The Express. — London, England, 1848-05-30 00:00:00

n THE E' PRESS, riIJFSDAY EVENING, MAY 30, 184 x• tne table a part which formed the cam of the Spanish go vernment; that was to say, it had commonly bet n reported that the Spanish government had matte certain statements or charges splint the Britisb minittee at Madrid, and those per roduoed. He sataotwtembetnitat 4idiranbloet thsePylesarhouinldtbehiadded, in order to eatsble the house fully to judge of the whole affair. Lord PALkuItSTON-1 can only say that at present I have received no suck scatsments. t ear, and ■ • laugh.) POUR LAws. Lord G. BENTINCK said he hid given notice of • quee tion he intended to put to the rieht hon. g the President of the Pour Law Comnumion ; but satleman reinmps the right hon. gentleman would allow hi m to alter for his que relief of the poor. the comparstiye number of poor relieved, with e comparative average prices of flour and potatoes per th stone, ape of bread per quarters loaf, in each period in the six month+ ending Lady-day in 11146-1848, in the following cities, towns, u niuus. and parishes: Semitone Bolton, Hali fax, Liverpool, Leeds, Lotoester, litanchest.r, Nottingham, Stockport, Oiargovr, Paisley, Bethnal green Union, Sot tat. &his Union, and St. Marylebone and St. Panetta p indite?" Mr. C. BULLER replied that he had brought down with hint not only the interns .tion *ought by the noble edit, but also a similar return for the intermediate year 1847 If the noble lord would move for the whole of them they should be at once preeented. Lord O. lIH NTINCIi moved accordingly, end the re turns were brought up and ordered to be p r i n ted, THE LATE CONVICTION OF MR. MITCHEL. Mr. KEOGH begged to ask the noble lard (L ird J. Rus sell) whether it was a fact that at the late dial of Mr. Mit chet for nu felony every Roman catholic on the pl, 18 in umber, bad been excludee teem the jury by the ane Attorney ' General without any cause being weigned, and whether the noble lord had rewired any further information on the subject of his (Mr. Keogh's) motion with respect to the trials of Mr. W. Smith O'Brien and Mr. Meagher a few da Eo l A g° l. RUSSELL replied that be bad rece n ived no in ', f orm ation on the p , ant suggested by the questio of the hon. lunatcr with reference to th r h e trial of Mr. Mitchel. With which the hon. mem bead re spect to the other caw, on submitted • motion a few days since, he had in his p amain° • letter written by the Attorney General for Ire and, in which that hon. and learned gs ntletuan stated the instructions Ili which be had given respecting the striking of the juries, which was to the following effect : Dear Sir, —ln to to your letter requiring my instructions Was tire to the count to he pursued by you in settire aside jurors on the 1 , put of the crown in thecae/ of " The Queen r. Mitchel," I beg to my it Is not, arid never wive my wise or Intention the . ' any jurornot should be s et wide on account of his religions opinion. Ido think the instructioas given by previous taw °Morro, that Jurors were not to be *et wide on socount of their political uptoions, was ever lo be im tended to apply to a case like the present. In which a party is tried for a political often e, avid is openly supported and esesem naneed by certain political essoctations. I hare therefore nu bolas s that in the present and similar simr cases yo fed In u should set. aside on aying the part of the crown, without reward to their religious opts Moos, all persons whom, from the igqinnea you have motto and the information you hare recvareet, you end to entertain political m anna's' according with those of the prisooer and the arauciatidae by wham be is supported. lam clearly of opinion that to leave such persona es the jury would be to defeat the adrainistnitiun of the law, and be totally inconsistent with the true principle of trial by jury, which is. that the Juror should be Indifferent Mown the crown and the pri• l weer . !nether respects 1 wish that the bastrucuons gives by the previous law officers should be adhered to. That was the letter of the AttorneyeCiete neral. e (Lord John Russell) hail also received • priva letter li from the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland, stating that after the awouldccusa tions brought, whether guilty or not guilty he not say, against the late government with reference to Mr. O'Connell's trial, it was important to be particular in the instructioos to the crown solicitor se to etrikiug the jury. Mr. Monahan takes the same view, and had no more Irish to pack th e jury in the late cm* than you had." (Rear ) Mr. IL GRATTAN inquired whether the noble lord bad acquiesced in the course pursued by the Attorney-Gene ral on the occasions referred to? Lord J. RUSSELL. -1 thin and k the instructions g rid I am iven by Mr. Monahan were very right very judicious, a quits ready to adopt them. (Hear, bear.) Mr. 11. GRATTAN said he held in has hand a report of what Mr. Monahan stated the other day, which was widely ditierent from his letter just read by the noble lord. S:r J. GRAHAM sod the letter of Lord Clarendon, read by the noble lord, referred to the instructions given by the late government with reference to the selection of the jury in the case of the late Mr. O'Connell, and as • similar refer ence had been made on the occasion of • former debate, he (Sir J. Graham) thought that, on behalf of the late govern- talent, and in juetic •to them, end in deference also to the put, he might be allowed to assert in the most positive man ner that the instructions given by the late government in reference to striking the jury in Mr. O'Connell's cam, wire identical with the instructions given by Mr. M o nahan, the present Irish Attorney-General, in the cases now in n question. Those instruc t i on s were positive—that juror should be struck off on account of his role eious tenets, but that whatever might ire his ree ty ligionof, if he was identified by association notori communication with the political opinions and teesiime of Mr. O'Connell —that then, and apart from his religioo, the exercise of the power of the crown to strike him off should be made use of. Ile (Sir J. Graham) repeated, teat the in structions given by the late government were elentical with those given by the present government; and, if necessary to go into details again, as he had done i n a former acetates, he could prove cleat with respect to the ten Ro man neeholic to & struck off in Mr. O'Connell's cue, there w I show that they were all in connexion with the repeal also ciation, and on that ground *lone the power of the crown hal been exercised (Hear, beer.) BOROUGH OF HORSHAM. Lord J. RUSSELL said the letter he had read certainly The Earl of MARCH said that the Bemugh Elections alluded to an accusation which heretofore had been brought Bill stood in the orders for Wednesday next, before the against the late government in reference to Mr O'Cunnes Borough of Horsham Bill. He swished to know from the case • but that accusation had not been adopted, either by noble lord at the head of the government what course would Lord 'Clarendon or by Mr. Monahan. It was ouly in cisme be pursued in case the Borough Elections Bill should not 'pence of that accusation that he ( Lord J. Russell) and his pees, iu or that Honks= should not any longer be kept noble friend Lord Clarenuion had been more alive to the pom 'without a representative. lability of • similar imputation bring made against them Lord J. RUSSELL said that as the house had *greed to in a similar case. Ile (Lord John Russell) did not the f econd reading of the Borough Elections Bill, he should mean to impugn the insuuttions given by the right hon. prat. cd wilt it. in committee in the hope it would eventually baronet to the Lord Lieute - ant of the late government, or be paned. to deny that these instructions were not identical with the SUGAR DUTIES RESOLUTIONS. instructions given in the more recent instances. Mr. BARELY inquired whether the hon. member for Mr. BRIGHT observed that it was quite evident flows Moron"- , (Mr. Hume) want to-morrow to bring forward what had plowed this evening and on a former occasion that Li restitutions relative to the sugar-growing colonies. it was thought desirable that tke trial of Mn. Mitchel Mr. HUME said it would be remembered that some weeks should take place, and that a conviction ehould be °Main. d. ago he bed postponed his motion until the select committee (Hear.) Now he ••• not in the least disposed to make any upon the sugar and coffee duties should have made its report. complaint on that head; but there was another eonsidera- The report, be understood, had been male this day, and he tion, quite as impertant, for the pacification of Ireland, and also understood it contained cattail recommendetons. He for cementing the union between the two countries, and that was prepared to submit his resolutions teemorrow, but he wil, thlt the people of Ireland should be fully convinced that thought that the question was of too great and vital import- on the trial of a person charged with • great offence, anee to he left in the hands of any individual member of the whether political or otherwise, such person should have that Done, and ought to be taken up by the government. fair trial whieh the constitution offered and di dared (Hear, hear.) He trusted they would do so, but if not be should he afforded