The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1849-03-06 00:00:00

icl, lo t h . 1848, ,f articles • e :otl,ie DM and (3' lIV I]IIP E ETING ntereStilc,g3,4' G 4 1 , 10 OOL o x OF THE INHABITANTS OF ). Tiles. LAWs T HE SUBJECT OF THE NAVI 1r bustle•d o r , 0. ! Th • stand°, r ,,i l ir 4 4 inn i NaY la s t h• ----- ,pidly o r " d' • t se uell tlai re ' Is:Worship the Mayor, in pursuance a in bfle f h or er t e h ' e s Lbject the ...1 i l zet:th °f e Ite lat os Lutol.sitico(l,sicdoenrayteinoend Mrs. eel! Zrel, the c o t Biding, Su e . Peal of the INT,lvigation Laws. The meet- The Er, 1 ., t h' Lo a „ bwas the for one o'clock at the Sessions re. fol,fie, t h e e' effore that period, tone, in cnnsequence I s the ..f -er a i, , - ,, ey t` , P ' Ike 1 h 1' °.. t he Cord servan - 0 ,Id a e ievm edera Assoclat:on, as was eeessarl' eet io*en. kee. at C i . 2, and in pursuance of placards soliciting n air r n a i t ---4 ith reive o'clock, the place of meeting was het, lliot•ars e ass 6 Iter a l e ' l le; clk e el oar'kiatio sense of the word-by the adherents P"P Fs' A tt . dock cu .' the lutnpers and unemployed idlers etters care i i f ' , act C :,t4l, at ', i 'l.-V I S ; and the only bustling people on ay _.‘ , It 51 ': othe lt.ti:m ' 1 I its precincts, were the rump of the have f r e se s,i i latlytt.of th ° e a s ° a P rr o l i k A . _ , ssociatir' , Messr. C. Rawlins kc., 0 ,..,, t i 0 t!, k o le . 0 With _ p Loney, with notes in hand, and proau . . e n ril. , f meetin s Lech. At a quarter of an hour before the abte n 9 1 gk V " 9 tab ere ' r Per r , g, a large body of the ship-carpenters, ,g frOln , , •tiOi l l s L s, and others most materially interested 41 ' rend ac otes ° eonsidczed, approached the place of e st r of tae y n a_ t iled with a band and banners ; and a ar e r ,., ‘. were never seen in any town, nor whose . d Aft, "i'e worth f 1 ) ' ~ a l : r Proeen,. round tie attentien of ihe legisla kl 'aees•A Rule Britannia," the Exchange square, the 0 'iti ore u,le Britannia," the procession proceeded At 0 : 3 0 tomi'yuithe Sessions -house, which it was soon ~ i tiop s , ) , 0 ea Tenuate to hold a quarter of them. 1,, 'ag e 'olise, a "is Worship the Mayor entered the 00 L ho Poii ti r , ~„nd took his seat on the bench. After r 4 If v I. °lvn clerk to read the requisition call ated 141 to ' ie to ., wi th „ c onvene the meeting, and being made ,its , t ' r , to eo the fact that the Sessions-house was .rt• • ~, ,in othe r tain the assemblage wishful to be pre ',..f , ;etlvitali, jirn!orcls, a Town's Meeting upon a sub e sa th Vo the rtant, he at once announced an ad 1J Ip o y kost l ephitheatre to half-past one o'clock. '• "steed that of those intending to be present it was „th an ad • tl t, at b y lournment would be imperative, we t In tea. ~,Inest it was expected to be into the Ex -01 t '4 be ; I " announcement of the Amphitheatre, •• ,14l'ehforesr'eleple?.ces in the town for such a meeting, 0 , h a d oav ever ved as a gratifying circumstance. It 1 .1 b e Pack ed :, 11 0t to be relished by the Free-traders, ~,, tb eeea O,e Sessions-house ; and it will accord v,, ..sing 7 eLit au,. their originall intended ruse frus- V , 4 miserable figure enough. r ;5 4 1 the Aall entrance, with some dificult to the V n Phitheatre, we found the hou y se filling 1. t), aa a efore Is e PPea ra , and during the proceedings, it pre tlattion o n ce such as we never before experienced .Illi tra I v anublic meeting in Liverpool. On ti ' Dow c noticed 1 ,, ;4 0 a the bulk of our leading merchants , di e m , N of all grades of politics, the hacks of the ji tr I l i p l th fe atu P r a e rtY o alone, not . shewing their faces. A . 4 ae ss e AI., tne meeting took place when his th e p :"Yor entered, accompained by his Royal l! , ha t ,ueer u , ' l nce of Orange, on whose recognition a li 'Q 11. 48 raised, which - gave' evident satisfaction to t• i l ksa h!Oaness ela is t t, , and for which he requested the Mayor "arika h k that ft ' his . • ail ,in Pening the business, explained to the , xpr e ,position as chairman, he should de ,,.;,. _ i rl ' 4 4 ,.th e ",., s u 'ell si. nf the opinions he personally enter , 4. Lls a t i l l a e ..ion, and concluded by expressing his g', 4 1? '' P thaes+ion, a fair hearing should be given to every 1i,,,a , k , v , ~• , 41, ' Qs . NO th e ~RAND proposed the first resolution, '; ' a ' o l f e tat o Tners will be found in an advertisement. 1 b a h ad lately been so much occupied with r • et ° 1 d calest* 1 ,,, sti ease, had ic and painful nature, that he would ', , w h _to lii m ". ' some one else proposed the motion ° ' boo e a l i ", out he could not, for one moment, he ed 1,0 of re d on to raise his voice. however weak, in. ,!:‘, 1 4 p te q ,,, hr e a . exte . extension of a system which he con . af te'at s,„"' ruin already on so many, and which, slide a con I,estion seemed to threaten the best inte r' e had .ritry Ii; ' ,`, Int r . kc eers). The President of the Board. A i oduced a bill, which he had specially en- Pat iii t ,5.),,,,1 t r ,"„arnend the laws in force for the encou . '''ora 4 l ,!o) w er t"sh shipping and navigation." If he P f ' sh t :"te f ei , e 7 to give it a name, it would be, " A bill .' kpi/1g fe !, ll ,' shipping, and almost substitute fo tilheb ellee rs.x r those of our own country." (Hear, 4 V had , For it at once conveyed all the privi aAs So l on sli e r Who, g contended for to others-it repealed sad 'Ors f ' had been established by the wisdom of a mus es r the encouragement of British naviga f: e s oa r w hich our commercial marine had flou 'lNee, It ga , v 13 .. 1 supremacy had been established in 1 to . , t: , ty e re as a F all our colonies and dependencies over isua at , Illeri e ree gift, and left nothing to tell of the n evvaa e s• at . It ' l ced in gaining them but debt of 800 lande d d ' , b ru e a gav ethe - • a 'e - • h ilt th 'at p In up without asking for reciprocity. we st! 4 t at ower was retained to recall those privi unate''e at o pY th e Mever bell t y e p would never be used. It would be it is „ k J, , h e , am ,Zrelgn Secretary too little a thing to go to produl;4' h e ar). -4 . .;'. whole would therefore, be a free gift bo-:'. ! i:' 14 en 'l' net had been 'the cause of this ? Had IY, ( 1: , ~ ~ ..,n b . e rare „ ti , '. t o `Oile s 'iressure from without ? Thev had not .nfatlAe!'' th r ‘ the r "" the House of Commons loaded with pe nt 0 t ' • 9' e l e : tkad re of the navigation laws. They were unes ce , } rt ' t . the,,, d hee ti tilr eats from Prussia, that the Board of ell 5 l i e 7 f 'lad eo 'PPrised of what Russia might do, and h of t „.so l . N o they h tll Plaints from Canada and the West In and ' e. tPr I N 4 , iud• ad not had complaints from Canada and 0! i i 5 ,0 les h e _, sca n° ~'lt 0 ,1 of i _. should wonder indeed. They had had i n a 1 'llikst!. their put upon them, and in the, des -01 t ete l ae 1 c ircumstances they had entreated that rs q r ' e t,., 1 , t e a ce t i e a d v `is !night be repealed. But if this mea •e-0' te, ,as C lio e 0 them to-morrow, all the benefits they . " P " t 9 • t''' th ' r tno the repeal of the navigation laws , inf o O r i(e el ''a itt by ilOth' ,be 0 • ei, yr, ing, for they would be equally par c.,-to aw l • set that Meech razil. Those who read Mr. a. ,e ~.. . zu wouldd atV, ' c o k e si reapth e „ see that the cry from Canada rid e &eould not get cheap sugar or molasses lar ., e n h d .pri,,,k e. , su u and Demerara, but that they could ' cu ,ite" . , ~ or ,il lie sagas from Cuba, where an opposition had in to 11 0 3 . j i .e Nc el tese al our own colonies. Another evil of the the 0 , e t , 0 fo r e. was that the building yards would be 1 OO • ' ,l (4 4 as gn ho h e co t li , th o ne w , , . would). The measure he hav lrig„ I to th e r aeet ,_roch not meet with the appro ung. jtte io , t'lle pe e e e e Jog, and he therefore proposed a reso ..s paP, it, elti Bh W as _ca . ,. that the measure introduced by Mr. : 1 1(1 r IC, ~ ,I . I. the y and directly calculated to in- The 1 1 6 0 : ''l t h Toa t 7 and navigation (loud cheers.) .t i t t h e v e t aotin... 