The Sun.
London, England, 1848-02-10 00:00:00

OUTPORTS OF THE KINGDOM.

" May it please your Majesty,—We, your Majesty's
loyal and dutiful subjects, beg most respectfully to ap-
proach your Majesty to lay this humble memorial at tte
foot of the throne, believing that the subject-matter of it
involves not only the well-being of your memorialists,
but the security of your Majesty's dominions in every
part of the world.

"lour Majesty's memorialists have learned with deep
regret and indignation that it is seriously contemplated
to repeal the navigation-laws, the principle of which, for
the protection and encouragement of British ships and
British seamen, has been the undeviating policy of this
maritime state for nearly 500 years.
"Your memorialists moat respectfully and loyally, but
firmly, as ardent friends of their country, which they
sincerely love, beg to represent to your Majesty that
the repeal of the navigation-laws will bring ruin on your
memorialists and the commercial marine of Britain.
"That by such a measure, admitting the cheap foreign
ships, half- paid and fed foreign seamen, of which your
memorialists have the most correct personal knowledge,
it will reduce, by a competition the lowest in the world,
the condition of your memorialists and their families, and
strike a fatal blow at their very existence.

"That thus your memorialists will be driven to seek
employment in another state, speaking the same lan-
guage t nd possessing similar laws, where seainen's in-
terests and seamen's rights are carefully attended to;
and were thousands of British seamen have already found
protection ; so weakening your Majesty's empire, and
giving additional strength to an already great maritime
competitor.
" Your memorialists therefore urgently pray your
Majesty to throw your Royal protection around your Ml.'
morialists and the commercial marine of Great Britain,
whose predecessors in all ages in time of war and
danger your ancestors and this kingdom have ever
found their best protection and their greatest glory.
" God bless your Majesty and counsel you in wisdom.
Your petitioners will ever pray.
" Signed in the name and on behalf of the masters,
mates, seamen,and shipwrights of Britain, by
their delegates, assembled in London, this Ist
day of February, ISIS.
Sir G. GREY said, he would take care to lay the
memorial before her Majesty, and the deputation
retired.

In point of numbers the demonstration of yester-
day must be regarded as, to a considerable extent, a
failure. Instead of 20,000 seamen, the entire num-
ber of those who took part in the proceeedings could
scarcely have exceeded 3,000. When the procession
passed under London-bridge it consisted of three of
the Watermen steamers, with 1,000 0r'1,200 masters,
mates, end others on board, towing 92 boats, in
which were about 550 seamen. There were also
nearly 100 boats, rowed and manned by 500 or 600
men. One of the managers of the day's arrange-
ments estimated the number of seamen who were in
attendance throughout the day at from 5,000 to
6,000, but if so, half of them certainly kept below
bridge. A gentleman who was favourably placed for
viewing the procession on its passing Trafalgar-
square to the Home-office, and who took great pains
to calculate the numbers of those who joined in it,
estimated them at about 1,200 or 1,300 persons, but
many seamen were walking on the pavement among
the crowd, and some had already gone into the
taverns and coffee-houses for refreshment. It is pro-
bable that, on the whole, about 3,000 seamen came up
the river on this visit to Whitehall ; and they cer-
tainly deserve the greatest praise for the exceedingly,
orderly and peaceable demeanour which they ex-
hibited.