Of the Irnau linz" the Guon line, or The North
German Loyds or the Hamburg line plying 10 our own
port OF Of the hundreds OF uusubdzei British steamers
which ply to the Mediterranean, India, China, Africa,
South America, and the West Indies. He quotes $780,,
sos % a. the precise sum paid 10y the British Govern
meut for mail subsidies, but he forces 10 state that
four.ahs Of the Suu f. paid for mail service to and
nom the British COlonies-a mail service which Great
Britain has 20 provide fOr as We have 10 provide for
mail service over the whole extent of the United states.
On her ocean mail routes our land routes, com
,usation exceeding the receipts has often TO be paid.
our Government subsidized the Pacific Railroad the
.aue principle that Great Britain subsidized the
p,-iusul3r and Oriental steamship Company.
" IN ihi. similar end 800 view, both Governments nave
su,ued aid sth liberal hand, ana are rapidly bring
@ Inc distant parts Of their domains into close c0nnec
non We having outlying territories, want no ocean
mail subsidies ike those when CIcil britain gives 10
n shall Dee decided that subsidies are ncctsay 70 tne
establishment OF ocean steam llnes et congress give US
General system open 10 ali our ciuZens ana 10 all our
There is not single shipbuildng establishment in
England with a capital OF $OOOD, ana the average OF
her a largest sih-yards-Dhy hIA vi ,i' y, w 90
" a~t .TT,ie e.tah Shnen in the United states ca
uac of constructing The iron nuns OF ocean gVhg Htea
shiu, i. a gross libel upon the iron shrbIdeTs OF
Pm adcl pha and Wilmington Al DOM IIOs Idct mn
Iuli. are bult which quite equal III WOfhdhsp 10
tbo,e TUNED out from the best yards upon ihe 1yde
Iue OAtun steamers for the new IhHaucIPIIa anu
4 ,y.rnool line which mas asked Tor no SUBSIDY,
Will Doc nuit in those yaids WltDln . , nc
next 4 months. Your correspondent - e.
interested m the application 10 Congress Tor sZOVOJOo
Covcr1,ucut bonds with the proceeds OF when trc ap
pucauts propose to establish glganuc SNIP pua 1
monopoly on the Delaware That the advocates VI 5a
scheIne should write contemporary OF the IRON hniP
wards which have built up by the proceeds OF year,
Of patient industry is not surprislng Hs sheer at
establishments in keeping with MS advocacy 81 we
strocios urnjert which asks for Government ara 70
crush them The project referred 10 II sttnuousiI
opposed by the iron shiPbuders or the country wiz
have invested their own money IN the Dslhees, my
may surely be permitted TO protest against the pas
OF measures which Will inevitably ruin them, wiI1 h
British gold ANTIMONOPOLr.
Se,c York, Feb. Il, 1871.