The Sun.
London, England, 1849-05-09 00:00:00

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LONDON, WEDNESDAY, MAY 9, 1849.

The-prediction which we ventured to utter yester-
day, respecting the tate of the Navigation Bill in the
House of Lords, was verified this morning, by the
second reading being carried, by " the small but
sufficient majority" of ten votes—the numbers being
for the second reading, 173 ; against it, 163. We
have not therefore been disappointed in the "wisdom
and discretion" which we had anticipated on the part
of their Lordships. The fearful consequences of
a collision between the Houses have been
averted, and the nation is preserved from the
disturbances and excitement that would necessarily
result from the acceptance of power by a reactionary
Ministry, who would,attempt to revive the obsolete
doctrines of protection, and to impose new and heavy
imposts upon the food of the people for the benefit of
a class. The principle of monopoly has been deli-
berately repudiated, and those who would attempt
again to subject the country to its baleful influence,
should be possessed of no ordinary degree of hardi-
hood. Yet, from what fell from the Protectionist
Leader, there can be no doubt that some, at least, of
the party were prepared to assume that grave re-
sponsibility. No Ministry that could be formed
on reactionary principles could hope to retain office
for three months, but it would be impossible to cal-
culate the injury to all the national interests and the
dangers that would follow the abortive attempt. That
danger is, however, now happily but matter of
speculation, for the result of this morning's division
has completely defeated the hopes of the " reac-
tionaries," and confirmed the reasonable expectations
of the British people.
The speeches in support of the measure were,
indeed, worthy of the occasion. Never, per-
haps, did the Earl of CARLISLE appear to
greater advantage than in his brilliant address in
opening the adjourned debate, an address which
might bear comparison with the most successful ora-
torical displays of Lord MORPETI4 in the other branch
of the Legislature. The sound practical information,
the acute reasoning, and the unanswerable argu-
ments of the Noble Lord must convince every
unprejudiced person, who calmly and dispassionately
considers the subject in all its varied aspects, whether
as a question bearing on the trade and com-
merce of the country, or the condition of
our colonies, or of our national defences,
every objection was fully and satisfactorily
disposed of. No point relied on by the supporters of
the present code was left unanswered. He proved
clearly and distinctly that the effect of the proposed
modifications of the law would be to strengthen and
sustain our commercial marine, and thus to increase
its efficacy as a nursery for our royal navy. He
powerfully demonstrated the fatal consequences of
the sanguinary and expensive wars that had arisen
from our restrictive enactments—enactments which
mainly led to the declaration of American
independence, and the separation of the
United States from the Mother Country, and
the establishment of our great maritime, commercial,
and ma-eufaeturing rival. He also showed that the
shipowners, for whose especial benefit the navigation-
lava, had been enacted and maintained, were the chief
svilerers from their operation ; that, as in every other
instance, protection had damaged those it was
intended to serve by teaching them to rely on artifi-
cial support in place of entering into that fair and
manly competition, that 'generous rivalry, which
Englishmen have no reason to fear, and
which British merchants, British shipowners,
and British seamen, should ever be willing

to encounter. We could not reasonably
hope. tEat other nations would regard with indiffer
ence a continued exclusion of their vessels from our
trade, and if,we should afford evidence of our con-
, tinued determination to maintain those restrictions,