The Express.
London, England, 1847-07-28 00:00:00

2

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LONDON,WEDNESDAY;JUL Y 28
Wiles the eagerness evinced in 1830 by the ten-
pounder class to obtain the franchise is remembered,
the indolent apathy with which so many of them in
1847 allow their toy to lie in the corner is rather sur-
prising. There are, for example, the great outports,
to say nothing of the port of London. At one, we
bare the electors standing by with their hands in
their pockets, listening
i to theological squabbles be-
tween the candidates ; n another they are quarrelling
with the candidate of some former election about un-
paid bills; some are sending lawyers to parliament, and
others railway contractors. To look at them, one
might fancy there was no such thing as an English
shipping interest in existence.
Yet, among the questions that will engage the
attention of the new parliament few equal in import-
ance those which must be entered upon respecting
shipping. The short-sighted individuals who take
up their stand upon the navigation laws in their pre-
sent form exult, because the committee appointed by
the House of Commons to inquire into them have
merely reported the evidence taken, without offering
any opinion upon it. These gentlemen are hallooing
before they are out of the wood. The navigation laws
cannot be continued in their present form. These laws
were part and parcel of our colonial system—the form
filled up by that system—to which it gave reality.
Our colonial commercial policy has been entirely
changed ; the old navigation laws cannot survive
it. Already the colonies have been in great part
emancipated from them ; the removal (in whole or in
part) of their monopoly of the mother country's
market rendered this inevitable; and now that the
colonies have been emancipated from the most stringent
provisions of the navigation laws, where is the
minister who will venture to re-enact them—to play
over again the game of GEORGE GRENVILLE'S stamp
act and tea duties? The merchants and manufacturers
of the old country are already beginning to ask for
concessions similar to those which have been made to
the colonies. The growing trade to the colonies, com-
pensating for the check imposed upon our foreign
trade by the navigation laws, alone rendered these
statutes endurable. The monopoly of the carrying
trade to the colonies having been abolished,
the monopoly of the carrying trade to and from
all countries must follow. Nay, in the bosom of the
shipping interest itself, classes are growing up whose
prosperity requires a modification of the navigation
laws. The companies, for example, who have estab-
lished steam-boats on continental rivers, and the ocean
steam companies, are constantly in danger of coming
into collision with the regulations imposed by these
laws. The whole condition of oar trade shows that a
revision of the statute of navigation cannot be far
distant ; and, to precipitate the movement, the Zollve-
rein unequivocally indicate it as the main obstacle to
the extension of unrestricted commercial relations
with us. Upon public opinion, in such a discon-
tented unsettled state, the facts established in
evidence before the committee, the opinions
thrown out by witnesses, will tell far more effectively
than the opinion of any committee. A thorough re-
vision, if not an entire abrogation, of the existing
navigation laws, in a few sessions at the farthest, is
as certain as that the corn law cannot be re-enacted.
What was incumbent upon the metropolitan dis-
tricts most immediately connected with the port of
London, and upon the outports, at this election, bad
they been true to themselves, was to have provided for
the return of men of comprehensive views and wide ex-
perience in all that relates to shipping. They ought
to have sought foe representatives, who, seeing the
irrevocable character of the free-trade legislation
of last session, and the certainty that the same policy
must be extended to the carrying trade, were so con-
versant with shipping matters as to be able to point
out how tho transition might be effected with the
least pressure, and what compensation could be
afforded in the form of remission of oppressive duties
or regulations; and who possessed clearness of concep-
tion, facility of expression, and all the earnestness of
conviction to lend force to their representatives.
Even such members of the port constituencies as may
dissent from these views—men who cannot learn frost
the universal professions that the late changes in our
commercial policy are not to be disturbed that we
have entered upon a new era in so far as trade is con-
cerned—ought, nevertheless, to be aware of the wide
field of usefulness open in the British House of Com-
mons for able and intelligent members, thoroughly
conversant with the affairs of oar commercial easy.
Is there not the Trinity House with its anoineloes
constitution to be reformed ? Is there not our whole
system of lighting, buoying, and beaconage, to be
improved? Are there not our oppressive light and
harbour dues to bo re-adjusted or abolished? Is there
not the question of harbours of refuge to be urged on ?
Yet the very constituencies whose prosperity—
whoee existence almost depends upon the satisfactory.
Deletion of such questions as we have been indicidang,
appear for the most part either to forget them, as to
pass them over as of secondary importance in testing
the capacity and principles of their candidates.
The number of British ships of the long voyage
that entered inwards or cleared outwards at the ports
of the United Kingdom in 1845. was 21,001 ; tin
number of foreign was 11,631. The aggregate tom
nage :of the former was 4,310,639 • of the latter,
1,735,079. Of these, 11,884 British vessels (mea-
suring 2,834,258 tons) and 6,526 foreign vessels
entered and cleared from the Thames, Humber, Mer-
sey, Clyde, and the port of Bristol alone. Of this
aggregate of shipping, 5,123 British vessels (mea-
suring 1,109,387 tons) and 2,439 foreign (measuring
393,104 tons) appertained to the port of London
alone. The remaining 6,752 British vessels (measuring
1,724,871 tons), and 4,087 foreign (measuring 862,105
tons) entered and cleared at six outports Liverpool,
Hull, Newcastle, Bristol, Greenock, and Glasgow. Of
the whole shipping employed in the foreign trade of
Great Britain in 1845, mere than one-half, if number is
taken into account, and upwards of two-thirds if
tonnage is considered, entered and cleared at the pet
of London and the six outports we have named. 'The
vessels entered and cleared at the six outporta consi-
derably exceed those of London in point of number,
and in respect of tonnage nearly double them.
We have, on a former occasion, commented on the
apathy regarding the vital practical questions of the
tames evinced by the metropolitan constituencies.
Next to London, in the deep Wake they have in the
prosperity of our commercial navy, and in the
knowledge they ought to have of its wants, are the
six outports named. To them, in an especial manner,
are all who take a pride and pleasure in our maritime
superiority entitled to look as the natural champions of
our shipping interests. How have they discharged
the duty on the present occasion ?
In Glasgow, it is true, we find Mr. Maeotteooit
spontaneously expressing liberal and matured views
of maritime policy; and at Greenock, Mr. DUNLOP
more guardedly expressing opinions nearly, similar.
But what is the spectacle presented at Hull, New-
castle, Bristol, and Liverpool ? Hull is about to
send to parliament a respectable lawyer, and a gen-
tleman who, at the last election, materially in-
jured the liberal cause by his uncalled-for tam-
pering with the old freemen interest, without
once asking them whether they know that England
has a commercial navy. Newcastle, we are told, is
to return a great railway potentate in the same easy
way. Bristol, in a similar humdrum fashion, will
return the nominee of Berkeley-castle, along with
a specimen of the almost obsolete country squire
of tho quite obsolete West India monopolist
combined . And lastly,
CANNING and
does not prefer
of MACKIVORTII,
fancies of Lord
cautious commercial
- find no bet-

