as the city, and was forcing Texas, which naturally and extensive. A vessel goes to Charleston now, was as tributary to New Orleans as Arkansas her- she must take cotton and a little rice, or nothing at self is, to cast about for new channels of trade, and all, and then, with this cargo, instead of having to throw herself into the commercial embrace of" Cowes, the whole world and a market" before that great boa constrictor of the ocean. The ex- her, she must go to one or the other of a few parpediency of building large iron vessels of light ticular ports, to neither of which, perhaps, she draft for the ports of Texas, had already begun to wishes to go, on account of some arrangement albe mooted in England, and had not Texas been an- ready existing, or in contemplation. Now a City nexed, our vexatious system would have estranged cannot carry on an extensive commerce, unless she that people from us, and lost New Orleans all the have a variety of merchandise, any more than a advantages of trading for her people, and transact-country grocer can do a large business without an ing her commercial business. extensive assortment.

It is a curious thing, and an anomaly to me, to I have shown how Charleston might become the see the efforts which the public spirit and enter-entrepôt, for a large portion of the trade from Euprise of hundreds of cities, towns and hamlets in the rope, to the West Indies and the Gulf Republies. country, are making, each to "bring business to The vessels that would carry on this trade from the place;" and then to see the stoic air with which the Warehouses of Charleston to the West Indies. the citizens of many of these same towns take their would, on account of the advantageous position of stand, and countenance government in driving away that city, taken in connexion with more moderate their "business," by its Custom-House policy. freights, and the trade thence to Europe, come back with assorted cargoes of West India produce, to be bonded in Charleston and distributed thence to

Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington and Richmond, each has spent millions in rival schemes, with the view of "bringing the various marts of Europe. Indeed, I should not business to the place." New York opened her canals to the Lakes. Boston saw the aggrandizement of her sister with these new sources of trade, and tapped them midway, at the cost of millions, if perchance she might divert a portion of this business to her own wharves. Philadelphia sought to draw trade from the Ohio river, with her Rail Road and Canals. Instantly Baltimore, Washington and Richmond, each at the expense of millions, stood forth as rivals by Rail Road, or Canal-nay, this Convention itself is called upon to consider the Charleston and Memphis Rail Road.

be surprised, in a short time, to see Carolina cotton ballasted with Havana sugar, as the New York packets now are with Cuba ores. A ship now sails from Charleston, or New Orleans, with a cargo of cotton; she must therefore be at the expense of taking in a large quantity of stones, called shingle ballast, to steady the ship; when she gets the other si e, perhaps she is offered, for freight, a cargo of iron; her shingle ballast, which has cost so much, is now in the way, and must be got rid of at some further cost-and it would have been cheaper for her and the planter to have balWhy are the people of Charleston ready to loose lasted with Havana sugar, and other heavy arti their purse-strings, and to strain every nerve for cles, at the mere charge of taking in and putting this improvement? If this question were asked by out. Nay, so important is this charge of ballast, any sane man in the streets of Charleston, the that we often see cotton vessels of New Orleans answer would come from a thousand tongues: "Be- carrying Missouri lead to Europe, free of charge, cause it would bring business to the place." Sup- because it saves the expense of buying ballast. pose this road were completed, and that the gene-If, therefore, West India rum, sugar, tobacco, etc., ral government had the power to say, and were to say, that all the produce arriving in Charleston, over it, should pay one third its value into the Custom-House, there to remain until such produce were sold or exported. Such an outery as the South never heard, would come from the land of The merchants of the South, like the nobility chivalry. Yet precisely such a thing does the of Ireland, are, for the most, non-residents. At government say, with regard to the produce that the season when the Southern staples are coming comes from across the blue water. It is immate- to market, these flock there from all quarters. rial from what quarter the business comes, whether When the crop is disposed of, they return whence by ship or car, from beyond the ocean or the moun- they came, with their gains in their pockets; and tains, it is equally important, and when once pos- thus, a continued drain is kept upon that counsessed is as much valued. try. Let the Warehousing System fill your SonEnact into wholesome operation this Warehous-thern store-houses with bonded merchandize, this ing System, and the Rail Road, despite opposition, will bring business to the place," and attract will follow. One branch of business begets another. the Southern and Western store-keepers to them The effects of commerce are like a circle on the for their supplies. The Southern merchant will water; its ramifications and its influences are vast then find it to his interest to fix his abode perma

were allowed to be landed in these Southern ports for reëxportation, free of Custom-House charges, we should find our cotton, and other staples, drawing after them many other articles of trade from various quarters.

nently in the South, and instead of carrying his profits away, will remain there, to spend his money

among you.