to the meanest subject of the should proceed with his motion. He leered it would not be crown. lie was not about to my that Mr. Mitehel was not possible from the state o f business that he could bring it on guilty of eserything laid to his charge—neither was he ready to.morrow, or indeed soner than four weeks hence, sales to declare that the verdict of the jury was not in accordance the government filed a day for him. Perhaps th ' e noble with the evidence and the lawn but if he might judge from lord would now state what were the intent:lensed the govern. the reports in the public pape, which would he read not went on the subject. only in Great Britain, but by every person in Ireland wit i Lord J. RUSSELL said the question put as to what could read, it seemed that there .1-re 150 persons on the course the government intended to pursue was rather vague, jury paml, of whom pnly 28 were Roman catholic , although but it the hon. member meant specifi ally to allude to the it was ascertained on authority that the Want portion of the quession of the duties fixed by the act of 1846, he would jurors of Dublin were Roman catholics. Of these 150 per. state that be understood the report of the continOtee • ro- soos it appeared that only 65 or 7.5 answered to their names posed a certain amount of differentEd duties for a fixed when culled, and of these the government had the power to P' nod of time, and on that point he would at once say that strike off to ar. unlimited ext. nt, while the power of the pre the government did not intend to propose . any alteration of mace to strike off was limited. Nuw, it was quite possible the act of 1846, either to increase or to continue for a longer that of these there might he some known to have political period than was now fixed the diflerential duties. (Hear, sympathies with the prisoner,anel it emelt° quite rosaible that bear.) He would in turn salt the boa. member for Mon• not one of there 28 Roman catholics was competent to give Boise whether by the words of his motion he intended to a foie verdict, hut the people of Ireland, six sevenths of whom propose the adoption of the report of the select committee ? wereifomancetholics, would not soconsider it, and hebelieved Mr. HUME raid be had not seen the report, and, there- that amongst these me-sevenths the universal opinion would fore, could only state what his intentions were at the time be that the government did not consider them competent to be had ten his motion on the paper of business - Thom give a fair orinion or to take a part id jurors on the trial of intro•inns were to submit to the house that the act passed in any political offender in that country. He (Mr. Bright) 1646 'humid be continued with the present differential duties brought no charge against the pie sent govi cement, but he for a pen lids of six years, commencing from the present year, asked whether it was not worth while now to consider if the ro b e eaus the facilities p act pissed miern the colonists at the time the legislat ure had not at its d m iawal means by which to bring had n ot been afforded them. Be could not, these six sevenths of the population of Ireland into harm my according so the forms of the house, ismere in hie revolution and accordsnce with the opinions of the government, so that any amount of duty without the consent of her Majesty's thesediscreditable political trials might he seen the last of. ministers, and, therefore, he had been obliged, after consult- Ile was persuaded that the deportation of Mr. Mitchel would log with the S. esker, to put his resolutions in their present not pacify Ireland, and he trusted form. He could only repeat he was anxious, if the govern- Mr. LAW roes to order. There was no question before n eut did not take up the matter, to bring it on as speedily the house. as poasiele— tan e months time had been i t already, and [We must here observe tnat the dimuseinn had been in ruin had hre caused by the procrastination. (Hear.) terrupted by the motion of Lord John Rumen for an address Mr. BERNAL thought that th subject could scarcely he of cendolence to her Majesty on the death of the Princes, aiseufweitdisposed of between the 30th of May and the Sophia es recorded below for the eake of consecutivene , s Ist of Juoie, when the next packet would sail, and therefore, we continue uninterrupted the report of the debate on the theugh he agreed that delay had been ruinous to the West late Irish state trials.] India COhnlefl, yet the hen. member for Montrose would not The SPEAKER on Mr. Law's appeal to order) said the be ale to do justice to the queetion if he brought it on to. hon. member (Mr. Bright) was strictly in order, as there morro w. The hon. member might come to some arrange- was a question before the hoax, viz., that an address be pre. ment with t' noble lord at the head of the government and seined to her Majesty.. bare • day Seed, fie if wee a question which de- Mr. BRIHT d—He truste that, as the e ser ved a day to be set apart ever for there its COUSi•ICTatiOII it was this went had now shown continue the power of thed law, and their deter quest ion . ( !fear, hear.) mination to put it in force, they w .01-- Mr. HAWES should he glad of such an arrangement, Mr. LAW again rose to order. The hon. member was not but he eon not in a position to effect it. If the noble lord speekine to the question. would fix ri day he should be ready to adopt it. The SPEt-KER said that several preceding speakeire had Lent J. RUSSELL seid that tmnight it was proposed to departed from the question before the houw, end the hon. go on with the committee on the Navigation Lane, upon member (Mr. Bright) was not strictly out of order. which the honourable member for Harwich had an Mr. BRIGHT said he haul nearly concluded when he was ameedment to move before the Speaker left the interrupted. He repeated that he trus.ed, as the government chair. The discussion would, doubtless, take some had shown thwanwer oi the law and their determination to time aril tnignt le adjourned. lie (Lad stated to . whim day that as soon as this debate was closed, to the people lreland that there was mersy and justice in and before the bill founded on the reselutioos moved by his that scum° from which the law emanated. (Hear, hear.) right hon. friend (Mr. Lebouchrtw) was reed a second time, He was sure the people of England would go with the go he tweet.' give the hon. and learned member opposite (Mr, vernment in favour op le and abolishing me insti- B lakes) an importunity, by fixing • day for • committee of ration in Ireland which was the root of all her eves, and surip'ye of bringing forward the motion of which he hid which forced the government to tak s from the ranks of the given notiu y with respect to the correspondence with the Prete-Mane church the only jurors who would cony'et. This S . panish government. That day would be Feeley ;or if the was disgraceful to the legislature, and ought not to be con debate sow pending was not then over, certainly it would be tinned. Moodey next. Such heir g the case he did not think it Mr. H. GRATTAN denied the assertion made by the hon. poseible to fix ar y day in the present week. He quite agreed member (Mr. Bright) that Roman catholic jurors could not that it was but reasonable it should be brought on at an be found who were honest enough and ready to do their early period, but to-morrow would be prema ture. He saw duty. He could tell the house and the government that from the report that the committee r ec o mmended a duty of yesterday at Kingstown, when it was announced that Mr. 104. in favour sal &Wish grown sugars for a period of six Mechel had been transported for fourteen years, every man, years. This was an important qui stion, but it differed (rim woman, and child declared that though they had before the prrposal inteuded to be made by the hon. member for hero anti -repealer, they were all repealer' now. He thought Moutrose, and he was ready to give as early a day as po s sible the whole matter ought to be inquired into, for to talk of fur there , di-co-Pion of the question, trial by jury now wa n out of the question. The government Mr. HUME suggested Their elay week, hot afserwards had made a great mica 4., and had acted the patter cowards said it cas te perhaps be • hotter arnmeement fur the in miming to parliament for an abominable law, when they matter to stem over until tomorrow (this day). bad ample power to put down political offenders by the Lord G. BEN eINCK (in answer to a question put by operation of the common law of the land. if they went on Mr. ttutcHT) said thatthe committee in their report made in their course. th• vernment muet increase their forces in no dist ...lent het . esn slare-grnwn su_ars and other sugars Ireland, and rill the y would net be able to put down the the prod ue , .4 I.e. ion poseeieione. repeal 1•••• Writ. ME SPANISH CORRESPONDENCE. Mr BRIGHT said it appeared to be as dangeeous to meek Mr. U. BAILLIE said that h : Meet-veil that there was in favour of tree:tile as it was to speak against it. Tee hon, emitted !rum We currespundeace which had been laid on member had mistaken his (Mr. Bright's) obeereatious with IMPEttikL 110USII OF COMMONS.—NIoteDai, MAT 2D. The Selenaa took the chair at 4 o'clock. PRIVATE BURNES'S. REPORTS CONSIDER.ED.—CIoyence Railway aed Leeds and Ililrsk Kearny Amalgamation; Dublin sad Multiyear 'turnpike Bawl ; W hitshavvn J aeon°. leallway • beta TIDED RE titINGS.