7ho was received with loud cheers, wile nal, , t and i e tit 't s 'on o a l etne""„ He said that when he contem td t i lia ere wo o' the fabric which the measure of Lend"' el l 1 , 0 0 O at reCki es ui,d destroy, he was lost in amaze ' : 1 • t e r e ' for two oaring. (Cheers.) When he con -14.an.10t , ,°! a 1 our ela ° hundred years, these laws had been - 0 .0 4 reln i ?Jaz 00 ritime affairs,-that the greatest and 'e,s t he c' e , .t,,' of tillei r „ i ll 's° of British statesmen had stamped T n ot t n o , , 0 1 la, ,Islii a ;,,PProval,-that the names of Chatham, a i ;" rou ,,,ba jo i t 4:1:e ) w Wb e ' r .' , were identified with them-he was elf. J •, a dad ° , ' a s he who now steps forth and pro a c ore!",, 1,7, 1 10,1 y ," nd foresight of these statesmen to he t 0 k :llsi at . In t 'lld delusion ? (Loud cheers.) Has eO s cl•• • ) 41q I, t t ath co ho b e , t k ., a sk ta cos me upon earth, and find we it in un 0 , .Who , f p , i lires of the present government ? " ellxg(irteiitife •' - ‘ ' ) li r 1 4 ,t 1 sh e o n w d ri s r foes, if ever there was a govern cooe,l.Ai4 it J o g i . k ecie rage less wisdom in propounding mea ,litect,., , , t L t be nd co gs 1n carrying them out ? Had there __ re s,. ,', 4 l ia erl 4 e _l'lz , ehensive system of state policy ff tes , r y Nqi at fld t o 'ostant scene-shifting, from coercion 'lbis Ky. - , l s id ini,,,it concession on the other ? (Cheers.) „ :04 01 1 ,,,, '44 1 5 4 4 ` 1, 1 a a y " . ? . _ was the measure based ? Let any 1 1 ,i str et4 I, ee B th at „Iv,nether it would warrant any such i e. ° ° f th e '!l2 s oa s u % IT C' s r• Labouchere had arrived at. It ro t a s ''4 h alre Y that no one could be deceived by 1 Pr ( e ) ; PO! 4 4 1 ', , e11 ( 1 4 e :e b e e : 4 111 11 not have been based on it ; his n at , ' a i . ~ 1; 1 13 ,7,0 w as made up to attack these laws be )reillu ' -rit l , e el 'ifiaa i f .gtven. (Tremendous cheers.) He cao tr9;,, , ai et , . ~,,ntry hadhi these laws had been in ope ell Olt' ~ t 7,1 5 4 ,41 , ,i`, 4 e a _! not been steadily advancing in _0 ,i 4,,_ a e „ i r,,„Ky, indeed, of any system of legisla- I s e s fi n oe lle r t i t, `',t l s_ t\ e 4 r s a 3 4 i l t o. 2 if it had not borne good fruits ; - - C‘ot vast had not done so, when they con a re o l ',,!' , ro, 4 l44 ell sea the tnercantile marine, and beheld in ers , 1 0 or ha i s hat e) ---_, I , flag of England floating on the pre , el' -, l lotnve 1 1 1 ;lere an o they knew that had it not 0 , ‘, l 44 een tile marine the navy of England It tile, v , .1t411: terigilaihedeffitheioently manned,. that their fleets the o f, i k t aat ud e uiph aat se glorious victories which first lou se , t 1 , - , N 0 41 , veo tuan career of Napoleon (continued ace,l",,, kit 4 ex , _ey s _ y restored the peace of Europe? Iw o I!ti,:rit o re' . the map of the world-behold ob oe oi r t 4 t l a) ~ ..91 e D oor do - minions-our vast carrying ;a W e l'' di t 'ver e whi c h E ast Indies, China, South America, litre, --,'• w st ont i. 'e t o purpose throwing open, and bo trtik , .., t t ,,q. th e i r r eeeive in return ? Foreign coun oa st ) 1 ;4,4 lti lt lic 4 : . ir , 010 POwer to give us an equivalent. Core e ,Nk t ' r k r) 4et'ro'..,?lad io r lies - where their dominions ? t he ler,i ti oo 9 4 i?eS'i,7 1 0T1 of Ving in the East Indies, in one barr_l Yr 4 ~eti ~, arc ')° o Toseels - Aint..,,L4 A.:rut-10; lati dePJ 1 1 'Is e "11 4t " 11 1' s hi, any- " Now, supposing," said ver br /itt : tai 4 , th e ' , 70 11 1, P,e, mutually, as cheaply one as ~e of rf tilt °tip are ,half - ,Pe the result ? We should gain • #,,,,,,.._ .rsultcal..2isaif of the the American trade, and they 11 , 01 4 51 I'th i of Ves, w u ours ; that was, they would take [ up oi v r e il t t,l ili ti t o i ,Il j l it t tri a e 4 l.ll Y . 20 of theirs." What would &i ts 4 . ) ., 1„ 8 v ide ,t 4O avin , g £5OO and his neighbour tlsn, n t t i;Tora• c i , t , , I, i', B e ) iit ti oa e y st ' ur :ould say, " Divide with me, ina. de ,tA t • • •?,,Wth 4 11 _ to gain. with you!" They had every ,c , o) " t ~Jua ttt tes°t rath er Was this a system of libe filet ii st iblY: 44 'in d it °ll rce er one of prodi ality-a wanton ``. .1 -1 tlt a s S Ciftl' g. It „F 01 of ; i ,a tne ,_ lis great empire ? (Cheers.) 7b dis" ~ N' t os ~ci1 )41, , w as v,Ture fraught with danger the ii A 5 thrtoly 15 4 h ° ld Of ood • $l l3 k'rizi e • bel. II th e g , called for by no t )le it , e sli l. , ir it ie,,,,, Part of the nation ; opposed, v liF•5 l , . 4 44 4 0() ;rest s ", to • the wishes, as he was sure . it 5111, . h 5 % 0 : 1 1N' _c'f the nation. (Cheers.) Mr. )rd kvit',y,,A,,,,t evils, I._el eloquent speech by 'lf the • • ' P ire on ; f l eX.Pri r l a ioN e a navigation laws were i ft 1 it7l clid r i I Ille f '° 5 *..til t tS 4 WS fo rward a rie,pi.,4e t o t ~ 4 11 Of j , otlgh t, , to propose an amendment. d foWio t , t qiip e olb er tisti ce t he said, to he founded upon 11 9 • 5 iirar t i', °oit,, kr otl th a t oa r ° ,,a. 11 . These laws had not in waa iroat 1 It lb. cod `gat ~ - ships. According to Porter's t ')•,., ' as ~tje prey e , beg ef f . e• i l qh,!, wit , Boo S, out. s l i !IS to 1820, the first year of ar e ":tej i l t lltP l as kilc r e ° a ' ° ° o t or , ll P ) ?ing had been declining. p 0,0 if% r l Ith of baset la : i lew A,, - ;:s ; r ill 1823, 2,500 000 tons. bef, fi iC x.)` l p h d De r - ' hee n - i." O , Registry was ' assed t o f t lje:3N Vo r 4tw cent I .rom 2 600,000 t0 p 3,800,00 e 0 tO 81/14 t '44 11 8 ard s , • while the ' • ? ii 4 1, ~rki_ , ~, . „_ l. L a d „ ere entire tonnage entered e 55• 0e 01/7 , 11, , r , !i t1 . 44 :ilillieeilllakrnt:" " a i e o d rt. from 4,000,000 to y giveionnof increasedt} ii this was in e at t ir e i i , - % 41 1 1) 0 01. Uavip. a e,rtaini ;gtl), 0 0 7of 1. (1 see t gler e 4 o 7l laws then had nether ac r i e l : „ l ie Ahtb n !tuaN? tb e aWn fro ' the number of ships. V • • l a t lio ''',l/1e t `j t at s} w i lt i m 4 ght n :; 1 the merchant to the e ? :s 'l the ir art f y i th e kt hi lo tt , A ‘- ,. a n urse r - ase could be made out in n ti- sat ti si ii 44' ‘b at •est i , i Y for seamen. He was for °•-• o r . 1 , ti i t 14,1 Y soy oni, cti ons ,Y, ir o lec t g4, k,- 4 11 1 a i rg e l . a A ta „) , Pen every trade. The "Von shipbuilders, but on countries furnishing some statistics „ : - 41 5 ,Neitk, 4 - 11 t q 4 ,), he s°jejgrl s tra t Aftw., , it hi 0 4 ict that ountries, as compared with oleidi till,. 41, ilid a f oot upon ~, ver might be the com -0 Nr a a h 4 tiur I.OI Y 4t Whate when the agri rr e. °v i l ,l 4 ,_t f' l ',. l. , I) )t h , p h t pt b i l e rer wet !: t e hat, now xposed to foreign com tY.,/ to r ' l4 r, ~v t l el / 4 1 _ at l ,l ° _ ll . t.oetrihdtqed that the ' 3r b te ,o t . a % , e f ree shipowner was i St fi rade rule. The duty W k ., tit:l:4o,l rt f hl as it was, was no argu ic- Ard with .ne navigation law. The . unnatience, concluded by lesdaY , j!.; factol ink, l3l b d for the mging to us of ? ' pro Per ; l e who alm or t of Dt) firOniC s ; ty .-- 0 1 0 Iring tile r ed scio - to Jf j, of the led 2 0 r (7 ,, Thf the fu ry ': foe' The , ieflY °l, o `) d tos°", - et id fe3"-!,-41 &c' elr t! t the at he ' Till LiVIRPOOt STLArkilt proposing the amendment s ....-for which see advertisement. ventured to disturb the mee ti ng t hi s d ay. D i d they know Mr. F. BOULT seconded the a mendment. He had had that from 17s. to 255. a mon th, never exceed i ng the latter, vessels of all countries consigned iso him, and he found were the wages of foreign seamen, whilst those of the this country could now produce ship, taking quality for British seamen were a b ou t £3 per month?, (Cries of quality, as cheap as any nation on the fat.' of. the earth, " No, no, £2 55.") Th ey were so on the east coast ; he cared not where it was. (Much f a t arein son.) This but were they £2 or £3, or whatever they were, to.:. be they would come do wn t o 25 5 . if t h e N av i gat i on Laws instilled into their minds, had no real found a tion in t a fear of foreign competition, whi c h wa s att e mpte o : et. were repealed. (Hea r , h ear .) I t was est i mated that the It evinced a mean, contemptible, and unworthy opinion maintenance of a British seaman cost at l east one sh i ll i ng of their own skill and industry, of the resources , capital, p ,7 da y , whil st the cost for feeding a foreign seaman was and science of this great country, which he for one should little more than half as much. There was no doubt those be sorry to participate in. It was an established fact that from the Baltic only cost about sixpence per day. (Hear, British labour was the cheapest labour in the world—that hear, hear.) He wished to demonstrate that there was 1 quantity for quantity, and quality for quality, there were not a single point on which Messrs. Rawlins and Boult no men to be found on the face of the earth that could had built their visionary structure which would afford it a turn out work equal to Englishmen. (Cheers.) All re- moment's resting place. But, said Free Traders, the strictions, he contended, were impolitic. The first mea- foreigners carry more men : again this is an error, for a sure which they ought to have proposed was to take off return of 1847, from the custom-house entries of the all restrictions and liabilities from the shipowner and ship- kingdom, shew that most of the reciprocity countries — builder. It was unfair to expose them to a competition to that Prussia, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Finland, which they were unaccustomed, and at the same time to carry a certain per centage fewer men than the British ; keep on the duties on foreign timber: and the restrictions that the Dutch and French generally carry more, and also on manning their ships, which were preposterous and an- the Americans in certain trades. And yet, a s we h ave tiquated, and ought to have been swept away long ago. seen, with cheaper bails ships, manned and fed at half the They had no need to fear competition. price of British, had the two gentlemen from the platform Mr. MATHER, from the north, then presented himself demanded that British ships should compete with them. amidst loud cheers, for the purpose of supporting the (Cheers.) That you should expose to destruction the original motion. When the cheering had subsided, he British commercial marine—the ruin of her many said, it would require but a few minutes of their time to thousand families—and risk the safety of this great refute the principal observations made by the two pre- state on such rediculous assumptions as they, visionary ceding speakers against the Navigation Laws—the palla- theorists, have this day placed before the meeting. dium of England, her freedom and independence. (Ap- (Loud cheers.) Whenever the foreigner appeared, the plause.) With solemn gravity they had laid it down as a British would be inevitably driven out of the market. maxim that one general principle must be applied to all. (Hear, hear.) These present laws were enacted with all Like all men with one idea they could not comprehend their stringency against the Dutch—the representative of another; they could not comprehend that the marl- whom we had the honour of seeing at the meeting that time interest of England—her supremacy at sea—her vast day—(cheers)—when his gallant ancestors and country colonial empires —the peaceful defence of the leading state fought so bravely against Britain, covering the two coun in the world's history, formed a general principle enough, tries with renown for the supremacy of the sea. and one, too, of the highest, without referring it to that of These very Navigation Laws, and these alone, had en a lesser nature. (Loud applause.) These new philoso- abled us to abide the giant contest. (Loud cheers.) phers, these beings of the hour, who float like bubbles on He hoped that that gentleman might not behold the the surface of society to sink speedily, and be no more throes of their destruction, but that the prince might see seen or heardsofr-preaumesl-to-be-ita-beaccma.