Mr. PIKE. I desire to say a few words to the Gentfrom Ohio, Mr. SPALDING] who gives as a reason why this bill should not be passed that the West wishes to ship its prod ucts abroad, and needs additional shipping for that purpose. I will ask the gentleman to tell me why the West cannot ship from the port of Boston or N NewYork, or from other ports, to Liv erpool, as well in British bottoms as in American? Would they have to pay a penny more to do so? Theywouldnot; an I may state this fact to him, that of theimports into this country for the last ten years more than 75%. have been brought in British bottoms. So that the West does not suffer in any way whether these vessels are brought back or not. Now, as to free tra e, I h vs this to say, that if the navigation laws are to e broken down and l free trade to be instituted. do it squarely and l not simply allow these fellows to come back, who, rather than pay the war rate of insurance and protect their property in that way, sneaked off under the flag of ilreat Britain, and desire to come back now that apeace has been restored which they did not help to brin" about. For one, if I have to vote for the one measure or the other, I shall cheerfully vote for the foreigner to come here and take out an American register upon equal terms with American ship owners rather than vote to allow these fellows to return who went off under a foreign flag in time of danger to save insurance. If we are to give American registers to any part British ton nage let us give t 10m to those who were never with and of course never deserted. As the Gentfrom Ohio [Mr. Sunnmo] has referred to me as a shipowner, I will say that I am sorry that I am not; although under present circumstances, when ship pingis somuch depressed it would add very litt c to my humble profits. This bill is a matter of but small consequence to the State of Maine. It does not effect I believe, a single vessel that was transferred from Maine owners, and will not bring back one single vessel into Maine. It is only because the question of the navigation laws has been brought into the discussion thatI speak of it at all. I hope, as an indication of the feeling of this House, we will pass the bill simply as an expression of Opinion in relation to the conduct of those men who now desire substantial favors at our hands. 3