The Sun.
London, England, 1854-02-04 00:00:00

sailors exclusively, but whether it was possible to get ships
and sail rs at all. (Hear.) He did not think there was
much in the objection urged by the hon. member for
Liverpool, namely, that if the monopoly of British vessels
in the coasting trade were destroyed, great injury would
be inflicted on the best nursery of British seamen. He be-
lieved that if the present high rates were kept up, the con-
sequence would be in a few years to annihilate a large por-
tion of the coasting trade and to transfer the traffic to the
railways. That result had been already predicted by a high
authority in these matters, Mr W. S. Lindsay, thoughfor
his own part he did not think that under ordinary circum-
stances, and with a low rate of freights, the competition of
the railways would seriously affect the coasting trade. He
was convinced, however, at the same time, that if, by any
unhappy combination of causes, the present extravagant
rates should be maintained for a period of four, five, or
six years, the prediction of Mr. Lindsay would be accom-
plished. The effect of admitting foreigners to participate
in our coasting trade would not be injurious, but the ships
would enterinto competition with British vessels ; but un-
der such circumstances as occurred last year, with rates
extravagantly high, and with an experienced impossibility
of getting vessels at all, the admission of foreigners would
prove a great boon to the country. In order to show how
the present law operated, he might mention that in the
northern district of Scotland, with which he was more par-
ticularly connected, there was an excellent crop of potatoes
last year, while in the south of England the crop was almost
a complete failure. The result was that potatoes were very
scarce and dear in the London market, but cheap and plen-
tiful in the markets of Scotland. At the very time when
the scarcity prevailed in London there were several Prusian
and Norwegian vessels coming to the ports in the north of
Scotland with battens for the herring trade, but in conse-
quence of the law prohibiting foreign ships from engaging
in the coasting trade of England, they could not be employ-
ed in conveying potatoes to the Thames. (Hear.) The pro-
posed alteration in the law would be mainly confined to
Prussian, Swedish, Danish, and Norwegian ships, and
could anything he asked, be more desirable than that we
should cultivate friendship with these northern nations
upon the foundation of mutual interests ?
Mr. PELLATT directed the attention of the committee
to the restrictions imposed upon the coal trade by the local
laws of the Tyne, especially that which rendered it impe-
rative that no vessel should be loaded before another, thus
sometimes occasioning a delay of three weeks. Several
parties had contemplated hiring or building screw steamers
for the coal trade ; but they had been compelled to aban-
don the idea, in consequence of the regulation to which he
had referred.

Leave was then given to bring in the bills, and the
house resumed.
HER MAJESTY'S ANSWER TO THE ADDRESS.

Lord DRITM_LANRIG, comptroller of the household,
appeared at the bar with her Majesty's answer to the Ad-
dress, which he read in the following terms :—" I have re-
ceived with much satisfaction your loyal and dutiful
address. It will always be my earnest desire to co-operate
with you in measures calculated to promote the welfare of
my people and strengthen the institutions of the State."