Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1899-01-07
QUESTION OF SHIPS.
The Navigation Laws of the United
States.

lieutenant Kelly's book. The CUES
ton OF Shics.'D
Somewhat curtailed, the navigation
laws may be summarized as follows:
No American is allowed to impor; for
eign built vessel in the sense Of pur-
chasing. acquiring q registry, or using
her as his property: the only other i'm
ports, equally and forcibly prohibited.
being counterfeit money and obscene
goods. An American vessel ceased to be
such If owned in the smallest degree
by Il naturalized citizen. who may af-
ter acquiring the purchase. reside Tor
| more than one year in his native ccun-
| try. or for more than two years in any
other foreign state. An American ship
| owned in part or in full by all Amcri-
can citizen, who without the eXncctu-
| ton of rclinQUiShing his citizenship
resides i'll any foreign country, except
as United States consul, or as agent or
| partner in an exclusively American
| mercantile house. loses its register and
| its right to -rotectlon. n citizen Oh
tanning IL register for an American YES
sci must make oath that no foreigner
is directly or indirectly interested in
the profits thereof, whether as COM
mander officer or owner. Foreign cap
ital may build our railroads work our
mines insure our property and buy
| our bonds, but IL single dollar invested
in American ships so tainis as To rem
der it unworthy of the benefit OF our
laws, No foreign built vessel can under
| penalty of being coni;Scated enter our
ports and then sail to another domestic
port with any new cargo. or with any
part of an original cargo which has,
been unladen previously, without
touching at some port of some foreign
| country.
This law is constructed to include all
direct traffic between the Atlantic and
Pacific ports OF the United States via
Cape Horn. the Cape OF Good Hope and
the Isthmus OF Panama: and being Il
colStirE trade, Foreigners cannot conf
pete. An American vessel once sold or
transferred to n foreigner can never
again become American property. even
IL the transaction has been the result
of capture and condemnation by for
eiGn power in time OF war. Vessels
under thirty tons cannot be used to
import anything at any seaboard town.
CargoeS from the eastward Of the Cape
of Good Hope are subject TO 4 duty OF
lC per cent. III addition to the direct
importation duties. American vessels
repaired in foreign ports must pay q
duty on the repairs equal to one-half
the cost of the foreign work or mate
rial. or pay 30 per cent. ad valorem. the
master or owner making entry of such
repairs as imports. This liberal pro-
vision which dates from 1866, is made
passing foreign vessel in order to as
sure the safety of our own seamen. No
rart of the proper equipment of n for
cign vessel is liable to duty, except 1t
be considered redundant; thus when
two sets OF chains were found upon
such II vessel, one was made charged Bile
with duty.
Foreign vessels arriving here In dis
tress. with loss OF equipment. must pay
duties on the articles reported for re-
| pair; If they need Shca,hing, 40 per cent.
is cxacted for the new copper used, and
/ per cent. for the old copper removed
In one case foreign vessel left her
moorinE chains of foreign manufacture
on an American wharf. and with great
alacrity duties were Immediately and
| lawfully collected on them as importa-
tons. If n citizen buys II vessel of
foreign huld. stranded on our coast.
takes her into port, repairs and rem
dcrs her scrvCcable, she cannot become
| American property unless the repairs
| amount to IS per cent. Of the whole
| value of the vessel. Except in the fish
| cries Ill our vessels engaged i'll foreign
| trade must pay annually tax Of so
cents ton--;l ship of 100 tons. for in
| stance. contributing $500. which repre-
! Scn;s the profit and interest OF $4,000 n /
6 per cent. Vessels belonging to foreign
States having commercial treaties with
lis pay the same tonnage dues: but IL an
= -tftNii ptNpUcS an oMncI, even 10 IL lT'lt-
| tional amount i'll an American ship,
not only does the latter lose her reg
! istry. but the foreign privilege Is void,
and the Joint ownership is charged with
a tax of 60 cents n ton. IL ? picnic party
| comes INTO an American port in q for
| eign vessel. on the great lakes. for ex-
ample. in Canadian steamboat. such
vessel becomes Liable 20 q tonnage tax
| Though the act Of 1872 made free all
maieria! necessary for the construction
of ships i'm this country for foreign
| trade. such vesscis cannot engage in
domestic trade Cor more than two
months in any one year without pay
ment of the duties. for which a rebate
| was allowed.
Canal boats, crossing the Hudson
river. or any other navirable steram.
are fT?lilng q cc1stire voyage ana
must he enrolled and licensed as coast
| erS; in default of such precautions they
have been seized and released only af-
ter much delay and upon the payment
| Of n fine. \ foreign private Yacht
touching; al different posts OF our lake
Or sea coast. and carrying passcngers-
! members Of other hospitals c.uhs-can
he punished for violating the laws OF
| domestic trade.
such. briefly sketched, are some Of
the laws tndcr which a free people
live.
Lieutenant Kelley says that by virtue
OF our IaNiSltlpn laws ana tre1 ties,
I'VE have practically given the mari
time people of the world the power to
compete freely with free ships for a
trade we deny our own merchants. Tn
der this dsHensasicn our seaboard cit
les have become stations where foreign
ers may loot our producers: and we
| survey. buoy and police our harbors
mainly for foreign guests, and our
grand lighthouse system holds out 10
burn SO that these sinners against our