, 1877-05-29

~, 1S77-TEN PAGES.
we'll, the argument might be masls that We ought
10 let we'll enough hlone. Dat that ID not the
dttion OF things. Whatever tho navigation lhws
mny hare dono IN tho pasL thoy certainly Aro not
now beneficial. The decline OF American shipping
ID due primarily to thsro causes. namely: the
tAnhftf Of Tho ocean ana eoastw,Ro carrying Trade
largely from calling to steam vessels, tho eompeti.
s!on Of railroads. and tho ahd OF Iron fndtcAd Of
wood In construction. Afcs tho War, vesacfs which
had reR1stesed under foru!gn flags ought 10 hAvc
been allowed to como hack. but Congress, acting
from a Aplftt of rnFenEe, fcfnacd To allow them.
IL ts on mercantile vcssels that tho haR must bo
carried II we 10 $50 1t In tho ports Of Tho zlobs.
Theirs arc no more American steamers crossing
tho ocean now than there were dozen ycArs ago.
There arc three coutecs open to tho Government:
10 leart thtngs ~ they afe. to auhsidtze reascfa
owncd BY Americans or to allow mcrthanta to bny
vessels whore they sec NJ. The tina for snhsldlcs
psst in The United Btates Tho issue, therefore,
wontd bc tho continued absence Of American
marine from thn ocean. of tho breaking down of
the present restrictive laws. Tho navigation laws
should be allowed 10 stand Or fall on their own
merits. II 10 objected that tho repeal OF these laws
would npen our coastwiAo tfadc 10 competition Of
foreign vessels. but that Ia after ali rood deal Of
bnRbear for vessels In that trade need to b speca
IL sslsptcd 10 the woFk. snd therefore, must bo
bnilt at humt. X was urged that foregncrs might
come 10 ous ports and without m actual change OF
owners by euson'. .houto oaths. take up tho eosst-
w'te trade has y 'he tfaae ~efe sn!aelensly
.mpnx s,uuv Nv, w" "o"'3 "o' u':" '"e1
rant proor, .nast;no from mn o4nert.
ence Of forty years, said.
| Tho propoecd chsnee would not compel Amer.
lean .nesthanta to purchase vessels abroad. and no
felt CONFIDENT that they won'd not Wasso their sub
~ I.ons ~ s,.e, ,t u.
ths uttcr snn,hii.tlon al Amcrican n,e.cantilo
marine it was necessary to change the whoio Gov.
eminent treatment OF Tho subleea
Iho most e1trnofdlnafy feature Of this dc-
oato is tne saot tnat tneto was suen que6-
tion 70 DO oeootea' outs'ae OF tne onlteo
statea sach dlec"ss'on VIII 90 regafoed as
some~hat ant'qna'ea. Ihe1e arc cer.afn
th'n8s wafch are eonaiaefed ea ses'1ea' inas
the "o.!o aoVea tooao '"e SUI IL cons'oeFe1
Ronefh4ly rs tac- coIoNno8 "no TIE sue
eessots sotueo tna' .oere was q Western con-
tinont. NO one doubts now that aseam Ves-
sels may GROSS .ne ocean. 3otH WILL oec"t
10 most people tnas discussion OF my OF
tnoso topics "onla % as novel ana as 'fesh
~ o1scussion OF noe pEoFs7et5 OF repeating
tho hAF1gatlon la"S' lno country hns just
gos na OF tno fepfoacn OF head-s"1 upon
all immigrants entering sne country and the
Boston dlscusaon perhaps may DO accepted
as m indication that before the expiration Of
tho SECOND century toe Navigation LAWS VIII
1ollo" tno car''aslon Lax.
I"enty'hse years ago shtP-oaa5afng "aa
shipa TeFe Dn'lt IN th'a country ana takor'
70 Europe for sale. American sh'ps 1or sale
"ero TO be found in every port, aud found
Ieaay eale. fono~1ng tne hnostltutlon Of
steam Vessels LOT SOU ana iron ior "ood' the
DOCKS yards' and machlne shopa Tor shs
construction OF steam and iron Veasols ID
this country wefo on tho most ma8n'hceni
aud prosperous scae' ino war suspended
ship'ouilaanB ana iofcea tho transfer OF oq1
mercantile vessels 70 foreign uags* "hen
tho war was osaf, cohgross refused 70 le'
our American buiit vessels TO 10 restored te
their Aneracan-o"nors, and at the Rame
timo reinforced II impossible TO re@estab
Nsh sh'p-ooildn8 IN tina county, Iha'
policy mas pfeTaaoa ever nnoc. ny refusing
70 foreign Votsola inc privilege OF tfaoine
between ono American port ana anotheF.
demand tor coastn8 Vceaola nos ncen fna1n
'a'neo, ouE 1ne tsaoe villa 1oto'ea nas'ons ha'
since 1910 oeon 8onetn'y IN 'ao hands O.
Foreigners AZ ono tlme thoro was not :.
a1ea!neF soas'ns Nc" 1o1k 1of =, EUROPE WHICH
ea'1ea tho Amor'ean hog. iho "ar ha'
been over s"o4Ve years During tAas t'm' ~
Inc american people h"Ya oeen !fosec1eo
a8n1''. american sn'p-oa4'a'hs' @1o .ao onc'
gFcat Amef''"1' 'naos.ss n"a nos ooon a.
.o"ea !" t,b4o'e' y, H. H.ouol4'oS' ~ Lax
tho navigation laws, stated that tho ponalt,
imposed By law on building m Ancri
can ahlp was from RG.ooo to $3.50,
for vessel Of 1000 tons, or at tn,
rate Of from &c to AZ per Ton. This ia th