New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-01-11
rsr TELEGRAPH TO THE IKIBUNE.1
washington. Jan. 1O.-No. 81, of The FcderaliSt


rsr TELEGRAPH TO THE TKIBUSE.1
Warrington. JAN 1o.-No 81, of "The FcderaliSt,'
contains the following proposition: -.
Ther. are who will admit that the analrS OF
I'D. and navigation should he regulated by system
cautiously performed and steadily pursued, and that oo'h
~, treaties and laws should correspond win ana De
made 70 promote H. H.,
II is an old authority 10 quote at the present uay'
Int none the less timely on that account Inc House
has iust passed bill amending Sections IL ana IL OF
rho shipping act of 1856 and this bill IS now penang
before the senate 1t is probably the eighth or hih'
III, introduced by the author Of the shipping actS on
1854 and 1856 to amend them. That fact alone wond
.em 10 indicate that though intended 70 remove Ger
cot, hurIens upon the American merchant marine ana
N encourage the American foreign carving ade' ueo
oct, have proved insufficient for the purpose for whch
they were passed. it, indeed they have not proved az
solute failures one thing no one VIII dispute 'n''
b.v have given rise to endless litigation and inter
,.t,onaI controversies costing the Government more
,han the pretended relief American shipping couid
ever have amounted to, if not in actual money wi
tainly In selfrespcct. TO the everlasting uhhe''"e
with our navigation laws is 10 be aSc1oed In e'e"
measure the present state of our carrying trade -
tho pIain proposition Of the senate made IN 1854
remove all tonnage or lighthouse dues on all Shipphs
- any foreign nation which ceased 10 collect sue"
ta,es on American shipping" had been adopted Oy I
Dipgley the endless litigation which reSui'eu iioi"
the passage of his shipping act would nave oec"
avoided and American shipping would De III " i"ai
way TO recover some of the ground lost through equa
Injurious but hardly more FOOLISH HeI9i""0 ~
that of 1894 and 1856.
Under the act Of May 81. 1880, no duties were
levied upon ships and vessels Of the 'hl'e'
states when the officers and twotmros oi ''e Wv"
were citizens Of the United states ana 10 u",NN
uere imposed upon ships and vessels Of loro'su
nation provided no discriminating or conn'erh'i'u
,ns duties existed in the ports OF such foreign
I-nd,r the operation of this act our tonnage lncNSSFo
from Il91 776 tons in 1880 10 5,o39el@ tons IN loo
a, which 2496 s94 were engaged In the foreign uuo'
7, would be difficult 10 point TO similar INSTANCE
undcr the acts of "a ana so
But there Is another aspect of the case which is o
.rrt,r y. some consideration on the part of the
senate Congress- in 1856, authorized the President
IN suspend the collection Of so much OF Inc uu'N
,nposed under the act of 1884 on vessel' eh.eIe"
from any foreign port might he IN excess ol u'
tonnage and lighthouse duties or other equiNael N
~ taxes imposed in said port on American Vesses w
,be Government Of the country III when suCh port
ras situated To show how Enthusiastically IT was me
t.r+ion of Congress 10 make the act reciprocal ana
not 70 Seviste from the early policy OF the UnUen
States in this regard. II is necessary ONLY !"
refer 10 the debate which took pace on Uns SUI"
,ect in the Senate between MeSsrs Seweh ana fINo'
+, the course Of which the latter stated again an"
ogain that this law was TO be one OF entire recpfo'
, II wonld be too tedious to follow the fortunes
NJ this unfortunate act in the various amendments 70
Is passage at tie request of this and that executive
officer of the Government In 1887 AT any rave,
tbo secretary of state was finally enabled 10 seAu
fnstr,ctons to the diplomatic officers OF the uhI'eu
states in which he drew their attention to inc rlV%
g., nrovjded for in section 1o Of the act OF l7oo'
Among other things he said
mo object and intent present invitation Is TO de'
- tho basis Of recprocy with countries as hstionalueS
In communicating invitation herein contained you VIII
convey tho fullest assurance the Minister OF Foreign Al
t. Of it, entire fndness and the desire OF the Oheo
staos 10 treat and commerce OF the nation on inc
footing Of the INST complete leclI foclV IN 'hSc "
rhirh the invitation relates.
