The Sun.
London, England, 1849-03-03 00:00:00

HENLEY AND LONDON WATERWORKS AND

NAVIGATION BILL.

Order for Second Reading read; Motion made, and Ques-
tion proposed, "That the Bill be now read a seceed time :"
Amendment proposed, to leave out the word " now," and at
the end of the Question to add the words "upon this day
six months :"—Question put, " That the word ' now' stand
part of the Question." The House divided:—
MINORITY—AYES, 57.
Anson, Colonel Fox, R. M. Reynolds, Jonh
Armstrong, Slr A. Fox, W. J. Ricardo, J. L.
Bailey, Joseph Gibson, T. M. Rufrord, Francis
Berkeley, H. Greene, John Scholeneld, winiam
Brocklehurst, John Hobhouse, T. B. Sidney, Alderman
Brown, H. Howard, I'. H. Slaney, R. A.
Brown, W. Hume, J. Smith, John 13.
Campbell, W. F. Lemon, Sir C. Spooner, Richard
Caulfeild, J. M. Lushington, C. Tenlson, E. K.
Cayley, Edward S. Mahon, O'Gorman Tennent, R. J.
Childers, J. W. Morgan, 11. K. Thompson, Colonel
Cobden, Richard Morris, David Townshend, Capt.
Copeland, Ald. Mowatt, Francis Tufhell,:llenry
Douglas, Sir C. Napier, Joseph Wawn, J. T.
Duncan, George O'Connell, J. Williams, John
Dundas, Sir David O'Connor, Foargus Wortley, J. S.
Dundas, George O'Flaherty, Anthony Wrightson, W. B.
Ferrer, James Paget, Lord A.
TELLERS.
Forster, Mathew Pilkington,7James Evans, Sir Do Lacy
Fortescue, Chichester Repton, G. W. J. Stuart, Lord D.

MAJORITY—NORSE 137.
Arbuthuott, Hugh Grenfell, C. Pascoe Pakington, Sir J. S.
Infidel', Captain Grogan, E.
Pattison, James
Arundel, Earl of Hall, Colonel Pendarves, E. W.
Ashley, Lord Marris, Captain Reid, Colonel
Bankes, George Harris, Richard Ricardo, Osman
Baring, Thomas Hastie, Archibald Rice, E. E.
Berkeley, C. L. G. Hawes, B.
Richards, Richard
Birch, Mr Thomas Hayter, W. G. Russell, F. C.
Blair, Stephen lleneage, G. n.
Salwey, Colonel
Bolder°, Henry Henry, Alexander Sanders, George
Bowles, Admiral Herbert, Sidney Sanders, Joseph
Boyle, Colonel Berries, J. C.
Seymer, 11. K.
Bramston, T. W. Ileyworth, Lawrence Sibtliorp, Colonel
Brotherton, J. i Hildyard, T. B. Smith, R. V.
Bruce, C. L. C. Hill, Lord Marius Smyth, John G.
Buck, L.' W. Hodges, T. L.
Somerset, Captain
Bulkeley, Sir R. B. Hood, Sir A. Stafford, Augustus
Buller, Sir Y. Hope, Sir J.
Stanley, Edward
Callaghan, D. Hope, Henry T. Stanton, W. H.
Carew, W. /I. Pole llornby John Staunton, Sir G.
Chaplin, W. J. Ilothani, Lord Strickland, Sir G.
Chichester, Lord J. Howard, Lord E. Stuart, Lord J.
Clay, James Ilumphery, Aid. Talbot, J. H.
Clay, Sir W. Jones, Captain Taylor, T. E.
Clements, Charles KeisPel, G. T. Thesiger, Sir F.
Cocks, T. S. Kildare,- Marquis of Thicknesse, Ralph
Coke, E. K. Lacy, Henry C. Thompson, Alderman
Coles, H. B. Langston, J. 11, ollcmache, John . 4
'DavieS"nrY " 144ceitag. W. 8' ' Vane, Lord H.
Davits, D. A. 4. Lifidsay, Colonel
Verner, Sit W.
Deedes, W. Loch, James
Waddington, David •
Disraeli, B. Locke, Joseph Waddington, H. S.
Dodd, George Mackenzie, W. F. Wall, C. B.
Drumlanrig, Via. 31•Nagaten, Sir E. Walmsley, Slr I.
Drummond, Henry Mahon, Viscount Walsh, Sir J.
Duckworth, Sir J. Maitland, Thomas Watkins, Colonel
Dunne, Francis P. Masterman, John Wellesley, Lord C.
Du Pre, C. G. Maxwell, J. p,
W. West, F. It. ~
Egerton, W. T. Miles,
Williams,
,Sir H.
T. P.
Ellis, John Monsell, William Will
Ewart, William Mostyn, E. M. L. s Wooughbydehouse, E.
Fagan, William Id ulgrave, Earl Wyld, Jerrie
Foley, John H.
Mullingl' J. R. Young, Sir John
Fuller, A. E. Kewdegate, N.
Glyn, G. C. O'Connell, M. J.
Gore, W. 0. Ogle, S. C.
Goulburn, Henry Packe, C. W.

