Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-10-10
OUR SHIPPING LAWS
Legislation Needed to Provide q Uniform
Rule for Registration.
Discussion in the Forthcoming Re-
port of Commissioner Chamberlain
Of the Navigation Bureau.

In the Forthcoming report of Commission
er Chamberlain of the navigation bureau of
the Treasury Department the subject of
shipping laws for the benefit of the new
colonial dependencies of the United States
will be discussed, but in tentative rather
than an exhaustive manner. 1t will be re-
called that at the last session of Congress
Representative Payne's bill "to extend the
laws relating to commerce, navigation and
merchant seamen over the Hawaiian ISL
andS ceded to the United States,'' passed
the House. but the corresponding bill, in
troduced by Mr. Nelson of Minnesota in
the Senate. died of inaction. Mr.. Chamber
lain will urge the enactment of such a law
for Hawaii. and also for Porto Rico, which
was ignored by the last Congress. With
regard to the Philippines 1t was distinctly
specified by the American commissioners in
Paris that the "open door, policy would
prevail for the present, and that the special
concession made to Spain for ten years was
designed merely to clinch, by the distinct
terms of treaty. the right Of Spanish YES
sells and merchandise to enter the ports of
the Philippines on the same footing as the
vessels and merchandise OF the United
States, no matter what policy our govern
ment might later conclude to adopt with
regard to foreign nations at large.
The possession of an archipelago on the
other hemisphere, carrying on an active sea
selves and also with foreign countries, is
liable to complicate matters a great deal
unless we adopt a definite program with
respect to vessels coming into possession of
American owners in that part of the world.
AS long ago as 1884 President Arthur in
his annual message to Congress, made use
of the following language: 1.-THE recent
purchase by citizens of the United States
of large trading fleet heretofore under
the Chinese flag has considerably enhanced
our commercial Importance in the east. In
view or the large number of vessels built
or purchased by American citizens in other
countries and exclusively employed in legit-
innate traffic between foreign ports under
the recognized protection of our flag, it
might be well to provide a uniform rule
Tor their registration and Recommendation,
so that the bona fide property rights of our
cltlzens therein shall be duly evidenced and
properly guarded
Congress did not respond to this sugges-
ton. and matters have been allowed to drift
along, fortunately with comparatively few
vexatious incidents. Almost every other
government which has any commerce to
take care of makes use of a provisional
register to cover cases arising in remote
parts OF the EARTH but this country has
nothing better than practice which has
grown up among our consuls of allowing
the American purchaser of foreign ships to
file his bill of sale at a consulate, and re-
celve in exchange a certificate of the filing
This answers the purpose of a ships docu-
ment. Now and then trouble arises from it,
fi9 itCeHtiy III lle case OF the ADDey, doc
umented at Canton, China. There is reg
ulation of the State Department requiring
consuls to report to Washington the names
and other particulars of vessels thus doc
umented, but small attention has been paid
to its enforcement. Once in a while con-
sui takes 1t upon himself to go a little out
side of the law in order to be accommo-
dating. A twenty-ton yacht built in China
was recently sold to an American living
there, and one of the American consular
officers gave the new owner paper stating
that the ship was the property of an Amer
lean, native of Barnstable, and that the
United States government would take it
under its protection. Apparently this in
formal certificate has answered every pur-
pose for the owner of the yacht.
How long the present state of affairs can
continue without unpleasant results grow
ing out of 1T is a question, and Mr.. Cham
berlain will suggest in his report that If
there was call for a system and definite
legislation fifteen years ago, there certainly
is greater demand for 1t now, and will
probably add that if Congress desires to
take the subject up the bureau of naviga-
ton will very gladly lend its aid.