Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1889-05-09
DOES ENGLAND ASrsUBsIDIssy
Congressman RaynOr OF Maryland
tn the Unitcd States House OF
Representatives.

Congressman Rayuor OF Maryland
tn the Unitcd States houso OF
Representatives.
81 merely arise to clear away, II posi-
BILE, q misrepresentation In connection
with the subject Of American shipping
that Eeems to have taken most remark
able hold upon public credu,ity. Mr..
Blsine, some time ago, in u communica-
ton to an association in merchants in the
city of New York, declared that England
has continually stimulated the growth OF
her commerce by enormous bounties
paid to those who build and sail steam
ships. Tho New York Chamber OF Com
meroe repeated the statement, and, start.
ing in this manner, 1t has re.eohoed
through the halls Of almost every board
OF trade and shipping league in this
country. After patient examination OF
this subject, which resulted from my
firm conviction that the shipping inter-
ests of a country could never be perma-
nently maintained by any such process
as this, l now make the statement and
am prepared to prove ii with the details
when the occasion requires it, that the
commercial marine OF Great Britain, the
most powerful upon the seas, hiss neither
been built up nor sustained by subsidies
or bounties In any shape, and that we are
not in the slightest degree following her
example by adopting the wild schemes that
now being contemplated in order to re-
store American shipping.
"GreAt Britain in all her history never
appropriated dollar OF money for the
purpose OF aiding In the construction or
employment Of British ship. France
has done 80, and uppro6tably to - high
degree, but England never, aud you can
not point me to an act Of parliament that
ever voted o bounty or subsidy for any
such purpose. She has helped to main.
tain costly ocean packet service, which
is Just as necessary for her governmental
purposes as a standing army or q tax
levy; and 1t is because the character OF
this service has not been examined into
that it is being constantly COMPOUNDED
with q system OF bounties and subsidies
to which il does no. assimila.e in ths
slightest degree. Before these schemes
that IRE now flooding in upon Congress
and purporting to follow in the wake of
her example make any headway let me
impress upon yQp the fact that this packet
service is employed for tho purpose Of
AhS AAAp mali tAhs h6l OGbou Lihtl 10
urdar the Jurisdiction Of her post office
department.
OPEN TO PUBLIC COMPETITION
and always awarded TO the lowest bidder.
That from 1871 TO 1882 its expenditures
decreased over 1900 900 per annum and,
what is more important than all, two.
thirds OF the total outlay is annually paid
to the post Office department by the
countries for whom the mail is being car
ried and by the colonial dependencies OF
Great Britain.
The Peninsulsr and Oriental Line,
which hteams to India, Alexandria, Aus.
tralia and Gibraltar, aud virtually cir
cumvents territory that contains 30
00O, GOO OF people dependent upon Eng
land and sending their exports and
products free Of duty into the English
market, has never been nourished at the
exchequer, as has been so persistently
claimed, but procured the carriage OF
the mails because it was by far the lowest
bidder, performing the service for IL
shillings per mile In vessels of largely
increased horsepower, in place of a ser.
vice costing upwards of 50 shillings
mile In vessels OF not half the power and
OF greatly inferior speed and construc-
ton. Mr.. Guion, at the launching OF one
OF the ships of the Williams Il Guion
Lane aoma time ago, triumphantly de.
olared, 1--WE have never received pound
OF government aid. We do not need IL.
and we will not ask it." The trouble
about the matter is that our shipping
leagues will not draw q distinction be.
tSeen Gn bantst syster open to compe
/ tis-uA, allowing /. i.Lgral Compensation
for carrying the mails, and providing for
o speedy passage and O prompt delivery
under the ssrictest regulations and the
severest penalties such as the English
system is, and the contemplated Ameri-
can systen, which unlooks the doors of
your treasury, opens the flood gates Of
corruption, pays premium to monopoly,
and proposes to revive this lost Ameri-
can industry by q sort OF galvanic process
that will intuse into IL the transient flush
OF fever instead Of the permanent glow
OF health. There is no one in my pres.
enoe more deeply anxious for the restora.
ton Of American shipping than am.
Restore 1t upon q natural basis, and rot
by artificial stimulation.
| "Eng!and is the mistress of the seas
because she has freed her commerce and
freed her ships that is the truth and we
know 1t. We have euslayed them both.
and we have fouadered the best equipped
and heetest service that sailed the ocean
in its day. We have enslayed the shin
from keelson to truck. From the wire in
her stays to the brass in her 'tatfrail loo
she slave WehRve enslAyed her CARGO
because from the moment an American
vessel touches at foreign port high and
and prohibtive duties proclaim 10 tLe
nations OF the earth that pirates tribute
Is to be levied upon her freight, and that
we give no quarter to the commerce OF
mankind. Had England continued such
a policy as this, all the subsidies in her
treasury would never have given her the
position that abe now occupies upon the
sea. Like France and Germany. she has
swept from her statute books tbose relics
OF barbarian that punish q citizen for
transferring q foreign ship tc the tiaV OF
his country, and until at least we relieve
our commerce from its burdens 10 some
extent, we may dissipate subsidy npon
subsidy, and bounty upon bounty. bnt
the ships that leave the banks of Mersey
and the Thames and the Clyde will con.
tinue to command and monopolize the
markets of the world though we plaoe
upon the sea the best equipped marine
thst ever trod the pillows Of the Deep"