The Sun.
London, England, 1822-05-21 00:00:00

-against the principle of the Bill, in the course of a discus-
-sion which had taken place on a former evening. The
measure now immediately before the House, and another
(the ancient Commercial Statutes' Repeal Bill), were intended
to carry into effect the proposition which he had the honour of
laying before the House at the close of the last Session of Par-
liament, for the purpose of clearing, simplifying and amending,
the Navigation Laws of this country, as well as with a view
to the extending and improving our commercial intercourse
with foreign nations. Bills were at that period introduced,
pro forma, to give gentlemen an opportunity of weighing
the subject in their minds. Since that time various alterations
were made in the measures then contemplated ; and prin-
cipally in the structure and provisions of the Bill which was
net at that moment before the House. The object of that Bill
--was, to simplify all the acts relative to navigation which it ap-
peared necessary to retain, and to repeal those statutes which
were ne longer useful. The Bill now before them, and the
other measure to which he had alluded, to both of which he
had himself directed the most vigilant attention, would, con-
jointly, have the effect of clearing and simplifying the existing
law.' This was proposed to be done by repealing a great va-
riety, of acts of Parliament, which passed from the reign of Ed-
ward 111. when the first navigation laws were promulgated,
down to the period of Charles 11. Those acts were passed un-
der various circumstances and with different objects ; and, as
those circumstances ceased to operate, the laws which they had
created fell into disuse; so that the acts from the time of
Charles 11. were universally considered as the navigation laws
of the country, the statutes which had been enacted anterior to
that period having become obsolete. Observing the contradic-
tions which those acts frequently presented, not merely to sta-
tutes of a later date, but with reference to each other, it was
deemed necessary to repeal all the laws which had been intro-
duced on this subject before the reign of Charles 11. Those
laws might be classed under threeheads, namely, those which
a change of circumstances had rendered useless ; those which
'militated against the provisions of the existing navigation law
,and those which were ''no longer necessary in consequence
.of subsequent ear recent enactments. With respect to the
expediency of rendering the law as plain and likewise as
intelligent as possible, there could be no doubt. Every
-one must agree, that it was an object of great importance so
to frame the law that it should be subject to as little question
or doubt as possible. To the general principle he belieeed there
-was and could be no objection; but it would be matter con-
sideration to the Committee, whether this or that paeti9elar act ,
should be repealed, or whether the description he had given
of any of those acts which it was intended to remove was a core.
rect one. Since the present Bill was laid before Barliameet,
Petitions, he understood, had been presented with reference to
two of those acts—one relative to the export of wool, the other
relative to the import of woollen cloth. With respect to, the
first, he had merely to observe, that the whole of its provi-
sions were consolidated under the 28th of his late Majesty.;:
consequently the repeal of the act passed previously to the
reign of Charles 11. could not affect any party whose interests
were protected by that statute : they would remain in precisely
the same situation in which they stood at present. As to the
importation of woollen cloth, there were acts on the statute book
- which prohibited any such traffic. There was, however, nolike-
lihood that foreign doth would be imported, since our manufac-
• tune was so much superior to that of any other country in Europe.
Indeed, an act was passed some years ago, in the preamble to
-which it was set forth, that no such prohibition was necessary.
'But any apprehension on this head was set at rest by the act
of 1787, by the provisions of which a heavy duty was levied on
-ell foreign cloths imported into this country with a view to
Competition. These were the only two ancient acts to the re-
peal of which he believed any objection would be offered. The
trabject had been thoroughly considered since last session ; and
some -few ancient Acts, relative to our system of navigation,
but of very little importance, had been discovered, and they
were included in the measure now before the House. Of the
most ancient Acts, two only had been preserved. The object
of the one ewas to reserve to our Courts the cognizance of all
matters connected with foreign trade ; the other, which was
passed in the time of Edward 111., gave to the foreigner, when
nis interest in any merchandize was concerned, the right to de-
mand a jury, half foreigners and half Englishmen. That law
Sae one of the concessions which were made in confirmation of
the great charter, and showed the disposition to encourage fo-
reign trade, by which that Prince, one of the wisest that ever
swayed the British sceptre, 'was actuated. The present mea-
sure was drawn up merely with reference to the Navigation
Law as it operated on the trade of this country; and in decid-
ing on it, two questions were to be considered—first, whether it
was necessary to make any alteration in the law ; and next,
whether the alterations which he was about to propose were
wise and expedient? He was aware that the projected altera-
tion in the Navigation Law had excited great alarm amongst
different classes of persons. They had been, told, through the
medium of resolutions, petitions, and papers, published in