--Oaford Pa'sting; Payne's Patents (On movement* in prnierviag vegble matters); Nantwkas and When npikv 'laud ; Kendal so d Windermere Railway Act Amend. meat ; ' London, Brighton, and south (twat Railway (London -bridge and Newmows Atatiol2l, lies)' Dundalk, C.istle Blaney. sad Carrick. macros. Stool; South Yorkshire. lAsanwitar. nod 0 6 B.H.liil Amendment (Eatcusion to P eru(, and alteration of Dodger Brv'tch) ; ANIEND MENTS CONSIDERED.— Mathias lloapitid Let ,5 1101. PUBLIC BUSINESS. PETIIION,k—By Mr. CARDWELL, from inhabitants of Liverpool to ;whom ineeting asecuiblesl, signed by ihe mayor, against the a lter.. tics of the navigation taws; Kr. W. PATTEN. from Preston ; Mr. lIUSON, (min sh.pbuilders, and another from stilpownent of dun. deraind Iiate.NTIPICKAoin West Indio merchants and bankers of city of ()tummy, and from 1011141 TWIT 1111r1 and seamen ot a place not bond ; Mr. WAWN, from South Shields; and far. SONSI . : .L, trots Limerick. to the manse eflbct.—lty Mr. LABOUCiIItiIF„ from therehants of the city of Loudon. 'needles the Como. , met d , PoiY governor of the &ink of Eneland, in favour of the alteration of tutu Sarig.dl oll LONDAY(LONDOON, BRIGHN BRIDGE SOAND UTH C NEW CROSS OAST RAIL STATIONS, tile) BILL. On the order of the day for the third readin of this bill, Sir D. L. EVANS tom to move to omit such clauses or put of clauses and so much of the preamble of this bill as relate to the employment of the money of the company for purp.oes of steam-packet navigation ; but on being informed that the motion was not in conformity with the standing . orders, and that, therefore, it was not cemptent for him to peeved, he moved that the third reading be postponed till • Thursday, in artier that he might in the meantime remodel his motion. Att. r a few words from Capt. PECIIELL. on the neces sity of establishing low fares, Si, It. PEEL stated the grounds on which the committee came to the conclusion of recommending the clauses objected to by the hail. and pliant member—the principal one heing • the importance of rapid commeinication between these shores and the F'...t.ch coast. A railway, for instance, would shortly be completed trom Dieppe to Peril, and it was desirable t h at there should be • steam conim UR icatiothe n bet railway een that port company and N e whaven or Shoreham, which pmpuse3 eight hoursi i s four tinr and ti T a oy half .hottirse.wabsilneotthte. old t expected that steam companies would establish stations while w h e re there was no likelihood to be a profit, rail•vay companies wo uld do so because the loss on the- ir steam-packet co mmunication would be counterbalanced by the ince eased traffic thereby brought to th e railway. He bail only to add that the conclusion come to by the committee on this bill a as in conformity with the opinion of the general committee and the Board of Trade. Sir D. L.EVANS pressed his motion for postponement, on the ground that there was already a steam packet company supplying the public want ; and he apprehended that this measure was anly intended to favour private speculatim. Mr. OItEN FELL (who bad charge of the bill) vindicated the pc>, rie•ore of the London, Brighton, &c., Railway from the imputation of being actuated by private motives or interest. 'The hon. gentleman subsequently (on the bill being passed) stated (in reply to Capt. Peen ELL), that the steam communication empowered by it would be established this summer—he might say almost immediately. Mr. OWEN supported the hill on public grounds ; Mr. P. 110MARD opposed it, because it interfered with vested rights, and because the sea communication ought to be left to sea men ; and after a few words from Mr. Bsttett, Sir D. L EVANS said that after the opinions elicited,and e eatzment of Sir R. Peel, as chairman of the committee the ht.itunent of Sir R. Peel, as chairman of the committee to wh t ich the bill was referred, he would not press his motio n; whereupon The bill was read a third time and pseud. Cti ELTEN 11 A5l ELEC lON. Mr. Di. J. O'CONNELL reported that the commi . tee app-int.d to try the mi rite of the petition in this election had found that Sir Willoughby ;ones was not duly elected ; thst the election was void ; and that he had been guilty of bribery through his agents, but without his personal knowledge. SUGAR AND COFFEE. Lord G. BENTiNeIi having moved that the committee appointed on these subjects have power to report from time to time, and the motion having been agreed to the noble lord brought up (amidst cheers) a brief report. LAW OF SETTLEMENT. Mt. C. BULLER (in reply to Mr. V. Smith) said he bad considered it his duty to institute an inquiry into the opera tion of the law of settlement. But the two gentlemen so *staged had not proceeded sufficiently far to enable him to wive ,he house any information at present on the subjne Ile might, however, 'tete that respecting the question of ruing he heel two measures in preparation, which he hoped to bring forward in a law days. VOTE FOR EMIGRATION. Lord for m MAHON, seeing the hon. gentlemen the Under. Secretary the Colmies in his place wish•d to put a question to him. In a despatch written l ast ' month: y vote Earl Grey, it was stated th at it was intended to propos parliament to assist free emigration to Van Diemen at 's Land. the Be (Lord Mahon) would be glad to know wh was amount of the vote intended to be proposed, and whether it was turlud.el in tne eatimat. a already lett before the house ? Mr. HAW ES replied that the sum proposed to oe voted was shut 10,0001., sad would be fauna in the present ------- . , _........ ~.._:..„ I. Merinos to Roman amebae° jurors. Ei • lad War OSA( flat grow or geeing rut u th e ........—on —Wa, all, did she not they were not fit to sit eluded, but that the course pursued begin with abolishing bee own. which were quite u stein would lead to the interenee that the government se thought, gent as those of this eirenta7. (Hear, be The Da men an d would net trust them in that termite. was not equal—the terms were not just. (Hear, he) Ur. Mr. B. B. ROCHE said he wished all offenders to be tried Bancroft said that Aerica was disposed to meet e ar. open- In • fair, hoeest, and Inspertial manner. Snell had not been Ay. He t hat {t wa the opinion that assurance was not the euein thee, recut instances. If the priuMple ex reeled • quality wanting to w s America. statesmen, but the present in Mr. Monahan's letter was acted upon, every repealer proposition went even beyond that. (Hear, hear.) Then it charged with a poliecal offence must be tried by antere- was said that their colonies asked fur the alteration of the pealen, and thus the boasted trial by jury would buome a navigation laws. He believed that enough had passed since delusion, a mnekery, and a snare. wend of the colonies petitioned that house to make them Mr. KEOGH. told the noble lord had not, by readM; Mr. altar their opinion. Enough had transpired he should hope that Roman catholic* of the highest respectebility, of the truth it was not the Interest of the colonies, and particularly greatest wealth, and who were in no way connected with of their West Indian colonies, that the navigation laws, with the repealer., but distinctly opposed to them, had been all their concomitant unditions, should be repealed. ( Hoax.) (truck off by the Attorney-Geseral. In that statement he The evidence of thirty merchants, of character and rpect (Mr. Keogh) persisted, and was pr to mention two or atulity, who were examined before the lords' the three mimeo, which to his own knowledge had been greatly preponderated in favour of the opinion that the co struck off. lonia" did not wish for their abolition. The evidence of these one letter, romped from his (Mr Keogh's) objection to satisfy the right hon. gentleman and the house that in Lord J RUSSELL said be had given the hon. member all gentlemen would, he boiled, put an end to all doubts an this the intortnetion he postured on the subject, namely, the in- subject. The eight hon. gentleman read a document, which - structions the Attorney-General had given to the crown soli- had been presented to that house from the House of Mune cater. If be received any further information he would bly of Juneau. That petition was of very doubtful cheese communicate it pettedly to the hon 11,01211 LT. Having add ter. (inc of the members of that assembly, in his evidence, thus much, he mute remark that the house had nut been stated that there was no such document at all, and that very regular in raising ercontinugthe we et then could be none such In that he was mistaken. But Sir I). L. EVANS said that is they were on the ques- he then said that it must have passed at the close lion of the coesetutien of juries, he begged to ask the right of the session • that no attention was drawn to the bon baronet the Home Secretery whether it was intended to subject ; arid that in that evening it might have alter the law so se to make the deciseez of the majority of a romped his notice as well as that of othes. If, in jury,in the proportion of three to one, condemn ? This mead of giving up our coloniel beading te r ree competi wee the rutin in Scotland, where it worked satisfactorily. then, we had given up, as much uhe could get, of our coast- Sir 0. GREY replied that it was not the intention of the ing trade, to the foreigner, It would have been far