Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1872-02-15
speech Of Hon. Eugene Hale, Of Maine,
4. ne House u Representatives., .iannarg 10
and -. 1872.


construction, repair, and use
Mr.. HALE said;
Mr.. SPEAKER Before addressing the |
House. / ask the Clerk to read Tie bin upon |
which | am 20 speak. II Is the same a. the |
one introduced BY me last March. and then !
referred At my request to the Committee on |
Commerce. and was again Introduced by |
me on Monday last. when ] moved the |
previous question.
The CLERK read the bill. which is a. fol-
low:
\ bill to relieve Americsn-built steamers and
vessels from import duties Laid upon materials
and articles entering into their con>truct"h'
repair and use.
r., ii enacted bv the senate and House OF
Eepre.entatiYes cf the United y ate o. AIhetF
~. In Congress assembled. Ihat an iiiPoi1 uu-
fi. hereafter collected on matfrial> 'htffHls IN
~ ~. ,,p.tr,l,.fion af vessels AMI steamers hpn
In ia. United states shall be returned To The
builders thereof under regulations to be estat-
I-hri for such purpose bt the secretary oil thc
Treasury: aud al articles OF iorilgn prpdn',
p..i..I for subsistence on American vessels aud
.i.4mer> engaged in foreign trade. or IN the use
.,r r+pair Of American vessels and steamers
may d. Withdrawn from bonded WAFe""u-'N
5r,r u duty.
Ma HAN The measure introduced by
~ AID ON which | seek direct vote oil
IA. House. j. very important. and at hr-i
bu-b eoInplaiLt might be made because
have brought il here on the call 81 The
state, without submitting il to the inVes'l-
ya;ioA OF a committee. several reasons
have moved me.
FIRST the importance of the subject
Daring the last ten years we have leg'>latrd
for almost every industrial interest ia the
country. American commerce aud Ameri-
can shipbuiiding alone have received no
help at the hands OF Congress; yet ~ mag
u.tade they exceed any other The ein-
r.uvment given ia the building of snip,
and HE money earned in the sailing oi oar
ausI ships put the subject. so Tar - magni-
fule goes IN the first rank.
Secondly. The decline aud pro'traiion Of
lhl~ Interest i undl>putable. We have but
At,le len ot the carry Ing trade OF the world.
which. twelve wears ago. We bid fair 10
mouupo,ize. oar ~hip-yard> are silent
The earnings OF American vessels engaged
i4 foreign trade IN 1863 were s37.>is. s03
less than In 1851 and the decrease Ia Tie
.a-; three years has been yet more alarm
my. In 1850 There were employed IN ship
building Ia the various ship-tarti- 10 this
country about thirty thousand neohanses-
These men had spent years in learning their
trade. and had learned il we'll aud were
Ur1.d Of Il and OF the work OF their hands.
Tlou,ands of them have been obliged t.
tIrn their attention TO branches OF industry
lew - them. and 10 seek employment in
other vocAtiouS. The Transient stimuli,
which certain kinds of building received
daring the wears OF the war, through lhs
bl.HlnL ut ships for the Government II
rre'iy. pr 10 take the place OF those that
Aai been, sold 20 the Government has long
... ..s...i-.. h.. f.lt Ifurn 10 tho H..
- -, a.. -. 49,. nj. =, -
how a falling interest wa- for the moment
-u-tA!ned bv this Immature! source OF sup
p-N. bdt to show now inevitably tile Low
crImeut turned To- our American shlpbuuu-
,t> al work la private yards ia it. hour Of
f,--lG las, ..4 - WI . . M land ana b,,y
n..r,.fy ,,I ~ m 'b,, mel vs. e1.
W. ILL
- =. - a.