TELLERS.
Palmer, Robert
Knox, Colon•

A FEW WORDS ON RAILWAY

BUSINESS.

_
" 13EARS" Y. HUDSON.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.
Slll,—lt will b, in the recollection of those engaged
in railway transactions, if not of the public generally,
that the Bears had carried on their nefarious traffic to
such an extent as to cause the price of Midland to be
quoted in October last at 64/. to 661.; York and New-
castle, 201. to 21/.; York and North Midland, 411. to 431.;
and even London and North- Western at 991. to 106/., and
every share quoted in the London List in like proportion.
You were amongst the first, if not thefirst, to draw the at-
tentionof the holders of railway property to the scheming
designs of the Bears, until, by your advocacy of railway
investments, attention was commanded of the chairmen
and directors of railway companies to the unwarrant-
able depreciation of railway property. Mr. Hud-
son stepped forward on that occasion, and by his in-
fluence put an end to the machinations of the London'
Stock Exchange, by enforcing upon its com-
mittees the necessity of discontinuing the ex-parte
statement published under colour of its sanc-
tion. This, with more detailed statements
issued by the leading railway companies, caused a re-
action—a reaction greatly to the discomfiture of the
Bears; Midlands, by the London List, having since been
quoted at 981. to 1001., York, Newcastle, 5cc.,29(, to
3011., York and North Midland, 571 to 591:, making an
enhanced value in the buying prices of Midland of 34/.
per share; York and Newcastle of 9i/., and of York and
North Midland of 161. per share, and this all within four
months. Would the railway-holding public only take
time to consider, and not take the opinion of any ob-
scure newspaper, whose editor wishes to raise it into
notoriety at the risk of offending against all law and the
common obligations of society, the Bears would suffer
greatly from their attacks upon Mr. Hudson. Their
losses have, doubtless, been enormous, and their efforts
to recover them will not be guided by the strictest rules
of honour or decency.
Of course, as in all similar cases, there are many, a
great many, very wise men, who shrug their shoulders,
shake their heads, and profess to give a knowing wink,
who formerly were ever ready to bepraise and laud the
rising god.
Let shareholders wait the result of the investigation
submitted to by {r. Hudson, and I feel confident they
will be more satisfied with tho result than the Bears
will ultimately have occasion to be. B. E.

Mr. Granville Harcourt, M.P., and Frances Coun-
tess Waldegrave entertained the Earl and Countess of
Lucan, Lord Brougham, Lord and Lady Norreys, th
Right lion. Sir John Cam frobhouse, Miss Hobhousee
the Right lion. Richard Lalor Shell, Mr. R. Monckton
Milnes, Mr. and Airs. Cutler, and a select party to
dinner, on Thursday evening, at their residence in St.
James's-place.