West Indies, on terms which enable the shippers to compete successfully with the Americans. The following is an extract from the letter in question: "A few of our millers have been working to some extent at barrelled flour, for export to the

Some suppose, that if the Warehousing System were adopted, the Government would have to in-West Indies, within the last few months; and I cur the enormous expense of erecting the Warehouses. No such thing. This should be left to private enterprise, and the rates of storage should be a matter entirely between the importer and the owner of the store. What business is it of the Government's what storage, any more than what freight, the merchant pays on his wares? The Government should have no more to do with that, than with his house-rent, and ought not to be any more bound to provide storage for my goods, than wharfage for my ships. All that is required, would be a law, setting forth the safe guards with which these Warehouses should be provided, and making it the duty of the collector to license only such. When the goods are landed, double locks and keys should be placed upon them, the collector taking charge of one set, the owner of the goods the other, so that the store could not be entered without the knowledge of both parties.

do not despair of seeing operations of this nature form a very important feature in the milling trade, under the advantages held out by the Grinding-inbond Bill. At present, flour can be sold here free on board, to the West India merchant, at a price which will leave him a fair margin for profit, and enable him to undersell the Americans in most of the Islands. I can speak positively of Barbadoes. One firm connected with that Island has lately purchased 1,500 barrels, from a miller in this city. At first, of course, there is some little difficulty there is little doubt of the Irish millers being able and prejudice to overcome; but in good harvests, to cut out the Americans, as it goes in free of the imperial duty, and freights are less from Liverpool, or this country, than from the United States. The flour already sent out from hence, is considered, in Barbadoes, much superior to the American manufacture.'

"Of course it will be understood, that the flour so exported is made virtually from foreign wheat, the price of which is often low enough to enable I have laid great stress upon the revolution to the English or Irish miller to compete with the probe effected by the Warehousing System, as it re-duce of the United States; especially with the

difference of freights arising from the fact, that under ordinary circumstances, many vessels leave England in ballast for the West Indies, whilst American vessels generally earn their freight principally by the outward voyage."

This is not the only startling fact presented, in consequence of the English System of Warehousing goods of all sorts.

gards the course of trade through the ports of this country. I judge from what this system has done for England. By it, she is enabled to export largely of the produce of the whole world. She exports more of our tobacco than she consumes; she exports raw cotton, flour, and all the great staples of commerce, none of which she produces. This gives employment to her ships, and aggran- Why is it, that English vessels can double the dizes her commercial marine, at our expense. "Stormy Cape," go half round the world to Bombay, Formerly, if a Western farmer wanted to send and bring back cotton often at lower rates of freight, a barrel of pork to the British West Indies, he than the Southern planter pays across the Atlantic sent it to Halifax, that it might be taken thence, in to England? Simply because the well-stored bondEnglish bottoms, to its place of destination. This ed Warehouses of England, with their great variegave employment to English shipping. But the ty of merchandise, from the four quarters of the Warehousing System has been brought into such globe, enable her ships to load both ways, and complete and successful operation in that country, our Custom-House policy denies ours this adthat English ships no longer require this round-vantage. about protection, but are openly competing with The consummate statesman at the head of afour own for the carrying trade, even of this coun- fairs in that Island, is head-reaching us with his try. Nay more. By this admirable system, she commercial policy, and forcing us to to contribute is now enabled to fetch wheat from abroad, land it largely of our substance to the support of the shipin Ireland, manufacture it, in bond at home, and ping interest of the realm. undersell the Western farmer in those markets, which nature has placed at his very doors.

You have heard it said, that American ships are losing the carrying trade of the country; and the I extract from a recent No. of Wilmer & Smith's Custom-House returns just published show, that, Times, by which it appears, that the Irish miller during the last year, there entered our ports from is enabled to undersell the Western farmer, in the Canada and New Brunswick alone, upwards of West India Market, with flour manufactured of 4,000 sail of British shipping. What did they the bonded-wheat from English Warehouses. bring? Where is the trade with these provinces to give employment to such a fleet?

EXPORT OF FLOUR FROM IRELAND TO THE WEST INDIES.

