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

...... ..._ .. .
large 'latched to on such_ a question as that under considera-
elaw' tica? He entreated the Government to pause before
tweeh
othee.nal step was taken. In the words of the preamble
Log- `he Act of Charles If. he entreated Ministers not to
,n the repeal an Act, the object of which was to increase the
Bel' : sathriepnp4ing and science of navigation of the country, on
iO/.-- 'eh, under the protection of God, the wealth, the
if the th , and the safety of the empire were so much de-
isures Pendent.--(Cheers.)
..
)1e 50
; Mr• :1i• GIBSON said that the Noble Marquis who had
o die' .1114 t sat down had uttered loud lamentations at what he
f ibis ' seensed to think was the reckless course which the House
t ibis
Was
Pursuing He had referred to the successive steps
:er °f ' Which had bee• nadopted—first,the blow given to the agri-
is pot „ 01114141 interests; next, that inflicted on the colonies;.as
If -" *nd now he deprecated the ruinous policy by which,
' h t,
would" l''li 6 had observed, " perhaps the mercantile
Hemarine
ie of Great Britain would be swept from the seas.. tel "', Would lief 1 ' L venture to tell the Noble Marquis that if.eitnaheaan_
'e f°rB
11"efteen'uhtlaitwvins
that tunes•
would
embark iu the policy of free-trade
ioioni
tercets to th be still more unwise to stand still, a.nd.
Copt' exposed the agricultural and olonial in
130 i unrestricted competition of foreign pro-
sril'e 140uctehlis, to refuse to adopt the. same course with respect
of .. Oh.") It was ne-
be ; navigation-laws.—(Cries
oer etoess y o call upon Parliament to go forwt rd. ad not
tdlow itself to be stopped by the importunities urged
bd°
petal hiltlearbed.,aif of a mistaken self-interest. He had often
Ode' • 4 asserted, when free-trade principles were first
1100' eadlltenunsste,d, that if the Legislature carried those principles
fllteirne's-
d the raeisutgl
;more than equal justice ought to he done to
se& . that the agricultural
i
tio
,gCe nndotittowbsessuabrfencetded alone to the competi-.
,; the at °sf
tf.Bo tciTiSglihat producers. He recollected a phrase used
~ the time by the Hon. Member for Essex, who said,
ihel
rito erlend.,°,n'tns. Object to free trade, only hold the dish
9NY doing. T was what the Government was now
,fete g• The Noble Marquis had dwelt very urgently.,
°6 the a
00 he r,,, aogers resulting from comHpeeatisteiona
tritiZr• M. Gibson) talked to the
0 so
he didahhi;b about tt
the
do°Powners being able to compete with foreigners,
Ira ictlizrtshan to vindicate the principles 0 more with a view to
icalm the fears of that
free trade, for if
the
of doubt that
il the
I, 0 f
,British shipowner could not coympete with the
ore' _
er
IP hr gner, that tact would only render him the more.
igent in his desire to use the foreigner's ships if it
ship. 440 k .
ket —(" Oh," and
ill° halt) ni-,16. convenience and his Poe.change mean
irlo to ....nd the opponents of the proposed
the ~, toY that the weaker the British ships were the stronger
-al the
that ~, necessity for driving the foreign ships away ; or
ohet
Mini' tab idler British ship was no better calculated for navi-
-1)0 ehwe e seas than the Chinese junk she ought to be
pipe 4114./ed in preference to the finest vessels in the world?
in ;Vies it that the Hon. Member for Poole healdseurrgaend
ito the4r nce
.of the navigation-laws ? Nothing h ,art its tCposSibility of building ships in England as cheaply
the
ree° *Grp? Would be constructed in other parts of the
of tordeu, . And what was the answer which he found.
yrea-
,9lo tile to the blue-book on the navigation laws b
,se' 14.113,4_n
_who was Lloyd's surveyor at Sunderland?
ot, Mr. ftvidlNSON—The surveyor of registers.
'lli 40a. dii• GIBSON—The surveyor of registers, as the
'l de._•
'leather had stated. That gentleman, in'. his
mightevi-
,ti ' ber,,hefore the
Committee,asserted that a ship.
t ' cheaperu" at Sunderland of oak imported from Dantzic
idi,
Lus(3 than she could be built at Dantzic. And the
esi'
io other _ u was reasonable and well founded, for all the
eft a ahi Materials which entered into the construction. of
;ill pl,cell. Were far cheaper in England than in an • other
0 ne, the the world. The iron knees, the copper any
' . 14.041",%cab1e5, the rigging, and all the accessories. were
, their '.Le'' frona England even by Americans,
.who sent_
illt' , -to ha "Ps to this country when half finished, in order
in.i . qus-"Je them completed. He could not dwell on the
IP!
