The Sun.
London, England, 1852-03-25 00:00:00

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7

Would you reverse the freedom of 1842, and return
to your condition before 1825?—(Hear and cheers.)
Sir, I have purposely confined my obeervations
upon the state of our trade up to the year 1850, and I-
contend, that looking to the then condition of ,the com-
merce of this country, experience has amply vindicated
the wisdom of Mr. Huskisson's policy. But ia• that
year a third and last great epoch commenced in the his-
tory of England's mercantile marine; for in that year
the Act of 12th and 13th Victoria, commonly called an
Act for the Repeal of the Navigation Laws, was intro-
&iced by Mr. Labouchere, and passed into law. The
immediate einee of the repeal of Mr. Huskisson's Acts
was owing to his not having inserted a clause hi' the
laws of which ho was the author allowing British ships
to import all nonsprohibited articles from wherever they
might be found; the consequence of ,Which would have
been that the cotton of America, the stigar of Cubs, or
the coffee of Java might have bend glutting the ports
along the English Channel. They • ceuld, not be . im-
ported in a foreign ship unless the goods were carried
bark to the country whence they had been originally
saipped, unless they were first carried to Europe from some
other continent. Now, why was not this clause amended,
instead of preCipitating ft total repeal, and why could
lot goods be declared 'nationalized wherever they were
found? Is it to be said that the question was made one
of party? la. the haste which c,aracterised• this me-
mentous change to he_ excused on the ground that it,
was made a Cebiar t measurt ? Is it to be said that the
existence of a Ministry was the main cause foe the hasty
Alteration of a system, a false step in effecting which
!eight prove fatal to, the best interests of the empire.—
(Loud cheers.) Whatever' was the motive, the repeal of
e navigation-laws was carried, and carried with cir-
eumstaiseen of in{ xcusahle precipitancy.— (Renewed
'cheers.) How happens it that, during ,the period which
has elapsed since this repeal, with exports and imports
enormously increasing, with" trade unusually buoyant,
with money abundant and credit easy, that our shipping,
instead of rising, as it has risen befores from the depres-
sions which have visited it, is so tardy in its reeovery ?
Because it has received a shock Which might havaproved
fatal; because to save-tt- Whir Midistiia great interest
was jeopardized; because Mr. Labouchere plunged
!us into free trade without ftipulatinglor reciprocity, so
that-before we could Make ourselves ready for the race
to which wo:a-ere esipoe'ect,-Pureleu nuilypmg overstocks
our ports, and freights are reduced so ruinously dew, that
20s. per ton was the last return from.Calcutta.—(Loud'
cheering.) What have we gained from America for
conceding to her the trade of our colonies.? Nothing.
What have we gained from r Spain? Nothing. France
has not met us—(Hear, hear)—Holland has not met
Us—(Hear, hear)—Russia, Germany, Sweden, and other
states have nothing to meet us with.—(Loud cheers.)
Was it then right for a British Minister, I repeat, to
take a step so momentous with plans so ill considered?
-(Loud shouts of "No.") 11,ad he gone to America
and said,—" We are a Free-trade country—we have
adopted throUgh all our inter-roe the principles of com-
mercial freedom; it is your highest interest to follow
our example.---(Hear,, hear.) By so doing we shall
bo mutually benefited;, we have opened to you our
colonies; we offer you now our coasting trade; we ask
you in return to allow us to navigate our ships in
the carrying trade to California."—(Cheers.) 'Had be
then gone to Spain, and said, You, Spaniards, now
trade in your vessels between England and Our colonies
entirely unfettefed, and yet you will not permit a Bri-
tish vessel, loading British manufactures, to trade to
Hevanniab, or any of your settlementse-e
(Hear.) You charge a British vessel in the port of Ha-
vatinah double what you charge a vessel of Spain; you
make Spanish goods arriving from Spain, under your
national flags liable ainly to an ad valorem duty of 61 per
cent ; while, if Spanish goods are carried from Spain in
British vessels, the duty rises from 141 to 18i per cent.
This is not fair to us—this is not politic in you.
