The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-12-11
A RESUME or THE NAVIGATION
LAWS,

md under whose restrictions 1t recommended
the establishment Of direct steam communi-
cation between this country and certain South
and Central American ports.
The character and operation of these laws
are known TO but very few OF our people, and
we question II there were half n dozen mem
bers of the late convention who are familiar
with them, or who have the faintest concep-
ton Of the innumerable and senseless restric
lions they place upon the commerce Of the
Indeed, there ere very few officials
In the customs service or the Treasury De
partment who thoroughly understand their
intrcacies. II Is related that during
the winter 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 It was
finally accomplished only after great trouble
and expense. Certainly such laws as these
are not adapted to the governauce Of great
maritime power, such as the United States
has been and ought now to he.
For the Information Of the people We give
the following resume of short synopsis by
~
proscriptive regulations, which are more
consonant with the notions of n semi-bar
barous people than with the liberality and
enlightenment which should distinguish
great commercial nation:
In the first place, mo American citizen Ia
allowed to import a foreign built vessel. in
the sense Of purchasing. acquiring registry
or title TO- or Of using her as his own prop
erty, the only other absolute prohibitions Of
imports being In respect to counterfeit money
and obscene objects.
"No foreign-built vessel, or vessel In any
part owned by a subject of n foreign power.
can enter a port Of the United States and
then go to another domestic port with any
ue,c cargo. or with any part of her original
cargo that has been once unloaded, without
having previously voyaged to and touched Mt
some other port Of some foreign country. I'M
der penalty of coniiscation. by construc-
ton of this law all direct traffic between tho
Atlantic and Pacific ports of the UnVed
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 cannot par
ticipate'
"An American vessel once sold or transfer
| red to foreigner can never be bought back
and again become American property"
An American vessel ceases to be such II
! owned In the smallest part by any naturaIIzed
citizen, who may, after acquiring such owner
ship, reside for more than one year in the
country in which he originated, or more than
two years In any foreign country
A foreigner cannot command or be an officer
Of registered American vessel.
'If vessel of the United States becomes
damaged on a foreign voyage, and is repaired
at foreign port, her owner or master must
make entry of such repairs Mt a custom-house
of the United States as an import. and pay a
| 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 n passing vessel, In or
der TO assure tho safety Of the crew or passen-
gers of the American vessel
| We do not suppose there is single pro-
| vision on the statutc-hooks Of any half-civil-
lied nation of She earth as mean and arbi
trary as this. 1t is to be hoped there is not
| at least for the honor Of humanity.
vessel under thirty tons cannot be uset
| in foreign trade,
Foreign vessels that may have lost u rud
der, stern post or shaft. and putting into AZ
| American port in Distress cannot replace
these articles with others she may have
aboard, without paying duty thereon as i'm
ports. She cannot rip off her old copper
shcathing and put on new without paying
duty on both the old and new sheathing, ever
when the work is done by American work
men.
II n pleasure party touch at an American
port the vessel must pay tonnage tax.
If a citizen Of the United States purchase {
foreign built vessel wrecked on our coast, h
may use it for any other purpose than navi
CATION, but he cannot own heror obtain regis
try for and sail her as an American vessel
unless he can prove that the cost of repairs
on the wreck exceeded thrce-fourthS Of he
original cost of construction.
Every American vessel engaged in foreign
trade those engaged in the fisheries excepted
must pay an annual tax of thirty cents ton
This is equivalent to an al rdtofem tax Q
, from to per cent. IT, however. any perso
, not citizen of the United States become tn
owner of the merest fraction Of an America
vessel, she becomes at once q foreign vesse
is no longer entitled to registry or enrolment
and she is taxed sixty cents q ton instead {
thirty cents.
These are the main provisions of the nav
CATION laws which were indorsed by tn
, recent convention. and which it was recon
mended to Congress to perpetuate for the pre-
, lection of American industry and the at
, vancement of our maritime interests 1t
| hard, indeed, to understand how such COZ
siderable body of enlightened and sagaciou
commercial men, merchants, manufacturers
producers and political economists, coul
! have been betrayed. persuaded or cajoled int
an Endorsement of such an obsolete barbarisl
: as is displayed in the spirit and purpose I
t these laws. 1t is. indeed, a profound gratif
i cation to note that the recommendation
' the convention, upon this question at leas
o has made but slight impression,
e any at all, upon Congress IL
: prospect now is that these laws will /
J ! i E,L -