I have examined the treasury records, to find "We have seen a letter from a house at Cork, out the value of the merchandise imported thence from which it appears, that flour is at present ship-in foreign vessels; it is worth only half a million, ping to some extent, from that neighborhood to the which gives, on an average, for each vessel of this

fleet, a cargo of the value of $125. Now, these carry cheaper for the producer, and fetch cheaper 4,000 sail of shipping came, for the most part, for the consumer; and thus it would be a protecempty, either across the Lakes or the Ocean, and tion, a profit and advantage to all the people; she under the superior advantages of the commercial would successfully compete with her foreign rival, code of England, for the produce of that teaming and throw upon him as England does now upon us, region, in the midst of which you are. They were the cost of protection, by driving him from the trade. manned by 40,000 British seamen-for whose pay Nay, there would be another advantage in this and subsistence, England, by the help of the re- kind of protection :—It has been the settled policy strictions, imposed upon the commerce of the coun- of the Government to encourage nurseries for seatry by our own legislation, manages to tax you and men. For this we pay bounties to fishermen ; for those whom you represent in this Convention. this the Navy supports its apprentice system. This And thus it is, I say, we are head-reached in the is cheaper and better, broader and more general, commercial code, and made to contribute to the than either, and it is a link in that admirable sysaggrandizement of our chief rival, at the expense tem of national defence, which would give us great of our own commercial and naval resources. strength and ability in war. I hope, therefore, that Considering the abundance and cheapness of the Convention in its action upon the Warehousing building materials in this country, the superior System, will also express an opinion upon this quescharacter of our ships as sailers, the acknowledged tion. In this country, public highways are freeskill of American navigators, it would seem to re- the duties are remitted to Rail Roads on their iron, quire no small degree of statesmanship to enable that they may transport cheap-ships are the high5,000 British ships, (for that is the total number ways that lead across the seas; and there seems to entering our ports in a year,) to force their way be as much propriety in remitting duties on the arinto our trade, and to throw upon our people and ticles necessary for their use, as to Rail Roads. commerce 60,000 British seamen, for pay and subsistence. And it has been done chiefly in this way-our ships have been taxed up to the eyes, for every article, from the truck down to the keelson, for the protection of "home industry," as it is called; while the English ships have been taxed for nothing, but have been protected. Sir Robert Peel has said to the British ships, roam the world, light-houses are supported out of the public treaand buy where you can buy cheapest. The bonded Warehouses of the realm are well stored with articles of all kinds for ship's use,-take, free of duty, all that you require for your own use, and thus, you will be enabled to fetch and carry cheap.

On this side, the ship is taxed 108 per cent. on her iron; 42 per cent. on her cordage, as much upon her sails, and so on, at like rates, upon every article of her outfits and stores. Thus taxed, she is sent forth, at fearful odds, to compete with the Englishman. John Bull could wish for no greater advantage.

Besides this contingent of 60,000 seamen to the commercial marine of Great Britain, our rival draws from us yearly a contingent in money, which is levied upon our ships and paid by our produce, in the shape of light-house duties. A large portion of this comes out of your pockets.

Here and in all countries except England, the

sury, and the English vessels in common with all others, have the free use of them. In England, the light-houses belong principally to individuals and to a corporate company, known as the Trinity House. Our vessels entering an English port, whether by day or night, in clear weather or fogs, are held bound to see so many lights, 20, 30, or more, as the case may be; then they are required to pay for each light, so much per ton, ranging from cent, up to two or three, per light, for every ton the vessel measures, which, in some cases, amounts to two or three hundred dollars, all told, for the vessel. So oppressively do these light-house duties operate upon traders, that there are well-authenticated instances in which vessels being forced upon the English coast, in distress, have attempted to brave the tempest, and have been lost in the attempt, rather than incur Suppose the Warehousing System were adopted, these heavy fees. In case of refusal to pay, the and in the necessary amendments to the Custom- cables and anchors may be distrained and sold House laws, there were inserted a clause allowing within three days. The nett receipts of one priour ships to take from the Warehouse, duty free, vate light-house, amount to from $50,000 to any chain or rope, cable or anchor, and every arti- $60,000 a year; at least, they did a few years ago, cle of ship chandlery required for her own use. and I presume. do yet. The nett proceeds of all This would make her cost of outfits, which have the English light-houses, are nearly double the to be frequently renewed, only $10,000 or $15,000, cost of maintainance; and are divided in various instead of $20,000 or $30,000. Therefore, the proportions between the owners and the Crown. sailing of an American ship would not be nearly Now, suppose that every British vessel coming on so expensive as it now is, and, therefore, she would our coast, were charged at this rate for the use of

I do not wish to broach the vexed questions of protection, or to excite any but a national feeling in this Convention, but it does appear to me, that if there be any interest, which can be favored with obvious benefits to the whole country, it is its shipping interest.

our lights, while our own vessels used them free, as they now do. This would give the latter a decided advantage in the carrying trade. I have no An important question for the country, and to the means of knowing the exact amount, but am indu-people of the valley, is the Warehousing System. ced to believe, that the sum levied annually in Eng-It should, therefore, be fairly presented and fully land, upon the New York packets for light-house discussed. dues, does not fall far short of $50,000.

its advantages, with objections founded either in fact or in reason.

