The export before the war, brought more than a million of dollars into this country ; probably it is not less at present, and no small part in gold and silver : It is computed that 30,000 per sons, including 4,000 seamen subsist by it. Many fay very corn pofedly, if it will not maintain itfelf let it fall. But we should not only lose the annuaT million of dollars which it brings us ; an immense capital would be loft. The fithing towns are built on the naked rocks or barren sands on the fide of the sea. Those spots however, where trade would sicken and die, which hus bandry scorns to till, and which nature seems to have devoted to eternal bJJrrennefs, are feletted by industry to woik miracles on : Houses, stores and wharves are ercfted. and a vafl property crea ted —all depending on this bufinefs.—Before you think it a light thing to consign them to ruin, fee if you can compute what they eoft ;if they outrun your figures, then confefs that'it would be bad economy as well as bad policy to fufter rival nations to rum our fifherv. The regulations of foreign nations tend to bringthis ruin aboutj; France and England equally endeavor, in the language of the Se cretary of State, to mount their marine on the deftru&ion of our fifhery. The fifh of Newfoundland is allowed liberal bounties by the English government ; and in the French Weft-Indies—we meet bounties on. their fifh, and duties on our own, and thefc amount to the price of the fifh : From the English iHands we are quite (hut out— yet such is the force of our natural advantages that we have not yielded to these rivajs. The Scciftary of State has Hated these, and 6th, of his report. The more fifh we catch the cheaper ; the English fifh will need a greater bounty—whereas if we should yield, the English would probably need no bounty at all ; they would have the monopoly. For example, suppose the English can fifh at two dollars the quin tal—we catch so much that we fell at one dollar and two thirds; the loss to them is J dol. each quintal. They mufl have that sum as a bounty. W-heieas if we encreafe our fifhery, a greater and a greater bounty is needed by foreign nations—the contest so painfully sus tained by there mufl be yielded at last, and we shall enjoy alone an immense fund of wealth to the nation, which nature has made ours ; and though foreigners disturb rhe poflefiion we shall finally enjoy it peaceably and exclufivelv. If the lands of Kentucky are invaded, you drive off the invader, arid so you ought—why not protest this property as well. Tfiefe opinions are fnpported by no common authority.---The State of MafTachufetts having reprcfented the difcouragcments of the filherv, the fubjeft has received the fanftion of the Secretary ol State ; he confirms the facts stated in the petition ; he fays it is too poor a bufincfsto pay any thing to government. [S« page 12.] Yet instead of a(king bounties, or a remission of the duties on the articles consumed, we a(k nothing, but to give us our own money back, which you received under an engagement to pay it back, in cafe the article should be exported. If nothing was in view therefore, but to promote national ■wealth, it frems plain that this branch ought to be protested and preserved ; because, under all the discouragements it fuffers, it encieafes, and every vearmcreand more enriches the coutuiy, and promises to become an inexhauftable fund of wealth. Another view has been taken of thefubjeft which is drawn from the naval protection afforded in time of war by a filherv. _ Our coasting and foreign trade are increasing rapidly; but the richer our trade becomes, the better prize to the enemy': So lar from protecting us it would be the very thing that would tempt bim to go to war with us. As the rice and the tobacco plantei cheerfully pay for armies and turn out in the militia to protest their property on shore, they cannot be so much deceived as to with to have it left unprsteaed when it is afloat ; especially when it is known that this proteflion, though more effc£tual than the ■whole revenue expended on a navy could procure, will not cost a farthing ; on the contrary, it will enrich while it piotcflsthe na tion. The coasters and other seamen in the event of a war would be doubly in demand, and could neither protest themfelvcs nor annov the enemy to any confiderablc degree; but the Sfhermen thrown out ol business by a war, would be instantly in action They would as they formerly did, embark in privateer-—having nothing to lose, and every thing to hope, thev would not difho nor their former fame. Their mode of life makes them exnert and hardy feamcn. Nothing can he more adventurous They' cad anchor on the banks. 