Amendments to the Constitution, [8 June] 1789 — reading text

muft reitn&. them by a tonnage, or foqie other duty, fo as to reftore aii equality ; but this will not be found to be the cale in th«? prefent inltance. The moderateand inconfiderable duty oi' 30 cents on foreigners in treaty, and 50 cents on others jiot in treaty, will not enable our vefiels to go abroad with as much advantage as foreigners can come here ; fo that the proposed erjcourgement may perhaps fall ihort of pro- curing us a maritime itrength equal to our national fecurity. The gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Jackfon) fays, that 5000 hogiheads of tobacco dre now rotting in the ware- houfes for want of Ihips to carry them to market. If thi^ is the cafe, it proves we have depended long enough upon foreigners to llipply us with the means of tranfponation ; let us now make Ibme provifion that will prevent the likt? j^akiijg place again. If proper encouragement is np.w gi.ye,^  ; ,4- J;S9. Of CONGRESS. 205 we may perhaps in a fliort time have enough of iliipping to ilipply all the itates. If the produdions of another year juull lay in the planters hands, they will feel a greater lofs and inconvenience than the payment of half a dollar addi- tional freight per ton, if it was certain that they would be — lubjeded to fuch a burthen : ^judge from this circiimftance, whether there is a competition of interefts in the United States, does not the contrary appear to be the fad ? Gen- tlemen will pleafe toconfider how unfavorable it is to com- merce to have the fuccefs of their buiinefs depend upon the caprice or mercy of any foreign nation. If your pro- duce is to lay till they come to carry it away, you cannot be laid to have the comn)and of your property, or poffefs thofe adv^anrages which the bounty of nature has given you. How nmch better is it to go with vell'els of our own in fearch of a market, than to wait for others to take our pro- duce away until it periflies on our hands ? Let me afk gen- tlemen, if they think the produce of the Maflachufetts would be fold if we were unable to feek a market for our- felves ? Would foreigners come to New-England in fearch of our whale oil and fiili I No ; foreigners are hoftile to our fiflieries ; fo far from encouraging us by buying what We have for fale, they wifli and labour to deflroy our trade their attempts are defeated by our ablilty to go abroad and feek a market for ourfelves. This demonftrates clearly, that, in order to extend the fale of our produftions, we mufl have velTels of our own tq find out a market, and be guided by adlual experience to that which is beft. 1 he obfervations of gentlemen tending to (hew that one end of the continent will fufFer more by the regulation con- templated by the houfe than the other, are, I conceive, not well founded, the price of freight will equalize itfelf ; if the people of Carolina or Georgia pay a high freight in confequeiice of the tonnage duty, the Hate of Mafiachufetts muft pay the' fame, or her velTels will go to the fouthward in fearch of freight, fo that the eaflern itates have no pecu- ]iar intereft in the meaf\ire ; it has been fuggefted, that becaufe JVlalTachufetts has foreign veffels in her employ, fhe cannot tranfpqrt produce for others —MalTachufetts, by jeafon of that influence which Britain has, is obliged to re- ceive fome of her fupplies in foreign bottoms, but this is only a proof that the evil requires a remedy. I might here eafily draw a pi<^ure of the diftrefs to which the ealt- ern country is fubjefted for want of a protefting hand ; her Ihip-wrights are glad to work for 2s. and 6d. a day 01: «p6 leis, DEBATES k. lyhq^ and lefs will not maintain them and their families « their lumber is of no value, it lies rotting in the forefls, for want of encQuragement to frame it into ihips ; the other artizans are clamorous for employment, and without a fpee- <iy relief they will have to defert the country. I believe if this relief is extended to irhem, it will give a fpring to their induftry, and a little time will render ihem fervicea- ble to their fellow citizens in the fouth ; they will find mar- kets for their tobacco v/hich is now rotting, and their va- luable produftions will be tranfported to all pgrts of the globe. From thefe circumftances, I am led to beg gentle- men to confider, that the improvement and extention of our navigation is one of the moft important objects that can come before the iegiflature, that there are abundant proofs that a regulation in favor of AiTierican fliipping is abfolute- ly neceflary, to reflore them to an equality with foreign- ers ; and if they are convinced with me of its importance and neceffity, they will not think the fums agreed to in the committee too high for the purpofe of proteding the na- vigation of the United States. Mr. Jackson. I faid Mr. Speaker that there was a confiderable quan- tity of tobacco laying in our warehoufes, for want of vef- iels to carry it off. The gentleman from Maffachufetts (Mr. Ames) fays that if this is the cafe, it is time to take the ftaff into our own hands, and encourage the growth of — American veflels yes fir, but let us fee the American fhips, and then I will confent not only to 50 cents per ton, but to a total prohibition of foreigners. But I fay again, do not compel us to make bricks without ftraw, nor oblige us to carry off our produce without ihipping if Maflachu- ; fetts has not got ihipping enough for her own afe^ fhe can- furnilh none for the ufe of others, Mr. Ames Was obliged to the gentleman for his offer to exclude foreigners, but he did not wifh to go fo far ; he had hopes that a fliorter period than what