The Sun.
London, England, 1848-06-02 00:00:00

Mr. ROBINSON—The Right Hon. Gentleman
argre-
ferred to Holland as a country that had formerly a le
commercial marine and navy without a navigation-10
That was true; but then there was no analogy betweeot
the case of Holland in those da
(19 s, and the case of F..eg"
land at the present time, because there w. not then the
,
same competition which existed now, and moreover laol,
land was not burdened with a debt of 800,000 001.:
(Hear, hear.) He could assure the House, that if 11
Government prevailed on it to adopt free trade measursto
to such an extent, this country would not be 3131°d.
compete with foreigners, and the effect would be to tsi.
place a great part of the commercial marine of In!
country.—(Hear, hear.) But some persons might '341
what consequence was that of. And a naval officer
(oi
some standing said that the commercial marine was ntf
necessary to the manning of the navy of England' be
he had not read the evidence of Captain Stirlieg,
ld
could riot have believed that any naval officer 'Need
have given such an opinion.—(Hear, hear.) Ile la
e jeefie re
that the evidence of naval men would be given I that
the Committee, which was sitting elsewhere, on. i
subject, which would completely controvert that opi!!_°i.
The Han. and Gallant Member for Christchurch (6°,Pit
Harris) had contradicted it already, and declared thajoe
was impossible to maintain that the commercial niorio
was not instrumental in manning the navy. I°lvl.,es.
would ask, was the navy to be manned in case of emir'
genes' ?—(llear.) It was true Captain Stirling "sot
plats of his own, namely, to keep up such a largo .Isde.
establishment in time of peace as would render it I,tiov.
w
pendent of the commercial marine. But ould
Member for Montrose sanction such a plan? theld the
sect
country, in a period of financial embarrassment, °entice?
to keep up an immense naval armament in time of P_,
Ile had to complain that it was sought to conneslief
system of impressment with British shipowners. 4.ties
had nothing to do with it. It was the naval autherio.
of the country who were responsible for it. no wareto
posed to the system, but he did not see how theYslici 110
do without it in time of war. how would they 11'3_0 so
then to man the navy if their commercial marine ^ this
much reduced as he expected it would be unde_r too)
Bill? The Ilonourable Member opposite
accused them of entrapp'ng apprentices ,f;10,, it
purpose of transferring them to the navy ;ler'
was the naval authorities that forced apprentices e
them much to their disadvantage.—(Hear,
contended that if the measure passed, the Eughs"siisee
owner would be placed in a disadvantageous P° The
with respect to the foreigner.—(Hear, bear.) die
(Mr. Bice
the
British shiplorenenronwholunldotn,oftobreionnstaannneerality timber
foreigner. it/Inert bes
r other
to build his ships duty free. He had also moil bet
restrictions imposed on him for national pares
he did not want to shake off those restrictions `rigs
traction was continued ;to him. The commercial re:so,
of foreign countries had greatly increased of lute To the
The difference between vessels entered inwards ,oeo
United States, Prussia, Denmark, and Sweden he, of
the years 1824 and 1846, us compared. with th`133,00
Great Britain, was in favour of those States
ogge
vessels and 707,700 tons. He did not wish to e„l,tionlS
rate the matter, but as the capacity .of foreign 'wails
and particularly of France and America, to consPess,,,
them was growing greater and greater everaS:Tot of
was in his opinion the greatest act of folly, 'i oddi'
insanity, that could be committed to
tional advantage which this measure would aff°% all
give them td tates'
—(Hear, hear. Then, as to authority, it "-a Iftfr
favour of the navigation-laws. Mr Huskisson Ned,
Wallace, whilst they were in favour. of thes rescsirniels
system, would not consent to abandon the Luc beck
principle of the navigation-laws. If he Stn.°;
the days of Sir Joshua Child, and even Ail's;otitan
whom gentlemen opposite were so fond of (le thous
would be found that they were for reaintainte
cP
laws. Indeed, nothing could be stronger than Fri
