The Sun.
London, England, 1853-07-06 00:00:00

The bill then passed through committee pro forma.

ENCUMBERED ESTATES (IRELAND) BILL.
This bill was read a third time ; and on the motion
that the bill do pass, some amendments moved by the
Lord Chancellor were inserted, after which the bill
passed.

PUBLIC WORKS LOAN BILL.
This bill passed through committee.
WHITTLEWOOD, OTHERWISE WHITTLE-
BURY, FOREST BILL.

The amendments to this bill were considered, and
agreed to.
The other orders of the day were then disposed of,
and the house adjourned at 25 minutes past 7.

HOUSE OF COMMONS-(YESTERDAY.)
MERCHANT SHIPPING BILL.

Clauses up to 28 inclusive were agreed to after several
desultory discussions.
On clause 29, which provides that British vessels may
be navigated wholly by foreigners,
Captain SCOBELL moved the omission of the clause.
This, he said, was a national question, and struck
at the root of our maritime power. The right honour-
able gentleman the President of the Board of Trade
might tell them that this clause was the summit of
free trade, hut he denied that this had anything
to do with the question of free trade at at all. The
repeal of the Navigation Laws was said to be the summit
of free trade, but when that was passed the Government
did not propose the repeal of these manning clauses.
If this clause passed, and it it were declared allowable
for the master, mates, and men of a British vessel to be
foreigners, he should propose another clause that every
morning the crew of every vessel should sing " Rule Bri-
tannia," and that the captain should accompany them
on the French horn, and the mate on the German flute.
He knew that there were numbers of our seamen in the
different ports who had resolved that if this law passed
they would take their services to the navy of the United
States. He was convinced that the operation of this
clause would be most injurious to the interest of the
shipowners themselves, and he appealed to them
not to support it. The circumstances of Europe
just now were not favourable for any step which
tended to destroy or undermine our reserve of
seamen. The Government was preparing on all
sides against the dangers which they apprehended,
but if that danger were real, they were by this
clause undermining the best security of the nation.
It was downright madness, and as a lunacy bill was pas-
sing through the house, he hoped a word would be pro-
vided for the President of the Board of Irade, for if he
really were sincere, and believed he was doing right,
he deserved to be sent there. At the pre-
sent moment, there were numbers of English seamen
in the mercantile marine who had obtained American
protections, so that if we issued impressment warrants
they could not be taken. The whole weight of authority
was against this ;,clause, and he could go on quot-
ing all day from the opinions of most eminent men
professional and otherwise, against the principle. He
believed if this clause were passed it would inflct a vital
stab to the present general and universal custom.
Mr. LABOUCHERE opposed the clause.
Mr. CARDWELL supported the clause, but four
o'clock arriving the chairman left the chair and the
house adjourned until six o'clock.
The house resumed at six o'clock.