300 leagues from land, and with a ercat length ol cable ride out the storms of winter : If the gale proves too strong they often fink at their anchors, and are food for filh which they came to take ; lor ever wet, the sea almost becomes their cement—cold and labor, in that region of fro ft, brace their bodies and they become as hardy as the Bears, on the islands of ice; their (ktU and spirit are not inferior— familiar with danger they defpifc it. If I were to recite their exploits the theme would find every American heart already glowing wilh the recoiled!,on ol them ; it would kindle more emhnfiafm than the fubieft has need of: My view is only to appeal to lasts to evince the impor tance of the filhery as a means of naval protection. It is nrooer to pars over Bunker's hill, though memorable by the valor of a regiment of fifbermen ; nor is it necelTaiy to mention further that 500 fifliermcn fought at Trenton. It i. known that the privateers man'd by fiffiermen, in want of every thing, not excepting arms, which thev depended on takine from their enemies-brought into port warlike fto.es of every rnv 35 eV " y us mcrchan< ' i « Sufficient for ,he ar! my and the country : the war could not be carried on without them. Among other exploits almost beyond belief, one instance » worth relating-—these people in a privateer of ,6 guns and t S o men, ,n one crutfe took more than 20 Ihips with upwards of 200 guns and nearly 400 men. The privateers from a single diftria of MatTachufetts where the fifher y k chiefly seated, took, more than 2,000 veflVls beinal ♦ the Br,till, merchant vtfTels, and brought ,n near , 200.' An hun every co Uld 5 o shi PS of < h p e Hoc affor p d buret of the fifhery alwavs ready, always foment, wilcoftnT <hmg. The fupe.,or naval force ol our foes should not difcouraae rhe ; ;;;:,r ,vat " rswould " rucl,k = fom^ '• r so^ car ,o bill on another ground. ' 'L m y Support of the I will only alTc whether you will onnrr r <; ifv/%., n rage .hem— whether if you will norTive them «h public, you Will partially feiie.hr,/own. TOsi.'S ° f (l[ ,he If your pol'cy demands for them so much will v on , n V them so little ? uiyour justice deny I have repeatedly aflerted that tVipkiii "n a farthing, you only take the money which IheTfoe pub,ic theTreafurv for the fait duty, and nav the r m [V brings into in bounties, inflead of a drawback on the v"" sum back here I reft the argument. Before' 1 adduce my ■ ' forbear to lay open theOate ol mv mind P root s. I cannot I rely on the truth of the facts I nmnrX. . rr the proof of them, being a, near demonftrat m 't 1 VC ' y 0n the cafe will admit ; I make no do,,bt of the BoodVnf* "T* ° f intentions of the gentlemen whom I wifK to con ? "° d am lorry to lay lam far from hemp-fan • , con^ ncc » anrf yet 1 ing a finglr vote for the bill. I w f M exolam" ° pe ° f B>in ihen I ihmk no gentleman will take r , r ™l;n m " n,n E and depends on calculation. In print or writing "" " : - T '" s dcbate fat ion, figures have the advantage of every mheV gat,on : the mind is fixed to a point and J,A . ■Qt ,nTefli ly.—But in publtc debate it i.o.wffe t P "" ! " c'w « wite—figures not only disgust attention, fcu% as the mind cannot carry thrm along, t.iey con found it ; they make a plain thing look mysterious, and bring it into suspicion ; when I ask of the committer an hearing-, and it is granted, I get nothing—l want a close attention, and I have to beg, and earnestly too. that gentlemen will not trust their fir ft o pinions and vote against the bill, without condescending to re ceive and to weigh the fa£ts and calculations of its advocates. The firfl qurftion is, how much docs government receive by the duty on the fait used in curing the fifh which is exported. The quantity of lifh mull be known. Several ways of information are to be explored. The Secretary of State supposes the fifh of 1790, to be 354,276 quintals. A treasury return of fifh exported from Aug. 20th, 1789, to Sept. 30th, 1790, which is 13^-months, is 378,721 quintals. For a year equal to 340,849 See Secretary's Report, page 16. Foreign dried fifh imported from 15th Anguft, 1789, to August 1 79°» 37 01 quintals—s per cent, drawback thereon is only 310 dollars,at i|- dollars per quintal. Mr. Giles is mistaken in supposing that foreign fifh dcdu&s 16,000 dollars from oureftimate. Return of fifh in 7 months, from May 30th to December, 1790, exported—all fifli of the United States, 197,278 quintals ; Which for a year is 338,184 do. The medium may be fairly taken for the time pad at 340,000 quintals a year. Six gentlemen of Marblehead certify, that 5043 hogsHeads, or 40,344 bushels of fait were used on 38,4973 quintals ; which for 340,000 quintals, gives 356,200 bushels. The duty at 12 ccnts is 42,744 dollars, which government re ceives. But the charge to the United States is, at 13J cents doI!.