Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1860-02-01 00:00:00

RIGHTS OP BRITISH SUBJECTS IN SPAIN.

Sir ANDREW AGNEW asked the Secretary of State
for Foreign Affairs if it is thought that the British
Consul at Cadiz allowed Martin Escalante, a British
subject to remain upwards of seven months in prison
untried, and also delayed or declined to take him under
his protection, although at the instigation of the
Spanish judge an application was made to the consul
to do so.

Lord J. RUSSELL replied that the British consul had
not thought it right to interfere so long as Escalante
was under course of trial and in the hands of his legal
advisers; but now that he had been condemned the
consul had made representations to obtain his release.

DEPRESSION IN THE SHIPPING INTEREST.

Mr. LINDSAY moved for the select committee to
inquire into the operation of the burdens and restric-
tions especially affecting merchant shipping. He
declaimed at considerable length against the passing
tolls, the light dues, and the large sums paid by ships
for the maintenance of ports in which they had no
interest. He complained bitterly of the absence of
reciprocity on the part of foreign nations in matters
affecting shipping operations. The shipping, had paid
enormous sums for harbours of refuge which were of
no use to them whatever. He gave instances of the
absurd and vexatious matters, on account of which
imposts were levied on the shipowner.
Mr. HORSMAN, in seconding the motion, hoped that
attention would be paid to the reform of international
mercantile law.
Mr. BIDDY SEYMOUR hoped that the influence of the
debates in that house would induce other nations to open
their ports to our shipping. He compared the advantages
given to foreign vessels in our own ports, with the re-
strictions on British ships in foreign ports. He con-
tended that there had been sufficient inquiry, and that
it was time that some stringent measures were adopted
forthe relief of the Shipping Interest: He demanded
that the Court of Admiralty ought to have convenient
jurisdiction with the Courts of Common Law—urging
that the cases affecting shipping, now brought by appeal
before the Court of Chancery, ought to be brought
before the Court of Admiralty, which had an admirable
organisation and sufficient time to attend to them. He
moved, as an addition to Mr. Lindsay's amendment,
that inquiry should be instituted into the depressed
condition of British shipping, and how far the same was
capable of legislative remedy, and to consider the
expediency of giving to the High. Court of Admiralty
an appellative jurisdiction over naval courts and in-
quiries under the Merchant Shipping Act, and other-
wise enlarging the power of that court in matters
relating to merchant shipping.
Mr. CRAWFORD, who had a ,motion on the same
subject on the paper, urged that the inquiry should be
extended to the commercial marine generally, and there-
fore opposed the amendment.

Mr. BENTINCK commented on .the folly of expecting
reciprocity from other nations, when we had already,
without requiring anything-in return, given them all we
had to give. We had made a great mistake, of which
a most important interest now felt the effects.
Mr. CIAT thought that the terms of the motion
ought to be enlarged, so as to allow the consideration of
the present consideration generally of the shipping
interest. .

Mx. Nuit,ot took a similar Nievr.
Lord LovAINE said the effect of the reciprocity treaty
Ligon our coasting trade had been very small.
Mr DANEY *SE'Y'3IOUR could not see why the Govern-
ment did not at once introduce a bill on subjects already
so fully investigated.
After some observations from Mr. 8., TAYLOR,
Mr, A, Slum complained of the iv,eonvenience arising
from the way in which the shipping interests were sub-
jected to the Board of Trade. •
The discussiOn was continued by Mr.IIDDEL and Mr.
CAVE.
Sir C. NAPIER said that, at present, a much larger
number of apprentices were entering the royal navy than
heretofore, and that the number of men in the merchant
Lervice had also greatly increased. It was tree that the
volunteer plan had failed. He should enter into the

uses at another time.
Xr. M. Ginsox said that the terms of the motion
were precisely those adopted by the late Parliament,
and were, he thought, suffieiently wide for all useful
purposes. Complaints were made of the want of reef,
pro.city with other.nations (with that of Yrance for one)..
tut .the French made precisely the same complaints of
a vaut of reciprocity on our part, owing to our system
of , tsenaption. Approving of the motion, he thought.
the a etlondment was not admissable, inasmuch as there
was no 004.11 proof as yet that the shipping interest
was in so depressed a state as to demand inquiry, The
terms of th,l Autendmejit prejudged the question. The
figures alreao laid before Parliament would rather lead
to an opposite vn,elasion.
_Every year had added to the
number and ton.
of vessels built and registered in
We
the United Kingdo Vt;; still stronger fact was that the
amount of British toll we employed in home and foreign
trade increased year by y •ta,r. Similar complaints were heard
in foreign countries. The (fade of the United States exhi-
bited a decrease of tonnage;' ikikd he believed that similar
results would be shown in I \VIM Holland, and other
countries. He believed that th q depression was a mere
temporary fluctuation common to' Al). trade, and alto-
gether out of thereach of legislative' ACtikli, He pro-