Remember your past glories. Recollect yeti once
had a marine. Forget not the times of mari-
time chivalry, when a Columbus manned his vessels
to go forth in search of a new world. You have been
torn since by revolutions within; you have ssuffered
from want of credit, and -distrust abroad. Awake to
your true interests. Take advantage of your great
tional resources.; Cultivate the, principles of commer-
cial freedom. F,Alovv the example we have set you in
the Free-train brotherhood of nations."—(Tremendous
cheering.) Had he gone to Belgium and said, "We
grant to your ships „the same privileges as our own;
we admit your produce on the terms of the most favoured
nations. Why, then, is white salt from England pro-
hibited by your tariff, and rock salt; ueless imported
under your flag; and why is a duty of 15E. per ton on
British ships still retained?" lied he gone to France,
end said to the French Government, "Contrast your
tariff with mita, arid say which of us has shown most
solicitude for the commercial intercourse of our respec-
tive countries? Have we not opened up a new market
for your flour, your brandies, your silks, your hats, your
shawls, your gleves, your leather? And what have
you done in return? You have not taken off your
duties on coal, or iron bars, or chain*, or anchors,
or pig iron, or linen threads, or needles, or pottery
ware. If you will not deal liberally with us as we have
dealt with you, look to your own interests. You are
ambitious to establish manufneturem, then reduce the ditty
of 4s. 9J. per ton you exact on English coals, and in-
stead of the 600,000 tons we now export, two million
tons of coals will fired their way into your country."—
(Protracted cheering.) Sir, had Mr. Labouehere thus
acted—had he calmly and dispassionately,
miedfal of
the great interests at stake, properly imbued with .a
sense Of the danger arising from a forced or ill-con-
sidered legislation, ens red into eegociation with foreign
powers, and, by argument, by entreaty, or, if neces
nary, ,by inspiring them with a wholesome fear of pos-
sible and ulterior consequences, led:them to the adoption
of the grand prifiCiples of commercial freedom, then
would his conduct have been mere worthy of a British
statesman—than would we not have been hurried, as it •
were, in a moment, from a system of limited free trade,
with co-extensive repiprociry,
into a condition of abso
lute free-trade, with limited reprocity.'(Prolonged
cheers, minded with cries of " Bravo.") Sir, the deed
is done ; the die is cast—the British shipowner is
(ear, hear.)
Lunched into competition with the whole world.
(Hear, hear.) There is a danger in going back to a
course which has been once abandoned.—H
In the interval, which has elapsed, new relations of
commercial property and enterprise take place, and, like
a relapse in the natural body,, tie shock of a rertion
may be attended with the most perilous cousequences to
the body politic --(Cheers.) Asd yet I must not be
misund,erstneda I do not mean to deny that in principle
Mr. Lahoucher:, was right. I censure him, not tor the
end at which he nine ±, but fur the speed with which
he approached it—(hear, hear.) What, then, is to be
done? Ge hack? No; it is too late! GO forward?
Yet! But methinks I hear some of you say, How
can we go forward? We are placed at our starting-post
in this ocean race, burdened and over-weighted. You d
must. at least, relieve us of every impost that pressestoo o
heavily upon us." Sir, I feel the strength of thatAerglis c'
teent. The chipping interest of. this country has deep al
and many causes of complaint—(Hear)—and I know
not whether more emphatically to condemn the haste
which marked the repeal, or the injustice which stopped 11
short of the removal of these burdens.—(Cheers) The •at
first burden which must be removed are the duties ch
upon tinnier. I think no tax whatever ought to be im- to
posed upon the raw material of our shipping. When- efts
Mr. Huskisson proposvd to grant to the builder of ships 'fie
in this country a drawback equal to' the full amount of be
any duty that had been paid upon the materials used in pi
their construction and equipment,
he proposed a wise and yr
solid measure—(Hear, hear)—andl must say it was at
little to the credit of the shipowners who formed the de- fi,
putation to Mr. Huskisson of that day, that they re- as
fused his offer, dreading lest the Government, by adopt- s
ing Mr. Iluskiason's suggestion, should
_give a fresh
Stimulus to shipbuilding at home; and raise up new com-
petitors, who would be able to rival them in every
branch of commercee--(flear, *hear.) The maintenance.
of a timber duty on the part of Her Majesty's late
Government wee a perfect absurdity--(Loud cheers.)