better than povernment to prepue to parliament any such plan fur the the plan proposed by the government. Ile hail no objection alteration of the English •jury system. to go into committee, with a view to the mewed of those Mr. HUME ',vented against t ry t in Scotland m oat lih it was confessed by Mr. Ilueltisn among , being introduced into this country. Here they were ce hers m distinctly, existed In our relationsith the %abetted with the present jury system, and in Scotland the Dutch trade, for example, but he implored the h u se tot to system did not work to the satisfactien of the people. assent to any fundamental changes in our navigation laws. TILE DEATH OF THE PRINCESS SOPHIA. There could be no doubt that our navigation oystem, eo intl.' ADOKF,SS TO THE QUEEN. mutely connected with the preservation of our naval supra- I Lord J. RUSSELL briefly moved that an address be pre- mem must be maintained iu all its essential feature, if we ! tented to her Majeoty, to express the deep corium the house desired to maintain our naval supremacy. All our greatest I felt in the lose her Majesty had sustained by the death of her statesmen had held by these laws, as being essential to oar 1 1 Royal Highness the Princess Sophia, and to condole with maritime well being. Mr. Huskiwm had emphatically her ?deicer i ns the melancholy event. proclaimed that should our commercial interests come into l Sir R. PEEL seconded the motion. Though from severe collision with our navigation system, our commercial into. indispositi tttt her late royal Mebane had lung lived a life of rests must give way. There wee no enmmereial advantage great retirement, yet every one acquainted with her knew which he would notetrive to cur e forthis country, if it could we.l the inftweice of her royal highness's kind and hence°• he shown that the advantage was not purchased by a &acre lent dispose ha (Hear, hear.) Nee of a portion of our naval supremacy, for he felt that if The motion woe then put and agreed to nein. con • this supremacy ware weakened, our foreign pretensions ECCLESIASTICAL COURTS. would slip through our lingers, and we should speedily sole In answer to a question put by Mr. A. 82ittegOaD, side into the punier, of a second or third rate power. Let Mr BOUVERIE stated it was his intention to proceed it never be forgotten how great was the interest here at stake. to-morrow (this day) with his motion on the subject of the The tonnage of the vessels engaged in our merchant traffic ecclesiastical courts. was not less than four millions of hundred weight ; the NAVIGATION LAWS. ra iler* who worked these nestle numbered no few er than Lord 0. BENTINCK, on presenting a petition of a body 230,000 ; the capital embarked in the trade was not leis of master mariners and seamen awaited any alteration of the than lerty millions sterling, while the trade immediately etisting navieation laws, said he felt it his duty to call the connected with the interest represented a capital of between attention of the right hon. gentleman in the chair to the sixteen and seventeen milliono. Ihe number of edemas em strong linguine in which the petition was couched. It corn- I ployeel in connexion with this interest was 80,000, whose m need with respectfully auhmitting too the house that, by wages amounted to no less than five millions sterling, the the measures now proposal by her Majesty's government, victualling of the ships occupying a sum of nine millions ster three-fourths of the 11 • h seamen now engaged in the fo- ling, and the annual freight carried bring not under thirty reign and colonial trade would he thrown out of employment millions sterling. lie begged, therefore, to move as an and driven to fall back upon the coasting trade—that amendment " That it is essential to the national interesu this would reduce the wages of the seamen in that trade— of this country to maintain the fundamental principles of the and the result would be that they would have to seek the existing navigation laws, subject to such modifications as te a toetion of foreign countries. The petitioned then stated may he best calculated to obviate any proved inconvenience tht it could not be expected tint if this country withdrew to the commerce of the United Knutdom and its dependent from them its protection, and drove them into the service of Mee. without danger to our maritime strength." foreign nation., that they should hereof er fight the battles Mr. LABOUC HERE said that haviog already of Englend, end they net it their duty to declare to th at plained the intentions of the government, he shouldc o nfine house that if by unjust and unpatriotic legislation they himself to a very few observations on the present occasion. should he driven to seek the shelter, support, and protection The question was whether the house would SHIM the of foreign couutrits, and under a foretgn flag, they should accent policy of England, or deviate from it to a very consider that country as their country, and that flag as their great extent. The amendment of the right bon. gentle flag, and that they will not consent hereafter to serve those man had very fairly put the question at issue before them. who had destroyed them against those is ho in the day of Ile ba d considered it tbe his duty to propose the their need had sheltered, protected, and Rumoured them. He measure now under consideration,and tie was prepared to (Lord G. Bentinek) had felt the, to be strong language, and stand by it. He had listened with great attention to the therefore put it to the Speaker whether, in his opinion, it right hon. gentlemen, but had failed to make out el. air coo • fit petition et he laid upon the table ? what he meant to propme. Ile had in one part of bisspeech The SPEAKER said that though the language was seemed disposed to alter the navigation laws—if foreign ne. strong, and adopted appsrently under feelings of some ex- 1 tinns would meet England halt-way. In another part he de citement, yet, as the petition was respectfully worded, he " eared it to be his opinion that the navigation laws, u l air as Saw no grounds for i - a rejection. the colonies were concerned, ought not to be relaxed, and On the motien that the Speaker an leave the chair, he supported Mr. liuskisvon's opinion in support of his Mr. HERM ES TOW to address the Moue, when views. But he (Mr. Labouchere) doubted whether, under Dr BOWKING rue to • point of order, and asked the the present circumstances, that statesman would have ad opinion of the Speaker whether it was competent for the 1 hered to what Mr. Burke had declared to be the paper chain right hon. gentleman to move the r e emsideratiun of the of the navigation laws. Various high authorities had question atter it had been disposed of to a committee of the otrongly recommended the relaxation of the navigation laws whole hnu.e ? in favour of the celonies, and recently Lord Harris had The SPEAKER decided that there was nothing informal distinctly eeclared for the abolition of the restrictions ins in the course whetted by the right lion gentleman. (Hear.) posed on the Wes Indies, by whit , means alone tney would Mr. II ERRIES then r. se, and said that he wi bed it had be en bled to supply themselves with free labour at mode fallen to the lot of some other person than hims e lf to address rate rates. But the fact was that the protection party in the the holm eon the mornebtousquestion which had been brought West Indies were afraid that if the navigation laws were before it and the country by her Siojestra government. lie given up, that party in the House of Commons would aban don tine!. came. lie was ashamed to take up the time of thought the rem. rnrnent would have adopted a wirer course if, Instead of moving resolutions in committee, they had the house in referring to ouch noted and toed argument., but they had been toned upon his attention. Were the brought betnre the house separately and distill, fly the peer sitions on which they intended to found en-tetments, fn or er Cando to he 'utilised flee views of one small *action of that the members of the house migte a bet able to espouu the colonise ? Whose r bad read Lord E:gin's admirable such of them as they agreed to, and oppos e t d e npatche on that subject would at once see the justice of as appeared to them not to be fit oubjects for legis- ocedeng what those colonists claimed —namely, freedom lotion. .The right Men. gentleman had, however, nroposed to compete with others in the carrying trade. It a sweeped and comprehensive reeolution accompanied by coy useless to contend any longer with the broad some muditicetions, not many hut important, and which they facts that stared them in the tea. Prussia had were lett to gather from the outsell of the minister who in- declared that she was willing to put herself upon an troduoed the sehjeet to the house. It was for this real oft equ lit with England, provided she bad a fair reciprocity particularly that he adopted the course he bad taken, with a allowed to her It was useless for England to contend any view of inducing the house to express an opinion in oppniii- long er for her . ehew Prisilee"• If he tnheeed that Eng tion to the sweeping proposition of the governmen and at land could not compete with foreign countries in respect .it the name time to give the country en assurance tha t , tthe great the commercial marine, he would then tremble for her supre and main