, 1873-04-23

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ShlpbuildiDg has almost ceased in the New
England States the bulk of foreign com
merce is carried in foreign ships, not a sin
gle line OF Atlantic steamers is owned by
the merchants of the United States. The
depreddtions of the Confederate cruisers no
doubt did much to iujure American ship
ping ; the preference given to iron vessels
over wooden ships has also tended in the
same direction but the real causes of the
silence that still exists in the once noisy
shIp-yards of Maine and Massachusetts,
and of the decadence of the American ma
rine generally must be sought in the fiscal
Legislation of the United States. From
1861 to 1870, the amou0t of the foreign
trade carried in American vessels decreased
some 40 per cent compared with 1850,
when the great proportion Of the trade was
carried under the American flag. In 1860
the total tonnage of the United States was
1888 SOS, but by 1868 it had decreased to
3,974,492, and there has been little or no
Improvement up to the present time. TIE
tonnage OF vessels engaged in the fisheries
has decreased from 32G, COG in 1860 to about
one-haIf in 1901. With an irredeemabIe
"'" A'N"O"''b5 IAtGt CuiiGlCF Ill ClICulO-
ton, with a high rate OF wages, with a large
Increase In the prices of accessories and the
cost OF living generally, with an exOrbitant
tariff amounting in many cases to the pro-
hlbltlOn of Cartojn articles, the energy and
enterprise of tn people of the United
States have naturally been ptralysed, ana
the American mlrine has been unable to
compete with the marine of other nations
on the broad field of commercial rivalry.
On the other hand, the commercial policy
Of Canada has been based on those liberal
principles which are best calculated to
deveIope trade and enterprise. When the
Americans 50 f]oolishly for themselves, re-
peaIed the Reciprocity Treaty, under which
a limited trade had grown up to afford en-
pIOyment to American shipping, Canada
never exhibited the same selfish and DOM
i%neering disposition, but threw open her
fisheries on the payment of a nominal IL
cense fee, and always showed a willingness
to come to ONE arrangement with her
neighbours on matters oftrade. Her tariff
has been adjusted to encourage the ship
ping interest by the free admission of all
materials that enter into the construction of
vessels. Large sums of public money,
have been annually expended for the I'M
pcoVemcnt oflake and sea-coast navigation,
a careful system Of steamboat inspection
has been devised, and so efficiently carried
out that less accidents occur on our island
waters than on those of the United States
legislation has been passed for The relief of
sick or distressed seamen, and for the ex-
animation of masters and mates, who
henceforth can rate with the same class in
England all this Canada has done with
the view of promoting her great maritime
industry, and her wise policy stands in
remarkable contrast with the illiberal in
discreet system of her American neigh
bours, under which their marine has so
rapidly declined. At the last Session of
Congress, the necessity of r%eviying ship
building was discussed, and an Act passed
to allow a rebate on certain articles used in
the construction Of vessels. but so far this
legislation has resulted in 40 practical re-
suit whatever. 1t is now said that an at
tempt will be made during the present ses-
sion to repeal that feature of the old navi-
CATION laws which prevents Americans
from buying foreign built vessels for an
American registry, and exacts that the coast.
wise trade shall be done in American bot
toms. Such legislation has long been an
xiously desired by the people of Canada,
for it will still more stimulate %shipbuilding
and increase the profits of the shipowners
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