«. per quintal, 45,900 Whereof the fifliery receives 10 cents on each quintal exported, Charges as the law stands Further this is but an estimate made up from what the last year proved. The next mav be very different, and probably it will be. If more monev should be demanded than 44,000 dollars,we must not be accused of misleading Congress. But in that cafe an increase would be made by the law—for the more fifh is exported the more igi cents to be paid ; so that the bill creates no burden in that way. Bur rfie increase of the export of fifh will operate in favor of government. For it is known that the econo my, skill and a&ivitv of the fifherv are making progress. It's luccefs has progressed. The more fifh to a vefTel, the cheaper the allowance on the tonnage—Therefore the tonnage of vefTels will not ir.creafe in a ratio with the increase of the filb. The very obje&ions prove this. For they deem the encourage ment too great. But anv encouragement mud have the cffe£l. The difference of the x greemepts for distributing the fifh accord ing to the present pra&ice, or by this bill, makes a great one in the quantity taken. The bill reform!? the practice in this point. Marble head veflels take less than those from Beverly. The for mer throw the fifh into a common stock, which is afterwards di vided upon a plan very unfriendly to exertion. A man works lor the whole—perhaps 12 hours, and they take about 800 quin tals to a vefTel. But in Beverley, the exertion is as great as can oe made—lß hours a day, because each man has what he catches, and they catch noo quintals.. Marblehead seamen failinf; from other town?, and dividing as last mentioned, which the bill eftablifV.es, frldom fail to catch 2 300 qu,nta, Sm ° re Chanel, and men from Marblehead on the hrlt plan Accordingly I assert on good authority, that the increase in Marblehead only may be computed at 1 c,ooo quintals, merely in confeqtiencc ofthe reform by the bill. ' The heft in armed persons whom I have consulted, entertain no doubt that he export in cafe the bill should pass, would not be less than 400,000 quintals, probably more—but at 400,000 quintals, it would add 7,200 dollars more to the fait dutv : a sum more increase of it, 4a[74^ mate a£lUa ' '° nnage ' ° r P robabl? 7J?.00 49-944 Salt duty on 400,000 quintals. the ° ry ' that flc,H and 3re creaiing in this bulinefs. In 2 5f° 0 > fnm ™ 440.5- Fish fold for ~07.,000 dolls, fifh It i* ' [° a T n and l ths of the tonnage, take a, much h,sthatourfi^ftood the w "'" d - - » Salt duty on which Bounties 43,944 dollars. 44,000 Wanted , The calculation firftmade will an Twer the puroofe 340,000 quintals pay fait duty 4? , 74 . t dolhr, ' Tonnage bounty 4 £ Wanted 1256 This is the mighty defefl. Obfcrve the au e" r " u ™ of the export of fifh may be< "j exnort 1 3 WI ~rOVe uCO he be,OW l ' he f«nre expo.t—Whereas to ban.fh all donbt we <m to the top of the fca!e for the tonnage, what we know to be the ntmoft. fhis we might have represented more favorably if we had cho Buc even ihis will an tor 200 tons are wanting inthe eftitrate of t he deficJent°Aim WhiCh Wi " than another third wifh'.h*.Z' th """ »f non-compliance £"Ve,l fill' 7,', "* i" f ™ °f n,a.„otgno q „l° Boa,, hivp ri.»; quintals l 0 the ton, or verfels mav »*r s "cel., noS/ Kilt these are trifles whirl, t , gentlemen are anxious nbonr "H" o ' d ' eVe WhnUtS U of n fi n r C -u , rt(l,,Ce<l c:> n teZZ! y hJI W ' f be "» ""'n "'ore than it will nay 'the Ih™*" 1 vece,ve other wav and ; r „1' , lan ce may turn >.he dollars more than ii-/ n u* 6 a fcvv btindred hoi lt will have received. We have 342 seen that the chance is mod in £vor 8f ce *. rn _ ment. But one chance mull balance the oth* This answer is sincerely relied bn as a jjofcd Zl' I barely mention that the wear ofcofih™ d' bles, fails and anchors is very great. These' ar ticles on being imported, pay duties. So that it is probable the extra duty paid by the fifo.