The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1878-12-18
AMERICAN NAVIGATION LAWS.

1 AmkhlCAn LA"o.
Under the plea of protection to American
industries, the United States have manu-
featured code of navigation laws which are
a disgrace to the country and damaging re-
Election upon the civilization of the age, for
many of their provisions are semi -barbsrous
In their narrowness, and in their effects de-
structlve of the very interests which those
who formed them claimed they would ad-
vance, 1t is held, and not without good rea-
son, that the people generally are ignorant
of the character and operation of the navi-
CATION laws OF the country, and this charge
OF ignorance, strange to say, Is
made against men who meet in commercial
conventions and assume to speak
authoritatively upon questions relating to
foreign as well as domestic commerce. More
than this, II Is charged that officials con-
nected with the customs service are about as
lily informed concerning the navigation laws
as any other class of citizens. In conirma-
ton of this it Is related that during the win
ter of 1876 a gentleman OF New York desired
to change the license of his pleasure yacht
from one collection district to another and
to accomplish this simple matter of routine
some of the best legal talent of New York
was employed for weeks, and 1t was finally
accomplished only after great trouble and
expense.
The Hon. David A. Wells has prepared
synopsis of the navigation laws of the coun-
try, and the following resume from the New
Orleans Democrat will be read with special
interest at this juncture, when the subject
Of foreign markets for our surplus products
is undergoing discussion.
"In the first place, says the Democrat, mo
American citizen is allowed to import for
eign built vessel, in the sense of purchasing,
acquiring a registry or title to, or OF using
her as his own property; the only other alb
solute prohibitions of imports being in re-
sect to counterfeit money and obscene OBJ
jects.
emo foreign built vessel, or vessel in any
part owned by a subject of foreign power,
can enter port of the United States and
then go to another domestic port with any
new cargo, or with any part of her original
cargo that has been once unloaded, without
having previously voyaged to and touched
at some other port of some foreign country,
under penalty of confiscation. By construc-
ton of this law all direct traffic between the
Atlantic and Pacific ports of the United
States via Cape Horn or the Cape of Good
Hope, or across the Isthmus of Panama, is
held to be of the nature of a coasting trade
or voyage, in which foreign vessels can not
participate.
"'An American vessel once sold or trans.
ferred to a foreigner can never be bought
! back and again become American property"
can American vessel ceases to be such il
owned in the smallest part by any natural
lied citizen who may, after acquiring such
ownership, reside for more than one year in
the country in which he originated, or more
than two years in any foreign country.
ga foreigner can not command or be an
officer of a registered American vessel.
"If a vessel OF the United States becomes
damaged on a foreign voyage, and is repaired
at s foreign port, her owner or master must
make entry of such repairs at custom
and pay duty on the same equal to one
half the cost of the foreign work or material !;
| and this law extends SO far as to include
boats that may be obtained at sea from q
passing vessel, in order to assure the safety
of the crew or passengers Of the American
| vessel.
1--WE do not suppose there is a single pro-
vision on the statute books of any half civ
ilized nation of the earth as mean and arbi-
trary as this. 1t is to be hoped there is not
at least for the honor Of humanity.
"a vessel under thirty tons can not be used
in foreign trade.
Foreign vessels that may have lost a rud-
der, stern-post or shaft, and putting into an
American port in distress, can not replace
these articles with others she may have
aboard without paying duty thereon as i'm.
ports. She can not rip off her old copper
snesthing and put on new without paying
duty on both the old and new sheathing,
even when the work is done by American
workmen.
''If pleasure party touch at an American
port the vessel must pay tonnage tax.
'If citizen of the United States purchase a
foreign built vessel wrecked at our coast he
may use IL for any other purpose than navi-
CATION, but he can not own her or obtain
| registry for and sail her as an American yes
sci, unless he can prove that the cost of re-
pairs on the wreck exceeded tb-ee-fourths of
her original cost OF construction.
Every American vessel engaged in foreign
trade (those engaged in the fisheries except
ed) must pay an annual tax Of thirty cents q
ton. This is equivalent TO an nd valorem
tax of from three to six per cent. If, how
ever, any person not Q citizen Of the United