- - • . - to - day Tie spirit of British seamen—and in that meeting modesty proportioned to their value, they set their crude the representative and reflection of the opinion and de fancies in competition with the opinions of the wisest termination of the British people. (Continued cheering.) statesmen that this country had ever produced, and the The MAYOR then put the amendment to the meeting. experience of a history of 500 years. (Applause.) The Only about a score of hands were held up in its favour. Navigation Laws originated not in the time of the Com. These were hastily raised, and from the hooting with monwealth, but so far back as the time of Richard 11, which those who held them up were assailed, they were 500 years ago, when, to counteract the selfish mercantile as speedily lowered. The original motion was carried by spirit then in existence which employed cheap foreign ships an overwhelming majority. The Mayor (laughing) said in preference to British, it was enacted that no British he was unable to tell what the majority was, but declared merchandise should be imported or exported in any but a it carried. The announcement was received with tremen- British bottom under penalty of forfeiture of ship and dous cheering, clapping of hands, and waving of hats and cargo. And this has formed in all the Navigation Laws handkerchiefs. from that period down to that of the Commonwealth and Mr. W. R. COULBURNE proposed the second resolution. Charles 11, now in existence, the basis and the principle. The more he reflected on the resolution, the more (Applause.) Whilst the Navigation Laws had been sus- strongly was he impressed with the conviction that the tained, the commercial marine had prospered, the navy advocates of the bill, and Mr. Labouchere, were bound to was strong, and the country was great and glorious, (hear.) satisfy the people of this country that this measure would When they had been departed from the navy became weak not tend to diminish that naval superiority which ren and the country was subject even to insult and invasion. dered England the arbiter of Europe. He had listened (Cheers.) In the contests of the Roses, this law of with the greatest care and attention to the honourable Richard 11. had fallen into disuse, been so modified and gentlemen who moved the amendment, and it was not a evaded, that the foreign commercial marine became grea- matter of surprise that, in a large community like this, ter than the British, so that Henry VII. borrowing sixty two men should be found who differed from their neigh foreign ships invaded England, which not being able to hours, and that these two men should be so fond of man her navy, lost Richard 111. his crown and life. The hearing themselves speak that they would not keep away politic Henry, feeling that the same means which won a from the meeting. Mr. Labouchere, in introducing the crown in England could alone preserve it, in the very first measure, said that if the bill would tend to fritter away year of his reign re-enacted the old navigation laws. the commercial marine, every argument advanced for the (Applause.) And what said the wise Bacon of this very repeal of the Navigation Law should go for nothing. law—that Bacon, whom one of the learned gentlemen had Now, what tended to reduce freights reduced shipping. quoted, like the Devil quoting Scripture, against it—why, and was a permanent reduction of shipping, for capital he declared that it was enacted "to make the realm was only employed where there was a profit. If, on the potent by sea as well as by land." (Loud cheers.) other hand, the bill did not diminish freights, who would The learned gentleman did not tell you .that--it be benefited by the measure ? They ought to consider would not suit his one great universal principle. that the interest on which they were about to legisalate Neglected by Henry VIII., Edward VI., and Mary, the dealt with £48,569,000 a year, or a sum almost equal to wise Elizabeth and her patriotic ministers, the Walsing- the whole national expenditure. hams and Burleighs, felt the necessity of a strong com- Mr. GEORGE GRANT seconded the motion. After ex mercial marine; so strengthening the old law, they pressing the pleasure he felt at seeing so magnificent a decreed an addition, for " politic" purposes, as they meeting, he said they had heard a great deal about class, called it another " fish day" in the week, for her entire and they had also heard a great deal about the Navigation semi-Catholic people, to encourage the fisheries and make Laws being a restriction on the country for the benefit of British sailors—(hear, hear)—and what was the result ? a class, but he maintained that those interested were not Why, that when her country was threatened with invasion a class, but a mass. He should have thought that after by the then tremendous naval power of Spain, British the manner in which the public opinion was expressed fleets, manned by British seamen, for three days success- during the last session of parliament, that the ministers fully encountered it, till the winds of heaven completed might have paused a little, or so modified the bill as to re the destruction of the Armada. (Great applause.) Here move some of the chief objections made to it. But it was was England, as in the time of Buonaparte, saved by our not so. He objected to the measure on two great grounds. navy. But for it, deprived of Colonies, of commercial He had others, but he should confine himself to these. empires, and of position, England, cooped up in these The first was, that it gave all the advantages to foreign islands, would be reduced to a third-rate state. (Cheers.) ships, without one single proviso that we were to get any- This law, neglected by the early Stuarts, the stern thing in return. Its advocates called out for free trade, commonwealth with the iron-headed Cromwell arose, and, but free trade was that which entitled us to receive as well whatever he might be, he understood the material inte- as give. He considered that this bill gave the foreigner rests of England, and made her name respected through the power of taking our carrying trade, while, at the same the world, re-enacting in the spirit of Richard 11. the old time, the British shipowner would have to conduct his Navigation Law. (Hear, hear.) While the courtly own with the same restrictions as before (loud cheers.) Charles 11., though hating Cromwell with a perfect His next objection to the measure was, that it was not hatred, digging up his bones and exposing them to public called for by any public ,demonstration. It seemed to be scorn, yet (and be it spoken to the credit of his patriotism the working of some malignant spirit, which, having and wisdom) he repeated and strengthened the law of the rejoiced over the destruction of the colonies, and seen commonwealth—our present Navigation Laws. And with joy the impending destruction of their agricultural these laws of ages—making " the realm potent by sea," interest, now said, "do not leave any longer this last, this according to Bacon—" the wisest of all the commercial remaining interest with a little semblance of prosperity in regulations of England," according to Adam Smith, the it, whilst everything else is ruined." (Cheers.) The great free trade philosopher, who liked them best in more they gave this subject consideration, the more would their fullest stringency—these laws of statesmen, they be disposed to consider it a most dangerous experi sanctified by the experience of our whole history, ment. No doubt it would be said that the meeting was we must now, forsooth, abolish for an idle theory. packed ; but who had a better right to express their (Loud applause.) The gentlemen who had come to opinion on this subject than those most deeply interested ? such a meeting this day,—a meeting representing, he (Cheers.) would say, the national opinion upon the subject,—(loud The motion was then put to the meeting, and passed, cheers)—for the purpose of persuading them that these only three or four hands being held up against it. laws should be repealed, seemed quite ignorant of their Mr. Auctie proposed the third resolution, and in doing good effects. This glorious meeting was an answer in so congratulated the meeting on the cause