primage, which is 5 per cent. upon the amount of the freight. That is usually their chief source of emolument; but they, generally, receive also $30 a month wages. This, of course, gives them an interest in prosecuting the voyage successfully, and in stimulating their men to exertion; but, with great good taste, Mr. Minturn excused himself from making a comparison between American and other ships; he strenuously, however, denied that any national feeling influenced the merchants in the least degree with respect to the freighting their goods from England in American bottoms.
Reciprocity treaties
so far as they affect Americans.
With regard to the effect on America of the reciprocity
treaties to which I have already alluded,
and which came into operation shortly prior to 1830,
it would appear that though the Government of the
United States proposed to all foreign nations that, if
they would open their ports to American shipping,
they might enjoy all the benefits of their foreign
trade, the shipowners were distrustful of the operation
of this Free-trade system, as it was chiefly embraced
by the States of the north of Europe, which
had no commerce to offer in return. Hence efforts
were continually made to rescind these treaties; but
the experience of their operation has been that the
American commerce has increased in a much greater
ratio since that period than it had done before. The
reciprocity treaties have not, indeed, promoted the
growth of American tonnage; but, on the other
hand, they have not retarded it; and if the shipowners
in the United States do not avow their error,
at all events their opposition has now ceased. Mr.
Minturn was far from acknowledging that the Ame-
