, 1873-03-13

buIt1ora, WHO ututod TINT IL tho tnx on iron and
| stool and ot1,or matorinl woro removed, or ro-
ducod ono-lin1f tloy could build iron vessels for
ocean commorco; md memorials from NOR
chants aahiny TINT thoy bo allowed to purchase
forogn'buElt vossols, Or that foreig1-but vosaols
ownol by thotn DO allowed to carry tho American
flag. Thoao applications, addressed to the pro-
c!ao cause Of tho doelinc OF American Ship
ping, did not receive n hearing. OF tho
scoros OF bil1s proposed to rocoyor Our lost
commorco tlloro waa but ono TINT l,ad no subsidy
in 1t, and that ono, ii passed, would havc had
tho ofroot not only Of gradually restoring our
atoamship-building, but OF placing tho American
aag on largo number Of steamers ownod by
AmorieanH that nro now compelled to sail under
| foreign daga. Tint bill was as follows:
bd Il enacted bv tho Senate and Houss " Ietwesena-
tpfa a tho United Sfatts n Amcrtca IN Compress as-
seh'6ed That nl laws Of Congrcas forbidng tho pur.
chaso aud enromont nndor the American flag Of for
oRilt SLIPS, III 80 fnr AZ rolaes TO vcssos employed
sooly In foreign trade, be horcby repealed.
&c., 2. Tint a1 Btoros 10 allowed to 10 takcn out Of
bond duty froo when Blch storos to DO used on
foreign voyages.
sEo .. That all materials to 10 used tn tho con-
Htructon or ropaira Of vossos employed In foro9u
trado bo admitted duty free.
This bill, proposed by Mr.. Cox, Of Now York,
did not recolye the 1eaat consideration, The
fact is, thoro was no money n It. Under It, nil tho
now closed ship-yartls might bo opened. Tho
onco celebrated works Of New York for the mnn-
ufacturo Of marino onginoH md machinery would
again bo put fn operation. Tho forgoB would bo
relighted and tho hammers put in motion.
American steamors would bo launched, and our
Tag made again familiar in foreign ports. But
this bill proposed nothing to divide; It granted
no monopoly, oroated no corporation, loaned no
bonds, and gayo license to norobbery. 1t moroly
took tho ahackos or tho American ship
builders, and authorized them to resume thoir
industry. 1t allowed them to purchase iron at
homo or abroad wherever thoy could get II
cheapest. It roloasoa thom from paying a
bounty Of from 900 to 500 per ton for iron and
steel, oven upon their own tools and machinery;
1t recognized ship-building as lawful industry
In which American citizens might engage with
out being subjected to a fine OF an ayeraRe Of
S76 per ton for cvory Steamship tloy produced.
It wont ovou further: 1t allowed those American
citizens owning lines Of steamships doing busi-
noas between our ports and those of foreign |
countries to place at their masthead tho Amer
lean flag, instead Of TINT Of Brazil, or San Do
mngo, or droat Britain. But 1t was NIL in vain.
No such bill could bo allowed to pass.
Tho preaont condition and progreRs of our
foreign commerce Ia thus stated From 1861 to |
1861, tho average annual tonnago employed in
the carrying trade botweon tho United States
and foreign countries was 1916, ,485 tonB In
1872, IT was q, $40, 1877 tons. This is what is
now employed md it is far below tho actual
moods. In 1860, this carrying trade was done:
6533 per cent in American rcsao1s, and 3i67 in
foreign vessels Iu 1872, G5.G7 per cont Of It ia
dono in foreign voaae1s, and s4.33 in American
vsssels. Tho earnings of this trade, in 1872,
wero $11G 453 900. OF which $780, OTIS, ,4o0 wont to
Americana and tho rest to Foreigners. Had we
tho samo proportion OF vcssols as ne laad before
We taxed Rhip-building out Of existence, our
Share would haye beon nearly 75000,0 900. While
tho foreign commerce Ia increasing annually,
our Bharo Of tits becoming as rapidly loss. We
present to tho world tho astonishing spectacle of
3 nation having tuo most inoxha,,st,plo supply
Of iron especially adapted to ship-building OF
q foreign commerce annually extending Of m
abundance Of coal, capital, and skilled 1abor, and
yct legal prohibition upon ship-building, md
another prohibition upon importation of ships.
While NC might now compete with tho world in
iron ship-building aa VIC formerly did in wooden
the law virtually prohibits us
from doing 30.