which had led itself, representing, as it did, the genius of Britain, its to the adjournment, and the numbers in which they had firmness, penetration, and common sense ; such a meeting that day presented themselves, but above all he congratu he had never beheld since the time he had the honour of lated them on their intelligence, wealth, respectability, conducting 15,000 seamen last year to her Majesty. (Loud enthusiasm, and determination. (Applause.) He con cheers.) These laws, embodying the national will, pro- gratulated them that Liverpool was determined to resist duced the largest commercial marine in the world—their the suicidal measure proposed by the president of the purpose and object ; and we now had 230,000 British sea- Board of Trade. (Applause.) He was surprised that men, whose very existence placed the world under recog- some gentlemen, after seeing the feeling was so decidedly nizances to keep the peace. The first cannon-shot fired a ga i ns t t h em , s h ou ld h ave p ers i s ted in giving to the meet in hostility in Europe against our honour, interests, or ing little driblets or drops of free trade which did not ap integrity, and these 230,000 seamen would step from the ply to the question at all. It was not a free trade ques peaceful decks of our merchant ships to the armed decks tion merely, not a political question, but one which con of our men-of-war, and crush their country's enemies. cerned the defences of the nation. (Applause.) Mr. (Cheers.) That was something. But one of the gentle- Aikin next referred to what had been stated by a men who spoke in favour of the amendment had quoted gentleman who had preceded him, as to the evidence from a paper. He (Mr. Mather) knew that paper well ; given by Sir J. Stirling. That evidence, he contended, had the party been in possession of it, he would have was irrelavent, and did not bear upon the case. Mr. shown from it who was protected and who was not. That Boult admitted that Mr. Labouchere's bill should not paper, of false data, was got up by Mr. M`Gregor, of the be supported, because it was based on injustice to the Board of Trade. shipbuilder, by not removing the duties on timber ; but if Mr. BAWLINS.—I did not say "unprotected ;" I said those duties were removed to-morrow, the difficulty they "partially protected." complained of would not be obviated, as we should still as Mr. MATHER continued.—What were the States that an Island, be open to a most ruinous competition from gave the large amount of per centage—the " partially foreign nations. We could neither build ships nor provi protected" trades ? Why such states as Barbary, Fez, sion them at so low a rate as the foreigner, and, conse- Algiers, Turkey, Morocco, the South Sea Islands, Mexico, quently. would stand in a very disadvantageous position and China. (Laughter.) This gentleman says nothing in that respect. He had gone carefully through the evi of the complete protection we have in the law of nature, dente adduced before committees in parliament, in favour upwards of twenty, two-thirds of the 34 or 35 states of of the abrogation of the Navigation Laws : and the con that paper scarcely having a single ship to send to sea. viction had been forced upon him, that this, the most im- If such states as the kind described were removed from portant measure ever proposed to a British parliament, the list, it would be found that the greatest increase of was based upon the most flimsy and fragile arguments. per centage had been on the protected not on the par- He (Mr. Aikin) had deemed it his du:,y, since the last flails , protected trade. (Hear, hear.) The document had public meeting on the subject, to make many inquiries, been before analysed, and scattered to the winds, and even to read and reflect, looking upon the question in all its repealers now, except at Liverpool, were ashamed to refer bearings ; and the more he had done so the more had he to it. He would now shew the meeting that when we become convinced of the danger and the risk England had not been protected we had decreased our tonnage; would run from the adoption of the measure. (Applause.) when protected it increased. (Hear, hear.) The recipro- "We know, gentlemen, said Mr. Aikin in continuation, city treaties had been chiefly formed in 1824-5, with the " that very little is accomplished now-a-days without maritime powers of the Baltic, Prussia, Sweden, Norway, some degree of agitation ; and Ido assure you I know of Denmark, and the Hans Towns. These treaties broke no occupation on earth that would give me such pleasure as down the Navigation Laws, gave free trade in ships, with to go throughout the length and breadth of the land to those particular states, and what were the consequences agitate on this subject—feeling convinced that we have the after 24 years' experience ? At Elsinore, in passing the cause of truth, justice, and safety on our side ; and, that Sound, a registry is kept of British and Foreign—(their in making an appeal to the common sense of England, our own)—vessels trading with these States, which tells us cause would prevail. (Cheers.) But when ministers that previous to free trade with these States, on an aver- were told of such demonstrations as the present, and age of 1823-4, upwards of 4,200 British ships passed the when they knew that there was not a meeting called in Sound. Of course after 24 years' experience, with an in- any part of the country in support of the measure, he crease in our population, wants, and commerce, if free could not think that they would persist in it. (Cheers.) trade and reciprocity were beneficial, we should have a A repeal of the navigation laws would result in reducing great increase of British shipping here. (Hear, hear.) the rate of wages, and injuring the operative ship carpen- What was the fact ? Why, that instead of increasing, the ters, a most useful class of men ' • for it was not to be sup number had fallen down to 3,800 and odd—a decrease of posed but that merchants would have their vessels built nearly 400 ships. (Loud cries of hear.) And what was wherever they could get them done cheapest. If we took the consequence with regard to the Foreign shipping ? away protection from the British shipowners, it would had they decreased in proportion Yon shall hear. The cause an inferior class of vessels to be built. Mr. Atkin foreigners, before the reciprocity treaties, had little more next referred to the rate of insurance, which he showed, than 7,000 ships passing the Sound. They had now up- in case of a European war, must be greater on British wards of 12,000. (Loud cries of "hear.") The foreigner ships, in consequence of the risk, than upon those vessels nearly doubling his shipping by Free Trade with us—ours belonging to countries at a distance, not affected by the greatly decreasing. This was experiment enough to have operation of such disturbing causes. America, being at satisfied the wise statesmen who had addressed the meet- such a distance, would, in such a case, get the high rate ing, for an extension of the same ruinous system to all of freight for her vessels, while our own ships would be parts of the world. (Loud appjause.) The same prin- lying idle, simply because the former could take their ciples—the elements of cheapness, that had beaten you in cargoes at a lower rate, owing to the insurance, than our the Baltic, would beat you on the seas of the world. You own. (Cheers.) In what condition would England be have expanded your shipping in all other trades where in case of war, if the navigation laws were abrogated ? protection is afforded. With the United States, a reci- No man would, for the want of the requisite protection, procity country, though increased, it is not in the pro- ship his goods in a British vessel, and thus the large car portion. It is in the nature of things that competition rying trade we at present enjoy would be handed over with cheap building and cheap sailing nations should de- to the Americans. (Hear, hear.) It was too much the crease your shipping. But he felt he was standing too long case, in the present day, that every important question between their able and eloquent townsman and the meet- was frittered away into one of pounds, shilling, and pence; ing. (Cries of "Go on.") Well, how can you build as but was it right that we should, for the sake of cheapness, cheap ? You import their timber to build with, paying encourage foreign artisans and seamen, and discourage freight, and then a duty of 15s. per load, giving in ad- our own ? He thought that we could not (notwithstand dition to the cheap building abroad and the freight, a ing the Utopian fancies indulged in to the contrary) avoid premium to foreigners on a 400 ton ship, nearly £2OO, the risk of war ; and he was sure it would be found that and that isMr. Labouchere's and the British Government's the best way to protect ourselves from insult, was by be justice to British shipbuilders and shipowners. (Applause.) ing in a position to repel it. (Loud applause.) The While Mr. Labouchere states, as a compensation for the question involved so many considerations, that he urged timber duty, that the iron fastenings of the maritime the meeting to lock at it in all its bearings, and consider states of the Baltic are most exhorbitant, (having to im- the results which would be brought about by the proposed port their iron from Britain,) he says nothing of the bill. For his oan part, he contemplated