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

REPEAL of the NAVIGATION LAWS.
PROCESSION OF SEAMEN.
The deputation from the different ports of the
United Kingdom, to place in the hands of Sir
George Grey the seamen's memorial, praying her
Majesty to refuse her assent to the repeal of the
navigation laws, proceeded yesterday morning from
Shadwell, accompanied up the river by a very
large body of seamen in a " boat procession," the
imposing effect of which was marred by the stormy
wind, which blew ahead the whole of the way,
and rendered it impossible to preserve the order
and compactness necessary for the grandeur of
which the display might have been capable,
and which it was intended to produce.
The boats were divided into three squadrons,
arranged in single file, and each division towed by a
steamer. But the unfavourable wind and tide
obliged a number of boats to separate, and stay
behind. However, two or three thousand seamen
were landed at Westminster-bridge, and proceeded
in tolerable order, with a band and numerous flags,
to Trafalgar-square, where, after a short rest, they
were again marshalled, and attended the deputation
to the Home-office. In passing the Admiralty
and the Horse Guards the procession halted, while
their band played at each place " Rule Britannia,"
after which three times three cheers were given by
the crowd of sailors and spectators for the army at
one place and for the navy at the other. We have seen
many crowded processions through the metropolis
conducted in more military style and order, we have
never seen one of such numbers less attended by any
considerable inconvenience or blameable disorder.
The police exerted themselves with much good
humour to prevent confusion, by the pressure
of the crowding spectators upon the members of
the procession. The deputation, consisting of Captain
Mathews, of South Shields, Captain Dunn, of Sun-
derland, Captain White, of Belfast, and several
gentlemen from other ports, was received by Sir
George Grey at half-past four, when he undertook
to present their memorial to the Queen.
ANOTHER ACCOUNT.
At daybreak yesterday almost every vessel in the
river and in the docks below London-bridge hoisted
its colours as a mark of sympathy and approval of the
demonstration. No inconsiderable number of the
foreign vessels in the port also let fly their bunting,
probably without knowing very accurately the object
of the procession. The wind being brisk, the flags
floated gaily in the breeze, and it was stated by old
sailors that so brilliant a display had not taken place
on the Thames since the coronation of George the
Fourth. The procession was divided into three bodies,
of which one, headed by a steamer, started from
Northfleet Hope early in the forenoon. This division,
consisting of between 80 and 40 boats, was unable to
get any higher up than Woolwich, in consequence of
the unfavourable state of the wind, which prevented
the steamer from towing so large a number of boats.
The second division, called the Long Reach division,
consisted of about 50 ships' boats, towed by the
Waterman steamer, No. 5. Each boat carried its
union flag, and contained from five to 10 seaman, who
wore a blue riband round their hats and another on
their left arms; on the riband was printed in
gold letters '• The Navigation Laws." The display of
colours in Galleons and Bugsby's Reach was espe-
cially good. The third division assembled at Shad-
well, and consisted of the boats from Limehouse and
the pools, two or three deep, and nearly 100 in num-
ber, all carrying the union jack, the sailors being de-
corated with the blue riband already described. As
soon as the Long Reach division appeared in sight,
which was not until one o'clock, the Shadwell boats,
towed by the Waterman No. 12, led the van, and
slowly moved up the river towards Westminster. A
great concourse of persons had assembled at the Shad-
well entrance of the London Docks, who cheered the
procession as it started, and several guns were fired
here and elsewhere up the river. The Thames Tun-
nel-pier and the " herds" commanding a view of the
procession was crowded with persons. The crews
in the colliers and other vessels exchanged lusty
cheers with the seamen in the procession as it
passed. The spectacle, presenting nearly a hundred
boats in one division, in mid-stream, each carrying
the union jack, and passing between the " forest
of masts" which crowded the Pool, almost every
ship on each ,side being decorated with flags of
all colours, was exceedingly animated and picturesiue.
The Tower-wharf Quay, the Custom-house Quay,
and the fishing vessels and wharfs at Billingsgate
exhibited a sea of faces, and up to this point the
procession was received with considerable cheering.