ter representative of the out-and-out liberal now-
chants of Liverpool than a gentleman who, when
questioned as to tbo navigation laws, confeseee
that really he knows nothing about them, bat
that he will read the blue book on the subject as soon
as it appears.
We will not take upon us to assert that the non-'
electors would exercise the elective franchise better
than • great many who now possess it; but wo
entertain not the shadow of a doubt that they could
not by any possibility exercise it less to the purpose.

OP the many proposed financial reforms, none ap-
pow to be making greater progress in public opinion
than that which relates to the Excise. Various Eng-
lish correspondents in the malting and paper making
trades have of late called our attention to the subject,
and pointed to the organisation in Scotland as an ex-

ho Scottish movement had attracted our notice
before we received these communications. It is, in

fact, more matured, and has made greater progress
than our correspondents appear to be aware. They
know that there 13 a national association for the reform
of excise abuses, with a central committee in Edin-
burgh, and auxiliary associations for the west and other
districts of Scotland ; that a newspaper principally
devoted to the advocacy. of excise reforms, has been
started under the auspices of the association; and
that its members have, at most Scotch elections, been
actively pressing the candidates for explicit declara-
tions in their favour. They do not, however, seem to
be aware that the influence of the association is ex-
tensively felt in Ireland, and that the Irish and Scotch
trades subjected to the pressure of the excise may be
regarded as unanimous in their resolution to make a
vigorous simultaneous effort for relief. Will England
lag behind?
A series of resolutions, prepared by the West
of Scotland Auxiliary Association, with a view
to elicit the opinions of parliamentary candidates,
has been forwarded to us. These resolutions
possess the rare merit of being at once suffi-
ciently explicit as to leave no room for mis-
take, yet so general as to afford no room for fear
of being hampered by unduly specific declarations.
They declare : That a searching inquiry. ought to be
instituted into the whole system of excise, either by
a committee of parliament, or a royal commission ;
that the system of excise licenses is very objection-
able; that, in altering duties on il;t1 or colonial
goods, respect ought to be had to any tax on similar
home-made articles; that when articles charged with
excise duties are exported, a drawback of the full
amount of the duty on the commodity or the'
materials used in making it, ought to be
allowed; that articles charged with excise duties
should enjoy, when bonded, the same privileges'
as foreign and colonirl produce ; that in all excise
trials the defeated party should pay the costs, the
whole of the penalties awarded or the value of the
goods confiscated be paid without deduction into the
treasury, and the practice of assize courts assimilated
to that of other civil courts of record. The only
item of these resolutions respecting which we feel
any doubt is that in favour of a drawback ; ao great
is our distrust of the drawback system we should
prefer at once remitting such duties, whenever
it is possible, or reducing them to the lowest rate.
Perhaps the gravest practical grievance aimed at is
that oppressive rule of the excise courts that costs are
never awarded against the crown. But the most im-
portant object of immediate effort is the proposed com-
mittee, or commission, of inquiry.
We concur in all that oar correspondents in Devizes,
and elsewhere, say in praise of the National Associa-
tion for the Reform of Excise Abuses, but we would
rather see them emulate than idly praise it.

