The Sun.
London, England, 1813-06-08 00:00:00

SHIP-BUILDING IN INDIA.

•
St.tok - • - - ,
• -Torev-ent '-ffie=---tritilslittg of oterchnot ships in.
India and men of: rat% hv.a, uarrow. policy.
with respect to our colonies, al there is UM at--
thehment stronger, froin the latter to the former,
than is. caused by equal privil2ges i.•indeed the,
syinpathy of their anion is as-close as the branches
are to the stein of a tree, giving an equal law of
nourishment to cacti other, which preserves the
attachment, lieo.lth, growth, and energy of the
whole systeLii, and rivets their mutual atlvetions
togetiver.
ft would be wise policy of Government, there-
' fore, to allow merchant Olips of every description
to be bnilt.in •ludia, for the first political, purpose
of 'preventing the _necessity of this country de-
pending upon foreign timher to build trot only a
great part of her merchant but men of War,
of a quality not worthy of workmatiiivip and fine
models, which is so4ieeessary to improve the dura-
bility and,sailing of yessels to t4C country, and her
colonies.

A liberal policy in this would allow the coun-
try to recruit her forests, and. raise aew oaks
every where,. to,prevent that jnvaluable species of
timber,. decreasing in, so dangerous a Manner, in
proportion to its growing de viands for naval, eim-
mercial. and mechanical purposes, as to threaten
to endanger the defence and greatness of the
State.

Permission to bitild merchant ships in 'lndia, in-
stead of reducing the art and improvement of ship.'
building, would at . once encourage, expand, and
improve that noble project to the greatest
height. Such would encourage the emigration of-
the surplus mathematical geniuses of this art, and
throw back the' effects of their plans into the ma-
rititne,:intcrosts, and naval. improvements , and
Strength of the country and her colonies, instead
of giving this, surplus genius of the eountry, by
emigration to America, to improve her plans
.andto.enhance the price of her build,
ing materials, making her dangerouS, not only to
this ethtntry but to the old States of Europe.
The pertnission of ship-building in Luria would
increase the nursery and employment of our sea-
'ilea, in proportion to such liberality of poliev,
and would gradually increase the number-of
lent ships, either fur commercial or Government
purposes, the first emplOyment Of..which would
bring- a grAdual succession of new revenue and
strength to the State, ;nut would' bring in upon
their first voyages. to Britain, 'iotton .and such
°thorn ieles ,and raw. materials At 1 t necessary for
our tnanalactories, which would. produce td large
mass of new revenue, stimulate pew labour every
where; ancl,raise the country to a high pitch of
greatness ; such would make her intlependent of
American supply and. prevent saerificing the net-
tinal energy,, and g.elieffil interests of • the coun-
try tt-ttl her colonies, by giving a monopoly of
ship-building to a few indiv:duitlq, Who_ have tit!t,
taken ion -enlarged. view of the subject, to see theirqwn interests in their confined and dangerous po-
hey, they alight have obitterVed that their sons, re-

liltii s, connections, or partners,.;titi he extend
and improve . this: nObte arr,, for their 6%vii and
their cotintry's'benefit, by having connection with
building-yards`. in India', Where labour is so low;
and,the building materials - the best. tit the world;
arc to be had at a very cheap , • ;,
The AniciicanS iiow buiLl most of their resseli
.
of live oak and-cedar, whose durability is mach
supericir to the best British The teak -wpm(
of India iS as superior to the• former as the forino
is to British oak; which is an additional induce-
ment for such a Orinisson to be priiiided'; there
will nhvays continue ,udiciont demand for ship-
building Tii this country teitonstune i.ts prOper ma-
terials for that purpose, and' to etafilup its lidine
mechanics.

Building ships in India iottld.not.operate farther.
than to prevent the necessity of importing unfit
materials for ship - construction front toreigti
States ; and espeetally from America, which on
the one hand endangers the quality of our navy
and merchant shipping, and renders us dependent
upon a State NVbiel) attempts already to rival its
parent country and the .other Old States of rairope.
&rimming- tbe'value of- Anterican tirnhei. or
hnildiiiti ingt,rials -clears her hittlil and iniprnves
herAvicolt ore, and by thus turning grcia 001 i.
tical and commercial exchanges aglinst ns,
locking up the improvement of ship-building at
home cannot fair to redute the affections of our
Own colonies to rime parent state.,

Instead of bringing pitch pine from America to,
-build. mid plank our own of war and merchant-
nten•,, tilc country would be supplied ‘vith superior'
sliiPsi and, the best"ninterials of every kind, and
such "vessels aroultLat ':once be imported with cAr-
goes of cotton and other raw materials of the first..
quality, raising ten times the revenue as the ships
built. in Canada, Nova SOotia, &c. loaded with
timber.
Lnlla would be. a,granA 'asylum for our sorplits
popidatioo, nod surpass Or colonies in America
for ship-Intilding, which wobld throw back ;ts'ilf. •
finence by'iew commerce, 'hoe) the revenue unti
the energies of. the state,,aNd at the same time
producep a' new and extended nursery of Sea
men.

ifGovernment were to establish Bodrds at home',
anti in the colonies, to encourage the improvement .
of Modelling ships of war and merchantmen for
fast sailing, causing and encouraging alWays twO
of eqUal size to be 'built; but on different models,
to be. rigged, egaipped,...and tried on soiling
ni,ti cites in every direction, granting to the best
improver. or .inventor a premium tuul honorhry
character in the Boards of ‘.Sience for the fastest
sailing ship ; such would railie'unusual etuuktion
for general improvement at home and in the colo-
nies, for fast sailing vessels, of every itescriptimi,
%Odell is of the first ipportance ioinaritime power'
and comme'reitti-courenieace, namely„, to) come
up with' tita:trtte-toy, itd to gi advantitge in ma-.
nteuvre,. to chose 11,cciffilnanding situation in Lter
and to escape froin thy tni eniy, car procedd in(
convoy witri greater celerity. Such is, of course;
as honourable, and nccesattry.to science anti Put-
tional economy as horse-racing In the country to
improve their breed iti swiftness, and the Mire-
rent BaiirdS.of -Agriculture to improve the inean4
of subsistence for a.swelling and -increasing pc)"
potation, both of, which, as 'veil as ttfe". eneott,
ragement of other ineChanical improvetrthnts, has
so much raised the resources of the t.beihtiy, qind
for which purpose a hatlouhl fanfrnsight be ap-
propriated.,

This permission ;is moiepoliticallY'oecessary as
the stock shippiog in Lurope is so 11)11(111'e:-
dueed that in the evimt 'of peace there are not halt
sufficient n !tuber of Merchant ships that would he
ueeessury.t,) carry on the trade of 'Burope, and
the More of them this country might possess
would throw such a balance of the carrying'trodo
her favour as to give her. a great preponderancy in
commercial convenience, and, of comie; bring in
large new ,revenue to the State, 'besides employ-
_
ment to the seamen and soldiers discharged ;1-ol
the navy and arniy, which Would make the coum•
try rich and happy.
Liverpool, May 31,1818.

\V. i\j,