The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-03-17

hand, this third house does not come in for It's
heavy dotations between the Parliament and
the royal mail steamship lines in the English
subsidies, and, therefore, as we cannot COM
pete with the Cross of St. George over this
subsidy system. We are In favor Of substitute.
What shall 1t bef We like Mr.. Coburn's
proposition to admit foreign built vessels to
American registration, to buy ships where we
can buy them cheapest, and we can buy them
at Glasgow at one-half the cost of building
them here. We agree with Mr.. Beck, of Ken
lucky, that this proposition submitted by Presi-
dent Grant to Congress two years ago, is one
OF the most sensible recommendations he ever
made. We are glad to see, too, that nothwith-
standing the ignoring of this recommendation
80 long by Congress-, the President has not
abandoned it; but that the Secretary of the
Treasury doubtless under the Presidents in
structions) has prepared bill to give registers
to foreign built vessels owned by citizens Of
the United States under certain restrictions.
We are gratified, also, to learn that the Senate
Committee on Commerce are preparing bill
providing to take from bond all material and
supplies that enter into shipbuilding without
tax, to allow Reorganization to American
ships which changed their flag during our civil
war to escape registering with those Ala
bama claims, and to allow the purchase of
foreign built ships and their registry as Ameri-
can ships, on the condition that they enter
into the foreign merchant trade. These prop
oaiiiono covor Tho ovotorr ~uhich MN th;cL
may be wisely adopted in lieu of the steam
ship subsidy system, upon which we have
spent many millions to little profit except to
the lobby.
Subsidy Is an offensive term in republican
system Of government It applies to the
hiring of the Hessians by King George to fight
us in our War Of Independence and hiring
ships to revive American commerce is not
much better, for the object in view, than
hiring Hessians. And If we admit the prin-
ciple Of subsidies whore is 1t to stop? If we
give subsidy to steamship by what princi-
pie Of fair play and equal rights can we deny
a subsidy to q sailing ship, Hudson River
barge or an Erie Canal boat. And if, In
admitting the equal right to subsidies to every
thing on the water, salt water and fresh water,
where is the constitutional provision which
limits us TO railroad subsidies on the landp
The truth is, that if an Erie Canal boat has
and 1t has-just as good claim to a subsidy
as steamship, the Academy of Music, the
Bowery Theatre and Bryant's Minstrels have
as good claim as railroad. The United
States mail dodge for steamships and rail-
roads will not do, for you may apply to it
This subsidy system properly
belongs to the Gear Of Russia, to the Brother
Of the Sun and Moon of China, and it waD a
becoming feature of the imperial system of
Louis Napoleon, in his subsidies to kings and
princes, and to steamships, opera houses and
theatres To be perfectly fair in the subsidy
business we must adopt the imperial system of
Napoleon or the more comprehensive system
Of the Paris Commune, the grand idea of
which was everything for everybody from
the government, and fair division all round
every Saturday night. And so are we opposed
to the favoritisms Of this steamship subsidy
system, and in favor of liberty to buy ships in
every market, and Of equal rights to all our
people on the land and the sea.