principle of the navigation laws would not he e., macy . No m ivileges, no ezalustveness could preserve her tared. The right hon. gentleman having referred t o t h e *up, marl it her ships and her sailors were not able to do so. As for the United States, the facts of a few years last put appointment of the committee of that house on the navtga lion laws, said that as that committee had made nn report to the house the government ought to have proceeded to make farther ievestigetion on the subject before they proposed a would show that England could compete with them under the present system . He would merely cite a (ter bets to show the relative proportion of increase between the tnnnage measure involving such portentous results, especially as there of Great Britain and the United States, which was was not the shadow of a shade of any nee salty presaing upon obwrvable during the course of 19 years. He found that the them to bring it forward at the present moment . hear.) Another reuon which induced him to (h ti .l n r ii the subject forward was this, that the other house of pariament had adopted the wiser, the s der, and the morn constitutional course, Mine...time ing the subject. A portion of the evidence niece before that committee was be fore them, and it was of such a nature as to afford grounds to those who opposed the measure to moist in further precede or, at teem, to delay it. It was possible—nay, it was very probable—that their inquiry would lead to a result diametricelly oppos.to to that which hart been come to by her Majesty's government. (Hese hear ) tonnsge of American ships in the year 1827, was 1,621,000 whilst in 1846 it had increased to 2,562,000, showing an in crease of 941,000 tome The amount of British tonneme in 14427 was 2,460,000 ; in 1816, it was 3,817,000. showing an Merease in the same space of time of 1,365,000 tons, or 44 per cent. greater than thatof the American commercial navy within the same number of yeare. The number of Britten ships engaged in the trade of the United States in 1842 *bowed ate aggregate mount of 45,000 tone. In 1845 the tonnage had increased to 205,000, these being ships employed exclusively between the United States and England. But if he were to take the trade from all pore the increase would What was the plan of the government ? It professed t o be still greater, for it would show 766,700 tons in 1844 destroy the protection which had heretofore been given to against only 54,000 in Mt These facts were overwhelming, the British seaman and to British shipping, and even the ani they proved that even under the present trade with their own colonies. (Hear, hear., The c salting system the increase had been enormous. lie en trade was alone excepted. The right hon. gentleman tertained no fear of the competition which would alluded to their fisheries. He understood the right hon. gentleman to say that only certain fishing. grounds now esta blished by law would he protected, but that the produce of the deep sea fisheries would be admittee into this country in British or foreign ships. 1f that were so, it had nothing to do with the navigation laws. All mon ction was to be re moved, while the British seaman and British shipping were result from the attention of the navigation laws, fur it England could compete with America she would have still leas to tear from Sweden, Denmark , or Prussia. He would not enter into any further details. Those were subject matter for discussion in committee . The real question which the house had to decide wu whether the legislature would content itself wi h patek-work legislation, and It aye the great blot still to be expose d to all the onerous parts of of the navigation laws on the statute book, or whether the the navigation laws. They were left to bear the house was prepared to carry out the principles which it bad , heavy burdens imposed on them, not for any benefit . declared . to be the true basis of commerce. He had never lof their own but for national purpose., whilst that disguised the importance of the question to himself or the protection without which they could not bear these bur- house, and the amendment of the right hon. gentleman dens was to be removed. (Hear, hear.) He should be Put that subject fairly before the house. It leis motion much attonished if any parliament should be tuffteiently was carried it would be fatal to the views wt ice he enter unwise to pass such a measure. (Ilear, hear) The right tined , awl he should deeply regret it, for the time hon. gentleman said that this was a moat important mem- had arrived at which it was limes/eery to make a correspon- sure, and far more extensive than any preview' premeition dent alteration in the navigation laws to that which had I which hail been made at any time to parliament. That was been made in the commercial policy of the country. He I perfectly true. It was • mat impentant chin te, and no would not detain the house further. Tne details were, as he legislator, however free his opinions on the subject of trade had already said, subject matter for discussion in committee, generally, heel ever yet proposed the repeal of tete navigation and having stated his reasons for opposing the motion, he house. laws. Mr. Huskistion had never made any such proposition. should content himself with leaving it in the hands ot the But he thought that some strong anti urgent case of necessity would have b. esimade out for having recourse to • essere Mr. Alderman THOMPSON said that, in offering his oppo sition to the proposed alteration in the navigation laws, he Wall I involving such vital consequences —the weal or woe of Eng land. The right hon. gentleman, however. had stated nothing quite disinterested, as he neither paseessed any ships, nor did • to just il y a measure of this kind. The right hon. gentleman he represent any constituency that was engaged in maritime said that there was a premed on the part of some foreig n pursuits. The hon. member proceeded te contend that eh coun t r ies. From E ng d t h ere ~,,, none . (Ch eeri o - ''lt our legislation of late years on maritime affairs had tended did not exist. (He ir, hear.) The right hon. gentle- to give the foreigner an advantage over the British ship man said that there were emphatic applications from owner, inasmuch as that while the latter was hampered with three quarters from reused, America, mad eternities. all kind* of restrictions, the former heed every facility both in Now with what right er propriety could Prue& ship-building and manning his vessels, for working at rates come to this country to reek in a kind of menace which would be ruinous to his competitor. Even so late as for a repeal of the narication laws ? (Hear, hear.) Prue- 1844 we had passed an act, called the Merchant Seamen's sit came before them, alter having shown for 20 years or Act, by which several offences were created, and made mite more every dispositiun on our part to meet fairly and freely demeanors against the British shipowners , of which the the commer interests of Prussia. They . had entered into foreigner knew nothing. Having reel an extract from the treaties conce al Prusia, by which she derived great benefit act in question in proof of his assertion, the hon. member to that naval int erest which she was above all things concluded by expressing he intention of voting against the prtpaaition. desirous to foster. The tonnage of Prussia as against England Me "m eat was enormously increared. It had increased two or three Dr. BOWRING contended that, of late years, British fold, whilst the amount of British ships in the same trade shipping had not hat the worst in the race of competition bad diminished. (Hear, hear.) Ile was a party with Mr. 1 with American vessels, even in American ports, but rat re Huskisson to the treaties by which Prussia gamed those ad- especially in neutral markets. A voluminous paw vantages, and he never repented of the course he had taken, phlet had been printed and sent round to every because, whin they could promote trade a n d commerce by member of parliament, which he presumed contained mutual concessions, there the more stringent provisioos of the whon case of the protectionists, but, in his opinion, that I the navigation laws mittht be relaxed in favour of higher case was not at all satisfactorily made out. Among other considerations ( Hea r , here) But what right heal Prussia things is asserted that even it the repeal of the navigation to come to them at the close of this long reciproc a coin- laws lowered freight', the reduction of price tothe consumer pact, and to ask for more? What was tht ie in the would not necessarily follow. Surely every one at the pre. character of Prue , to (denten them from their propriety, sent day knew that prices were re gestated by supply and de- Or what teen hail the to insist on such an enormnus e mcee- mend, wed that any means by which the supply could be in. Mon as the abolition of their navigation 'swot What could crease must inevitably result in the reduction of prices. Prussia give them in enshange ? (Hear, hear.) By the last Adam Smith was also celled into the service of restriction, return which he could precuts he friend that Prussia took as having expressed an opinion that the navigation laws were only 500,0001. worth of their manufactures, whil s t they tools necessare for the maintenance of our navy. He bad a great produce to • much