The daily morning journal and courier., 1895-12-20
CENTENNIAL OF LTEERYT.
Banquet Held by Men of Commerce in New
 York.

York.
 New York. Dec. 19-American com merce celebrated the centennial of it's liberty tonight by banquet at Del monico's. Tonight was chosen for the banquet because it marked the one hun dredth anniversary of the full approval by the president and senate of the treaty negoti tiated with England by John Jay, then chief justice Of the young re- public of the United States. The feast also inaugurated the annual observance of December 19 as Commercial Day" by all organized commercial bodies of the country, and it was held under the auspices of the editors of and contribu- tors to the recently completed history entitled "One Hundred Years of Amer ican Commerce" Dr. Chauncey M. De- pew, president of the Empire State So- ciety Sons of the Revolution, presided and at his right sat William Jay and at his left Secretary of the Navy Her bert, The others at the table were May
 
 ace Porter, General Charles H. Taylor, General Russell A. Algar. Senator W. P. Frye, c. II. Cramp, c. A. Griscom, James T. Kilbreth, Don M. Dickinson, Charles A. Dana. Andrew II. Green and William H. Webb.
 When the covers had been removed Dr. Depew stated that he had received telegrams from Tacoma and Seattle saying that they were celebrating Commercial Day" in those places. He then went into the history of the Jay treaty. In the course of h,s remarks he touched upon the war of 1872
 'The victory of the war of 1872" said pr. Depew, was this-that the deck of an American vessel was the indisputa- ble territory of the United States and was inviolable by any other nations. That was the Monroe doctrine of 1872 Since that time we have figured in many arbitrations scarcely noticed be- cause of lack of sensationalism I trust that the principle of arbitration embodied in the Jaytreaty, which has only been broken by four years of war in the history of the United States. will continue to be the guiding star in the rule of the United States during the year 1896"
 This sally was received with great applause.
 Senator Frye spoke on "Our Merchant Marine" He said that the occasion called for eulogies; his speech would be more of an elegy. Our coastwise, lake and river fleet through the century had experienced a, steady, healthy growth, until it's tonnage was eight millions Greater than that of Great Britain, Germany. France, Spain and Italy con- bined, employed in like business In 1892 it took 3,50O,O00 tonnage to carry our freight on the Mississippi alone In 1893 there passed through the locks al Sault Ste Marie in eight months over 1000 600 tonnage, 2,O0O. 900 more than the Suez canal carried in the en- tira year. If the toast had reference to our ships engaged in the foreign carry ing trade then the picture he was com pelled to draw was a mortifying and humilating one for a rich, prosperous and powerful maritime country. once the only rival of Great Britain on the ocsan."
 The speaker portrayed our marvellous growth in all but onc of our industries. and which has bean without a parallel in the history of nations. One industry alone and that, too. of prime national importance. seemed to have fali=n into a state of hopeless bankruptcy. With an almost limitless seaboard, great har-
 
 mines of coal and iron. splendidly equipped saipyards. th= best mechanics in the world, q wonderful inventive gen. jus. an abundance Of capital. an enor- nous foreign commerce, we have looked Eassiveiy on and seen the nations Of tn world, ouc interiors iG these re- gaTds, seize upon and oust Us from all the great pathways of the oceans.