The Express.
London, England, 1848-06-09 00:00:00

*lmam of the police. (Rear.) And Ma la the beet an-
swer to the statement in the letter which has been addressed
to au—that there is but one opinion in the district as to the
median of the police. (Cheers.) Although there may be
some individuals who make different representations, I think
it in the almost unanimous feeling throughout that harlot
that the police only acted en that occasion in the discharge
of their duty, in a way which entitles them to the highest
praise. (Cheers.) I would beg to refer the boo. gentle-
ness to the reports of proceedings at the police-otHces—espe-
dolly that of Worship-street—as to the real character of this
misting at lionner's fields. (Hear.) Ile will there find
nistnsnts verified upon oath, by which 20 persons have
been committed, for violent assaults upon the police on that
occasion, to take their trial at the Central Criminal Court. I
will only ask the hon. gentleman to refer to these police re-
ports; he will there NO whether there is any reasonable
inch as to the correctness of the substance of the reports I
have received from the inspectors, and which bare been con-
firmed to me by many most respectable inhab•tants. (Hear,
beer.) This very day I received a deputation of gentlemen,
many of them magestestes, from Ilackney, who brought
with them a loyal address to the Queen, and a tender of their
mulcts in the mom cordial manner to assist in preserving the
peace. 01111 of them told me that he was present, and saw the
transactions which took place in Victoria Park on Sundry
last. Ile was ready to give the same testimony ea to the
conduct of the police; and, with reference to the notice that
bad been given on this subject, had it been longer, I have
no
doubt those testimonies might have been multiplied to an
indefinite extent. (liner.) I have also received a memorial
to day from the inhabitants of houses near Bishop lionner's
Fields, complaining that, for a lengthened period, a•reent-
Wages have been held there on the Sabbath-day, fur the dis-
cussion of political and other topics, by which the public
peace has been endangered. They say that the meeting,
generally c enlist of young persons, embracing large number.
of both seers; that speeches of a moat inflammatory nature
are made, tending to subvert ord. r and destioy loyalty ; that
the memorialists view with alarm the rnanifeat desire of the
people to continue these meetings, mid refer to the painful
menu of Bunchy afternoon lase, when property was
destrot eel, and a great portion of the inhabitmets were pre-
vented leering their houses to attend their places of worship,
or enjoying the benefit of Victoria Park, which has been see
liberally provided by the government for the use eef the
people at large, and especially the inhabitants of that dis-
trict. Alter stating that they are in dread of violence and
Woodshed, and live in a state of great alarm from the conti-
nuance of these meetings, they proceed earnestly to desire
that these meetings may be suppressed, whereby public
confidence will be restored, and that extensive and
popular district resume its wonted peaceful aspect.
(Hear, hear.) That, sir, is the substance of the answer
which I have to give as to the information which her reached
me, connected with the parties making an attack on the
police. I will wily say, with tele recce to those statements
which the hon. g.mtleman says he is 'n possession of, the'
the name remedy is open to the parties who make those
sin entente and who are capable of proving town, as is open
to the police. (Hear, bear.) The right hon. gentlemen
then read a notice on the part art the householders inciting
complaints against the police, if any I.IICII could ice made,
with a view of taking proceedings against them if necessary;
but (continued the right hurt. gentleman) not one com-
plaint, aster us I have been able to learn, has been made of
any unwarrantable aggression on the part of the police.
(Hear. hear.) 1 must my, however, that the police courts,
and not the House of Commons, are the places where ouch
matter. may be most properly brought. (Hear, hear.) I
can only say that there is no wish to interfere with meetings
legally and constitutio•ally convened ler the discussion of
any subject—(hear, hear)—but these meetings are of an
entirely different character, and the discussion of grievances
ie used as a mu.• pretext. (Meer, hear.) In delete nee to
the general wish of the inhabitants, the police hay.• rec. ived
orders to give that protection to life and property which the
circumstance of thecae, may require. (Hear, hear.)
NAVIGATION LAWS—ADJOURNED DEBATE.
Sir J. WALSH was surprised that no attempt bad teen
made or. Friday night to answer the able and convincing
speech of his bun. and learned Ire rid the member for White-
haven. It seemed to hieu that the government could not
have chosen a worse time for introducing a speculative
measure like the present, whilst the continental states were
in each confusion. Was this • proper time for them to try
such rash and doubtful theories? Ile would advise them to
wait at all events till th. y knew what would be the result of
the storm. If they had foreseen whet had since occurred in
the states of Europe he did not believe the government would
have introduced such a measure. The promoter. of this measure
were altosether mistaken in their sanguine hut Utopian views,
that wars would no longer exist, and that they were to have
a universal peace. Ile cautioned the house to pause before
they pasted a measure which wound weaken the foundation
on which the naval supremacy of England rutted (Hear.)
Mr. MACGREGOR consul, red the result which the
opponents of the resolutions predicted from an alteration in
the navigation laws to be at variance with all experience.