the measure Swedish iron. Now, a report had lately been placed in his with alarm, and could not, on such an occasion, do other hands—a report by the present Government's own mining wise than enter his protest against a course of policy agent abroad, Mr. Tremanheere,—in which he states that which was fraught with danger and ruin to the best into- Scotch bar iron had been selling in the States of the Zoll- rests of the country. (Applause.) verein, on an average of years, at £3 17s. 6d. per ton, Mr. W. MANT seconded the resolution. He said, while the Prussian, of better quality, was £3 10s. 6d. per considering the lour and the crowded state of the build ton. (Hear, hear, and loud applause.) The gentleman ing, he was sure ae should consult their convenience by who had just spoken said, with a mighty flourish, that as briefly as possble seconding the resolution proposed by British skill, and the energy and industry of Englishmen, Mr. Alicia. But previous to doing so, he must enter his could do anything; and then he had turned round—what protest against tie question which had called them toge sailors would call " a round turn"—and had charged Bri- they being consieered other than as a national question. tish sailors and artisans with monstrous conduct, and slo- (Applause.) It vas not, he maintained, a class question, venly and disgraceful work, on board of ship and in port. it was a questiox which affected the welfare and the inte- Nor did he make any allowance for our sailors, after a rest of every mat who calls himself a Briton. (Cheers.) long voyage, com i ng h ome among st their families and And if there wasany class more especially interested than friends—flush of money, and with open hands and hearts another, it was tie man who earns his bread by the sweat —and not living, like the foreigner, upon sour crout, of his brow. (loud applause.) He had taken somelittle stork fish, and the like stuff. (Laughter and cheers,) trouble to be Me that he was right in opposing the repeal Change the system to the foreign one, as these ge,ntlemen of the Navigatic n Laws, and though he would not detain propose, and all that will be changed too. aughter.) the meeting, tip, w ou ld st a te a few facts proved on oath He did not know whether these gentlemen v ere aware before a eon - imitee of the House of Lords, and which of these facts. If they had, they would sVarcely have had not ho'on gtinsayed:—that the New York R 014.41141 of the first description were built in America at a cost of no more than £l5. 15s. per ton ; that vessels were pro duced in Russia at £4. 103. a ton less than similar vessels could be constructed for in this country, and that vessels might be procured in Sweden at something like £7. 13s. per ton. He asked any man at all conversant with the subject whether it was possible we could compete with vessels built on such terms. (Applause.) The next point to which he wished to call attention was that the repeal of the Navigation Laws was uncalled for by any portion of the British nation, except a miserable section of Free Traders. (Hear, hear, and loud applause.) In looking over the proceedings before the committee of the House of Lords, to which he had referred, he found that there were only seven gentlemen, in 1846, who were favourable to the repeal of those laws. (Hear,) The first was Mr. Porter. He came before the committee as connected with the Board of Trade, and therefore might be said to be one of the government itself; and he thought it "highly improbable that the Americans would interfere with our China trade ;" and when asked the question, was per fectly ignorant of the paper by Sir Henry Pottinger,which showed the extent of the American commerce there al ready. If ships, Mr. Porter was asked, could be built cheaper abroad, and seamen worked for lower wages, was it not clear that for British shipowners to compete, the seamen must submit to the same rate of wages and the same mode of living ? To that his answer was, " most certainly." (Hear.) Then, in stating the prices at which ships were built in this country, he had only been able to bring forward three instances. One of these was a vessel of 180 tons burden, whose' builder, he stated, was in diffi culties, and therefore he could not give the price—(laugh ter) ; the next was one of 535 tons, built at Dundee, for £l2. 2s. per ton, in 1824; the other cue, of 270 tons, built also in Dundee, for £l4. 2s. per ton ; but he gave no information whatever as to the price of foreign tonnage. (Hear.) The next gentleman was a foreigner, named Gustave Godefroy, who resides at Hamburgh, and owns 7,000 tons of foreign shipping, and he stated that " the building of ships for foreigners in England, in case the Navigation Laws were repealed, would be eminently profitable" (great laughter) ; and when asked why he did not now come here for his vessels, he said that he resided in Hamburgh. (Laughter.) He was asked to point out the advantage which England would derive from a repeal of the Navigation Laws, but he declined to answer that question." (Laughter.) The next gentleman who ap peared was a Mr. Allhausen, also a German, residing in England, who stated that he had shares in 18 or 20 foreign vessels, and he thought the repeal " would lower freights, but not lessen profits." (Laughter.) The next gentle man who appeared was a Mr. Mitchell, and his only com plaint was as to the incompetence of English captains. (Laughter, and " oh.") The next was a Mr. Wilson, a grocer of Sunderland, who said that in case the Naviga tion Laws were repealed, he should expect to see a line of British built packet-ships competing with those now plying between this port and New York. He said he liked Repeal, but would prefer reciprocity, and thought it would benecessary to enforceit, but being" a Friend,' "the military part of the question was rather out of his line." (Loud laughter.) The sixth gentleman was a Mr. Hall, a wharfinger in London ; he thought British ships could compete with any in the world, and that was all he said. (Laughter.) The seventh gentleman was a Mr. Minton, a native of New York, and he gave exceedingly fair and honest evidence. He stated that the best ships built in America cost £4 10s. a ton complete. He said that repairs in England were more expensive than repairs in America ; and that a second description of ship (that was not such a ship as the American liners) could be built in the States for from £ll to £l2 per ton. He had shown that in a comparatively short period the American tonnage had been doubled, and he thought it possible that nine-tenths of the goods which leave England for America go in Ame rican ships. (Hear, hear.) These were the only men who appeared in favour of the repeal of the Navigation Laws. On the other side, there were 39 gentlemen, all of whom strongly condemned any alteration. (Loud ap plause.) He (Mr. Mann) would just read to the meeting the evidence of one of the largest shipbuilders in Lon don, also given before that committee—that of Mr. Wi gram. He stated that " The admission of foreign-built ships would considerably decrease the number built in England, America and the European states building so much cheaper. I see, in the event of the repeal of the Navigation Laws—(and it should be recollected, said Mr. Mann, that he was the owner of one of the largest ship building yards on the banks of the Thames, and conse quently in England)—l see, in the event of the repeal of the Navigation Laws, it will be my interest to go to New York, and arrange for building there. I quite anticipate finding it my interest to induce one of my sons to proceed to America, and carry on the trade jointly with his bro ther here. Government has availed itself of the strength of private dock-yards when necessity arose, and has al ways obtained a supply of shipwrights from them. Any thing tending to reduce those establishments would mate rially weaken the naval force of this country, by depriving government of the power to provide the royal dock-yards with artizans in time of need." (Applause.) That was the evidence of Mr. Wigram, and he (Mr. Mann) thought that the truth of it must come home to every man who had not determinedly shut his eyes to facts. (Loud ap plause.) Mr. Mann dwelt particularly on this part of the subject, quoting in confirmation the opinion of Admiral Sir B. Martin, a sixteen years' comptroller of the navy. It was to the effect, that the mercantile marine was every thing to the navy, and without maintaining the Naviga tion Laws, he could not tell what we should do to main tain our naval supremacy, should such another emergency arise as that of 1814. Mr. Mann concluded ; I shall not detain you further, but I would say, let us beware of these free traders. (Loud cheers.) Mr. Cobden is en deavouring anxiously to reduce the army and navy of this country. And why ? In my humble opinion, because he finds, that after bringing about the injury he has done to the colonial interest, that they will be unable to pay their taxes. (Hear.) And he is now busy with the Na vigation Laws ; but I say, let us make the Navigation Laws our stand (cheers) ; let us be heard from this build ing, and I hope the sound will be caught up in every quarter of England, that the Navigation Laws shall not be repealed—(cheers)—that the agricultural interest shall, if it is found necessary be protected—renewed cheers) — that our colonies shall be maintained; and that we are prepared still to glory in the flag which has waved over us in our infancy, the "ships, the colonies, and the com merce of Great Britain." (Loud cheering, waving of hats, &c.) Gentlemen, it has been a hackneyed phrase, " Thank God that we have a House of Lords ;" and I say with reverence now, (it is the first time in public have uttered the sentiment), " Thank God we have a House of Lords." (Cheers.) 