The Republican journal., 1884-07-03
For the Relief of Shipping.


THE PROVISIONS OF THE NEW SHIPPING LAW.
The shipping bill which last week
passed both Houses and received the
signature of the President is composed
of thirty sections, the substance of the
provisions being as follows: 1t allows
an American vessel on foreign voyage
and till her return home to fill vacancies
in positions of officers below the rank of
captain by the appointment of aliens. 1t
aboishes the three months extra wages
and provides one months extra wages
only shall be paid in cases of injury in
the service of vessel. 1t increases the
amount to be paid by the Government
for the transportation of men in cases of
long voyages. 1t prohibits advance
wages to seamen, but provides for allOt-
ments Of wages to seamen's relatives.
1t requires vessels in the foreign trade
to carry slop chest with supplies of
clothing, ETC., excluding, however, YES
islands of North and Central America
from this obligation. 1t abolishes consul
lar fees for services to vessels and pro-
vides for the payment of consuls from the
Treasury for such services. 1t abolshes
the tonnage tax as now imposed and
provides in lieu of the same for duty of
three cents per ton at each entry on
vessels trading with any port in North or
Central America and adjacent islands,
including the Sandwich Islands, and six
cents ton at each entry on all vessels
from any other foreign trade; but it
requires the President to suspend the
collections of so much of this tax on
vessels from any foreign port in North, or
Central America, as may be in excess of
the tonnage and light house dues imposed
on American vessels by the laws of the
country in which such port is situated
As Canada imposes no taxes on American
vessels the bill abolshes the tonnage on
vessels trading with Canada after July L.
1t abolishes the hospital tax for seamen
in both the coastwse AID foreign trade,
and provides that the expense of the
hospital service shall be betrayed from
the tonnage tax; it provides that sup
plies for American vessels in the foreign
trade may be imported in bona free of
duty. 1t provides a draw back Of 10 per
cent. of the duty on imported materials
for the construction of vessels on a for
egn account, or for re- -eXportation, shall
be allowed when the vessels are partly
constructed OF imported material in the
same manner as when thus wholly con
structed. 1t limits the individual liberty
Of shipowner to the proportion to which
his interest bears to the whole.
1t provides for the engagement of a
seaman to serve on a voyage to any port
or for definite time and eXempts vessels
l., +p;,,
paying fees or reshipping seamen, and
also authorizes the shipment of seamen
in a foreign port for definite time, or
voyage and provides that seamen so
shipped shall not be required to be re-
shipped. 1t allows the putting on the
stern OF a vessel the name of the port of
registry or place in the same district
where any owner lives
1t eXempts a vessel in trade with Can
ada and Mexico from an obligation to
pay tax on passengers so long as no tax
is eXacted on passengers coming from
those countries by land carriage 1t
repeals all compulsory laws that oblige
American vessels to carry mails to or
from the United States arbitrarily, such
repeal not to take effect till April 30,
1855.
1t gives sailing vessel the same priv
lleges in unloading cargo that are given
a steamship. 1t provides that shipping
commissioners shall hereafter be appoint
ed by the Secretary of the Treasury
instead Of by the Circuit Courts, ana
shall be subject to regulations prescribed
Ivy him. 1t reduces the fees for inspect
ors Of steam vessels from S225 to $40 for
the first hundred tons. 1t allows vessels
arriving at a port of entry, laden with
bulky articles like salt, etc, to proceed
to places within that collection district to
unload under certain regulations.