The Portland daily press., 1880-10-07
THE NATIONS COMMERCE.


y 49,.
Convention of American Mer-
chants and Shipowners.
BRILLIANT GATHERING OF
REPRESENTATIVE MEN.
Projects for Reviving our Declin-
ing Commerce.
Boston, Mass, Oct. Gin response to cir
cular letter sent to commercial, organizations
throughout the country by the Board of Trade
and Transportation of New York. there con
vened at Board of Trade rooms this morning
representatives of tifty-one mercantile associa-
tons for the purpose of discussing and devils
ing means for the correction of abuses and re-
adjustment of trade relations and facilities
which demand the Intervention of Congress.
The most important of these subjects is the
proposed revision of the navigation laws and
adoption of some plan acceptable to both own
ers and builders for the relief and recovery of
our long neglected shipping interests
The following associations participated in
the convention:
New York Board of Trade and Transportation
Ambrose Snow, President, Simeon SteIne, f. b.
Sutton, John Roach, thomas p. Ball.
New York Chamber of Commerce-William Fl.
Webb, j. S. I. ranahan, james w. Elwell, Charles
IL. Marshall, Seth Lowe.
New York Maritime Exchange-James H. Boyn-
ton Charles r. Flint James E. Ward.
New York Produce Exchanged. j. N. Stark,
John X. Townsend Henry III. Rogers.
New York Hardware Board of Trade-J. C. Cook.
New York Stat'oncrs Board of Trade-Henry o.
Heugnton James r. Carter.
Philadelphia Maritime Exchange-Francis R.
Cope. Charles II. Cramp.
Philadelphia Board Of Trade-Henry Winsor,
James A. Wright, Henry D. Welsh George N. Al
len, Clayton French.
Philadelphia Vessel Owners aud Captains Asso-
ciation-Charles Lawrence, Joel Clark, Philip Fitz
Manufacturing Chemists Association of the
United >tates-Alexander COchrane, of Boston,
National Board of Trade-Hamilton A. Hill, of
Boston.
Boston Grocers' Observation-Disclosures Z. Moody.
Boston Merchants Association-John A. Ordway,
T +. Gregory.
Boston Produce Exchange-J. II. Hermon, Curtis
New England Furniture Exchange-Henry B.
Metcalf, Francis M. Holmes.
New England Shoe and Leather Association
John Cummings. Augustus P. Marin.
New England Ship Owners Observation-Disclosures
H. Iincon, Charles G. Soule.
Druggists Association-Joseph Burnett, Solomon
Carter.
Bangor Board of Trade-Henry Lord, William
Flowers.
American Iron and Steel observation-disclosures Hall
of New York, Philip L. Moen of Worcester.
Charlotte a. CO. Chamber of Commeree-R Y.
McAdin.
bridgeport (Conn) Board of Trade-David M.
Dry Goods Trade Association of the Lakes-W.
w. Bale OF Chicago.
Portland Board of Trade-Jacob S. Winsow,
Washington Ryan.
Portland Merchants Exchange-RusscI Lewis,
Fritz III. Jordan.
Providence Board of Trade-C. b. Farnsworth,
Charles Warren Lippitt, Jonathan Chase, Rowland
Hazard.
Detroit Board of Trade-Phio Parsons
Baltimore Board of Trade-Decatur H. Miller, c.
Morton Stewart, William G. Atkinson, Z. d. Bige-
San Francisco Chamber of Commerce George
Hawes
Manchester On. HI Exchange George B Chand-
Ter, Hiram X. Slayter. Is
Mobile Cotton Exchange-Hcnry Hall, Lyman C.
Dargan.
Greenville Is. CO. Merchants and Cotton Exchange
Wilmington On. c. Board of Trade-J. I. Cause.
National Board OF Steam Nayigation-F. w.
Nickerson of Boston, James S. Negley of Pittsburg,
Capt. B. S. Osborn, of New York
Bath Board of Trade-A. j. Fuller, Jarvis Pat
ten. - 4
Bath Maritime Exchange Thomas Nj. Read, John
Portsmouth Board Of Trade-w. H. sse
Louisville (Ky.) Board of Trade-J. D. Taggart,
John S. Long, Z. H. Ferguson.
