The Sun.
London, England, 1824-07-10 00:00:00

submitted to your Lordships, would apply with double force;
especially if any further permanent stipulation be made with
other countries us to Duties. .

---Tiiill---S4)/ort of what is thus set forth, your petitioners
beg to state to your Lordships, that previous to the protecting
bounties ou certain articles exported in British Ships, the whole
of the trade to Ilamburgh was carried on in Foreign vessels;—
that, at the present time, British Ships have but a very small
proportion of the trade of the world not carried on from or to
British Ports; as will be evident from the fact, that out of 208
vessels arrived at the free port of Ilamburgh between the Ist
January and 3d July 1823, only about twelve were British;—
and that, at the present time, Prussian vessels are engaged for
freight at 20s. to 225. per load, for the supply of his Majesty's
Dock-yards and the London market with timber, &c. from
Prussia, whilst a lower rate than 28s. to 30s. per load, will not
yield to the British Ship Owner an adequate remuneration for
the employment of his capital.
That since the peace, your petitioners have been struggling
against ruinous rates of k reight, and immense depreciation of
capital, in a degree nothing interior to that which the Agricul-
tural or Manufacturing Interests have sustained ; and by the
Navigation Act of the 3d of his present Majesty, together with
the West India Intercourse Bill, and the Warehousing Act of
last Session, Foreign Vessels are permitted to engage in various
branches of the carrying Trade, which previous to the passing
of those Acts had been confined to British Shipping.
That under all these circumstances, and there being many
branches of the carrying Trade in which it is impossible for
British Shipping successfully to compete with Foreigners with-
out the aid of some advantages in respect of duties :
Your petitioners most earnestly entreat, that your Lordships
will be pleased not to exercise the powers given to you by the
Act of Parliament in question, without affording them an op-
portunity ofproving to your Lordships in what manner and de-
gree the interests of British Shipping will be thereby effected.
And your petitioners will ever pray.
London, 4th August, 1823.
Office of Committee of Privy Council pr Trade,
Whitehall, August' 14, 11123.
TO LIAT,PH FEN WICK, ESQ
•
Stn—l am directed by the Lords of the Committee of Privy
Council for Trade, to acknowledge the receipt of the memorial
of the Ship Owners of the Port of London, dated the 4th inst.
on the subject of the powers vested in his Majesty, by the Act
of the last Session, commonly called the Reciprocity of Duties
llill, and I am at the same time to acquaint you, for the in.
formation of the Gentlemen who are parties to that Memorial,
that the Lords of this Committee,. will at any time be ready to
receive the further evidence wnich the Memorialists state
themselves to be prepared to give; and that their Lordships
will feel it to, be their duty to bring such evidence. together
with your Memorial, under the notice of his Majesty's Govern-
ment, in reference to the exercise of the discretion vested in
the Crown under the Act above referred to, for the protection
of the commerce of the United Kingdom, against the system
of discriminating duties adopted by other States.
1 um, &e.
(Signed) • THOMAS LACK.

We the Undersigned Members of a Special Committee ap-
pointed to prepare evidence in support of the Petition to the
Lords of his Alajesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, dated
4th August last, praying that'their Lordships would be pleased
not to exercise the powers vested in them by the Reciprocity of
Duties Bill, until opportunity had been afforded to the Peti-
tioners of proving to .their Lordships in what manner and de-
gree the Interests of British Shipping would be thereby effect-
ed ; having used our utmost endeavours to obtain such evidence
as might place in the clearest point of view the important ques-
tion, whether the British Ship Owner will eventually be likely
to retain any, and what portion of Trade with the several Ship.
building States of Europe, if the protection by differences of
Duty, Drawbacks, and Allowances, which have hitherto been
found necessary, should be withdrawn; Ina to submit the
following „