elete--elh4ll cf cornp.etition, which was no more an essential
Pe the d , ' of the discussion than the price of corn was to
of° 1 ehn"eotte ea
,We li, esetisfaeti the repeal of the corn-laws. There was
0/ tinestio_ on which he had in considering the present
te' hot „, e, and that was, that the Navigation Act could
,0$ ill 2.`"13,d as it was. But then he might be told that
to , IbirweEttafiikeitlyg the necessary changes in the navigation-
lid ought to be careful not to surrender those
oriprinciples by which were. guaranteed the su-
da .. had ,Y for which the mercantile navy of England
Now, what was the
lis . INitralij.waYs been renowned.
ell bap„utee for the superiority of England's commercial
be lthcrelti It was based on the Act of 8 and 9 Victoria,
PoN °ply applies to the imports into the kingdom. Ex-
io, 111 tiatn,,lght be sent in shis of any nation, and ships of
ig Nils", ns might also import goods, provided those
teai._ were not consumed inEngland, but merely re-
be bottogeo here in transuti. If goods o imported in foreign
of 141 au! were to be exported, then co
ehey were outside the
for home consul:up-
tion,teti-laws. But if they . r
ii' witti IL. en those goods must b!.imwpe?rrwtes,!inNthneww,
heay wouldwhich
hy kalid down by the prohibition-.la
0
~ sif,
mildly, that let a ship come from whatsoever. place
ti , ahip lea, laden with produce,hhee would not
,drive that
0
afraid of receiving im-
tf is. poste afwitY• Was England to?
Were they to fear an
,p,pierfrom foreign countries
due ease in her revenue? If nvot,swhy exclude the pro-
not that exclusion
4 orFe of foreign countries?
10 (61,11 14 serious injury to the manufacturingNa interests—
1,
,_ niters and " Oh,")—
era and
? It couldanndot.could such a course of policy
for instance, that
4 ship laden with food Suppose,presented herselffoodatwaans
agligh
net . port. She was refused entry because
t It raised in the country to which the ship, belonged.
0
t ;1,4 the Legislature pretty plainly showed, when itf
itril,?_ended.the navigation-laws in favour of this class of
I that those laws were a great evil.—(No, no.)
)),,ell why did every one of them clamour for the sus-
s.a
"ion of those laws? Was a law good in principle
wlti ,
,f Nee: was to be suspended by force or clamour? At the
r- Watt moment how could the House judge of the future
y itCt3 of the manufacturing or the labouring population?
l' ose ~,,
t kid 4 ants must be left to the course of free trade,
e k nol° pursue any other policy than that of a.ff.ording
a , telvs lu'ited means of supply would be a gross injustice
5e„,.4"3 the people. The navigation-lavve had been
e little
,t Lo Fended during the famine crisis. Could those who
tei, tiUlPPosed their abolition give the country aran-
-9 a gu
tle hart aAt they would not again require to be suspended?
0
e to al they
that the navigation-laws were confined
tithe Policy of
e prohibition; but they were n?t exclu-
knvel,„calculated for the protection of the British ship-
s
,b ;,'„s* There was another and a distinct feature to be
0 , :4 :GI- .V, hai ii• the operations of those laws. The Noble
-15pfil- d quoted Mr. Huskisson, and in doing so had
h ' th led itti
a , , 4 1:104 ~ naportant omission which had been
s e_"nee•• atember for Stamford on a former eveningg
:Ir. tiugllt(!ting the same authority. The omission was,
4'emliklit htissons declaration that, whilst foreign countries
i
. -„ot, in z pertaitted to, carry for themselves, they were
9 2t ot-he'r":tt statesman & opinion, to be permitted to carry
1
that a
N ''.ft;')re kilt; Now, he must be permitted to
r dee quitted or obsolete maxim never yet wya, s cited
th t enee ne
P hna: could I, a bad cause. For the only meaning
r ,,,-la--4: attached
II Ivs, / good,. a were concerned, one countrythe was to
4 4 Which ' for all other countries; and question
10 iit eolati, e,Nlatry ? Was America to be the c,arryas-
i ~t trille obieeYt 7 the rest of the world? It would scon
il he "erY colt the British Parliament was to nurse navies
b.' he
to ritry in the world. But the point to whichreal
elbjeuetiyal ch0.,e411 the attention of the House, was the
I 4;4', was tc,'"eter of the Government proposals. The
I preerican le, .rekal at the same time the English and
1 '6Blll -'6lgatio 1
tipo, „ If „ ne aws. Would the House reject that
of `ante '44ey did, what would they be calling down
all th 6elyes '
r Nit, e Ult., ir• another direction? The. fulfilment
it hi 6„contitti:ts which they had been receiving from
it . Coai,t. frcal
.8' from Prussia, from the Hanse Towns-
-1 . ht, ;,_" they, :verY town in the German Confederation.
iitrktwee,:t7 considering the British shipping, hesi-
, 14%4 Veen
free'ese alternatives?