Allentown (Pa.) Board of Trade-Morris L. Kauff-
man.
Cleveland Board of Trade-H. H. Adams.
Boston Board of Trade-J. Henry Sears w. F.
Humphrey, j. Z. Burtt, Frank Thayer
Indianapolis Board of Trade-V. I. Mallot.
The convention was called to order by VIM.
H. Lincoln, of the New England Ship-owners
Association, and Ambrose Snow of the New
York Board of Trade and Transportation was
[ chosen temporary chairman. Frank Ell. Gard
ner and w. f. Humphrey, of Boston, secre-
tarieS.
On taking the chair, Captain Snow stated
that the object of the convention was to har-
monte conflicting opinions regarding shipping
interests, SO that an agreement may be reached
as to what form of relief Congress shall be
asked to render. Differences, he said, can
only be reconciled by yielding some of the
more advanced views on one band and con-
sentative views on the other. Particular in
terests should not be advocated, but broader
view should govern our action. We should
ask ourselves whether American commerce
upon the ocean can be sustained under our
present navigation laws. If not, we should
ask ourselves what change is desirable All
should do this with breadth of thought that
would be respected by the country at large.
The navigation laws make it possible for us to
sell ships. The question for our country to
consider is, whether it prefers to see its foreign
commerce under thu old flag disappear by the
sale of its ships, whether it prefers to adopt
such legislation as will enable our present
shipowning communities to keep what they
now have and in fut,re add to the list. Our
commerce is in sinking condition. Is it
worth while to save it? and what sort of sacri-
fee shall be made? The convention will be
asked to state what III its Judgment Congress
can and ought to do for this great interest.
Messrs. III. A. Hill of Boston, j. S. T. StraI-
ahan of New York, John Price Wetherill of
Philadelphia, John III. Boynton of New York,
and E. d. Bigelow of Baltimore, were chosen
committee on credentials.
Jacob S. Winslow of Portland, W H.
Webb of New York, James w. Elwell of New
York, Henry D. WEIGH of Philadelphia, Hem
ry Lord of Bangor, j. E. Burtt of Boston
committee on permanent organization.
Committee on rules and orders-W. III. Lin
coin, Boston, H. A. Hill, Boston, and Jacob
r. Telfair, New York.
The committee on credentials reported that
seventy-six delegates were present with Gre
dentials in proper form.
A lengthy discussion followed on the ques-
tien of admitting gentlemen from places not
having mercantile organizations. Finnaly the
convention voted forty-fve to nineteen to ad-
J. HI. Kimball, Arthur Sewall G. G. Goss,
J.. A. Mcdonald, T. w. Hyde, William
Rogers, of Bath. r. tI
Samuel Watts, Thomaston.
lawson Waltham of St. Stephen.
The committee OH PERMANENT organization
reported the following officers:
President-J S. Z. Stranahan of New York.
Vice Presidents-W. HI. Lincoln, of Boston,
Washington Ryan of Portland, Henry P.
Welsh of Philadelphia, E. D. Bigelow of Bait
more, H. Fl. Adams of Cleveland.
Secretaries-Wiliiam f. Humphrey of Bos-
ton, Frank G. Gardiner Of New York, Fritz
HI. Jordan of Portland, Henry Hall of New
York, J. w. Cook of Philadelphia.
The report of the committee on rules and
orders was next presented The rules of the
House of Representatives of the United States
were adopted for the guidance of the conven-
ton. The hours Of sessions were fixed from
10 to o'clock daily.
To consider all resolutions and papers pre-
sented the chair appointed the following: n.
A. Hill of Boston, Ambrose Snow of New
York, John Wetherell of Philadelphia, W. Ell.
Webb of New York, Henry Winsor of Phila-
delphia, Arthur Sewell of Bath, Mr.. Atkin-
son of Maryland, Mr.. Paterson of Indiana, f.
N. Thayer of Boston.
The convention being organized W. H.
Lincoln on behalf of the Boston Board of
Trade presented the following:
Whereas the mercantile marine of the
United States engaged in foreign commerce
has been steadily and rapidly declining since
the commencement of our civil war, a period
r 1~.l-. =. =