Year: 1866

over the ARMIES OF the Union, ana which
protects us in this Capitol to-day.


have said, sir, that many who sought
these foreign registers were high minded,
honorable. and patriotic men. / am per-
nally acq ai tied with some of them, and
It gives me pleasure to speak Of them in
this way. But, sir. there Is good reason
to believe that all of them were not OF
this class; that some Of them were unpa-
triOtic and even criminal, and that, while
securely concealed behind their British
registers, they were sharing in the enor-
nous profits derived from running our
blockade. and engaging. to the detriment
of the Union cause, in all the illicit COM
mcrce which the English flag covered dur.
ing the four years Of bloody war from
which We have just emerged. I think the
American Congress should be slow TO allow
even one man who has acted thus 10 bring
his property back under the protection ol
our criminal prosecutions. but we certainly
should not 60 out Of our way to show them
favors and confer benefits upon them.


But do not put this question on the
ground of simply giving their just dues to
those who took this course with their ship
ping. much less do l base my action on
feeling of .'spite," as the gentleman from
Ohio Mr.. Garfield has inti,mated. Icon
ceiye that it involves o point Of future in
terest and Of far reaching Importance, he
cause if we treat these ship who
left our flag with the same liberality that
we do those who stood BY il, We otter .
sort o: premium to our whole navigation
interest to seek foreign registers the mo-
ment VIC have war with any Power
And should we allow the eight hundred
thousand tons Of shipping now under dis
cussion to come back to under our flag, you
will see double or triple that am0unt leave
US il We should unfortunately become en-
gagged in another war. think that con-
sideratian should have great influence on
our action on this question.


Que word more, Mr.. Speaker. The
whole tone of the speeches we have had
from both the gentlemen from Ohio Mr
Spalding aud Mr.. Garfield was for free
trade. They urge that we shall buy our
ships wherever we can get tlem the cheap
est, and that all restrictians as to registry
should be abolished. Well, sir, it we are
prepared to reduce this free trade theory
to practice, why not have it in everything!
There is no branch Of American industry
that is to-day so little protected and 50
much oppressed by onr revenue laws as
ship-building. 1t is taxed at all points,
and nearly taxed to death; and submit to
these new advocates Of free trade that it
would be better to begin with some inter-
est that is essentially protected by our laws
to day. II we are going to have free trade,
let us have it cqually and impartially ap.
piled to all the industrial interests Of the
land hut tor myself am opposed to 1t al
together. In theory and in practice, I am
for protecting American industry in all its
forms. and to this end VIC must encourage
American manufactures and we must equal
ly encourage American commerce.


Mr.. Garfield now yield to tho gentle
man from Maine Mr.. Pike for five min-
n.cS.


Mr. Pike desire to say few words to
the gentleman from Ohio, Mr. Spalding. !
who gives as reason why this bill should
not be passed that the West wishes to ship
its products abroad, and needs additional
shipping for that purpose. will ask the
gentleman to tell me why the West cannot
| ship from the port Of Boston or New York
or from other ports, to Liverpool, as well
i'll British bottoms rs in American =
Would they have to pay penny more to
do so! They would not and may state
.his fact to him, that of the imports into
this country for the last ten years more
than sevcnty-five per cent. have been
brought in British b"ttOms. So that the
West does not suffer in any way whether
these vessels are brought back or not.


Now, as tn free trade, have this to say
tina. if the navigation laws are to be bro
ken down and free trade to be instituted
do o, it squareiy, and not simply allow these
fellows to come back, who, rather than
pay the war rate at insurance and protect
their property in that way, sncaked off un-
der the flag Of Great Britain, and dcsiee
to come back now that a peace has been
restored which they did not help to bring
about.


For one, if have to vote for the one
measpre or the Other.I shall cheerfully vote
for the foreigner to come here and take
out an American register upon equal terms
with American ship-Owners rather than
ever to allow these fellows to return who
went off under foreign flag in time Of
danger to save INSURANCE.. II we are to
give American registers 10 any part Of
British tonnage let US give them to those
who were never with us aud Of course nev-
er deserted.


As the gentleman from Ohio [Mr. Spal-
ding) has referred to me AZ ship-owner,
will say that am sorry that am not
although under present circumstance,
when shipping ia go much depressed, it
would add very little to my humble profits.
This bill is n matter of small consequence
to the State of Maine. 1t does not affect,
believe. a single vessel that was trans
ferrcd from Maine owners, and will not
bring hack one single vessel into Maine
1t is only because the question Of tine navi-
CATION laws have been brought into the
discussion that speak Of it at all.


hope, as an Indication of the feeling OF
this House, we will pass the bill simply as
an expression in relation to the conduct of
those men who now desire substantial fa-
yors at our hands.


-According to correspondent of the
Arson Adrocate, the present able Secretary
Of the Treasury, is native of Maine and
resided for many years at kennebunk Land
inp (nrpyiolS to his removal to Fort Waync,