Daily Republican., 1882-05-11
ANHIyERsARY DxHHER.

The New York ChanaDer Of Com
merce Celebrate their IlAth
Asnivorsry.
The anniversary of the New York
Chamber OF Commerce Was observed on
Tuesday night, in Delmonico's Hall.
Samuel d. Babcock presided, and on
either side were seated the Hon. j. W.
Keifer, Speaker Of the House of Repre-
sentatives. and tho Hon. Thomas T..
Bayard, United States Senator from
Delaware.
Amongst the speeches made during
the evening was one by Senator Bay.
ard. He spoke at great length on the
decline of the merchant marine Of the
United States, and giving the reasons
therefor. He said that the raids of the
Alabama and her kindred cruisers
swept our vessels from the sea from
1861 to 1865. Beyond such as were
burnt or sunk, nearly million tons of
American shipping were sold outright
to foreign purchasers. Many of these
would probably have returned under
their old registers but tor a blind and
silly act of Congress. Another cause
for the decline of American shipping
was the liberality of Congress iu grant.
ing public lands to railways, which
scattered officers and seamen before
employed on the ocean, and which fos-
tered agriculture, manufactures and
mining to the expense of shipping in
terests. Still another cause was the in.
vention, born of necessity to Great
Britain, and just when we could moi,
compete, of the great and remarkable
Of iron for wood in ship
building. Ships to Great Britain, Mr..
Bayard said, are what railways are to
the United States. Ships are important
to us; they are necessary to England.
Nothing which enters into the con-
struction OF u British ship is taxed;
nothing that enters into the construc-
tion of an American ship is untaxed.
too, we have had a vicious
currency based upon credit, and the
rate Of interest was double in the Uni.
ted States what it was in England
"But," Mr.. Bavard argued, "English
iron is not so good as ours nor is their
ingenuity greater, nor their labor bet.
ter, Eor their labor, saving machinery
equal TO our own. We can build better |
ships than Great Britain to-day" Mr.. |
Bayard here read a long letter from a |
well.knowu iron ship builder in sup
port of his statement. The success of
the Suez Canal made ships of new
shape desirable, and mauy of England's |
vessels were sold to other countries, and |
she was enabled to make new and i'm
proved ones for herself. After a gloomy |
review OF the American navy, the Sen.
ltor closed by reasserting that when we
'eally desire to restore our pre.eDii-
lence as shipbuilders and carrieres upon
he high seas, it eau be done by reform
ng tariff laws that destroy commerce,
lnder prstence of regulating com.
nerce," by repeating laws which i'm
,ose vexatious and burdensome fees
md costs for the entry and documenta.
ion of our ships; by paying for our
consular system as we pay for other
of public service, by ere
ltiug = navy that should be an assist
Ince to commerce by scientific explor-
.tions, and be an active adjunct and
protection TO our merchant marine,and
" investing Il very moderate portion
# the capital, energy and enterprise
which bas OF late years exclusively
onhned its operations to the field of
nternal improvements aud abandoned
UT maritime interests to our foreign
ivals.