They believed that it the measure was sanctioned by parlia-
ment the inevitable cons. quence would be the ruin at their
shipping interest, and the toted extinction of their maritime
power. He was wholly sceptical with respect to any ouch
consequence ; and hail examined the question on its prin-
ciples. Ile investigated the facts wish regard to the shipping
interest of other countries; and he could not fired a powle
one which would lead him to the conclusion with which
they were threatened by the opponents of the mum*. On
the contrary he belleved the ritect of the hill, coupled with
the measures of commercial freedom pissed by the right hon.
gentleman (See R. Peel), would be to make the ports and
docks of the United Kingdom the greatest emporium that
ever existed for the produce of the world. (Hear, hear.) It
was said that their maritime prosperity and naval grandeur
were concurrent with and caused by the navigation laws, from
the period when they were parted by that morn ruler to
whom they denied a niche in their place of Weseminster.
He admitted the concurrence, but he denied the cause. Their
affinity, so far as prosperity was in question, was lik the
affinity which existed between the Pyramids and the
Mullet,/ of the banks of the Nile. Those who insi.ted
on the dependence of their naval power on the
navigation laws would discover that their naval
power exceeded that of any other country before
the exemence of these laws. Without going so
far hack as the time of Alfred, he would mention that a vic-
tory had been pined over the French fie tin the time of
Edward 111.; in 1371, the English fleet destroying 15 French
vessels; in 1416, the Duke of Bedford, who commanded the
English fleet, defeated 500 ships in the Channel ; in 111.5.
they destroyed the Dutch fleet; again in 1512, they beat the
Dutch fleet; in 1545, they defeated the French fleet ; and in
16.53, the Duke of York beat the Dutch ft. et, when it was
impossible that the navigation laws, which ponied in 1651,
could have had ar y effect. Other countries had no naviga-
tion laws at all, and yet they had a great naval force. 11 1.
land had the greatest difficulties to contend with, but with-
out the aid of navigation laws she became a considerable ma-
ritime power, whilst Spain, with vest advantages derived
from her West Indian possessions and the mien of Mexico,
and with a code of maritime and commercial laws of the
most stringent character, had Met her naval strength. He
believed that at the present moment Holland was conniderahly
stronger u a naval power than Spain and Portugal together
Se should apprehend no danger whatever from the repeal of
these laws. He did net believe British shipping had ever
suffered in consequence of relaxation. .t' hen the house
went into committee on these resolutions he should brirg
forward statistics in proof of his position. As representative
of the larg,st ship-building constituency but one in the em-
pire, he should give the measure his support in the meat per-
fect confidence that it would be acceptable to his constituents.
Mr. W. MILES had lierned to the last speak. r with
very great astonishment. lie had expected very different
arguments from him, knowing the amount of study he had
given to the subject; but he had not liesrd one single argument
of any weight in proof of his position that these laws ought
to be repealed. What was the state of the question now he
Ears the house ? The house had appointed a committee of
inquiry ; that committee, had made no report. A committee,
, however, was now sitting in the Howe ei L'MIN. It was re-
ceiving evidence which was not accessible to the House of
Commons. That evidence would go far to prove the inadvi-
liability of this measure.

Mr. MOODY, liter much consideration of the subject,
had satisfied his mind that some materiel chang s were re-
mealy in our navigation law., and he should therefore sup-
port the original motion before the house.
Sir O. CLERK ssid that it was quite clear to his mind
that some change in the navigation laws was requisite, and
he could not therefore support an amendment which was
equivalent to a declaration on the part of the house that no
change whatever was called for. Him. gentlemen who sup-
ported the amendment 'pile of our navigation laws as I f
some venerable edifice, who h came pi rfect froin the hand of
its architect; whereas, in pilot of simple fact, this edifice
had been undergoing, almost from the period of its construc-
tion, constant alterations and remodelling', which, however,
still left ample room and verge for further and more effective
changes. One thing was manifest, that none of the artiste
who had, from time to time, revised the work, had acted
upon any distinct or comprehensive plan, for the details were
disfigurod by the most glaring discrepancies and contradic.
lions, all of them more or less calculated—some of them emi-
nently so—to impede our prospects as a canying nation,
and our general commercial prosperity. (Hear, hear.)
lie repudiated altogether the alarm which hon. gentlemen
expressed of the competition, under a change of the law, of
foreign ships, particularly as regarded their tonnage, with our
own, in the carrying trade. Even as it was, with all the reetric.
tions and impediments under which our present system
placed us, we competed with the foreigner auccessfully—one-
third of the entire tonnage that passed into the Baltic was
British—and oar success would of course, to his mind, be
still more complete when these restrictions were removed.
Competent evidence proved that even as to the victualling
if our ships, the facilities afforded to masters of vessels by
the late changes in our tariff, and by allowing them to
obtain provisions out of bond, had reduced the cost
of this item fully 30 per cent., and placed us
very nearly on an equality practically on a com-
plete equality —in this respect with the steps of
any European country. The same proposition ap•
plied with almost equal force to the construction of vessels.
Having quoted the evidence of Mr. Murray, Mr. Boerne',
and Captain Briggs, in order to show the superiority of
foreign over British seamen, the right hon. gentleman
proceeded: With respect to the effect produced by the
navigation laws upon the commerce and shipping of
the -country the results, as far as America was con-
cerned, would be shown by undeniable figures to he a loss to
linglane, more particularly in regard to the carrying trade.
He had heard it said that tne Americans so wet: liked the