The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1890-08-29
AMERICAN SHIPPING.
A RESUME OF THE UNITED STATES
MARITIME HISTORY.


shippins-The Remedy-Many Diff
culties Encountered.
From the close of our revolution until
July A., 1880. this country was without
either Protection to its manufactures or
to its shipping. England during this
time successfully proposed to regain and
retain control of us as our manufacturer
and carrier. The consequent poverty of
the country was accompanied by riots,
stay laws, instructions and bitter class
prejudices. The British influence with
the cultivated New Workers was as
marked as at the present day. In Bos-
ton and Charleston it was stronger, and
it may be said that the almost disloyal
devotion of some of the early demo-
cratic leaders to French interests and
French ideas was natural protest
against this Anglomania then prevalent
in our seaports
Among the first laws passed by the
congress of the United States were those
providing, besides duties Laid on goods,
wares and merchandise imported" for
difference in port charges and in import
duties in favor of American vessels, en-
acting the important features of the
English navigation act, which was
framed for the joint purpose of weaken
ing the powerful marine of Holland and
ito prevent any other nation from en-
crossing too large a portion of the navi-
cation of the rest of the world"
The restrictive clauses" of our act
provided that vessels of foreign coun-
try should import to this country only
the products of their own country, SO
that an English vessel, for instance, was
liable to confiscation if it brought sin
gle cask of French brandy or piece of
German cloth into this country, while
an American vessel could load in any
port with the produce Of any part of the
world. The steady enforcement Of this
law until 1850 justified Mr.. Ricardos as
sertion in the house of parliament that
with the dearest built and dearest
manned ships in the world we forced
them to give up to us two-thirds of the
trade between this country and ours"
In 1928, under the plea '"'that trade
should be free, that all shacl1les should
be stricken off, and that everything in
navigation should be left to fair compe-
tition," law was passed authorizing the
president torepeal the restriction clauses
of our navigation laws in favor of any
nation repeating the same clauses in their
laws.
Under this law treaties were negotia-
ted with the smaller maritime powers,
and proclamations were made by various
presidents. But England, which, since
causing the downfall of the Dutch mari
time supremacy by the enforcement of
her navigation act, had been the para
mount marine power, did not agitate in
parliament for the repeal of her law till
1S47.
After long debates in the house of
commons it was shown convincingly
that in fair competition, nation with
more ships, cheaper money and lower
priced sailors and artisans was certain
to win, and her navigation act was re-
pealed at the close of 1S49, after it had
made her the greatest maritime power.
with the hope, unfortunately for us well
founded, of preventing by that repeal
our passing her in the race by the same
means she lad used in her contest with
Holland.
But another factor made its appear
ance. Fifty years ago the first steamers
commenced plying between this country
and England, under the auspices of the
Great Western Steamship company.
Mr.. Cunard, of Halifax, went over to
and secured contract for
line from Liverpool to Halifax and Bos-
ton, with a subsidy of 100000 per an.
mum. though the agent of the Great
Western Steamship company testified
he would do the same work directly to
New York for half the sum. BY 1s46
the subsidy had been extended" to
600, 900 for the same number Of voyages.
When our government subsidized the
Collins line Cunard FASTENED to
England and had line to New York
subsidized at e145,000 per annum, testi-
flying before parliamentary commit
tee, "If / had got this contract three
months sooner there would have been
no American line"
How Mr. Cunard proposed to change
the plans and intentions of our senator's
and representatives in congress assem-
bled in so short time as three months
does not appear in his testimony
On June IA, 1853, President Buchanan
signed a bill forbidding all future pay
ments to American vessels of more than
sea and inland portage, and any con
tract, for even that, for more than two
years. In 1852 committee of parlia-
ment had reported, "They attach great
to long and undisturbed
term of contract as alone enabling them
to incur the expenses necessary for
successful competition with their rivals"
Also that Cunard's subsidy of e173, $40
was to continue till July, 1862. In 1858
this subsidy had been increased to e191,-
400, or $934, 032 per annum. At the same
time line to Galway, shortly after dis
was receiving e128,600, SO
that the Collins line, with the lines to
Havre and Hamburg, had sea and inland
portage offered them in competition
with lines subsidized with 81 ,551 900.
AS Mr.. Golden suggested, they ceased,
because the American government with