various ways, that mean adherence to the principles on which
the Navigation Law proceeded, depended the safety and
prosperity of the counefy ; and therefore that those prin-
ciples could not he surrendered without the greatest dienger
to the welfare of the State. If the great principles of the
Navigation 'Law were to grant a due preference to British ma-
nufactures—if it were meant by those principles that coun-
tries which had no shipping of their own should send their
commodities to England in British vessels—if it were intended
by those principles to protect the direct trade with our colonies,
and to maintain our coasting. trade and fisheries—if these points
were to be secured' by the principles of the Navigation Law, he
coralaPvatufl perfectaagreed in tiT....22T,tjeciPicaoniedteliTlVla7
But if these principles tolerated and recommended a system of
severe exclusion—if they pointed at a system of prohibition—
if such were the principles of the Navigation Law, then he
totally disagreed -from those who approved of them ; and he
thought that many of the laws which were enacted on those
principles might:be removed with very great advantage to the
country—(-Iga; hear!)—Those who approved of this harsh
and severe system, contended that foreigners had no right to
complain of the law. He knew very well that it was in the
power of every country to determine what degree orcommercel
it would carry on with neighbouring nations, and under whatl
species of regulation or restriction. That was the undoubted
right of every State. Whatever those restrictive laws might
be, as it was optional with the foreign country to carry on
trade under them, or to decline a commercial connexion with
the State • which had given birth to them, the foreigner
certainly had no right to complain. But though he had no
right to complain, he certainly had a right to retaliate. —( H ear !)
He might meet restriction by restriction—he might encounter
prohibition by prohibition—he might oppose severity by seve-
rity.--e(Hear I)—Doubtless England had a right to declare
tenet her commerce should be ; but having made that eleclara-
tion—having stated how far foreign commerce should extend—
it was proper that the Legislature should examine whether the
regulations established for the purpose of protecting and en-
couratang that trade were or were not wise and politic. It was
not because those with whom we traded were foreigners that
restrictive measures sliould betadopted. They should be re-
. sorted to merely for the purpose of protecting our essential in-
• tercets ; and if other countries were disposed to act on the same
principle, it appeared to him most evident that the freeest sys-
tem of trade would be found by far the most advantageous.—
(Hear, hear !)—lf this were the fact, and if' they felt severely
the baneful- effects of those restrictions which foreign powers
opposed to our trade—restrictioas which were increasing every
day—if,2 years ago, the manufacturing interest called out against
the restrictions Which Parliament imposed on foreign trade, and
demanded their removal—if such restrictions were found equal-
I; injurious tq those against whom they were directed, and those
y whom they were inflicted; if they were inimical to the interests
of this country, which ought, by its wealth, industry, and in-
Aitutions, to be the greatest commercial power in the world,
was it not the wisest and soundest system they could adopt to
abandon those principles which hail produced to much mis-
chief, and to retrace their steps as quickly as possible ?
(Hear I)—He knew that, in consequence of the artificial situa-
tion in which the country was placed, and which had necessa-
rily led to the existing system, the relaxation of the law must
be considerably narrowed. But narrow as those relaxations
must be, he thought it would be wise and prudent to go to the
utmost verge of them, consistently with the safety and prospe-
rity of those classes of the people whose interests they were
especially bound to protect. He did homage to that free and
liberal system, which, while it was beneficial to others, Was
most peculiarly beneficial to those by whom it was supported.
Ilis anxious desire was to give the greatest range to the ener-
gies of commerce—to give the utmost excitement to enterprise
and speculation—to extend the benefits of unfettered trade to
all mankind, to whatever soil, climate, Or quarter of the globe
hie destiny attached him. The Object of the Bill was to attain
tOe end, or at all events to mark the disposition of Great Britain
to effect it. Hear !)--Many of the existing laws were enacted in
the reign of Charles IL when the trade of this country found
powerful opponents in the determination and enterprise of the
people of llolland. What was the situation of the Dutch at
that period ? They possessed all the wealth and commerce
of the world. The- Navy of Holland was most formidable,
'and the alliances which that State had formed were most dan-
gerous to the safety and security of England. It was, there-
lve, a great object to abase, and pull doWn, and weaken
the power of Holland. It was wise, in a political point of
view, to enact 'awe for that purpose; and whatever was ne-
z emery for maintaining any advantage that was acquired by
those laws, he was ready to preserve. At that necessity, however,
he would stop; because all beyond it was useless severity, cal-
culated only to injure us by exciting in the minds of other States
a desire to retaliate. England had already suffered much, in
aionsequence of the desire which other Powers felt to retaliate ;
:and, if he were not very much mittaken, she was likely to suffer
. peat deal more.--(Hear, hear.)—He knew not how farahe •