>i'"' 'it dsprhi.iee q me 1"NeIniheht
ht'i 'lie me chAitt marine '1l II NeaLlth-
-. yi''.i ~ '''''i1-e ~ ''Ir iieA>"'! ~
r.,r, -. ,l,t -. ~ H., III,
sV' 20 N"'~''>9' Vt' aca' Az
uiiHr> the !"!4oN4h4 Statements:
during t.is war OF tn rcb Hon til value Il
Va--'l- bal. Ia IA naty-vari- va, Si3..'s.'sri,
ana Ia private .>ialil ,hia-nt, Spn. 81 ..j5. ~
>st.urv l,er cent. OF he shir.-huiiIlng VA done
tn prIt att embellishments. Two marine en-
-.I = only wgr. built In the uas w ard. 10Th
ut wli-h were buili At the Washington naVs-
AarI| whereas there were i.5 built out-lde- Il
a.-t Appears ih4t cishiv-f,ur and half l.r
r-lf- " ia, entire W0rA II building vessels AMI
engines t. ;he Navy L, partner wa dpnr AZ
f.Tf Ltr ESTABLISHING Mt. In All idipu to thu N'~
-e., lAu, supplied Is the Navy DEPARTMENT. 3a3
were either built for or purchased bY the y ar
D.partme nj. all buili Al priv ate establishments
whose total tonnage was iOa,ts5 tons. aud az
l.regaic value was 30 .S97, l25: besides BIS ycs-
eel, vessels were chartered a. Goyernmen,
transports The tonnage OF the United States
Navy IN lSts'' buiit IN the nay! ards before or
oIi NJ 'ns Val; a ainouiIiu !" -rp",i' tons'
-, 80 t-,n,, ~. ro,,i w.,
III Iel IONS or four hundreJ and ninet..-n r,rr
crut Of the entire marine force built by ihe
Government. The value OF work done for the
Navy during the late war in the building Of
vessels ana marine engines AInpuniea 10 s"i-
SI.'',N' o. Wni1n clsh'! Rcr cent Wa oppe ~
- -, w s,,, a., ~, ~.
- h,,;1. =, ,,-;r,t. f..Li; b,nr,,
-, 81; e-.,
NPN'' $500
But The Government J., no less dependent
upoh ne ln' rch . iArihe Iot S,ish llHah i"r
~. ny 80 ,s " .'ie f,o
HI ,,tlr bsJ in,.r,.aS,l ~ n 5ro in ts,,i
n..i,ic. which fserc verc cnnioycJ III ,bc
War Department - On ses,nen upon iraa--
l'ort-. making the total marine foror> 1900
men. or about ten tiIne- the force employed IN
l~,i- II -eein> 70 DC iiniossiD,e ior US Col :
man uiil,I ~ eeoioilieAi ai y. ~ .!l''
- IL t;iS isi. a.. ,1i.;t~ ,,,s'bin-y
TIL H. -, :, mo, ~ ,,..;,j. ~.
r,p-,.. III war. The cdur.fiop Of constant Ia
bsr j. necessary il order 10 maintain in any
country large force q. mechanics skilled in the
manufacture Of shlps and Marie engines, anu
iAl- 'Ah oe accomplished ohy through tiIe or
M ,,nSsi y. a5 ,,',,i i.
,.iy.s IN onr navy.yards hsxe srouir~a ,Leis
rslii,.al education N private e,tabli,hmeni.
.ri,ir,il,. tho consideration ~, ,h. .,,liac,
Il III, ~, n mon. minds The .mt.,i' -,
.birf,iIds, bas no, hen "a ohrrusix. in hi.
.,i,in,. s1,d 10 ~, h,.sia,,ad Co,,yrs.s
~, -. ,,s,,,nr.a a. T,,.r.. ~
,..rio, wLeneEer the 'ITse,,s SON 81 a tariT
t.f3 ia. 80 a.. i, 1o,,gr... H.. La.
H., - n,nS,..f Sufferer wien cat,,are1
,,i.i,tbair1n and c,,,l-men or PennsyIsa,i.,
rbe conner and s,l.-men Of Michigan. the
mi -nidovn onondgga salt-men The prl-
,.rierurs ~ tho Re..qmer-s.a,I pstent or