WE have lately perused a publication, evidently from
the pen of an eminent Italian, purporting to be a
programme, or the project of a programme, to be
adopted by the party of moderate liberals in that
coantr'. The main idea which rune through the
work, is, that the coarse, violent, and purely physical
means, of old resorted to both by people and by govern-
ments—by the one for flinging off their yoke, and by
the other forrivetting it on the people's necks have
of late years gradually fallen into disuse and disre-
pute, and that moderate principles, with rational and
moral means of action, are alone worthy of being
adopted.
There is, no doubt, a great deal of truth in the fact
here alleged, with respect even to despotic govern-
ments, and a great deal of wisdom in the advice
here given to popular parties. The Austrian govern-
ment itself has shown every symptom of a desire to
abandon its old violent mode of repression and
intimidation. To be sure, so despotic a govern-
ment has not been able to adopt many ways,
purely moral, of affecting the population. But it has
consulted their material interests, opened roads, founded
manufactories, and given impulse to education. Italian
governments, so long behind Austria, have now
taken steps in advance of it. Pope Pius IX. boldly
led the way, and not only Tuscany, but the monarchs
of Piedmont and Naples have shown manifest desires
to follow the Pontiff's example.
The recommendations of the author of the pro-
gramme are, therefore, for the people and middle
class to second this movement, not disturb it by
enigeneies or extravagancies, but to trust their princes,
eat enable them by popular moderation to progress
in a liberal policy, without being affrighted them-
selves, or without alarming either priesthood or aris-
tocracy at home, or foreign courts beyond the frontier.
The writer then proceeds to recommend the Italian
princes to form a national league to resist the encroach-
ments and dictation of Austria, or of any foreign
power, and to put trust in their people, in order that
their people may put trust in them.
To the Italian people and liberals this programme
Moonemends the complete abandonment of all the old
Wee of a secret or open appeal to physical force, to
revolution, to conspiracies, or secret societies. Every'
effort, it recommends, should be made publicly, every
idea prembiamil through the press, and public opinion
alenOs salad on more than private energy. Such '
tnemantadations are in accordance with the feelings
*fibs Italians themselves, who have witnessed the
=lly fruition efforts of " Young Italy " to
, as saber with how much individual bravery,
anything of importance.
is thus in Italy, as in Ireland, an eld and a
young Italy, a moral-force party and a physical-force
part, : old Italy and old Ireland trusting to the pro-
gram and enlightenment and intellectual aims of
the age : yang Italy ad young Ireland desirous el
recurring to to ideas and the licence and the violence
of the last amatory. Young Italy for the present is
in much dime& and in a manifest minority.
Such was the Ansa things, when we learned that
that ex-funetlepssy gOO% the orangemeu of Rome,
who smog nem& themselves to the loss of sw
ennehnsy and place, marred to the old, exploded
mile of 0111111“, and got up a conspiracy, of which
war mosnot daaht the truth, although the entire plans
and details sesta a mars ad oomplisated and incredible
absurdity. The pyioot eases to have had for its aim to
get up a row batwing the eohliams and the people,
=beet le animal destruction, prude,
nesissitmliom, perhaps the Pope,
in the condoles, sad throw the of all this upon I
liberal ideas and the liberal party. Cardinal Lan-
heed of the Austrian and retrograde fee-
,lbe in Rat is mid to have consented to this
slime, of _ GILAESELINT. Governor of Rom',
wmp to be the director. Those implicated have all
Mlan d seem to have been as stupid as criminal
1111111dil'Il attempt is a strong and a useful proot
that eteirolee Wm will no -longer solace to sae
or Megtien the ohms of Italy, and that, on the
other band, it sods no popular Insurrection to put
tam down. The good sense and vigilance of the
puddle suffice.

The following appeared in a second edition of last
evenings Express:
The Paris journals and correspondence of Monday
have arrived, but their contents are without interest
for the English public. The King of the Belgians
left Paris for Brussels on Sunday. Rain had con-
tinued to fall in Paris, without cessation, from Sunday
morning to the hour of the departure of the mails
last evening.

Advice* have arrived from Berne to the 22nd, in-
clusive. The delegates of the several cantons had
presented to the Diet a formal protest against the
resolution which had been passed for the dissolution
of the League, in which the legality of that compact
and its necessity as a measure of self-defence are in-
sisted on. The Geneveae delegates have proposed a
resolution, that every officer who shall enter floe ser-
vice of the separate League shall be dismissed the

Indi
and- of
sarionslytho c
combined Lbstohleete Weeet
n.
the borough once represented
• HIIIIIUMON is doubtful whether it do
the ruple protestant ascendancy of
ar the school-boy historical fanci
JOHN MANNISTO, to the caatioto
liberalism of CARDWELL ; and can