Annual Report and Statements of the Chief of the Bureau of Statistics on the Commerce and Navigation of the United States for the Fiscal Year Ended Vo

Book excerpt: This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1883 edition. Excerpt: ...the United States retaliated by discriminations against British vessels. The so-called ' colonial controversy " continued for about forty years, and until about the year 1832. Both nations were at last brought to see that the contest was injurious to the general interests of trade, aud that some sort of reciprocal trade relationships ought to be established. Besides, considerations of self-interest led this country to the advocacy of broader term of maritime reciprocity than had ever before been proposed. The evident possibilities of the United Stales as a maritime country, while shipbuilding material was abundant, and wooden sailing vessels were the only vehicles of transportation upon the seas, was suggestive of the invitation finally extended to foreign nations, to abandon all discriminations and to enter into relations with us of perfect maritime reciprocity. The skill displayed by oui naval architects and ship-builders, and the enterprise of American ship-owners and navigators, also prompted to the same conclusion. This was before the development of that vast area of almost boundlessresources west of the Alleghany Bange had offered to capital and enterprise in the United States a field of activity far more alluring than commerce upon the ocean. The growing sentiment in favor of an abatement of some of the restrictions which environed our foreign commerce, and which appeared! to repress the growth of our commerce as well as of our shipping interests, at last found expression and practical force in the act of May 24, 1828, whereby the United States became the leader and propagandise of a perfect maritime, reciprocity. It was provided by this act--44 That, upon satisfactory evidence being given to the President of the United...