Mr. LYNCH. Mr. Speaker, I hope that action on this important measure will not be deferred. I believe that immediate action is demanded. Every day vessels are coming back by an evasion of the present revenue laws, and are taking out Amencan registers. If gentlemen will refer to the law of December 23, 1852, they will find that it provides for the issue of American registers to foreign vessels wrecked and sold to an American, where the amount of repairs shall be 3/4ths of the value of the vessel when repaired. Under this law a great many vessels have obtained American registers. have a long list of vessels which have obtained registers under this law through the customhouse at the ort of NewYork; and it is a very significant act that all of these vessels were formerly American and transferred during the war to a foreign flag The come back in this way: a man who had put lIS vessel under a foreign flag and has enjoyed all the ndvantaves of its protection during the entire period of fhe rebellion, now desiring to procure an American register, adopts the 534 January 31, ingenious plan to evade the law: the vessel is grounded at some obscure place alon the coast, and is then advertised as a wreckc vessel in some obscure newspaper; the owner buys her in ata nominal price, purchases sails, anchors, and rigging, amounting tomore than 3 times the price paid for the vessel, thus making the repairs amount tomore than 3/4ths of the value of the vessel. Ajfter obtainin an Americanre ister these sails. anchors, an rig ging are sol. More than 20 vessels have come back by thus evading this law. others have come back under an opinion of the Soli citor of the Treasury that vessels owned by Americans who took up a temporary residence in a foreign country during the war, and sailed during this time under a foreign flag and foreign register, were not divested of their American character. I think quite a number of vessels came back under this decision; but on the SecyTreasury having his attention called to the subject, I believe hedoes not favor this construction of the law. I think it is agreed that an American vessel has anutional charac “1211: which does not depend wholly upon owner s ip. Now, the question arises, whether it is right to allow vessels to come back in this way by an evasion of the spirit of the laws; whether it is just to those owners of vessels who have refused to desert the flag of their country in her hour of eril? It is a cowardly argument to offer in behalf of these shipowners, to say the country could not protect them. On the same principle the whole population mi t leave with their property and place themse ves under foreign protection. It is for the people to protect the country in time of war; they are part of the country, and ought not to desert her when in danger. It would certainly be dangerous policy for a nation to offer inducements for its citizens to desert with their property and identify their interests with its enemies in time of war. Let me for a moment call, the attention of members of this House to the position of these American shipoWners while their vessels enjoyed the protection of a foreign nation during. the rebellion. Their interests were not only alienated from their own country, but were identified with foreign shipowners, whose interests were promote by a destruction of American commerce. Every American shiowner whose vessel sailed under the flag of England during the rebellion had precisely the same pecuniary interest in the destruction of American commerce as had the English shipowner. Now, is it policy for the Government to allow, to encourage her citizens to desert her during war, and then to return with the return of peace and have the same advantages as those who have suffered by standing by her? I trust we shall not so decide. HH. KASSON. Allow me to ask the gentleman aquestion. What amount of tonnage will be affected by this proposition?