Unless treaty stipulations forbid, I would either have this contingent abolished, or retaliate by exacting similar dues from British shipping.

In the commercial race between the two countries, close calculations are necessary and we are not in a condition to give advantages.

I have not the time, nor the ability if I had the time, to do this. In conscious want of power, I have called for help, on a friend in whose judgment I have confidence, and whose counsel I often seek. Well acquainted with the operations and practical effects of the Warehousing Systern in England, he has been actively engaged with the business of comBut to return to the operations of the Warehou- merce in this country, and that from his youth up sing System: It would benefit the South more than until now. His views are, therefore, entitled to the North, still it would offer some advantages to more weight than my own, and I recommend them New York. Under the debenture bill of Mr. to the most attentive consideration of the ConvenPratt, passed by the last Congress, New York will tion. I challenge the opponents of the system to probably import to some extent for Canada, but detect in them, either error as to fact, or fallacy as under the Warehousing System we might expect to deduction. Nay, more, if to the mind of the to see New York become the entrepôt for a large Convention, there shall be started so much as one portion of the trade of Canada West, and thus the well-founded objection, which any intelligent man, city, the revenues of the State and the business of at all conversant with the subject cannot successfully her canals would be materially benefitted. When the Ship Canal to the Lakes is finished, New Orleans, indeed, might compete with New York for this trade, and success would resolve itself very much into a question as to the rates of freight up the Mississippi to the Lakes, against freights and tolls through the New York canals.

meet and set aside, then I will acknowledge the whole scheme to be fit only for the land of Utopia, and will henceforward maintain that the direct trade of the South can be conducted only by phantom ships and "Flying Dutchmen."

"It may well be questioned," says my friend, Currente Calamo, "whether the present mode of

The Warehousing System has been used in Eng-collecting duties, viz., requiring their payment in land for more than forty years. During that pe- cash, before the goods are landed-is not practiriod, experience has suggested many important cally more injurious to the trade and navigation of alterations and improvements. We may have the the country, than the mere duties themselves, exbenefits of all that experience, and of those improve-orbitant and unreasonable as they are in many cases. ments, and bring the system into operation here, "The old credit system of duties, was dangerwith all its present beauties and perfections.

fects may be avoided, by the adoption of the Warehousing System, combined with cash duties.

ous to the revenue, and, in some respects, injurious I think I have shown conclusively, that the Ware- to the merchant; therefore, I hope it may never be housing System would lessen the rates of freight, revived; it was however beneficial, in some degree, upon an important and large class of our produce in facilitating commerce, as the present system is and, therefore, benefit the producer to that extent. beneficial in securing actual payment; but all the If this benefit after a time should cease to fall ex-advantages of both are attainable, and all their declusively to the producer, and ultimately inure to the foreign consumer, the necessary effect would be by cheapening, to increase consumption, and "It is astonishing, in the abstract, to any one consequently to call for increased supplies. As conversant with such subjects, that the plan of cash I have said, that ultimately, (and by ultimately, I duties should have been introduced without the mean after a trade has been well settled and estab- Warehousing System. My impression is, that the lished,) consumers pay all duties and charges-e latter would have been adopted long before the preconverso, it follows that consumers get the benefit sent Tariff came into operation, but for the oppoof reduced charges. Reduced cost and charges upon goods from our country, may be such as to diminish production of similar articles in another, pro. ex. cotton, New Orleans, Bombay. In which case the producer in Mississippi might retain or recover a part of the advantage.

sition of some influential men, who wished, for their own purposes, the continuance of credit for the duties; for, in many cases, the credit given, furnished, when importations were successive, a large and constant capital to the importer; being neither more nor less than so much money borrowed by him, In this view of the system, it would lead to the from the Government, upon mere personal security. very aim and object of republican government, by "When the time for the present Tariff arrived, securing the greatest good of the greatest number. the finances and credit of the Government were in And in this view, I defy the most captious to offset disorder, and the revenue insufficient, and there had

been several recent cases of duties being lost, by | castle, Aberdeen, Perth, Cork, Limerick, Londonthe failure of the merchant, and of the security, derry, Waterford, and a dozen or two of other who had signed his bond. A Secretary of the ports, (but I name these to show how unimportant Treasury, at such a time, might well wish to ease many of the places are,) East India goods, and a his mind by grasping the duties without delay; variety of others, which we are led to suppose are and, turning a deaf ear to the Warehousing Sys- excepted, are allowed to be Warehoused. Besides tem, or any other that might retard the receipt of this, many descriptions of goods are sent under the cash, affect to consider it dangerous to the se- bond from the ports, to be lodged in bonded Warecurity of the revenue :-nay, one of them was so houses, at places in the interior, just as we might, pushed for a reason, that he said he thought it un-if we had the system, send goods for the Canada constitutional!