1 have no faith in the House of Commons—l have no faith in the government (applause) ; we may petition the House of Commons, we may petition the government, but my hope now is in the House of Lords, and if need be, I would petition, let me say, the Queen herself. (Applause.) Gentlemen, let not the effects of this meeting pass off as we pass out of these doors ; let us persevere, and in a honest and good cause we must succeed. (Loud cheering.) The resolution was put and carried unanimously, amidst the most vociferous approbation. Mr. J. B. YATES stepped forward to propose the next resolution. He said he held in his hands two petitions, one to the House of Commons, the other to the House of Lords, embodying the resolutions which they had unani mously passed that day; and he trusted that would satisfy their friend, Mr. Mann, that they did not place their sole reliance upon the House of Commons, whatever their merits or demerits might be, But before he read the pe titions, he wished (at the same time promising that es the day was far advanced he would not detain them long,) to address one word only on the subject of the misrepresen tations made by Mr. Labouchere and Mr. Ricardo, and he was sorry to say by one of the gentlemen who had ad dressed them, in bringing forward the amendment on the first resolution. Mr. Ricardo, in his speech to the House of Commons, in introducing this bill last year, stated in reference to the abolition of protection to the colonial trade, that the West Indian colonies had expressed their sentiments by addressing her Majesty and the legislature in favour of the abrogation of the Navigation Laws. He was sorry to say that in confirmation of that assertion, Mr. Labouchere had adduced the authority of,—whom did they imagine ? His main authority was Mr. Bryan Edwards, a gentleman who had been dead exactly fifty years—(roars of laughter)—and who published his cele brated work on the West Indies about fifty-five years ago. And what was at that period the state of things ? He (Mr. Yates) was ready to acknowledge, and he be lieved every gentleman would join him in acknowledging, that at that period the West Indies did labour under nume rous disadvantages and grievances in respect of lumber and provisions. -At that period they had it not in their power Lo make such importaions without previously ob taining the consent of his majesty in council. But about 1822, that was partially, and in 1843 he might say alto gether abolished. (Hear.) Was it, therefore, fair, candid, honourable, or just, that a minister of the crown should now come forward and adduce such an authority in favour of the injurious measure he is about to introduce. (Hear and applause.) Another argument he could not help ad verting to, was (and all this had reference to the colonial trade, in which he (Mr. Yates) had been engaged, man and boy, now nearly half a century,)—Mr. Labouchere, and Mi. Ricardo, his aide-de-camp, in this measure had stated that now that protection was abolished in reference to West Indian productions, or, at all events, that protec tion was going to be immediately finally abolished, it was proper that we should do, what ? Why, abolish all reason able and fair protection also to shipping ; for that the West Indians desire, now that they are not to have their produce protected, to have that produce conveyed to any part of the world they might choose as cheaply as possible. (Hear.) That was a singular argument : it was tantamount to this, that if a man came to him (Mr. Yates) on the highway, and took his purse, he should say, " I m going to take away your watch also, therefore I'll knock you down at once and demolish you." (Laughter and ap plause.) He (Mr. Yates) had to complain also that in regard to the actual strength of British shipping and Bri tish ship-building, we had not had the case fairly stated by the gentleman who moved the amendment. It ap peared to him (Mr. Yates) that the ship-builder had an equal right to have his manufacture fostered and encou raged as those engaged in any other branch of manufac ture. (Laud applause.) The vessels belonging to Great Britain in 1815, after the war terminated, till 1839, were of the aggregate tonnage of 2,400.000. It continued at that amount till about 1839. It then took a start, and arrived in 1845 to 3,123,000 tons. Again, the number of vessels built and registered in the United Kingdom in 1815 was 912; in the year 1839 the number was increased to 1278 ; and yet i n 1845 the number diminished again to 800 vessels, being actually a less number than there were twenty years before. The increase 'lithe colonies certainly was greater, and ho presumed it must have been up on th a t that the argument of Mr. Rawlins had been in some de gree founded. But still supposing it justly founded, that did not hold out a reason why we should abolish the living of the honest shipwright and artisan of our town and of other seaports, from whom it was more desirable that we should get our ships, than from people whet build ships in Canada or Nova Scotia. But even admitting that part of his argument to be fair, what was the actual increase was signed, it 600,000,000 lbs It it wa Pas in 1815 se of six times what it tak asked, was m it had adv 7 to repeat publicly what had wc,„: l d tell the m one bi t o f a bat it ight were now iri /,;ver. mination of the French vc Hear and applause.) so long ; but he w ned tai re taken frOn - that whi, catechism of the free t was sorry he had del:.. to say that his figures wel generally supposed to be the " Porter's Progress of the British and applause.) With regard Labouchere, after the derv,,.._ would be followed up by similar meetings in Other ports,) it was scarcely necessary to go further; bu could not permit, the opportunity to , go past without tieing the libels perpetrated by those men calling selves the British ministers, upon English seamen . artisans. They had raked together, it grieved him to sa [ad that I to hear tl, stration of that one of the most filthy evidence, from - various canti searched out all th , nce. se men e dirty channels a' reach, for the purpose of inventing a malignant libel. (Loud applause.) Those libels were brought forward both by Mr. Ricardo and Mr. Labouchere in the Commons. They stated that British ships were so badly navigated, that the insurance upon them was much higher than upon t seemed to have istituti e present day such of infatu- ere were various .esent in I ma: foreign ships, that room who were very conversant with insurances, and he would would ask them whether it was a truth or a falsehood? ation in tu,, _ ("It is false.") It was a notorious fact that British be done for the for ships were insured to and from all parts of the world at a God or of nature less premium than foreign ships. (Hear and applause.) j been s,;l Those ministers of the crown had also said tha' captains were drunken, ignorant, and incapable of con ducting their vessels from one port to another. (Hear. He and those about him who were shipowners, knee whether that was a truth or not. (Applause.) garded his own experience, for he had employed man) captains in his time, he could say that, on their return from voyages, they had often told him that they had met man, and next, to, with American captains, who had hailed them, who were cheers.) He looked upon this , as vastly out of their lon g it u d e as it was poss ibl e to b e. L a b ouc h ere ) as a most iniquitous niece. (Laughter and applause.) It was only in the course of to sap the very foundation of English supremai last year that one of his own ships fell in, off the coast of transfer the capital of this country to foreigner Ireland, with a - foreign - vessel from the. Mediterranean, he looked at the effect of this measure to laden with grain. His captain, thinking that the vesael anchormakers, to sailmakers, to all cc looked in a strange predicament, imagined she was de- ping, world they tell him he was not interested, serted by her captain and crew. Ho went on board the he was not a shipowner- (Great applause.) He vessel, and found hi 3 surmise was pe r f ec tly correc t. H e more : t h e agr i culturists and the town of Taunton,—mis therefore took possession of the vessel, to navigate her represented by Mr. Labouchere—(loud laughter and into the nearest port. There had been a gale; the Me- cheers)—had an interest in this question ; and if the men diterranean captain thought it was a hurricane, and, in a of Taunton possessed two grains of common sense the fit of terror, had deserted his ship, leaving the custody of would send him to the right about. (Laughter and cheers.) it, to whom did they imagine ?