The New York herald., 1878-07-07
OUR NAVIGATION LAWS.
TRY LAWS IN CONNECTION WITH OUR LIE.
CIPROCITY IREATIIS,

THE ADDITIONAL ABsURDITH OF OUR REGIS
TRY LAWS IN CONNECTION WITH OUR nE.
cIPgocITY IREArIIs.
To THE EDIroa or THE HERALD
Your articles IN regard to the aDsurdy OF navi
gaion and registry laws must interest every who
knows and dcploros the present condition Of the
American mercantile marine rnc absurditv Of those
laws Is stiI more striking considered IN connection
with reciprocity treaties, and con lection
was not referred those articles beg to place t
before your readers. From the passing Of the Rogs-
try act u792 and up to tho MAKING OF tho reciprocity
treaties the effect OF those acts was far from un-
favorable to the promotion of American shpbuildug.
Those laws secured advantages to American ships
ana dinercntiaI duty (oi about ten per cca avor
OF goods imported in American bottoms Tho effect
OF this differences every remember in the
enormous increase OF American uoreienl tonnage,
when very largo share OF tho carryn ing trade the
world was done IN American bottoms American
SHIPS carried the coffee of Brazil, not only 10 the
United 5taios, but 10 the Levant the North OF
Europe. AID American bottoms brought thc products.
OF tic East to Europe well as TO tho Unitcd states
These advantages continued 80 long had rect.
prOciy treaties and whether thIs protection advsn.
tage was IN accordaucc with proper political econ.
omy or not II was at Icas, aud
Dut as soon AS the reciprocity treaties we're made the
whole aspect changed By those treaties the fore gnsf
allowed 10 import INTO tnis country goods, irom
any place, IN foreign vessels, the sans 'erms
thUso which American cItlzcus may impsy. "
Ameflcen ship. sy their regISry laws forsignst-
are not proniDtcd from purchasing wacrevor tbey
eau purchase cheapcst-on tue Clyde or elsewhere
vessels which they are thus enabled to matrculate
home and put undcr their lac. Thus iorcig gncrs
under me operation OF our RECIPROCITY treaties ane
their own navigation acts enabled to carry
cheaper than we apd to do the very tbing whlcn
registry laws prohibit our citxans from dong
The effect OF our own Navigation law. therefore,
Ia connection with our reciprocity treaties 10
TO disable our citzsns from competing
with foreigners IN importing trade.
IL would seem tnat au aDsurdny inonstrous as such
Discrimination against our people should not be
allowed TO contIuue. II reciprocity treaties
10 be upheld tbcn we ought clearly to modify ous
Registry Navigation act, at cass lar ioreigu
voyages arc concerned. We ought 10 allow our owr
cIzcDs TO compete equal terms ai least. Tor ouI
own importing trade We shoald permit them TO pui
cha twhcrcver they could purchase cneapes vesssi
whcD tncy could maltlcuiate uefc, ana whic1 cOuit
have au American register tor ioreign voyages nj
eatt A modification 10 that extent would stili re-
serve our coastIng trade, ~ AZ present cxcusiveiyu
American buIt vessels. such a measure, in counoc
tiOn with tue sppOu tincnt OF competent men, know
ibg tho language OF aud tho countries to which they
sent our ministers ana cobsul-. would greatly
contribute to that extension OF American induenco
and commerce abroad. anu to the d. Tor prod
ucts oi American Industry, to wnlcn attention
called ast July by the circular OF tie Hon secretarv
oil State as one OF the needs oi tue country.
JAMES X PARTRIDGE
(lsats United states Minister TO Brazil