London-bridge was a favourable point of view, and
this popular thoroughfare was blocked up with spec-
tators. From this point to Westminster-bridge the
cheering was all on the side of the seamen, the
public on both sides of the river appearing to regard
the procession with no stronger feeling than that of
curiosity. The best idea we can give of the length
of the procession will be to state that when the
steamer in tow of the first division reached South-
wark-bridge, the last of the monster tail of boats had
just cleared London-bridge. The second division was
about half this length. Southwark, Blackfriars,
Waterloo, Hungerford, and Westminster bridges
contained several hundreds of spectators. The pro-
cession reached the latter bridge about half past
two o'clock. The masters and mates then left the
steamers, and the seamen their boats, and a walking
procession was formed in Bridge-street, which wended
its way in some disorder of march up Parlia-
ment-street to Trafalgar-square. Each boat's crew
carried the union jack ; at the head marched a hand
of music playing " Rule Britannia," " Hearts of
Oak," and other national airs. A dense crowd as-
sembled to see the procession land, and an almost
perfect interruption of the thoroughfare for carriages
took place in Bridge-street and Parliament-street,
while the seamen slowly turned up Whitehall. On
passing the Admiralty, Admiral Dundas, M.P., the
First Naval Lord; the Hon. W. F. Cowper, M.P. ;
and Mr. Ward, M.P., Secretary to the Admiralty,
appeared on the balcony and watched the procession
with much interest. On arriving in Trafalgar-square
thousands of persons had assembled, and the proces-
sion was here formed in more correct order than the
denseness of the crowd had hitherto permitted.
After a short delay here the seamen returned down
Whitehall, and drew up when the band had reached
Downing-street. On passing the Admiralty, three
cheers were given for the N avy—a similar compli-
ment was paid to the Duke of Wellington at the
Horse Guards, and three cheers were given for the
Queen opposite Whitehall.
The deputation appointed to present the memorial
to Sir George Grey then left the main body, and re-
paired to the Home-office. They were detained about
three-quarters of an hour, and, during their absence,
the procession quietly returned to Westminster-
bridge, and regained their boats in the same order as
before.
Before stating the proceedings upon the presentation
of the memoria to the Home Secretary, we may
mention that Sir George Grey, like the Lord Mayor,
regarded with much disfavour the assemblage of so
large a concourse of persons in the public thorough-
fares, and the consequent interruption to business and
liability to a breach of the peace. Sir G. Grey ac-
cordingly directed the subjoined letter to be addressed
to Commander E. Smith, R.N., chairman of the
general meeting of seamen :
" Whitehall, Feb. 8, 1848.
" Sir,—l am directed by Secretary Sir George Grey
to acquaint you, That his attention has been to-day
called to a printed placard, purporting to be signed by
you as chairman of a general meeting of seamen, an-
nouncing an intended procession, to take place to-mor-
row, of large numbers of masters, mates, and seamen;
they are to assemble in Trafalgar-square, and then form
into line, when the whole body is to proceed along
Whitehall to Downing-street, to deliver to the Secretary
of State a memorial addressed to her Majesty.
"I am to inform you, that although Sir George Grey
entertains no doubt of the loyal and peaceable intention
of the parties by whom the arrangements for the pro-
posed procession have been made, the practice of as-
sembling large numbers of persons to walk in procession
through the streets for the purpose of accompanying
the presentation of memorials addressed to her Majesty
has always been discouraged, as tending to create public
inconvenience and disorder.
"Sir George Grey can, therefore, only receive the
memorial, and lay it before her Majesty, if it is trans-
mitted to him in the usual manner, or if it is brought
to him by a deputation consisting of a small number of
persons.—l am, Sir, your obedient servant,
"DENIS LE MARCIIANT."
The committee, however, determined that, as it
had been stated the sailors themselves were indifferent
and apathetic respecting the repeal of the navigation-
laws, the proposed demonstration and procession
should take place. Having been informed by
Mr. Mather, an active member of the com-
mittee, that the memorial would be presented to
him by a small deputation from the delegates, S
George Grey directed the following communication
to be made to that gentleman :
Whitehall, Feb. 8,1848.
"Sir,—l am directed by Secretary
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of th. s day s
-letnted am in reply
to acknowledge the receipt of your
date, which has just been delivered, and I
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that if from that cause he should not be in his office, the
memorial, if brought in the manner suggested by him
in his letter to Commander Smith, may be left at the
office, or be placed in tour obedient
of the Under Secretary
of State.—l am, Sir, your obedient servant,
" DENIS LE MARCIIANT."
Mr. Wawn, M.P. for South Shields, was in attend-
ance to introduce to Sir G. Grey the deputation,
which consisted of Mr. Mather, a delegate from the
Tyne ; Captain Butcheat, of the port of London ;
clpt,:in T. Elliott, of Limerick; Captain Wright, of
South Shields ; Mr. Edgar, of London ; Captain E.
Smith ; and Mr. J. Dunn, of Sunderland, secretary
to the-committee,