—to the Virgin Mary and How were we to protect our colonies but by to St. Anthony. (Laughter and loud applause.) To the And was it nothing that we should retain the Virgin Mary and St. Anthony, who were both seated, not been purchased at such an immense seer' in a living state, but in the character of images, in the and bloodshed ? (Loud cheers.) He cabin, with tapers burning before them ; and that was colonies as the lungs of the mother cot the way the foreign captain had allowed his ship to be destroyed these, they destroyed the breatl brought into port. (Loud laughter and applause.) He (Great applause.) It had been sa id " should conclude with one or two brief remarks. First, ,tinientality lotting g was to e law of It had •equirec our own country the late t British meeting t they v nild not Liowever, 1 r should interested y ; he ne of a ship. ne class of plause a As re- whole ; if the shipbu country became deer t of the n of the the mercantile e(1, who felt it first b :orkman dependent upon him. (Loud (the proposition Of Mr. ire—one calculated and to When nnected with ship- )ecause said ur navy which had 'nice of money d upon our entry, and if they of England, there was an attempt made by Mr. Labouchere to abo lish the system of apprentices altogether. In that the government appeared actually to be running from one extreme to the other. He (Mr. Yates) was old enough to remember the time when the taking of apprentices was the great grievance. Why ? Because the compulsion to take those apprentices was confined to West India ships. (Hear.) The system was now diffused over all the navi gation of the country : it was no grievance at all. But here was a government determined to abandon the sys ing improvements. He denied it. Our ships were found in almost every river of the globe, carrying the wealth of distant climes. But, to take a higher view of the matter, —it was something to convey the laws of England, the institutions of England, the religion of England to da r ke r regions. :(Immense cheering.) It had been said, " let us progress ;" but progression might be in the wrong as well as in the right direction. He must say—but perhaps he spoke with a political bias—(laughter)—that he distrusted the honesty of the present administration. (Cheers and ir capacity. Any man might tinker an edifice, but it required a master hand to touch the foundation. (Applause.) He had just as much faith in Sir Charles Wood, the Chancellor of the Exche quer—who scarcely knew that two sixpences made one shilling—(laughter) —as he had in the whole of the ministry. (Lond and prolonged applause.) One or two remarks had fallen from previous speakers with reference to America. That country had her protective system. It was true America had free trade within herself—in her combined states—and very properly so ; but had we free trade with her ? (Applause.) We received her corn and flour, and she taxed our earthenwares, our hardwares, and our yarns—(tremendous cheers) :—we levied an import duty, and she taxed our articles of production. (Applause.) The parallel which had been drawn would not hold good; and when gentlemen stood up and talked about America, let them tell the truth—the whole truth. (Cheers.) She had republicanism, and she had the bitter curse of slavery imposed upon her. (Great applause.) We possessed a monarchy, and a freedom of action and of speech. He could stand there, and denounce a ministry acting in a way detrimental to the people's interest, and leave the room without fear of being tarred and feathered after the most approved fashion. , (Laughter and cheers.) He then said, let him congratulate them, that whilst America was an aristocratic community, we had the benefit of being a monarchical republic. (Boisterous and prolonged ap plause.) It had been his painful position, in the exercise of that which he thought a public duty, to oppose some portion of the artisans upon questions always painful to him ; but whilst he had not shrunk from that which was right, he would never desert those from whom he had his bread, and with whom, in his earlier days, he had worked and toiled with pleasure. (Cheers.) He would never desert them, whether their opposition was against a mer chant, a government, or against the feelings of a whole nation. (Loud and prolonged applause.) They had been told that ships could be built cheaper at Stettin, Ham burgh, and Danzic. Was it not clear, then, that the ship wright, the ironmonger, the anchorsmith, the ropemaker, the sailmaker, and others connected with shipping, would be the losers, and that the matter would recoil upon every shopkeeper and tradesman in the land. (Loud applause.) It would run, like an electric shock, through the whole of society, and those who now advocated the scheme would rue the day when it was brought into operation. (Cheers.) Mr. Holme then, in severe terms, denounced the reci procity system, and his declamation was received with loud applause. From those very boards upon which he then stood, free-trade notions were perpetrated by the well-paid Mr. Cobden, who had found that agitation was more profitable than shipbuilding. (Laughter and cheers.) And we were now to follow up, for consistency's sake, the repeal of the Navigation Laws. If they did so, he could only say, with the verdict of a Welsh jury, in the case of the murder of a wife by her husband, "It served her right." (Continued laughter and applause.) One of the gentlemen who had spoken in favour of the amendment that day —a secretary to some of the political associations with which the country now teemed,—and it was the easiest thing in the world to legislate upon matters in which a man was not at all interested—had talked wonderously of class legislation—given a compliment to the aritisans of England, and had then attempted to knock them down. (Laughter and cheers.) Monopoly ! It was a fine word : but if P man honestly earned his bread, and established a reputation, did not these belong to him ? (Cheers.) They had been told of class legislation ! He declared he did not understand the term. They could not have it in this country. What affected the one did also the other. But there had been a sop thrown out to the shipowners : they were told they had better risk the consequences, and trust to after benefits. First of all, the gentlemen who had advocated this doctrine had said, that no one could com pete with an English workman. Well, then, if so, they robbed him of his character : let him enjoy the monopoly which by his skill, his science, and his industry, he had earned, and not lug in the foreigner by giving us cheap but bad ships. (Cheers and laughter.) He had lived long enough to know that whenever a man wanted a thing cheap, he wanted it either flimsy or nasty. (Laugh ter.) One of the speakers had said that he blushed for the workmen (shipbuilders) of England. Could he blush for those who had been the architects of the wooden bar riers upon which an invincible Nelson died, and a brave Howe fought? (Great applause.) Could he blush at seeing those splendid East Indiamen, bringing in their cargoes of sugar without one particle being damaged ? (Cheers.) It was a great misfortune when men would persist to talk upon sujects in which they had displayed the most profound ignorance. (Cheers and laughter.) Had the House of Commons pluck? (Laughter.) A good many of them were biassed and dared not give an honest opinion, and he.cordially agreed with a former speaker, and thanked God that we had a House of Lords. (much applause.) He did not think their petition would be available—it would fall upon ears always prejudiced, to men who dared not give an honest vote. (Hear, hear.) It would be for them (the meeting) to teach them a little common sense. They had a deliberative branch of the legislature —one of the glories of England, not biassed, as it was rightly termed, by the " pressure from without,' —men who had passed their apprenticeship in the House of Commons—and who could coolly and logically debate the matter,—to appeal to. The bill, before it became law, must have the scrutinising glance of a Stanley, the good sense of Lord Harrowby, and the keen searching glance of a Brougham applied to it. (Applause.) Mr. Holme concluded by moving a vote of thanks to the Mayor for his conduct in presiding. Mr. R. RANKIN seconded the motion. The motion was carried by deafening and prolonged applause. tem of rearing apprentices altogether, without giving any earthly reason that he could discover why that abandon ment should be made. (Hear, hear, and applause.) The taking of one apprentice for every 150 tons was no griev ance to the British shipowner. On the contrary, ap prentices could do many things which seamen could not, and if a ship was allowed to take a small number of ap prentices, the wages of seamen were saved. And he would appeal to any man of feeling whether he would shut out the school of knowledge to the youth of this country, especially the youth of the maritime classes.— (Applause.)