Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1881-02-07
s7ss,ooo, vell-nigh four millions of dollars in

coin.
France gets her steamships from England
France has adopted the commercial poiicy
which the honorable Senator from hentuck!
thinks would be the revival Of the American
shipping interest: but does France, by the
mere fact of getting her ships built at birken-
head or on the Clyde abandon the plan which
has been for thirty years in operation unoer
government of aiding her ships! Why, sr'
last year France paid 23.ooo,op francs
more than four and half million dollars
to aid her steamship lines. And when the
well known line Of France, the company
known as Messageries Imperiale. competed
too sharply in the Mediterranean waters after
the opening of the Suez canal. when that
great French company competed with the
Peninsula and Oriental company OF England,
and was likely TO endanger its supremacy by
sharp rivalry. Great Britain promptly
stepped forward and added 100000 to the
Peninsular and Oriental subsidy That Is
the way Great Britain has abandoned the
idea of aiding her great commercial inter-
ests.
Italy. that is hemmed in upon a lake, that
does not touch either of the great oceans. Is
running up largely in steam navigation ;
Italy last year paid s.O00.00 francs; and
even Austria, that enjoys but single seaport
on the upper end of the Adriatic, pays $500,
900 toward stimulating commercial ventures
from Trieste. Now the United States cannot
succeed in this great international struggle
without adopting exactly the same mode
that achieved victory for France. What
is it: 1t is not to help A B or ID Or f + or
anybody else By name, neither Mr.. John
Roach nor Mr. John Doe nor Mr.. Richard
Roe. but to make a great and comprehensive
IL tt,.t hall n
pledge of aid from the Government of so
much per mile for such a term of years.
Let the American merchants feel that the
government of the United States is behind
them. Let the United States take from her
treasury per annum the 81 900. 900. that
Great Britain is paving as postscript to her
$500, 600. 00s of investment; let the United
States but take 81 ,0O0, 900 per annum- and
that is not a great sum for this opulent coun-
trv-let that be used as a fund to stimulate
any company from any port of the United
States to any foreign port. and without being
a prophet or the son of one, ! venture to pre-
dict that YOU will see that long deferred
much desired event, the revival of the Ameri
can merchant marine.
Let us do one thing more where England
has pointed the way for us. We have
nine navy yards without navy. If VT
will put the expense of those navy yards
into the building up of great private ship
yards, it will form subsidy enough if thai
hated word shall not offend the delicate ear
of my friend from Kentucky; it will afforC
aid enough. if that be more to This taste; i
will give help enough, in conjunction will
the saving on the construction of naval yes
sells, to float an entire scheme for the reviva
of American navigation.
Al Il l. f.
possible aid to the American merchant marine
but we keep up the shadow of a shell of .
navy on the most expensive basis that ever
navy was attempted to be organized in tn,
world Great Britain believe never had bu
three navy-yards. We support nine. Grea
Britain's navy is really fifteen times as large al
ours is nominally.
Mr.. President, we have the largest oceaY
frontage Of any country on the globe. W.
front all continents; we border the two grea
seas and the greatest of gulf. We are neces
sarily BY our position in need ola navy.
The honorable Senator from Kentucky ha
apparently given this subject wide and deeI
attention. and | should be glad in some sub
sequent effort of his to be informed, after h,
has brought this country to a state of absolut,
dependence for our mercantile marine upOI
Great Britain, how he proposes to uphold
our navy, how he proposes to build the YES
sells. where he is going to get his ship-car
penters? do not speak of the sailors; yo,
can get them from outside. How is he goins
to retain among this people and in thi
people the very rudimentary art of ship
building for large ocean-gong steamers wheI
his policy absolutely forbids the remotes
prospect of any vessels being bnilt here?
| do not expect this Congress to do any
thing; am not talking with the slightcs
hope that that will come about. l know i
will come some time. know the scheme o
the honorable Senator from Kentucky, ever
if Congress should adopt it, would disappoin
everybody. 1t would disappoint everybod,
except the English ship-builder; it would no
disappoint him. Yet l venture to say
would not be followed at all as the honorable
Senator says by Americans largely investin,
in British ships: and the reason why l sa,
that is because they can do it to-day withou
the aid of new law. and yet they do not
The Williams and Guion line, half American
half British. opens just as good an invest
ment, if you are looking at it merely from
the money side, as though they were al
American registry. The honorable Senate
from Kentucky himself has told us that tn
Philadelphia line is now running one-hal
Brtish-built vessels. Why not all ? He say
and if the object is going into navigation al
together apart from any considerations of ma
tional flag or national defense. if that be tn
sole end and aim. then | remind the honor
able Senator from Kentucky that anv ma
who has thousand or a million dollars L
invest can freely invest it in British bot
tom. and he would escape much taxation
that he would find if he registered in New
York or in Boston: and he could in man
ways perhaps expedite the gathering of prof
unto himself by keeping British registe
rather than by accepting one from America
1t opens no possible temptation to a mai
desiring to invest in navigation to say to him
you may go abroad. to England. and buy
vessel and bring her to New York and w
will allow you to register there at the custom
house, and you NAV float the American flag.
mo, | thank you" the shrewd investor re
plies. If do that am going to have NOR
taxation than | shall have in Liverpool o
Bristol. prefer to keep the registry owe
there" just as the Williams & Guion lin,
does. There are gentlemen in New York de
irving dividends from that line just as Their
are gentlemen in Philadelphia deriving then
from the line there that is partly made up o
British vessels. The very moment YOU dis
connect the entire idea of a national marin,
and the building oft here. the very momen
Won put it down on the simple basis of dollar
and cents, regardless of anything American
in it. then there is no temptation whatever
and you offer no extra induce ment by sayin.
that the vessel may be registered here. no
a., Il, H.