Their professed aim was to admit the raw
material duty free, especially that which creates labour
in its manufactured state, and to tax articles of manufac-
ture imported from other countries, but here they taxed
the foreign raw material. while they admitted the same
material, when manufactured into a ship,' duty free.—
(Hear, hear.) Another burden on shipping is the light
dues. Foremost among these aro the light dues, im-
posed by the Trinity Rouse at Deptford Strond, amount-
ing now to about 400,0001. a year.—(Hear, hear.) ;That
is a large sum, and is felt as se, sore grievance by the
shipping interest of, this country.—(Hear.) Indeed, the
Trinity House system, in all its details, is an.enormous
anomaly—(Hear, hear)—and ill-suited to the temper
and advancing spirit of these • times.—(Cheers.) Bodies
like these Trinity House Corporations, really self-
elected, practically irrespOnsible, with all their cumbrous
appendages, and their multitudinous parasites, are un-
suited to an industrious and economical ege, and only
form relics of the legislation of an unenlightened anti-
quity.—(Renewed cheering.) To give one small instance,
out of a multitude, of the enormous injustice of this
system—The Heligoland Light cost the Government
2501. a year for' maintaining it, and the Commer-
cial marine 5801. a year—(Hear, hear)—previously to
1846, when it was taken by .the Trinity House, and the
nation relieved front further payment of it; but in 1845
the Commercial marine was made to pay 1,8901. for its
maintenance, while its actual cost was only 5291.
countryBh bamen'el Now, why should the
exclusively taxed for the
u iphDpec'rr st
why are
they so taxed, since the repeal of the navigation laws has
thrown open the benefit of these lights to the rest of the
(Cheers,
Che'
'on'cort ands
the se si e thise
cries
og f
ht ‘s' .—( Hear.) Especially,
world.—(Cheese.) In the United ,States of America,
the
by a vote of Congress; in Holland the
expense of the light-house establishmdnt is annually
provided for
lvhousand • ee, no charge is
is confided to the' Government; in Russia the
made on that account, on either Russian or foreign ships
,t the lighting of our coast be a charge
Why should not
fundof the t ? (H and
consolidated
upon the con
ni ly connected with this subject is the toll
cheers,) eeese
whichcollected is in Sunder-
landewmoaads:l e.
the The
subjectright
of ofa
Gligohyteirtingmsnt support the g
called primage—(dear)
and soneo ether.of the northern ports, for the bene-
fitenue of which they make no
that house to cant a rev
return, has been very
to take a Pro'
lot, to be called upon the
othertrial adt andto
Citousr'atsofmclueu 5 Bach,
of the Trinity House
Properly in
N

minent part in exposing the usurpation and illegality of
this impost.:--(Loud ceeeri.). I remember a smile pass-
ing over the features of the veneyeble judge, who has
lately retired from that bench, when I read, from the
governing charter of 'Lanes II , the recital of the
grounds upon which ehat Monarch bestowed the grant—
" Whereas, there have been divers and many incursions
of-the river Tyne upon the banks of the same, and that
in addition repairs are required for the d'rinity [louse,
at Newcastle, therefore, out of our mere motion," &c.,
ee, And so Suederland, withoilt getting a single
benefit in return, has been called upon to pay, from
year to year, a sum amounting to some 1,2001. or 1,500/.
and this to enable certain gentlemen of Newcastle to
pamper their appetites and ..toast away the money you
have paid to the health of -the Elder Brethren, and
the good old times of charter and monopoly.—(Laughter
and loud cheers.) Then there are the Dover and
Ramsgate passing tolls.—(Cries of " Hearehear.") Why
the amount levied upon the shipping and commerce of
the country, in support of these hatband in the year
1849, amounted to 43,297/. 9s. 30., for which the ship-
ping.and trade of the country received uo eqUiealent
whatever.—(Cries of " Shame.") . Sunderland pays of
this'l,s79l Bs. 2d.--(Hear.) A still moic flagrant act
of injustice is to be found in the exaction's of the' Russia
Company, who have power, under letters patent oe-Wil-
ham and Mary, to tax Russian produce
,ileported into
this country; this they do to the extent of more than
;3,0004, exclusive of sums levied on the British shipping
at Russian ports. Now, rehat equivalehe do the parties
taxed get for thiteiseppete: „On glancing over an account
of their expenditure, I find the following items:—Pre-
sent of plate to the governor, worth 42/. lOse'--(Laugh-
ter)—Again,• grant for expenses of organ, psalm-books,
&c., for the church at Cronstadt, 2051. 4s, 31—(Hear,
hear.) Surely this is a burthen which seught to be in-
vestigated, taken off, and. removed. There is another
evil of great magnitude, which consists in' the tax col
lected by the Corporation of London, called City-dues;
these amounted „last year to 192,470. 125., and of
this large sum 184,460/. 13s. was levied on coals from
the counties of Ditrham and Northumberland alone.—
(flerir, Ileatee'' Thiele there are the -Cinque ' Ports and-
heir dependencies; .with his. Grape the 'Lord .Wardon'a
little sie.eaure of 3.0004 per, Anntinarj_CLikughter)_—.Julii__,
all'ilie'SinAi.r.,anptein. ac Deal, Walraer,and elsewhere.