larger amount from Prussia. Of all the respect for many of the opinions of Adam Smith, but,on this powers of the continent it least became Prussia, which bad, question, the experience of subsequent years had proved as the principal state of the Zollventin, been carryin nan him to have formed on incorrect opinion. The He hoped that some better P aggressive policy ruttiest them by her high tariffs t o p make change now proposed was only the complement of revious alterations. The aim of • 1 recent commercial such a demand. (li at, hese.) grounds would be alle.ed to induce them to alter their nevi- legielation had been to cheapen the cost of transit. First of gation lawr, by means of which this country had heretofore - all canals had been encouraged, then railways, and tow the maintained her naval power, but which, he eelieved, if abe- repeal of the navigation laws would remove ail unnecessary (thed, would eink and decay. (Hese, hear.) But it was and artificial elements in the price of merchandise or manu said that America invited theta. Now, with all Fusible fat:tures as between producer and consumer. The naviga respect for America, he would say that it must be admitted tion laws appeared to hint to be founded on the perverse that America never made any proposition to &n ether Principle of pre-supposing that hostility among traders was state with regard to which America did not believe a necessary ingredient in their prosperity, and that when we that she would be greatly benefited. (Hear, hear ) diminished the prosperity of our neighbour we, in equal Their brethren on the other side of the Atl entie did not ratio, increase our own. But he hoped we bad now ar. want smartness when suoh propositions were to be made. rise' at a period when such doctrines would be scouted out America end that she would abolish err navigation laws if of parliament, when it would be conceded that the prosperity we abolish( d ours. But America could give lie no equiva. of our neighbour was not onl consistent with, but highly lent advantage for the benefit which she would obt-in by prometive of, the commercial advantage of our own conntry. the aheliiion of our navi2ation leen. (Hear, hear.) Where One di lusien uncle r which the gentlemen who opposed the were her colonies ? She had none. It America were so de- government proposition seemed to labour was, that the ship- ;o7; per • becaus p I set ace accurdin any amo minister log with form. n cut dii as posai' ruin ha , Mr. k aiseusse Ist ul Ji tb..ubch • India e be a` , le morrow latent w bare • served quer in Mr. but he would Lod go on which ame..d chair. tint , a stated and h right he we B ink supp Eire. Span &bat Muni pied that early • from 10.. year the Mou fur t M said vast Mr. TO the A anti owners represented the commerce of this country. Nothing and after that that there was a rapid increas e ,until in Igoe , i d t o w u bast thelso pe ab r a ce ity nt o . f l t a b r e g e . r b i th p. a b l ii i d n en lB2 . 3 . , 4 thP rOv 7hw ed .h'uloe th i7 a l t oer. - t - h:s could scents lts is moo employed by uhf undid . merchant h e e y ba we rn re in m u e f. re c l t y we th , e : o n; t that trai, a i t of their goods, and had no more claim to represent this country to compete with foreigners. Ole ' , - b 4er Fs :: the interests of commerce than the carter who was employed the house see the difference between the int ac t ear.' skip upon the road. (Hear, hear.) As to the affecting pictures built then and now. In 1811,1822, 1823, the ;l er a 1...4 6 ,.. - "." which had been drawn of the ruin to be expected from the the alteration of the law by Mr. Huakision, - the m sO . 17 6 ,0,„ repeal of these laws, he did not attach much value to them. amounted i i Monza. to 74,0 N, 78,000, and Wow , n ri,,,,,..." oca lb4 this and t these did i,o T t b i e n e cluile ts etea ciea nt r is y li p i Similar predictions had been indulged in with respect to 'he , a th e three years 1864, 1845, 1816, the y ounted ' "- 'o.onrr ors-laws, and the house was aware to what extent they bad 203,000, and 223,000 tons. (Hear, hear.) lie mus r°ls e se ,„: c be b e a n ng fa c tifi t e b t ex T te h n e t ta a c n t ti w , i a p s a , t t e li d a , t o i l t e h g e is r la b t , i r on o produced r n a e a v: i r ,,,ttb n t . homes of the country. It was quite fair that the shipowner had been no decline in the power of the ship m O. - shouldhavethePrivile goof building hisehipe wherever he could to sail vessels, nor the thip•builders to build Ow th - ses -- get the work done cheapest ; but he (Dr. Barring) did not in competition with the continent, They fear that ultimately he would have to go abroad fir that pur. that the reciprocity acts of 1813 greatly benefited were told pee. lie thought that once exposed to competition the Engiish shipping. lo order to test their e ffect b tee British ithipowner would find the way to build shits as they ought to take the whole of the shippinitpr* e r rho oe u t t cheaply as his foreign rivals. (Hear, hear.) Th • mw as one seta and for some years sobsequently. In 18 1 0 pri o r to „. - .7.), portion of these resolutions of which he disapproved, and ships entered outwards fur those countries with e ' l3 --,„--; that was the power of reprisal given to the Qaesn in council. had treaties of reciprocity amounted in tonna which we that thought that we should endeavour to teach tenure which in 1846 had increased to 1,129,000 tons. If g w e e to r 6 1... 2 .1 nations by our example, and not by any return te a nitric- to the trade of the whole world it would be found tha e t re fe t , tive policy, which es . a general p alley ho hail condemned. had been a large and rapid increase over foreignslop e, - Having read an extract from the Louden pe , ition in favour In 1824, the fi -st year of Mr. Huskimon's law, to of the abolitien of commercial restrictions, the le,n. member British shipping entered outwards was upwards of 3,000 000 concluded by saying t .at the public bad come to the seine that of shipping was 1,325,000. In 1816 the foreign tipping conclusion conclusion on this question as upon the corn laws. namely, had increased to 3,327,000, or more than 100 per te nt l';`-` that the most expedient course would be the imm, diute red that of Great Britain bad increased to upwards rent. ' of 8600 000 i total aboli ion of all restrictions on commercial transit. (Cheers.) In 1826 the foreign shipping represented pet Mr. BAILLIE (Inverna as ) admitted that the navigation cent. of the whole shipping employed ; in 1846, 4° '- law was to a certain extent injurious to the made and c ire- standing the demand occasioned by the transinisi re n irh ' mercer of the country, as were all laws which tended to restrict foreign grain, foreign shipping was only 41 per cent- of rt the tree interchange of commodities between nations. Thu, whole. Therefore, whether with regard to them con ° th e : harbour and light dues were to a certain extent injurieus to with which we had treaties of reciprocity, or otherwise, arr .,. trade ; but the question was whether the advontag , a derived had as yet no reason to be alarmed by the su o o , - I y commerce from harhoure and :ights did nut more . than British ship builders or owners were unable P to 'u lap - o - e couraerhalatme the restrictions occasioned by those ilaararr ? with foreigners. Much had been said on the subject Co o f o ur dealing with thin question there were tr./ pOhta I. con colonies. It was a purpose opinion that our colooie: e se sider-first, the efficts of the propene:4 change maintained for the of securing a market t w o o . on the culon.sl polic y . of the empire; secondly, manufactures and • large trade for our commercial or ' - its effect on our shipping and commercial interests. But that was a fallacy which could be explained by facts. • With n geed to the first question, they must inquire whether 1820 he quantity of thippirot which leftour por awu 1, 119, In the colonies contributed to the power and weieh of the tons. Of that 746,000 went to our colonies , and 803,e0r mother country, or whether they were in, re Carl, appen neutral countries. In 1816 the colonial trade, chieflyo f t he dopes, maintaieed at a met expense, and centributino East Indies and Australi e, had increased from 7 - 46,000 to nottaiog to the general and permanent weal , h and prune rite. 1,276,000 tons ; while the trade to neutral countries had of the empire ? He conceived that the latter view must h increased from 802,000 to 2,711,000 tons, being an increase that entert iined, if not by the noble lord, at I, nut by a majo- of 110 per cent. on our colonial trade, bar of M e ray of the government, insomuch as all their measure s hail cent. on our trade to neutral countries. (Hear, h par I tended to lead the colonies to look to the connexion with the If the government of this country could rem est. ' ove the rank. mother countzy to one from which they were heeceforth to dons under which the colonies laboured, by enabling there deuce no advantage ; and by the measure now propneed to employ lumber chips from North Am riea, to bring Ot t o goverument were aunt to tell them that they were to bane produce to this country, a great benefit would be confined no favour or protection for their ships in our harbeure IN r upon them ; and it the manufacturers here cou.d send oat other countries, and that, in return, we would no longer de- their goods