The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-01-22
Free ships.


In 1s49 the British Parliament passed an
act repeating the restrictive navigation
laws and establishing free trade in ships.
This was the abandonment Of policy which
had been upheld for nearly two centuries,
the famous "Act of Navigation" having been
passed in 1861. It's repeal in 1S49 was the
fruit of protracted agitation, and it
was carried against strenuous opposi-
ton and gloomy predictions OF the
ruin of British commerce. But those
predictions were rendered ridiculous
by the subsequent amazing growth
of British shipping, which was nearly
doubled within the next twenty years. In
1S4S, the year preceding the repeal OF the
navigation laws, the total British tonnage
was 4,052, 160 tons, but in 1867, eighteen
years after the repeal, the total British tom
mage had risen to 1882, GIL tons. Most of
the great lines of IRON steamships which
ply between British ports and all parts OF
the world have been established since the
repeal of the navigation laws.
The two nations which are maintaining
successful rivalship with British lines of
ocean steamers are France and Germany.
The French and German lines were estab-
lished by owners who were permitted by
the laws of their respective countries to go
into oil the markets Of the world and pur-
chase ships wherever they could find them
cheapest, and to sail them under the protec-
ton of their respective national flags. At
the present time the lucrative business of
transporting freight and passengers on the
ocean is almost entirely in the hands OF
nations which permit free trade in ships.
Our own country is behind the age, and
its adherence to obsolete navigation laws is
depriving it of the advantages of great
mercantile marine.
The navigation laws of the United
States are almost literal transcript Of the
obsolete and exploded navigation laws Of
England. They do no good even to the
interest which they are supposed to pro-
tect. For example, the fourteen steamships
which form the new Unicorn line just
started between New York and several
ports of Europe are all foreign built, and
the line would not have been established if
It's owners had been restricted to the use
Of American built ships. Now, what
difference does it make to American
shipyards whether these vessels are
owned by Americans or by foreign
ers? The freights necessarily 60 in
ships of foreign build, because they are
cheaper, and our American shipbuilders
resemble the dog in the manger that could
not eat hay if he was willing, and whose
growing and swapping kept away the oxen
that could eat it. Our navigation laws do
not secure the building of the great steam
ship lines for American shipyards, and can
not prevent these lines from transporting
the greater part of our commerce. The
great mass of freights go and come in for
eign built vessels in spite of our
navigation laws, which are, therefore,
useless to our native shipbuilders
while they obstruct the rehabilitation
OF our PROSTATE navigation interest. 1t
makes no difference to the American ship
builder who may own line which he has
no chance of constructing but it makes
great. difference to the American merchant
aud navigator, and to the country at large
whether we are permitted to participate in
the large profits of carrying ocean freights.
We are paying annually nearly one hundred
million dollars to foreign ship owners. and
the greater part of this sum would 60 into
American hands If we were permitted to
buy ships on the same terms as rival ma
tions.