THE NAVIGATION LAWS.
Yesterday a meeting of the Shipowners' Society was
held at the London Tavern, to which the attenfiance of
all who wished to prevent the repeal of the navigation-
laws was invited.
Deputations were present from Greenock, North
Shields, Exeter, Whitehaven, and Scarborough.
Mr. DUNBAR, who filled the chair, opened the pro-
ceedings by stating that this was a meeting of the Ge-
neral Shipowners' Society, for the purpose of rendering
a report of what had been done during the pact year.
No meeting of the society was held last year, the society
being then so mach engaged in the protection of their
interests. The report, however, would explain what had
taken place, and what was then going on. It was not
necessary for him, therefore, to take up any time in
stating what was set forth therein. It was very agree-
able for him to see so largo a meeting of the shipowners
as that now before him. It showed that they were at last
alive to the danger they were in, and that they were de-
termined to put their shoulders to the wheel, and to
I protect their interest, now threatened with ruin.
It sitas a great misfortune that the shipowners
had not been an united body. When the society bad
applied to them individually, it had been met with a
lukewarn reception, which seemed to imply that they
expected
them. T
the gentlemen The time,
mh
e hoped,
i n London
however,wo u
had
now m
would th e
conicfor
when the shipowners would see the danger of their posi-
tion, and endeavour, as much as possible, to assist the
society, for without its help it would be impossible to
do anything effectual. The shipowners seemed to con-
sider that it was " all up" with them, but there was
nothing more likely to make " all up" with them than to
say and think so, for thus they communicated despair to
all around, and prevented the -exertions of those who
were desirous to assist them. He, therefore, hoped they
would do all they could to induce M.P.'s and others to
support them. He was quite satisfied, and he took this
opportunity of saying so, that -the doctrine of free
trade was not so ascendant in the kingdom as it was. He
was sure that if the country was polled, a great majority
would appear in favour of protecting the shipping in-
terest. If it was possible to do away with the national
debt, then there might be some ground for the introduc-
tion of free trade, but as that could not be done, he
thought it was one of the birthrights of Englishmen that
their trade and maritime interests should be protected.
Having expressed his hope that every speaker would re-
ceive a fair hearing, the Chairman called on Mr. Young
to read the report.
This document was one of great length, and reviewed
minutely the events of last 3 ears with reference to the
question of repealing the navigation-laws. It concluded
by recommending shipowners to be united among them-
selves, and to seek the support of other interests in the
State threatened like their own with ruin from the free-
trade policy of the. Government and the House of Corn
mons.