—He contended that the system ought not to be abolished. The small number of apprentices which he and other shipowners had to take was no grievance at all : he, for his own part, was willing to submit to it, because he believed it to be for the good of the country. One more point it would be his duty to advert to. Mr. La bouchere, in his bill, which might be called "a bill of pains and penalties," proposed to deprive us of our Li verpool Seamen's Fund. It was perhaps not known to every one in that room, that there was a large amount laid up in. the bank for the widows and orphans of Liver pool seamen. This fund had been raised partly by a con tribution upon tonnage, and partly by voluntary subscrip tions. He thought it would be a most unjust thing to attempt to abolish such a fund as that, excepting on bet ter grounds than had been hitherto shown, and he trusted its abolition would be resisted by Liverpool, and by all the other ports. (Applause.) He should not detain them any longer, but would conclude by moving the adoption of the petitions, which he read ; that they be signed by the mayor, on behalf of the meeting, and that the members for the borough be requested to support the prayer of the one to be presented to the House of Com- mons, Mr. BROCKLEBANK seconded the resolution. He hoped they would unanimously agree that petitions should be presented to the legislature against the total repeal of the Navigation Laws. He thought that the expression of public opinion shown that day, and elsewhere, against Mr. Labouchere's pernicious bill,—pernicious he said, whether considered commercially or politically, would be the means of defeating it, if not in the present house of Com mons, in another. (Applause.) Mr. F. A. CLINT came forward to propose the next re solution. He quite agreed with Mr. Tobin that men of every variety of politics might oppose that most injurious measure of Mr. Labouchere. The question of our na tional defences, which took the present out of the cate gory of commercial questions, invited every class to come forward in defence of the Navigation Laws. (Applause.) If he could convince himself that Mr. Cobden s theory could be carried out, that war would cease, and that men would hereafter be united in the bonds of brotherhood, united by calico and other Manchester goods—(laughter) —he might take a different view of the question. But when he remembered that war still devastates the earth— that wars and rumours of wars were every day bursting upon our ears—when he recollected that only a year ago the whole continent was convulsed from one end to the other, he could not but think that Mr. Cobden's fancies of universal peace were the dreams of a heated imagina tion. (Applause.) It was upon the question of the naval defences that he supported the Navigation Laws—but in reference to the commercial part of it, he said he could not conceive a more silly and bungling bargain than would be made by Mr. Labouchere in repealing the laws and benefiting foreigners without receiving any advan tages from them in return. (Applause.) He could ima gine a case in which a carrying trade was conducted be tween A and B, in which both should have equal advan tage ; but when there were colonies in the question he could not see why A should say to B, I have a trade with colonies, which have cost me much blood and trea sure, here take a share of that. (Applause.) He could still less expect that A should throw open his arms to all his brothers in the alphabet, and say, here take all the advantages I have, and divide them among you. He could not conceive any commercial men guilty of such bungling as that. (Applause.) It had been stated in the House of Commons, this session, that the people of England were opposed, to the Navigation Laws : he be lieved, on the contrary, that if the whole of England were polled from one end to the other, there would be a ma jority in favour of the Navigation Laws. (Applause.) It was " a weak invention of the enemy," and could serve no purpose except to weaken his own cause. It could not be too much impressed upon that meeting that the first agitation for the repeal of those laws did not emanate from any member of government, but from Mr. Ricardo, the member for Stoke-upon-Trent, who, in debating the question, had infused into it a bitterness, which, however good it might be in the article that came from the Trent, was very ill-judged in dealing with so grave and momentous a question as that. Mr. Clint pro ceeded to hope that that meeting would originate such a feeling, and create such execration throughout the coun try, that ministers would not dare to lay violent hands on that fabric reared by our ancestors two centuries ago, and which had raised us so high in the scale of nations. The speaker, after a peroration setting forth the glory to which England had attained, and would yet attain, if she preserved her Navigation Laws, concluded, " We should be earnest in season and out of season to check this per nicious measure. I hope that our artizans and all will put their shoulders to the wheel, and stop a measure so fraught with danger to the interests of all." (Applause.) Mr. DUNCAN GIBE came forward to second the resolu tion. He said it would ill become him, after the able and eloquent speeches they had heard, at that advanced hour to detain them long. With respect to the question of the mighty arm of defence which the Navigation Laws afforded to this great nation, he wished to be allowed to notice that while they had been an arm of defence, they had been, along with another, the great arm of power to the nation : the ploughshares of England had been nearly destroyed, and they had been the next great arm of power in supporting the home trade. All our freightage, taken by the British flag throughout the world, had hitherto been expended in this country,—had gone to the shopkeepers here, and had caused a demand for the goods of Birmingham and Sheffield,—aye, and the muslin-de-laines of Manchester too, and had increased the demand for the manufactures of Cobden himself (laughter). These were views which would come home yet to him (Mr. Cobden), and other manufacturers, who would be the first to suffer from the free-trade movement which they themselves originated and assisted to carry into effect (hear, hear.) It had been the home trade which had caused the success of which these men now boasted. He would like much to meet Mr. Labouchere to catechise him a bit upon the matter, and if he should not be sent upon the deputation he would go himself (cheers and laughter). Mr. SAMUEL HOLME then presented himself, and was received with boisterous and prolonged applause. He said the business of the meeting being concluded, there was one duty yet to be performed, and he felt satisfied that if those two fragments of the Manchester League had re. mained in the building, even they would have joined in the subject of the motion he was about to propose, (hear.) It was much better to come in at the end of a feast than at the beginning of an affray—(laughter)—and he con fessed that to him it had been a rich intellectual feast to hear advanced those unanswerable statistical statements which had been laid before them. It was a source of pride and consolation to witness assembled such a meeting as that before him, and to hear the cheering burst of en. His Worship, in terse and appropriate remarks, replied to the compliment, and the meeting separated at five minutes to six o'clock. The Mayor of Shrewsbury will preside at the jubilee meeting in that town of the Christian Knowledge Society on Thursday. The Rev. G. Warr of this town is adver tised to be present._ MR. ROXBURGH'S PROPERTY CIRCULAR.—A contem porary describes this circular as " a striking piece of typo graphy, which includes a description of ninety-five speci mens of property in his hands. which must attract the attention of purchasers of every grade, from the thrifty tradesman to the wealthy capitalist." The circular is indeed " striking," and from a personal knowledge of Mr. Roxburgh's high respectability and excellent business habits, we can assure those who may do business with him, that they could not be in better hands. NOTES FOR ENGLISH CIRCULATION.—Under this sig nificant title Mr. Moody (admittedly the best comic vo calist of the day) gives an entertainment at the Concert Hall on Wednesday evening next. The name of Mr. Moody may not be generally known to a Liverpool au dience ; but his appearance at the Guardian Society's and the Mayor's Dinner to the Prince of orange has es. tablished for him a local reputation that cannot fail to en sure a first-rate audience. From our own knowledge of Mr. Moody's vocal abilities, in his peculiar line, we can not do less than strongly recommend those who wish an evening's enjoyment to attend. His happy imitations of the London actors, his fine mellow voice, and the truly characteristic humour he introduces, apparently without effort, into every song, give to his works novelty as well as originality. ~,,•INOMMllMllMMMMeMedramemotir.w.M.m.a.mini, —'.!.........M,. ` thusiasm whi c h h a d b een sent forth, because it was a sinde Mb. ' If we included the shipping built and regig , tered in Britl,l ,ll America, our tonnage had only increased p ,,,:00r that Englishmen possessed manly hands and manly one-third, Nocv compare that small advance with the heAN.' ; and would f ear l ess l y say to a ministry determined gone —we are deter m i ne d you s h all go no further. " advance that had ,taken place in other manufactures. He to War.: every class of th e commun i ty, " Thus far have could go to thl iron manufacture, and to various other you branches of trade, but would confine himself at pre- (Cheers.) Dj...ln the oc cas i on o f t h e late magnificent sent to the cotton manufacture. In 1814, the cotton soiree, whikt n the hospitable b oar d o f t h e i r worthy wool taken fdr consumption in Great Britain amounted mayor, he had bad tt,' pleasure of meet i ng w i th the two 4,. Kg /17 nnn 11 -..c —„-3...,.. ...F o.- 1„. ..,-. ...- h : and f1,,,,,,,i, I.- _.._„. ::- . :- 70TM —1.,.., 4.1,- 4----a- s 92,500,000 lbs being an incre Where, he OR? St were carri, population t period of un 3e ministry) 3n ; they wei to seek objects for it soul f ere was such a sicL when mer le play