gentlemen feemed to con- template, would be fufficient to improve the navigation of the United States, and expedled every State as well as Maf- fachufetts would be able to tranfport a great part of its own produdions, Mr. Burke. Something has been faid relative to a jcaloufy fubfiHing iu the fouthern Itates rcfpefting the navigation intereft, i ilwU tiierefore make an obfervation or two on that fubjed. A. 17^9- O? CONGRESS. #o# So far as my own knowledge of that country goes, I believe the citizens look with indignation at the power which fo- — reigners have over their commerce fo far from being jea- lous of the eaftern ftates, they look forward to fome future day when their navigation will be fecured to that part of the union — they know that it poflelFes fuperior maritime advantages, and expeft they will hereafter afford fecurity to them— they know, that from the fpirit and indultry of the people of New-England, they may derive commercial and agricultural benefits. This is alio my own judgmenr on the point, I know they cannot now fupply us with veffels to trsnlport our produce, but I hope the time wilt ihortly come when they will have the ability ; in the mean time, when I confider how much the fouthern flaples are fallen in price, and the great debts due in that country,- I muft fay, that I fear a heavy tonnage will be attended with very dangerous confequences There are very few : foreigners but Britilh come among us, and a high duty laid upon their fhips will fall feverely upon the planters. The people there are willing to render any afliflance to fincreafe the maritime importance of the eallern flates, as foon as they are able ; if therefore a didant period is fixed for the commencement of the high duties, I fhall be in fa-' vor of them ; but if they are to take place immediately, I fear they will do a great deal of injury, in the prefent de- ranged and calamitous fituation of our country. Mr. Goodhue Was glad to hear from the feveral parts of the houfe, that there was a difpofition to give a preference to Ameri- can fhipping, this principle being fixed, it only remained for the houfe to afcertain the proper degree of encourage- ment to be given ; the rate agreed to in the committee, was not more than good policy required. The gentleman from Georgia fears that the people of his flate will fuffer for want of veiTels, or pay a higher freight than their neighbours, but a high duty is not contended for in the iirft inltance, it is only fuch a degree of encouragement as will enable us to enter in a competition with foreigners in our own carrying trade. The fan)e gentleman has faid, MalTachuietts has not vefl'els enough for her own com- merce, and therefore cannot furnilh any for others, al- though Maflachufetts employs 7 or 8000 tons of foreign fliipping ; yet it is fuppofed flie fupplies the other ftates" with 30,000 tons, 'i he eircnmflancc of c,oco hogfneads <>f tobacco lying to rot for want of veflVb, when fomc thou- i6t D E B A T K ^ A.i^Sy'i (and tons of ours are idle for want of ernployment,does not prove the want of fliipping fo much as that the price of the article is too high for a foreign market ; if the produce' is held fo high as not to bear the expence oftranfportation^ the merchants who imports will be obliged to fend oft' mo- ney in payment. In order to remedy thefe inconveniencs in future it will be necelTary to hold out fufficient encour- agement for the conllruftion of veifels, perhaps it may be good policy to allow a moderate tonnage duty at this time to be encreafed hereafter. . Mr. Madison. I believe every gentleman who hears the obfervations from the different quarters of this houfe, difcovers great reafon for every friend of the United States to con- gratulate hiinfelf upon the evident dilpofition, which has been difplayed to conduft our bulinefs with harmony and concert. We have evinced a difpofition different from v.'hat was expelled to ariie from the different interelis of the feve- ral parts of the union, i am perfuaded ^hat lei's contrariety of fentiment has taken place than was fuppofed by gentle- men, who did not chufe to magnify the caufes of variance, every thing we have hitherto done, tends to make this evident ; the importance of the union is jullly efthnated by all its parts ; this being founded upon a perfeft accor- dance ofinterelt, it may become perpetual. I know that the point before us has often been feledted as a proof, that there was an incompatibility of interefts in the United States. On this opinion I beg leave to remark, that the dift'ei-cnce in point of capacity in the feverul ftates to build fliips, and furnifli feamen, is much lefs than has generally been fup- pofed. From the extremity of the northern ftstes until we reach South-Carolina, materials of all forts for fiiip- building can be obtained in abundance from the bounty of nature ; even Georgia abounds with materials of fuperior quality, although their population difqnalifies then) for ihip- building at prefent, yet their advantages are fuch as to enable ihem in a Ihurt time to rival the molt profperous Itate. In the next place, 1 may remark, that lb far as the encouragement of our own lliipping will be given, at the expence of the people ot the United States, it will dilfufe and equalize its operations in every part. The fliips be- longing to one place will, like the people, feek employ- ment in another where better wapes are obtai;:ed, and this inits oper.iiiuns will level any inequalities fuppoled to anie from legiliaiivc interference. A. 17^0. Of tONGRfiSS. 260 With refpeL^: to the particular article before the houfe, I do not think it requires the difcuiTion that has been