The Sun.
London, England, 1823-07-07 00:00:00

SHIP-OW NiftitS.
PETITION of SHIP-OWNERS, of GREAT _
MOUT 11, against RECIPROCITY of, DUTIES Diu,.
[PRESENTED TO THE' HOUSE OF COMMONS, JUNE 27.]
A Petition of the Ship-owners of the town and port of Great
Yarmouth, in the county of Norfolk, was presentell, and read ;
setting forth, That:the Petitioners find that a Bill is in pro-
gress in the House, to authorize his Majesty, by Order iii
Council, to declare im the importation or exportation of mer-
diandize in foreign vessels may take place upon - the, payment
of the like dutiesoind with the like drawbacks, bounties, and
allowances, as aro payable or granted upon similar merchandise
when imported or exported in British vessels' from or to coun-
tries in which no other duties are charged, or dra*backs,
bounties, and allowances, granted on the importation c: ex-
portation of merchandise in British vessels, than are charged
or granted upon such merchandise when imported or . exported
in vessels of such countries ; that the petitioners view this
measure with most serious, and they believe, a-Well-founded
alarm as involving in it a complete alteration in that part of
our alarm;
Code, which since the reign of King Charles the
Second has protected the British Ship-owner in the carrying
trade between this kingdom and foreign countries, a protection
most important and necessary to their prosperity, if not to their
very existence, to which their trade is justly entitled, on the
principle that allows it to other trades, and• to the agricalturist,
and which is now recognized by the House, in the imposition
of an additional duty on Willa, ostensibly to preserve the
growers of kelp in this country from a ruinous competition; that
the Petitioners conceive, that should that Bill pass into a Law,
a very large decrease in the British tonnage engaged in the
Centinental trade will immediately take place, increasing the
great injury now felt by the Ship-owner by the unemployment
of his vessels, or, if forced into employment by their engage-
ments at freights not commensurate with the expenditure of
capital, in their outfit, manning, anti navigation, consequences
inevitably reducing in value British Ships, which, the Peti-
tioners. apPrehend, have since the peace suffered a deterioration
of not less than 110 per cent. ; that the Petitioners consider that
the selection hitherto made of British vessels will be seriously.
reversed, when the present protection is withdrawn, inasmuch'
as it can be clearly established to the House, that their original
cost of construction most materially exceeds that of Foreign
Ships, chiefly arising from the heavy Duties paid in this coun-
try on foreign timber, hemp, canvas, and miser articles, neces-
sary in the•equipment of vessels, from which other nations are
for the most part exempt, and that Foreign Ships are manned
and navigated at an half less than British' Ships,. which ad-
vantages in the scale of the foreigner, will enable him to over-
come the predilection for English vessels, by taking freights at
a rate which would insure a remuneration to the former, though
the latter must at the same freight incur a loss; that the asser-
tion that the British Ship-owner can compete with, foreigners,
though a reciprocity of duty takes place, appears -to the Peti-
tioners to be incorrect, from the abore circumstances, of the
extra cost of vessels built in this country, and the high ratenf
wages paid to our mariners, and the expellees of their living,
when compared with the wages and expences of foreign itta=
men, a consideration which shows that the British Shipping
cannot experience the benefits suggested to attend the proposed
reciprocity, whilst the Owner is restrained from furniihing hiin
self with ships in' other countries, froni navigating theM with
foreign sailors, and victualling them in foreign ports ; and in
making this statement, the Petitioners are fully aware Of the
superior skill and enterprise of the British Shipping interests;
but which will be rendered nugatory by the countervailing
abi-
lity of Foreign Vessels to sail attt ower rate of freight; thit
the Petitioners further submit, that the meature holding .out
advantages to other countries, will give;
,an impulse to foreign
adventure, and 'increase the number of their ships, and thns
(even if it is admitted that the shipping of all nations are in a
state of reciprocity) induce a much larger comyetition, to the
manifest injury of this the greatest of 41 maritime States, anti
the partite most Materially interested in the'consideratiOn ; adtl
to evince that the protection hitherto enjoyed by British Ship-
ping-has been called' for by the extra expence of their cost and
navigation, Ind has essentially abridged eompetitiOn, the Peti-
tioners beg to submit, first, a Statement oftheDutiei on articlit
employed in the building and equipment of ships ; and, se--
cendly, a Statement of the excess of Duties on some of the
'many articles (on which "duties are attached) when imported hi
foreign.bottoms, and the rates of freight now payable on such-
articles on importation by British Ships, in many instances lest
than such excess of duty : •
First.--. Statement, showing the Duties payable on the
tation into this Country of Articles essential in the building
and equipment of Ships.

Duties on impettation
Cables and Cordage replaced
by British Ships fir Poreign
Ports, in consequence of
losses, er ton -
Sails, under like cifctnstan-

IMPORTS.
r. d.

-
ces, per centage o►► value
Hemp, on importation, pei

ton - x
Deals, not exceeding 16 feet
3 inches, for every )20
3 1 asts, 8 inches, and under
12 inches, each z -
Timber, per Imul -

Iron, peitort

21 10'
'Ol

104 921

9 23

ID 001

Price in tfiia
Cdun try

IQogt ittstiti“'

•

s.

a o o

I 2 0 CoOh:Nth:wall
2 15 0 Cost lii Prwisiti
6 I 0 4 Cotithi'Svieden,

j•'3 15

b 7 0'
0 ft, 0'

1())

Second.—Steitement, showing the Excess of Duty ttoiv
on the following Articles nn their Import or sSpor
reign Vesselsi over and above the Dimes playable tl
huportoti of exported in Iltitisli Shiprf, mia the currenl
on slush A:Melo:now paid to llritish Vessels.
fl
g.
. r.l. V 0 t.co
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.-. 0 r...
rs g
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ri
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a

paiable
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