nion of Dr. Adam Smith in favour of theratiorelOi
beginning to end the anatomy of the nosigr"yereoiet/
was a tissue of ribaldry and prejudice. If (5,1S5sIc111°101;
succeeded in carrying this measure they viroul sat pr's to
dreds and thousands to the mass of paupers "'„ 0190
in our country. And all this would be d°°;ttios a
secure an uncertain advantage; for, if the alto of 00113
increase commerce, it would be the comine,tcehe sh°ljsis
countries. If such a Bill was introducent„;oo to ''.7j
watch it very closely, and give it every opposlicie
power. Even if it should pass that Nous°, it to
there would be sufficient patriotism to reject sesta
House of Lords. the Pr-;
Mr. T. A. MITCHELL said that whend fee fee'
Gentleman the chairman at Lloyd's exPrehssiee Pre list
in favour of caring cargoes by British sea 5 (Pl'S' 0'
ence to carrying them in those of foreigni 13oi t,hotier
was expressing an opinion entirely oPP°seg- the upper
ever y underwriter in that house. Two °' the s' its
writers of Lloyd's had been examined beibr:idene° iga
mittee last year, and had given decided chi fore
favour of the superior desirability of carrYkilitgoesrgtser
bottoms. In a recent case at the Havarinai',h, the ° the
of sugar for Sr. Petershurgh, one in a Britici tbo
in a foreign ship, had been insured; ac sago ° the
foreign ship's cargo had arrived safely the ac
all lose
British ship was so damaged as to r°olool tb°,,, for
premium to be refunded in order to make g°sccuri's'est°
At the present time there was absolutely n°.na to - fro.
the merchants against the captains of shin 4, oto,ust.
of vessels going short voyages the captaill'i coo' s
quently men of very indifferent skill 47v tirlilirlf
This was, according to his view, etert°ol.ll.
question of free trade. The effect the fe 03
ID ht 10,0,
had had on our commerce was shrotig—A, te-,
Look at our Canada trade: flour was —Cans— Op.
bNew York at 2s. ld. per barrel, whilst front'
0000, or
arrel cost for freight of 4s. 0i:olg opine tli'
that if these laws were repealed the es r'; sequAitai'
the world would be increased, and the than It'
prices of freights would be increased Odle' yeicieus'aits.
nished. Delay in shipments would also besa psi
had often happened to him at Riga that Peres.
r tie.
unable to obtain British vessels to take hissesersaed or
conviction was, that if facilities were tbe fd
importation of goods, England would becoinoet v,OO
commercial depot of the world. Ereplorcelooureote
given to our docks, to our ships, and to our
root t°° f the
every department; indeed he could not otte erne efts
the benefits which would result as a consetlito coniProsa
repeal of the existing system. with rogeru,ra to Pi, to
tion, not one single argument had he 110 te fed,
that British ships would not be able to con3piejo
ebad
ships of every other nation of the world. he wort ships
for his own part, that no country in t thttins jsett:
such advantages in building and °llea!' °woe°
as we had. No country possessed to tli°
tages of obtaining teak, oak, fir, and t_l3,ed out6ts'ooll
of our Australian colonies. As regal*" a was ago
cost of outfitting in the north of Enl4llfor °roper
about IL per ton for canvass, I/. per ton for IWO'
10s. per ton for iron work, and is. per 00_0 coi.,ber
work. There was no other country th:iteseiralaid
,
t rt
with these prices. Then as to sailors, v(e Pble ths„gls
rates for the captains, and it was most
should do so. But as to the common selo isoresa
in the Baltic trade the Swedes paid Jes 6 t
site 0 g of
yet the cost of the American marine we° quite 0t ad'
Th", as to Irovisions, we had all the
]1 the' tbft
provisioning our vessels cheap; and With:, we
vantages surely it would not be contend a %sre ice
foreign competition was likely to injure qua
countreo4
competing at the present time with foreitirceship re,
under all the disadvantages of the appren",_ pArtf
our
ibi(aidn go
considered
etroo
d cornt
other systems; these would be entirely' or doubt o
lje
pealed, and if the were, could there be 00Y coo ? tioo•
test sipe
with the gee°
reog
hep
and he was fully assured that we should beg
eqtneeswt,iinthn the greatest test
Ito
to
31°°i
by the repeal of these laws.