-,! on their extra consumption, will over balance/ ny little Turns supposed to exceed In the bounty' ft has been asked, as if some cunning wa* de teifted, why if the money received in the trt»f o " ry to pay the drawbacks is equal to the proposed bounties,a further appropriation should be made ? This cunning question admits of several very si m !. pie answers. The bill being for 7 years, the average product is the proper Jum to be calculated. But the firft years may fall /hort of the bounties, fayiooo dollars a year, which is 6000 The 4 last may exceed 2000 8000 " Shall a poor fifherman wait for the whole, or if he takes his part according to the money in the treafury—for a 24th part of the bounty on his veflel, from 1792 to 179?. 2d. This delay would happen after a bstf year the very time when he would mo ft need proirfot pay. r jd- But fifh taken this year will no; be export ed till December next. Therefore the money will not be Hopped by the drawback as the law stands, till 6 months after. 34» 000 11900 A ftfbftitute has been propoferl for the clause to appropriate the drawback only.' This is absolutely improper. For the to cents allowed as drawback is but a part of the tlutv paid on l.ilt—lt is not easy to fee any reason why a part flopped at the treasury Humid be equal to the whole paid there long before. The draw back falls near 9000 dollars short of the fait duty received by the government. The expence of the drawback would be verv heavy and useless. Nor may gentlemen apprehend* that govern ment, by paying next december, will advance money to the fifhery. The fait, duty will have been paid, and government will have the trie of the money many months befpre the filbermen will have a right to call for the bounties. It is left to the candor of the gentlemen who have urged this objection, whether a better or further answer is desired. After having laboriously gone thro the estimate of the probable export of fi(h, it will not be ne cefl'ai y to he equally minute as to the quantittor kind of vessels which are to receive the bonti^. The estimate we belive to be very high. Th*t it is high enough, we fnppofe very probable from the estimate of the Secretary ot State, tfhichii only tq,tßj tons. This modeof paying the bounty on the tonnage is very (imple and fafe—The measurement is al ready made and costs nothing ; and as it was made to pay a duty on tonnage, we are very fare that government will not be cheated by an over nieafure. The mode of paying the drawback,as the law now flands, is expensive, perplexed and embarrafiing ; liable to frauds and delays. This intricate and disgusting detail ofcalcula tions was neceflary, to fatisfy the committee that each of the three grounds of defence on which the bill reds, is tenable. Instead of impoverishing the nation by scatter ing the treasure of the whole to benefit a part, it appears that we are preserving a mine of trea sure. In point of naval protection, we can scarcely estimate the fifhery too highly. It is alvvavsrea dy. always equal to the object—it is alinoil the only fufficient source of security by sea. o ur navigation is certainly a precious interelt of the country. But no part of our navigation can vie with the fifhery in tefpect to the protection it af fords. There is no point which regards our national wealth or national fafetv, in refpedl to which it seems practicable to tlo so much with so little. We rely on the evidence before you, that the public will not sustain the charge of a dollar. Those ought not to doubt the evidence who can not invalidate it. If then the fifherinen ast: ye" to restore only their own money, will you deny them ? Will you return to every other per'" l exporting dutied goods the money he has p sl "i and will you reful'e the poor fifhermen ! If there must be an instance of the kind, Wi " you single out for this opprefiive partiality, that branch which is described by the. Secretary o Stare as too poor even to bear its part of the com mon burden. That branch which neverthe' e< has borne the neglect of our nation, andtheper* lecution of foreign prohibitions and duties A branch which, tho we have received much an expect more both of money and services, 'i r ? fS no claims but such as common jufiice has fa» c 1 oned MONDAY, February 20. A mefTage from the P efulcnt of ' 1,(5 ', e States, by his Secretary, Mr. T -a- ' A HouJV, that the bill, fi'.i 1 • '■ A lilh the poll-office aiul 5 °* rll[ ' fTO 1* 17 rnNTI VUED.)
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