by those ships, on their return voyage, mend from them any favour or protection for our ships in cheaper rate than at present, a benefit would be conferred, their ports over those of other nations. Now, if these not merely on the British manufacturer, hut also won so were the views of ministers and of parliament, he the industrious classes who were dependent upon hie efforts, would ask for what purpose was it that we were (Cheers) The b-it. gentleman who had last addremee the incurring a large annual expenditure in providing for house had ale, alluded to the effects which the imposed the maintenance aid d' fence of our colonies 1 (11e ar, hear ) alterations would have upon the East India shipping b e . Take the case of the Calandra. We had accorded to them a longing to Britielli au rchents. Now, he (Mr. Wils o n) sp. cons titution which established their indeperidence-th, it prahended that nothing would be held to he of greater ad. government being now responsible only to the colonial vantage to this country than to adopt any m esas, legislature. Carry this law, and would nut the C madams be by which East India cotton could be imported and just as useful to the mother country Hallo formed one of the made available for manufacture arid consumption mates of the American union ? (Hear, hear.) That heino in ths country. (Hear, bear.) Hence he thought the facts the case, how long did they suppose the people of this he had mentioned were sufficient to establish the position be country would consent to he taxed for the maintenance and took -namely, that there was nothing in the tree trade Fee defence of that colony 1 'l eke another case. By a series of ciples which had yet been extended towards the Danglem unwise and impolitic measures, having deprived the We at laws to lead the house to doubt that the Brandi ship wmr India colonies of the labour they formerly possesse , l, we had and ship-builder was able to compete with toreigners, OT to prevented their obtaining labour tram countries front whence induce the b-lief that the shipping inte rest ought to be el it might he procured, and having reduced those colonie a could be an exc. ptiose to other matters to whin free beds to a state bordering on ruin we now intimated to them principles had been applied. This 'wombs him to Adam that there was no greater advantage to the people of Eng- Smith's ehjections to the navigation laws. If he had shoes land in drawing produce from those islands than in drawing that free trade had sti.uulated the abipowner and the ship. it from Cuba and the Hazes, and that henceforward we builder, and that competition acted upn them as it Mel were to ehtain what we required ii the cheapest market aid upon every other chain-if he hied proved that free trade bad give no tanner or protecticto to our colonies whatsoever, de- tetided nut to the diminution but the Mclean of Break mending nn the other hand, no favour or prof mien from shipping, then he had proved that the national defences thins. Would any one contend that, under such Mecum. were maintained and ready to be so. He found that la stoners, the possismon of the West Ineiet would be of any the year 1820, the whole o. the British Mkrehlat benefit to this country-or rather, would any one conteud ships employed 130,000 men, while in 181 G the Zola that they would not be an immense and us. less but den ta ber employed under the new principle of action amounted us ? Ile, for one, would say that if such was to be the future to 230,000 men. And, seedy, this large number of mm policy ot the country, he would be no party to tax the people from which strength might be drawn rendered the royal of England to maintain colonies, which minieters by nave safer from want of hands in time of need. Than, be their measures had ruined, destroyed, and rendered thought. these tuts must remove any doubts which MO radars to them. (Hear, beer.) To show that this exist as or the alteration in he navigation laws endangering was not mere idle declamation, but that it was a the national defences. (Hear, hear.) But there usu. feeling vrhich obtained to a great extent, be would read a other censideration which had been very much overlooked resolution come to by the West India Association i f Liver- in the coarse of thin i deate, and that was that since Mr, pool, in which they said it was impossible for the Wi at Huskisson tad introduce d his policy-a police which bed India colonies to continue the production of auger and coffee liven allowed by successive governments, and lastly cured on terms of equal competition with foreigners, and that the T into execution in ma by the rti cle right hon b a aronet, th demand sedan. to the crown to n lease them from their present unprofitable aumption in this country, he in(Mr. Wilson', asked if an il. allegiance,•in order that they might attach themselves to crease had not taken place foreign shipping, how it wall a tale other country that would extend to them the rotec- have been possible to have brought to this oatsco the Ls lion of a parent state. Thai was important, as s h own ng creased quantities of the raw materials ufsetan togatht the West India inferno telt that they might be drivi n which tier been imported within tee last 20 years. Darim eek from the United States that protection which that period the whole object and intention of legitimate was so cruelly denied to them by England. He was anxious (as especially during the latt seven years) had hex ts that the people of England should fairly understand increase the quantity of the imports and expro. If that what must be the effect of these measures as term 'ed the was the object, then it would ha been necessary to Meese colo? because if then they supported the governm nt the amount of British shipping ; and he coati:tied the it in them they would have themselves alone to blame. Ile would not have been wed to divert, by high mutate". would now inquire as to what must he the a fl, et on our pital to the shipping trade when capital was scarce for other shipping interest. The right hon. gentleman, when he purposes to wince it coirld he better directed. In 11323ths brought forward these resolutions, admitted tbat the power quantity of sheep's wool brought into this coney en and greatness of this country depended on the maintenance 19,000,000 lbs. ; last year it was 62,000.000 lbs. (Mesas of her commercial marine , it followed, therefore, that any wool, in 1823, there had been imported 169,000,0001 M; h measure which was calculated to weaken the coramercial me- 1817 it amounted to 473,000,000 lbs. 01 sugar the ineet rine of Enghted and strengthen that of the Uuited States in 1823 were 210,000 tuns ; in 1847 it wan 4100 A would be injurious to us in the some proportion as it was ad- tons : while of wheat the importation in 1823 mad vantageous to our rivals. He would take that admiseion as 449,000 qrs., while last year it was 2,950,000 qrs. Tit granted. Now, what was promisee to the people of showed the necessity for foreige ship. to bring thew nem England in the way of compensation for this injury A %trials to thh country. If, however, the sh.ppum interest d reduction in freights. (Hear.) And they had hi en told that Great Britain could compete successfully with that d that reeuction would not be less than one million annu dly. foreign nations in some respects, there war reard Admitting the currectoem of that estimate, for the take of countries in the latter had greater success. He bed t argument, it was because he believed the iiiterest of the return from Rio Janeiro, showing the number of sheen. Selfish shipowner was the interest of the whole people, that tered from that port in 1845. They were 571 in number, he was prepared to maintain that interest, even at .he cost and of those 84 were British ships. And where did they go of a million • year. (Hear, hear.) But how was this ad- to ? Not home, but with cargoes to all the lonia curare vantage of reduced freight to be obtained ? By the employ- in the world, in open competition with the chips of TM*. meat of foreign ships. (Her.) But, as we gave employ. Prussia, and other nations. Only 20 came to the pond meat to foreign ships, we must disle our own ships Liverpool, and the rest went to foreign ports. He was have Wein re ) They could not employ f o r eign ships without ever sorry to fi nd from accounts he had remind during the tnrowing British ships out of enaploynaent. Take the case of past week, oft a complaints had been made against them the British West Indies. He was ready to admit that the eying trade this country. This had been referred to is navigation laws actedunfeirlytothe colonial interest-(minis- the consular returns quoted by his right hon. frieaddis teriel cheers), but that injury, he believed , had been President of the Board of Tra de. His right hoc. Mites much exaggerated-(hear, heary-for the colonists, feeling statement on a former evening had been correherated bye how mainly they w , re mewed, had natu rally enough exag- letter he (Mr. Wilson) had received from a highly roped. Iterated the evil which those laws entailed en them. (Hear.) able house at Rio Janeiro, dated the Ist of An') lot, and l'he British West ladies were suppli.d with lumber to the stating that while foreign ships were getting might at 50e, extent of 140,000 tons a veer by means of American shipping. 