Prussia the Hanseatic towns. and other sea
ports now forming the German Empire tosetner WIN
some other nations. had abolished theF taxes vi
ehippng on the invitation Of the United states uhoe
The ACT OF 1890 and Germany, especially. never re
snnnsed them notwithstanding the fact that the
fnued states did so in 1862. When the act of leoO
WAS passed it became incumbent upon Germany 10
declare her positiOn-in other words 10 enter Oy
special agreement, into reciprocity with the 'heu
HATES in order to have the tax on her vessels ar
living al ports in the United states removed The
herman Government therefore. availed Itself OF the
fnvtation referred to. without TN, action on the
Part OF the German Government the president "o"o
not and could not have issued Ms r0chihauoh u
January 90 1885, which set forth that " Iha7ihuch
a. satisfactory proof had been presented 10 nm bN
The Government Of the Empire Of Germany ula' no
fnnrase or lighthouse dues any equivalent TAX U
faves vhat-ver were imposed American vessels en-
f.rinp the ports Of Germany. therefore vessels comus
from the ports OF Germany should have the Denet :"
exemption from tonnage and similar taxes Oh me"
arrival In the United states
Notwithstanding this proclamation OF the President
,bese German vessels, coming from German ports
were not granted the benefit Of exemption from
tonnage taxes until December IS. 1890 owing 10 inc
construction placed upon it by the Commissioner Of
Navigation who maintained that his decisions "eIo
final and admitted Of 10 appeal
The case OF the Netherlands is similar 10 that oI
GERMANY. A communication from the Secretary o.
state 10 the Minister Of the Netherlands IN Washing
ton Gated April 30. 1887. SAYS, among other thiir''
Am happv % inform you that the President accepting
tho declaration contained in YOUR not as satisfactory
notification reciprocity Of treatment IN inc '
~ tho Netherlands has in the exercise of the authority
conferred upon him by the said eleventh section OF me
statute OF January 10 1856 issued his proclamation copies
Of which are herewith incosed for your ihornaton sus
p.ndng the collection Of the whole Of the duty OF cents
nor ton imposed by said section vessels entering inc
uos Of the States from port Of the Netherahd-
in Europe OF free port OF the Dutch colonies
named in list appended % your note 10 has ahodeu
mo rrat pleasur % oLsc,e the proposal Of the Gov
eminent Of the Netherlands adhere to the principle OF rec
proci,v which peryades he treaties between the TWO
Countries and which has ever been the equal ain Of 'he
respective Governments 10 follow.
Here clear invitation to enter into reciproca
arrangements had been extended, and accepted in good
faith by the Government OF the Netherlands and Win
ont anv warning OF any kind, it is proposed, unless
the Senate refuses revoke all This. Surely such
cnurse i neither proper to pursue. likely
10 raise the United in the esteem Of other nations
Even in international intercourse there are deccnces 70
be observed and good faith cannot be violated without
serious result, u the offending parry
Nr Dingcy is honestly endeavminS 10 promote the
interest Of American shipping n other directions, and
e dninp excellent work but in reference TO the ton
uage lax he has pursued for years past policy which
/, not very far from being an mhdlehlhcd ono. In
debate the other dav be reason for favOring
the repeal of sections II and IL OF the act OF lo54 that
Great Britain had not responded 70 the invitation and
that thercf re il became necessary 10 PUNISH those
nations that had done He did not u.s., these exact
words but this the substance OF Ms reasoning
7, NAV he well 10 remark here that II the Commissioners
Of Navigation had not included In ms clTcuiar British
LII In