The New York herald., 1871-11-17
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.
MAIL SERVICE ON THE PACIFIC.

| The Question OF Subsidies Discussed Pro and
Con- Views Of Merchants a. to tho Rise
and Fall Of the Shipping Interest
How Ocean Trade is rettsrsd
special meeting OF the Chamber OF Commerce
was hrid yesterday afternoon TO receive and take
action on the report recommitted TO the Committee
No T. with Instructions to recommend The govern
ment to grant liberal compensation for mail SER
vice on the Pacific Ocean. There was pretty large
attendance. the chair being occupied by the Woe
President, Mr. George Opdyke. who. after stating
that the object Of the meeting in relation 10 GER
tam compensation for mail service for a line OF
steamers between San Francisco and Australia.
called on the committee for their report
Mr. ID. w. JAMES then read the following docu-
ment:-
The committee beg leave respectfully to report
II. Webb to the Chamber OF Commerce, urging the
endorsement by the Chamber IN certain specified
.money subsdy'' in aid OF his line OF steamers to
Australia and New Zealand and also the instructions
., n .e ea 40 &
for mail service IN the Pacific their careful consd
eIation and IN obedience to the Instructions or the
Chamber tue committee present the following reS0-
lutiOn:-
Resolved That the Chamber OF Commerce recommend the
e Pa BS Ss ses Ur
to report that the report they had tho submit to
petition above referred believing Of
s q ss AS . Ssa s $ ne:
applications now it would ssousy interfere M Win any
For TA; az ne 4 s e "a no
msrcs and tho Of and mari
comnit!es these We've and they therefore
sdsRS %
a e ~ Of the Slate Of
New York hereby recommend the TO liberal
Americas Steamers sailing to roraiso porss '''' 80
The committee believe that this resolution Is more
namonal less oo1ecmoaaOle and WIN oe IN more ser
one, as II viii place the Chamber right on the record
as TO the general desire OF the Chamber TO aid III the
restoration OF American commerce.
| Mr.. vERMiLYEA moved that The report be ac-
cepted and the resolution, having been duly sec
| onded, was carried.
| Mr.. A. A. Low then moved that the olflcers OF
the Chamber ui Commerce memoriailze Congress, In
accordance with The closing resolution Of the COM
mttee's report and in harmony therevitn He liked
| the general resolution better than the particular
one
Mr.. JACKSON S. SCHULTZ raised o question as TO
the Interpretation OF The word "libera mentioned
In the resolution II 1t meant fair or just COM.
pensati0n for service performed he had no obiec-
ton TO 1t, but If 1t were designed to subsidies
it meant subsidy or nots
Mr.. Low replied IN the Affirmative
Mr. ScHuLrz said that, while he 0bJecred to sub
sidies he was not opposed TO compensation for SER
vices performed.
Mr.. Low observed that the whole matter had been
fully discussed on previous occasions. At the last
meeting the Chamber directed the committee to
bring in report recommending the granting OF
subsidy 70 webbs line OF steamers. They had
not acted IN harmony with, or in conformity with,
tue directions of the Chamber. Now, It mad
been urged, and very clearly, that q subsidy was
necessary to overcome the difficulties and dlsabii.
ties thrown upon American commerce by the pro.
tective laws OF the country. subsidy was SO much
Tor carrying the mails. II It were Just 1t should be
disabilities thrown upon Congress by the protective
laws laws Oh inc country. While American interest
shipping Interest was oppressed by those laws. II
Mr. Schultz would get Congress to rid the country
be no subsidies asked Tor; but while those burdens
were cast up0l the commerce OF The country IL was
giving SUBS dies. lie had always advocated sub Is
sidies Al the last meeting OF the Cham jer OF Com
1e merce i " was understood that e commi,tee was
OF steamers. In conclusion, ne would move that
Cong 'ess be mcmoralized in the spTit OF the CLOS
ing resolution OF the report
Mr.. JAMES, as chairman OF the committee, stated
the committee mad resolved that In their Judgment
IL was unwlse aud inexpcdlent to recommend the
granting OF subsidies to special lines and that 1t
would be grave mistake TO do so. They also con-
Tor the Chamber to do So A just compensation
FOR services performed was meant as general
He obec.ed 10 Special legislation and did not think E
that the Chamber would endorse II. 1t was dim.
cult thing for the Chamber OF Commerce to endorse
the subsdizlDg OF one special line of steamers
owned by special individual. The one was in
tended for grand national object the other aimed
only at special legislation. The committee were
opposed TO subsidlzing special lines.
Mr.. BiERwiTn considered that 1t was not so much
the endorsement from the Chamber. Dul that the
Chamber should express by It's action THAT there was
shipping He Believed however eve ias Il
could easily DC shown that the granting OF subsidies
had never yet directly benefited the shipping mte
res but he had doubt that they tended to increase
irade between countries But the shipping interest
per dtd not require subsidies. 1t was tine vessels
that would carry the freight cheapest would get The
trade. He would like 10 know whether if by suhsi-
dlzlng half dozen Of vessels they would be ena-
he done unless ali vessels were subsidized The
speaker reviewed briefly history OF the shipping
interest In England, arguing that subsidies had not
helped IT, but rather the facilities afforded for ship
building possessed IN that country. He c0ntcnded
pressed the shipping interest would tend far more
successfully towards IT'S revival than the granting
and 1t could not be revived by the subsl1izing or
few steamships on the Pacnc Ocean. But II Ameri.
can en,erprlse. ingenuity aud energy were allowed
the fnl! exercise OF their powers there would be 1T
tic doubt of the revival OF the shipping interest,"
MI orpykE, who mad temporarily vacated the
the protection Of the counlry, ana proc-ede TO
inquire what II had done lor snpplng. The govern
ment mad failed TO give any protection to II Ia any
form and had retarded It's progress by variOds dis
abilities one OF which was hat they had forbidden
tie purchase and American registration vi foreign
bull ships. Whether the Champer had acted upon
that subject he was not aware but he was prepared
20 support any measure that could repeal that OBJ
noxlous law. In The second place there were cx-
ceedngly hlgn duties imposed on foreign material
bullt ships The government had failed TO
give the snpping interest any protection
even li.eral COMPENSATION for mail service
England gave munincent compensation for mail
service performed. Alter further allusion to the