5.55., and 60s. for coffee, and though there were 21 Eagliali Under the present laws those ships could not take back car- ships of 12 years stanaieg. they ware unable to get charmed goes of sugar to British ports, and were in consequence often in consequence of the character of their captains for tereles obliged to leave the West Indian ports in ballast. If those nese, and for the bed manner in which they disdinted laws were r. pealed, they might take in cargoes of sugar or their cargoes. (" Hear," and via of " No, no.") ether produce for Worth ports at a reduced rate of freight- letter was corroborated by a document which had hem age. And, suppose that 60,000 tons of American shipping stuck up one day last week at Lloyd's, hut which hod hea should yearly take in cargoes for British ports in this way, taken down by a member of the committee of Lloyd's. there could be no doubt that 50,000 tons et British shipping However, there now remained the great question as to would be thus thrown out of employment. But that shipping, in which a great variety of aped° , s were tete would not be the only evil. These vessels would endeavour rained by gentlemen of very high authority. Macy thought to obtain return cargoes from the British ports rather than that the principles of reciprocity first adopted by Mr. Sae return empty, and u they would take freights at a lower kitson should be the principle now to be followed. lie rate than British ships it toll Owed that much more English differed from that opinion. If free trade was good to this shipping would be thrown eta of employment. Mr. Alwyn, country, it was well to make other nations adopt it. P! in the statement he had sent round to members of the house, rigat hon. gentleman the member for Oxford (Mr. Oleo said that hie firm, which hau been tor many yearsstone), had admitted that in 1844 and 1845 the thee. coma weed with the continent, could at any time charter Ame- talent had done all in their power to induce foreign omega+o rican ship" from European ports to Calcutta at 41. 10e. a ton, to join them in arts of reciprocity ; hut their /writer: el which was 20e. a ton less than he would have to pay that effort would prevent them adoptiag again that mw! for British shipping ; and he added that the am - of policy, for alter long negociations the elf ots had roes 'petition of foreign ships in the East India and China futile. He, therefore, thought it was quite right to urglatM trade acted lower the freight of British ships and adoption of the principles of free trade, for it was be throw the m out of employment. That American ship- set en example to induce that adoption than to sunateal ping would compete with us successfully in the China enter upon any treaties of reciprocity. On that ground o w aed East India carrying trade which we now had in our thought the plan proposed by his right hon. friend (Id hands, there could be no doubt. There was one trade, and Labouchere) t reemus more successful than if his temeted one trade only, in which we had been competing fairly had rested upon procity treaties. (Hear, bear) flat far 25 years with the United States, and in which no favour gentlemen opposite hail cheered when he (Mr. Wilson)!I had been shown to either art ; and what had been the re. referred to the succe of free tree.. It was uite maws sult ? The total destructi o n o f t hat trade as far as England nobody could deny i ss O the present moqment thews! was cncerned, aad the triumph of the Unted States. e mercial teress ot his country were suffering under re! trade o he alluded to was i the South Sea i whale fishery- Th a pleasure and t reduc t tion of and that there !! trade requiring mush whet, able and energetic seamen, been a tiob u tt the usual demands for Bee! and a trade cMculated theorist the best school for the navy- manufacturto ; he would ask those hommur England had all the advantages of capital and sailors gentlemen who had cheered, what would have bees tos had not tee ready at hand - yet what had been the result ? condition of this country if free-trade principles . , , In 1821 the number of American ships employed was under adopted ? (Hear, hear.) Look at other crouton's, mee 90, the seamen, 2,900. On the let of January, 1846, the was matter of the greatest wonder and surprise that Tie! number of ships had increased to 737, the number a f officers should have been able to pass through the ordeal of d fredo . and seamen to upwards of 20,000. Well, the number of and distress to which she had recently been messed ; (lilt! British ships in the same period engaged in the whale hear.) It was painful to refer to the condition f ,eetr: fishery was in 1821, 2 , 15, and of seamen, 11,900, whereas in bouring states, in which monopoly and restriction Uee!! 1848 the vessels were only 61 and the seamen 2,630. Thus adhered to with the utmoet tenacity, hut he NW cosh"! had we been utterly driven out of this trade. If he was that had it not been for the immures carried by the efl right in asserting, as hr did, that b y this measure a certain hon. baronet (Sir R. l'ecl) during the last seven yam , ' reads egg* number of British vessels would be put out of emment, sufferings of thh country would have been R . ~ and American vessels substituted in their place ;f l it would vated, and he, for one, entertained the %tamest hoPel o r; lead to a decrease of our commercial marine, and the sepa- those measures, when fairly and fully developed , sto°'" e __,,, ration of our colonies; hose who proposed it would have found to contain in them the germs of great and fan lese justly incurred the indation of the people of this country, pertly. Allem, hear )cuts bit whose teteresta would be sacrificed, without the prospect of MrDRU tIMOND mid he wished to ha up any adequate remuneration. (Hear, hear.) opinions on this question, though it was not hit intestoo- Mr. J. WILSON considered that the [amendment moved embusses the government by giving a hostile in .1 if. was the proper one to bring the whole question before present occasion . in the first place, he oiru e ed h ot ': the house ; and that question he looked upon to be, whether astonished that it should he proposed by the i t r rrn , P we were premed to carry out the principle of free Ueda to one fell swoop to carry oft all the code of law s i Ole i chipping. To the theory of Adam s Smith he opposed the navigation which had been passed from t he re% experience of the last twenty years. Adam Smith, in treat- Richard 11. down to the present time-lau note sero ing of the question, freely admitted that, if the shipping Once, hut developed are after age. It was said. g t h t i a could be built, manned, and carried on cheaper in other proposal was only another development of the ICI . !O; countries, it would be the policy of this to maintain its tree trade. Many hon. members might know _ he lie,, defences. If that were the cue he should be prepared to meant by that conventional term, bat he know Mi assent to the doctrine of Adam Smith, that our political a loss to comprehend it. He knew that T h or , , . defences most be maintained in preference to our heaved on one aide, and Lancashire on the ot _ ,,, e ,roß;ri commercial superiority : Bat Adam Smith had over- something great was expected to bed rodu I 0 °`. ej o e looked a great princtple-naniely, that free trade not of Trade lent ite obstetric aid, and the Fa in tetw oo .) only introduced cheaper commodities from abroad, but a was ready to attend the bant li ng. (" Rear," se a d, ll ll.l larger and cheaper production at home, causing an increase) lie knew also the dogma promulgated in to t Ti 5 ,.. 70. power of competition with foreign countries. Surely if the buying in the cheapest and selling in the dearest ,,, th e 0. partial free trade measures of Mr. Huskisson had had that that it wth contended that ry such a t ; ,'':,..e effect we had encouragement to go on in the same direction. tional defences, navel and military, were to u : The question was in reality one of facts. In 1823 Mr. lins- suc h w also that the saga of ages bad pro e no tee'l: kisson first proposed the amelioration of the navigation laws, u " Know thy:wit,' t' Pieature is he greer. , ' o r; if in order to avert the difficulties and dangers arising on " Virtue is the greatest good ;" but the simple d o n i t7 s. . every side ; and what, be would ask, had been the state of the free trade dogma wee "Buy fora Pul"Y the PO °. our shipping then and since 1 For several years prior to the pound." f " Hear," and laughter.) This was eo. ~ , ,dos act of 1823 it had been in a declining state. From 1817 to on which the government had founded this m , y fel 00. 1823 the amount of tonnage of the United Kingdom only ground furnished for it to-night was, that ig e r 4 e. " . - es gradually declined from 2,623,000 toper 2,506,000 ; where- tiou cochineal could be got at a mu a th . ete r s t ,„ L''„„,o 0 as nom 1823 it had gradually ieased, until in doubt that this country was now in ellil o r, 5 -- - se re 1846 it was no less than 3,817,000. (Hear, hear) that in which she stood at the end of the war, :K en _ . if, then, it happened that in our strongest gaveled herself, but olso inn spect of °there , ' _l' m lt d Aso state ot' monopoly our shipping trade was in a el,:cliniug Mete, and it was wise ice Mr. lluskoson, Mr. 11 ell to Jo too& It w tb• mo th th w them for I war gam soot leer ( The: the oil the anu brat COP the . tin Tll4 tr ena art irb •b St iv