ifhen there are the evils attendaht upon theeiresent sys•
tem of pilotage. Tha system requires a.thorbugh re- 1
vision. In my opinion, the taking of a pilot on board
ought to he rendered as nearly voluntary as, possible.—
(Hearehear.) Then there is thh systemof foreign con-
sulage, which must be substantially altered, and rendered
more suitable to theeadtabeing and economic spirit of
the age. Government salvage is an unjustifiable charge.
tf a ship of war throw a line or a hawser to a mer-
chant ship; it may be made the grOund 'of an bier-
oitant claim for salvage, and, if -resisted, 'the trader
is thrown into .the ,Court of Admiralty. ,But besides
this, it has numerous other vexations attending it.
Then thee() are the Admiralty Courts, which I would
tote for abolishing altogether.—(Cheers.)- 'I would
' let them, and the Chancery Courts, with ,all their bar-
harisnie, and, quirks and quiddities, with all their bills
«ind answers, petitions and affidavits, be shovelled by
my Lord Brougham Into one huge- mud-cart, and along
with the whole body oft doctors and prooters,.eqtrity
draftsmen, and all snob excrescences, be _emptied .into
the gulfeof oblivion for ever! -.-(Roars of, laughter, fol
Ipwed *-'6, bUrst.okapplsiuse.) There are other grie-
vances,.such 'as that relating to the use of bonded stores,
and, other impediments to the free exercise of commer-
dial enterprise as applied to shipping. ,But I think I
litive specified sufficient to make out a heavy and impors
tent—case for thdi shipowners of the empire.—
(Hear, -hear.) , Remove these burdens, take a
comprehensive review of our Registry and Mercantile
Marine Acts, with a view to their amendment, so as
to suit 'the altered circumstances of the age; and
then Government will have done that 'which it -
sheuld.have provided for before it drove ,you to struggle
With the competition of the world.—(Applause.) I do
not say that when even-all this is attained, there will
net be'causes for anxiety; but I do say, if you do suc-
ceed, thus far, there will be ground for hope.—(Hear,
blear.) Why should you, with a fair field and no, fa-
vour, fear_ the consequences of a rivalry iu, ehipbuilding
with any other countries of the world'?—(Cheers )
With the 'United States?--or Russia?—Sweden, Nor-
way, Denmark, or Prussia 2—France, HollandeGermany,
or Belgium?. (Tale,. for a moment, the materials .used
in American shipbuilding. Their timber doe! eot grow
at the `writer's edge; they 'have- to send for it as well
rus we; to Caroline; Florida, or Maryland, and. what
advantage has New York, Boston, or Baltimore,
bay° the difference of freight between the
timber-growing states . and. the _northern ports,
and the same states and England ? Does ,not the
Mneridan import hiS iron from England, with a
freight of 10s. per ton, and a duty to be superadded of
30 per cent od valorem? Do not the chain cables which
pay 35 per cent duty,_and the sheet copper, go from
England ? Is not the hemp got from Russia. and are
not their 'sales purchased here, while canvas pays 10 per
eetit.,ad valorem, and is fully 10 per cent. dearer. Then
the wages are higher, and the generaloost of navigation
greater. Finally, the Americans have no ahips that
• would stand A 1 twelve years in this country. Look
then to the build of ships in Russia. In Finland a fir
ship.may cost but 81. 104.. per ton against 201. per ton for
a first-class British ship, but the first will not stand
more than four years on the register, whereas the second
stands twelve years, and in some cases sixteen years,
without any expense whatever. Then there is the cost
of the Hamburgh build, in which there is no advantage
whatever over this country. The Islamburgh• vessel,
frees 200 to 500 tons, iron-fastened, an coppered, costs
114 per ton, but she stands 'seven years- A 1, and no
more, while the. English chip, at 201 per ton, can make
16 rships,ghiestpliri.),r ur t t'oe.ur,r a advantagesprusscioa areansvtefsosrel t
cannothsree lef
rvbfi
edo ouo months
ears in all. So with regard to Sweden and Sorwe•
a ,great physical distedvans
sailed and equipped cheaper than an English; the ice
which, blockades their
the, year places tnem under
tam Then there is the amount of the sin Ling fund
which'-must be laid by, -and the amount of interest on
permanently—on(tUh es
a irn'
account of the ship during the; months she -cannot run.