•On the one hand they
f k ,t,,,t. of the
.access to the United States from every
Oiltie9liierebl I
g °be, and in addition they would acquire
?Slue table the Portion of the trade of the Baltic. The
"131.1." 000 e inlports into the United States was
~, tish: , dollee
. ~ lithei uo/0h.,. a, of which 36,000,000 came from the
~.1thIvorld."1°„113, and 39,000,000 from all other parts
m'scle."l en• "Ider the operation of the navigation-
l;l/ ' hht •-.l°Yed but one-half of the American import
eery if th
tits, Prost, the
repealed these laws there would. be
1.111 .. 4fr rect °f the* • •
I 4 great ki the their enjoying the whole.—(lronical
•▪ NCleat OPposition.) They would certainly have
kiptl °tie alare of the whole, while they now only
liNtitt?°rt ha :111611.--(flear hear.) The Hon. Member for
tiel'oee „f" celled the ;ttention of the House to the
allowitlid 4,:et.ft of the combined influence of the Eng-
itiha.4 tharrMan laws on English shipping, and had
th, - to bt utider those laws English shipping must Con'
,s°lllePitt °f L° ofE. The evidence of the collector of
l'ret_"l4l tiri4°lldon was strong on this point. That
or kine (.4
Asia at the effect of confining the import of the
' Prori teas 1: Af • -• • • British ships,
I 14-.11, 4,s came
.rica, anu rimerica to
AO eere. u,ng'ng to the countries from which the
,-'l4er•,*tYie„-' had been to confine almost the whole of
. ;14 c-e,,,41. shintstade, between America and
.Englandandtfot
• Niel `ainler • All the liners were American,
141i1.3 iltilads' a retuarkable fact that hardly one of those
4t,si 4 fro%
English port. It was, however,
I Lie Y the operatjoji oftwo the navigation-
,, e.lll co:7' obliged eountries, because the English linoer.
'144 4ntry to confine himself to the roduce t
.1' 41)„eleetle If 'awllhZels the American could take. back the
th. taft. the Project urope._(
Hear, hear.) If then they
thiPpio tetieg 0 of the Government they wouldr
theft, of that 46 c'f. the greatest blows on our
to 2 lot
_,eoUld be inflicted and depriving
ftes‘alasae.intntage which was almost within
46,5*11 r) ' wliQ?:eitr-) With regard to the colonial
„ tem! ih,
~_,ult.d been alluded to as being pressed
(4- as 04yriociples of free trade, he certainly felt
Of tis "$1)04 c who h,
014 Fort ed the.e.,, la! advocated those principles, and
Ifni
di to ytonies to the unrestricted competition
oken theD'odueeg,Love them that freedom of transmission
tiero_ fell de,_; this country which was consistent
t'illiat whicel! opposr,“Vosent of those principles. How could
shYht ben *a, list the justice of such an appeal as
t4iNktit r peruart.a.a. on behalf of the colonists, that they
hi:ed qi ,Ite to %et? to transmit their produce at the
ra,4 lil,o tit riak the
borne market ? Hon. Gentlemen
ji74lctt,',3' to he a losing our colonies. Were the colo-
ttely ismus tuttieru°4le. discontented if we removed the
eil Nteic't kikke it „ hi discontented
they laboured? Were they.
Nest %qt.
~‘;.- grievance that we permitted them to
t '14411 . possity educe to the home market at the
(IN trap° ." rate? t, kll • nine ~,,.... to
Why not put the
w,. therei;Portio„`"Zrchant on as good a footing as the
titteert&om.,t,it ZnoLf.!trichant? Under the present law,
tpt,t441144 0 to (4-ei,,i_g from Canada to this country
ei led tis his et; • ship, while the United States mer-
(let.i.! et3,4l.t,HoZieV,t,wo, English and American. He
Virl pti, Olted Gentlemen opposite, who on all occa-
th'(;i, tlieth' tiaool 07 re, ueh
lit44.4,iictithe ,„iveataiaooting
sympe thy for our colonists,
with the foreigner,. by. giv-
4. tlotto ts. Th Re arising from a competition for
s,' ells iaws • " ll(Mse h ld 11 th t the not
to
et
or
first sou reco ect a .
-11 -Nt 'l4 their
kiYlitik.s tor tell° .berrefiatal-,6fitha imposition bore something of
:ternoelonntscesb,el'ng imposed not so
en teal ov!141311
'certain or the parent coun-
P 4 q thPl,,,nions. That
portions of our colonies for their
to pLY by ethunited states'Flat being the case, the indepeud-
, which had been brought about
kte4l'eato% Upon eaeOverY laws,
should b , us not
tst , pe 4 lir eOloni Ia wa •
.egi4 1)444,
.ets that which theyall consi-
Plmter g grievance. Suppose the case of a
"ing to the United States, which
1 • ,
41