The Marquis of GRANBY said that the iltalne., osi;
her, after denouncing our short-voyage siesta OP °ring.
inferior character to the East India and nittkilos
and as, consequently, lowering the position to host
the interests of our carrying trade, proposed' °lea 1°11;1
gieally, to remedy theymatter by destrofin bastes bone
he
voyage traffic altogether, and to restrict t iv
fete'
our ships to the coasting and fishing trade. ,bo contetice
denied that cur ships could compete, under 4 data ages'
plated change, with the foreign carrier. I°s of ;0
in the cost of our ships, and our higher rotgyettag
as evidenced by Mr. George Frederick be p°s;
other eminent authorities, wholly precluded t tot&
site
lily of our successful competition, unless Pr°, onr•ee
statutory regulations. The Hon. GentlesuoiSe fore?,
himself admitted the advantage possessed by olio 01 Pro
ship-builder by the clause which enabled I-114. thetttcos
Owners to purchase foreign vessels and to mg's(); par faun
English ships. He called upon the House.° tiestit°,lo
Fatly at a period of such distress, not to diffuse.
_pilotllf
among the workmen connected with our ship_rfeepeseo
by consenting to a measure which would e
,1,
destroy that class of labour ; and he further -sessien 'set
them, at a moment when a Continental war, s:olsed,
pending in which we ourselves might be 11" 1000 °ll4
to break up that class of operatives to vv.-hie% eib°o#.,
dockyards could look in case of emergency eqediet/eee
denied that there was any necessity, or Wail; bad been
for calling for this change of a system 'iv'''. „cos
sanctioned by some of our greatest statesme.n:t the ty
ei,
sidered the measure as a practical proof Vl's& prltita
traders had fallen off in their faith in free
at for
plea, or they would not, in support of them, P ocao! g
ra 09
their apprehension of Prussia's creating coastto
marine, or a free-trade of her own. As £0 C' 1,113 If
trade, Captain Stirling's and other evidence' eetiree,
show that the railways would in a few Y Pit,
break this up. Already, many of our Yesiieseed or
viously engaged in this trade, bad discceTnh to °As
in consequence of the railways from 1'cl:1nel I P°' to
various ports, and between the Pr°v— thing
themselves. It was a veryulallosvivg the
keep our heads just above water, whiles lead t° tclo
American vessels to be coming frog' 1-4ng our trilhot
United States, and to allow America to usurlt'sncied t -0
to and from China and our colonies. Lea oonnusid becossea
if this change were effected, Hamburg? *ripens itio:te
the warehouse for China goods for the (-;°/t chicell3l.o.
of London; there was already too much '3l,g in .11".og
this in the unfairly lower rates for warehsenet
burgh and other foreign ports, for while 03
__:7l:he rent
v.
of a ton of tea at London cost 16s. 6d.,
6d., the warehousing charges in s,etero geo
6d., and the rent 2s. The apprenticeohaT, fiiodeg to
aid
uesere ao
doubt been felt as an incon.v along •bilistin% enlileaninceburg:
but the shipping interest bad been all
of Ontria
submit to this disadvantage for the sakesuprernftei
as
iso—t°
treogs;el:
its aid to the maintenance of our naval wealth
not the only thing needful ;
Hon. Gentlemen reflect that trbeanintisaesosyrtion
ws
with
richesith irno
nf
,Csrtce.,su,
stronger
bold,
opinion of Sone
away." The Noble Lord quoted
ces_
estesa
,orgice
Brown to prove that the appia:nti swl-_'sr." eavalffic°iaicy.
ehrutlsiaaindytoouirum,ld",But if
a_ s aenere- ° the Or
imuch
tr roveetnogtphs s
ta
ttuhree, cdoirnseni.
discipline',
for altering relf
vigation-laws. There had bee g'
There was no immediate necessitybno_
_o:ia.i_e_rtsbiribeiloteuToiltritleteeoelfoic:
tamphaered 00'4 t,
there
esuch d measure ur e
manifestedas the
ap rsetsreonn g
fe h
vigation-laws ought not to be b
d were Melt,
from foreign nations. An
cry that had been raised was that wn.ni:ti otos s