These and other matteragonsidered,,
fear of Prussian competition.., f need estynothieg, of the
I,37°lkliffid have no
shi s'cif Bremen, of Holland, 'or the commercial Marine
of ranee; and you need tno argument to convince you
the they are rivals you need not ciread.—(flear, hear.)
As ?ontrasted with these, leek at , the advantages you
posiess in England ! You build the best and cheapest
first class ships in the world; you lay in your stores more
chpoly than any ships in the world; you Etas the best
shipwrights and the hardiest sailors; you have irons and
British oak, and'the other appliances fur :hip-building;
you hate the raw material,* it I may so express it, in
man as • well as in manufncture, giving you a decided
pre-emitience; you have the cheapest and most oommo-
tious docks in the, world, you are the great storekeepers
f hemp and flax, and the world's matiu acturers of
ircAsge and'sails; you have your furnaces, your forges,
,nd opr rolliag.mi.ils fed eivith your octi coals. Eug-
ci iand` too, if; 44e,,gretki.tirOer yard ofethe world, se. that
you aye the choice of the best wood of every kind; you
,w the "best method of loading and unloading, the best
kcliinery and the best tools iu the wort:- (Loud'
ieeis.) Be not despondent, then; talk not of return
an antiquated system; your coasting marine has .
ktrished least lzeoause it was most protected; .your
reign 'shipping has progressed in 'proportion as it has
-en stimulated by competition. If you go -back to
.otection you go back to restriction, with restriction
m produce retaliation, and, by restriction on one
ye, land 'retaliation on the other, you narrow the
Ild of -enterprise, you enhance the cost of transport,
ad you throw half the carrying ships of the country
out of employment.—(Loud cheers.) What, then, are
you to do? There is a duty upon the Government—
there is a duty upon you; upon the Government, to re-
lieve you of your burdens; upon you, to rouse yourselves
for the contest, and to be equal to your proper destiny
and lour historic character.— (Loud applause.) Why
do we hear disparaging comparisons drawn between the
captains and crews of our own vessels and those of
America and other countries? Gentlemen, you must
begin to elevate the condition of your officers and your
mariners, not by Acts of Parliament, but by urging
upon them the importance of temperance, by stimu'a'ing
them in the pursuit of knowledge, by seeking to infuse
into them higher aspirations, by payi!,g them, it need be,
a higher rate of wages, which in the end will be the
surest economy, and so' press forward to that glorious
consummation when not alone shall your ships be regis-
tered as A 1 at Lloyds, but thecrews who mesa them shall
be' classed A 1 in every port in the worldl—(Tremen-
dons cheering.) Sir,, unless this spirit pervade the
shipowners of this country, no. Acts of Parliament, no
remission of burdens, no, nor your much-talked-of
protection, can save you,--(Renewed, cheering.) Be-
lieve toe, too, there is a good day coming, boundless
markets, boundless fields, will yet be opened up for the
employment of the commercial marine of this country,
for which you should make ready and prepare yourselves.
7--(Cheers.) For, lift up your eyes, and look towards
that hithertoelown-trodden and degraded land of Africa.
Seo how Marvellously within the last few years her trade
in palm oil has increased! There is the Delta of the
Niger too, where cotton can be produced almost SpOnta-
neoujy! , What a world of enterprise does not the
newly-opened trade with China present to your commer-
cialtbe tempting shores of
aMbitionl Then, see India, where cotton can
be grown on the Banks of the Hooghley, which rivals
the cotton produced by the United States—where
,thetecihceuoyaullitinintrgyw.htohseyo(uif
trusted
an advocate sea
saungdar
thceanßreoezi
jporodusceeed
California on the one side, and the geld regions of
Australia on the other, and tell me. have you not good
cause to hope and to take courage ?—(te burnt of pro-
tracted cheering.) Such, gentlemen, is an outline of
my views on the present state and future prospects of
rtsathofer,
the shipping
el sohsnligepppat.i ns—ige(eian.teeatr,rre:s
ions, faithful, devoted to your intersstee_
I can
promise you one thing. If
I shall carry the same spirit there which gives
me
courage to address you now.—l shall devote my best
exertions 'to assert your sigh's and
terests, and when Id« sert your cause promote Sour in*
forget its' cunning ! (Tremendonsmeayhee my
right 12
g-)"You
should not let a day pus in haling before cheering:)'"
your true condition ; the • -
ears of the Legislature 'can-
not be deg to oui as interest like
you send me to Pah;leiabment
kerNt nke guars Qin Po