Mr. Ronnysow, M.P., said, he believed it was well
known that since the introduction of the measure for
the repeal of the navigation-laws he had felt it his duty,
in conjunction with other Members who thought with
him, to offer his strenuous opposition to a measure
fraught with ruin to the maritime interests of the coun-
try. He commented upon the manner in which Govern-
ment had from the beginning proceeded in bringing for-
ward the measure. The first thing which made it known
that they intended to repeal the navigation-laws
was the publication in an -American newspaper
of a correspondence which had taken place be-
tween Lord Palmerston and the American Mi-
nister, Mr. Bancroft. He censured the Govern.
ment for yielding to the insidious suggestion
of Mr. Bancroft, and appointing a Committee of the
House of Commons to consider the subject, without the
slightest signification from the country that the change
was asked for, wished, or even expected. It was one
thing to submit a question fairly and impartially to Par-
liamentary investigation, and another to bring it forward
with all the weight of Ministerial responsibility. The
next step taken by Government indicated the mode i❑
which they were determined to carry the measure. A
letter had been addressed by Mr. Murray, of the
Foreign-office, to the British Consuls abroad, which had
been correctly designated as a fishing letter, written for
the express purpose of degrading and calumniating the
officers and sailors of the mercantile marine. His next
complaint against the Government was the manner i❑
which they attempted to force their measure on against
the declared wish of the country last year. He had felt
it his duty, now that the question was coming on again
for discussion, gravely to go through the evidence which
had been taken before the Committee of the House of
Lords, and he found that a main ground
set up by the Government for proposing such a change
was the high rate of freights which the ship-
owners were enabled by their monopoly to exact from
the shippers of merchandise. Now, he had been a mer-
chant himself for forty years, and had no hesitation in
saying that if they looked back for te❑ or twelve years
past, 1847 being alone excepted, the shipowners were the
only persons who had any reason to complain in respect
of the amount of freights, and not the shippers of goods.
Ile ridiculed the evidence of a contrary character which
had been given before the Committee of Inquiry, but ad-
mitted that occasionally inconvenience arose; but then
Mr. Huskisson, whom free-traders so often quoted, had
said that when the interests of commerce and navigation
clashed, his opinion was, from the importance of keeping
up a mercantile marine for the national defence, that the
interests of commerce should give way. When the advo-
cates of the Government measure were driven from one
position they adroitly betook themselves to another.
Thus Mr. Labouchere was found dwelling upon the
petitions i❑ its favour presented from Canada and the
%Vest Indies. But he found that these petitions were
signed by a comparatively small number of the colo-
nists, and that their prayer for the repeal of the na-
vigation-laws was wrung out of them not so much
from any hope that they would be benefited by sueh a
change as from the misery and despair which had been
produced among them by the afflictive visitation of what
was vulgarly called free trade. Burdened as they were
by an enormous amount of taxation, and by tho expense
of an extravagant Government, they had been told that
they might go and build their ships in foreign countries;
but what in the mean time was to become of the thou-
sands of the labouring classes dependent on ship build-
ing and repairir.g for their support? He sometimes
thought that the majority of the House of Commons,
and those who had the go►ernment in their hands, had
been stricken with a species of political blindness, for he
could not account is any other way for the pertinacity
with which they seemed determined to carry out their
principles of free trade. The want of employment
was the great evil from which the country was suf-
fering, and yet the Government were preparing to
take another step in the direction to which those
doctrines which had caused that want of employment
led; 'The s time Would soon arrive when a reaction
must take' place, but if the navigation-laws were re-
pealed now, h'e-feared the shipowners would not be able
to go back so advantageously as if they now made a
vigorous and successful stand against the policy of
Government. He then proceeded to comment on the
evidence given by Captain Stirling, R.N., before the
Committee of the House of Commons, and to contrast it
with that of the naval officers given before the Committee
of the House of Commons. They were told that other
nations would reciprocate if they repealed the naviga-
tion-laws, but he set little value on such reciprocity, and
considered that the only true guide to the policy of the
country was its own interest. They had tried the expe•
riment of free trade for twenty years without finding a
follower of their example among the nations. The
Americans had no free trade, nor the French, though
among them democratic principles were now in
the ascendant. Yet in the face of such facts
it was that the Government were endeavouring
to repeal the navigation-laws. As to retaliation
by foreigners upon Great Britain for persisting in pro-
tection, nothing could be done thereby half so injurious
as were the consequences of this one-sided system of free
trade. Now, what was the importance of this shipping
interest, at which so deadly a blow was sought to be
struck? He estimated the value of their shipping at
38,000,0004, the expense of building, &c., at 16,000,0001.
He had no jealousy of the Americans, who were a nation
sprung from themselves; but their tonnage was now
nearly equal to their own, and they viewed the repeal of
the navigation-laws as likely to produce greater benefits
than any commercial treaty that had ever been concluded
with the mother country. Obloquy had been thrown on
the shipping interest by the system of impressment; but
what had they to do with that system? Nothing. He
invited them to make every exertion to protest against
the measure, and if they failed, and it went to the House
of Lords, he hoped that House, looking at the evidence
which had been taken before their own Committee,
would throw it out. Having moved the adoption of the
report,

fir J. 11. BELLY rose to second it. Ho was ready to
stand forward on all occasions on behalf of British ships
and British sailors, whose interests be considered the
sheet-anchor of the country. They had two recommend-
ations from the Committee—one of union among them-
selves, and the other to secure the support of other par-
ties in the State possessed of influence and suffering from
like injurics. It was necessary for commerce to have a
rich neighbour who could buy their produce. He had
much pleasure in seconding the motion, on the distinct
understanding that concessions of their own interest
should he made where those concessions were reasonable,
and that they should be guided by what they did by re-
gard for the public good.
Mr. PowLEs said it was stated that there was no hope
in the House of Commons, but he ,did not believe that
that House would dare to pass a measure based upon
so rotten a foundation. Tho system of free trade had
proved a complete failure, as a proof of which
he appealed to the extraordinary increise in
the number of applications for employment.
Where, then, was the necessity for so much precipi-
tation? There was no call for this measure on the part
of the country, but it seemed that Ministers had no
longer the courage to preserve their independence.
They were the slaves of an agitation out of doors, and at
its bidding the two greatest statesmen of the day had re-
tracted all the opinions of their previous lives. Upon
what information was it that the House of Commons
were about to legislate? Upon a complete want of it.
He entirely agreed in the report, and considering the
danger of the' proposed measure, and the necessity of
setting Parliament to rights upon the subject, he had
great pleasure in moving the following resolution :--
"That the meeting entirely concurs in the sentiments