trade, to be Warehoused at Oswego, Buffalo or "Some being influenced by one pretext, some Detroit; or from New Orleans to St. Louis, or Inby another, and the high Tariff party, seeing clearly dependence, for the Santa Fe trade; I trow, if a enough, that the requirement of cash duties, at the Santa Fè trader could lay in his stock from the ship's side, would be such an obstacle to business, bonded Warehouses of St. Louis, or Independence, as to be equal to an additional duty, the cash-duty the trade would be more likely to increase. plan, with drawback upon exportation, was enacted: "But to finish with the Report; I should describe the offspring of circumstances, cradled by a Sec-it as ingeniously constructed, to mystify a subject retary's fears, nursed by ignorance, and dandled by which is very plain and intelligible, if correct the high Tariff party.

it goes, the Warehouse System is certainly preferable to the former mode of giving the credit.'

sources of information are resorted to-and I will “And afterwards, as if to kill it dead for the close by copying the only paragraph in it, that future, we had, in January, 1843, the Report of strikes me as worth it: There was one cause of Mr. Kennedy, from the Committee of Commerce, excess, which the Committee,' (who had been upon the Warehousing System. This report speaks cudgelling their brains about excessive importaof the system, as a 'question so purely experi- tions, as if Congress had any more business to lemental,' when it had been, in fact, in operation in gislate against over importations, than over manuEngland, for forty years. It seems to complain facturing, or over planting,)‘acknowledge was rethat the system, in England, is not superior to na- ferrible to the mode of paying the duties—it was vigation laws and commercial treaties, and pretends the credit on them, given by the Government—a that such an over-riding system is what the peti-measure which, it is said, enabled the foreign imtioners to Congress desire in this country. It de-porter often to trade upon the capital thus furnished scribes it, in England, as a mere scheme, ingeni- him, after he had actually sold his stock, and obously constructed, to promote the employment of tained possession of the proceeds. In view of this British shipping, and enlarge the market for British encouragement to excessive importations, as far as manufactures, extending a most salutary protection to both, and guarding both against all injurious competition.' I wish we had such a scheme here, "It may be said, that the present system works as injurious as this Report represents it to be. The well and the country is flourishing. Thank God, country, I am sure, would be well pleased with an it does flourish; and probably it would flourish even almost verbatim copy of the laws establishing it. under more careless and injurious Legislation, than "It further alleges, that 'the growing importance we are now complaining of. The people have enof the South American States,' was a leading in-ergy enough to accommodate themselves, by deducement,' to the adoption of the system. But grees, to circumstances; and if it were to be enact what such States were there in 1803, when it was ed to-morrow, that no man of less than 6a feet established?—four, or three, or two, or one, that high should be allowed to import dutiable goods, could be so considered for purposes of trade? Cer- we should probably find a fair number of such imtainly, if they were growing then, they must be porters in full operation, two years hence, if we enough grown now to make it worth our while to had even to fetch them from Patagonia. The quesbe looking after their trade. tion is, not whether the present system can be tol "Again: we are told that the privilege of entre-erated without putting a stop to foreign trade, but pôt is confined to Liverpool, London and Bristol,' whether it is just, reasonable and desirable-in and we are led to suppose that all East India goods, short, whether it is the best that is practicable. a great variety of West India and a quantity of This is a plain view the Government taxes cerothers, can only be warehoused at these ports; tain goods, no matter whether for protection or rev. while the fact is, that at London, Liverpool, Bris- enue; this tax is not intended to fall upon the mertol, Hull, Greenock, Leith, Port Glasgow, Belfast chant for importing them, nor upon the goods beand Dublin, goods of every description, importable cause they have arrived at New York or New Or into the Kingdom, can be Warehoused from the leans, but because they have gone out of the conship, direct; and that at these ports and at Cardiff, trol of the Government, and into consumption. Dover, Exeter, Gloucester, Goole, Lancaster, New- The Government must be secure that they do not