The Sun.
London, England, 1851-07-25 00:00:00

THE SUN,

shipping had decreased, and that foreign shipping
had proportionably increased. He then read a suc-
cession of returns to show that in the seaports of this
country the tonnage on shipping had decreased, as com-
paring 1849 with 1850, and in the same period that
there was a great increase of foreign tonnage. This fact
was worthy of consideration. The balance against this
country was 406,000 tons outward, and the balance on
the inward against this country was 548,000 tons. In
this first year of trial the experiment had failed. It had
been injurious to British-shipping. and beneficial to foe..
reign shipping. He entered into further statements to
show a similar result for the year 1851, showing a
diminution, in the total number registered at Lloyd's, of
280 ships. It might be useful to look back to the pro-
gress of our tonnage for a few years back. He took the
years from 1830 to the present time, in averages of five
years. From 1830 to 1835 the amount of tonnage was
2,242,000; from 1835 to 1840, 2,691,000; in 1845 it rose
to 3,449,000; in 1849 it was 4,099.000; and it 1850 it was
4 078.000. He had shown that the new system had in-
jured freights, had reduced their shipping in British
ports, and also the tonnage of British shipping. He
would also undertake to show that their exports from
this country had decreased since the prineipaa of protec-
tion had been abolished. He would do this by referring
to the period between 1826 and 1849, which he would
divide into six periods. The Right Hon. Gentleman then
referred to the periods in question, and showed by the
declared value of our exports during the period when
protection existed, that, our exports had greatly increased,
year by year, and that they had not progressed in the
same ratio in the years when the free-trade system came
into, and was in fact in operation. He did not mean to
say that this progressive increase had resulted from pro-
tection, but he wished to show to those who objected to
protection that it had not operated to prejudice our ex-
ports. He then adverted to the difference between the
official and declared value of our exports, for the purpose
of showing that the declared value, compared with the
official value, was rapidly diminishing. He would now
come to the object of his mission. His purpose was to
bring under the consideration of the House the injury
done to the shipping interests by the alteration in the
navigation-laws. One of the clauses in the new law was
inserted with the view of inducing the foreigner to act
in a spirit of reciprocity with the British in reference to
duties. The shipowners complained that this reciprocity
has not been adopted by foreign countries. It had been
suggested that the Government ought not to have given
up the power they possessed on this subject, until they
learned whether foreign countries would reciprocate
with them. But this suggestion was not acted upon.
The Right Hon. Gentleman then referred to the course
taken by the Earl of Derby in respect to the clause in
question, recently in the House of Lords, and urged
upon the Government that the reciprocity principle
was the only true one to act upon. Prussia had been
referred to, and it was said that if we did not alter our
nevigation-laws she would retaliate upon us. But
Prussia declined to reciprociata with them, on the
ground that the German nation was not yet complete.
Holland had given us almost nothing for the sacrifices
which we had made. The French entertained opinions
on this subject, which he would read to them. The
Right Honourable Gentleman then read a paper, to the
effect, that it was for the interest of France not to leave
her mercantile marine in the position that England was
leaving hers, and which placed that marine in peril,
when competing with the shipping of America. As re-
garded Spain, she was of no consideration in a question
of this kind. The same observation would apply to Por-
tugal. With respect to America, the words of Mr. Ban-
croft, when speaking of England, were, " If you do
much, we will do much—if you do all, we will do all."
But it was shown that America had declined to reci-
procate with them. He should say that by the repeal
of the navigation-laws America had taken from this
country many advantages that she before enjoyed, and
that the commerce of this country was materially in-
jured. He then entered into the statistics of the mer-
cantile marine of America and this country, and agreed
that this country materially suffered by the navigation-
laws, and that all that was owing to the want of
foresight on the part of the present Government. It
was well known that all the evidence that had been
obtained showed that the interest of the British was
very much deteriorated; and he should say that this
evidence was given by unprejudiced persons.—(Hear.)
Was there anything more unjust he would ask than to
reduce the British merchant 30 per cent., fur such a line
of procedure was equivalent to taking 30 per cent. from
the property of any landed proprietor.—(Hear.) By
this system the British Government impose on their own
subjects a taxation (for otherwise he could not call it),
from which all foreigners are exempt. This was any-
thing but just or fair, and for that reason he felt it his
duty to offer those opinions, because he considered that
the British merchant should be allowed to purchase in
the cheapest market as well as the merchant of any other
nation.—(Hear.) He considered that England and her
colonies should be considered for, instead of allowing
America to enjoy advantages that were refused to the
mercantile marine of this country.—(Hear.) He did not
require of the; Government to repeal the navigation-
laws, but what he wished was to place this country on
an equal footing with other nations, for directly or indi-
rectly this country was labouring under many disadvan-
tages.—(Hear.)
Mr. LABOUCHERE felt glad that the Right Hon.
Gentleman had introduced that subject, because he was
prepared to prove that the navigation-laws had tended
rather to advance the commercial interest of this country
than to deteriorate them, and he knew that from the evi-
dence given by most respectable shipowners, before the
Committees of the Lords and Commons, which showed,
that through their exertions they had very much ad-
vanced their own interests, despite the opposition of
foreign countries. He would call the attention of the
Member for Scarborough (Mr. Young) to that tact, and
as ho saw him in his place, he hoped that he did not
forget the evidence of some of the most respectable ship-
owners in this country. Now what had been the result?
Why, at the time when those resolutions from which he
had read this extract were published, the British regis-
tered shipping was 24,000 ships, with a tonnage of
2,600,000 tons, while in 1850, the number of vessels re-
gistered rose to 34,000, and the registered tonnage to
4,233,000.--(Hear, hear.) That was to say, that, since
the time when the General Shipowners' Society assured
the country that the shipping interest was irretrievably
ruined, the registered tonnage of British shipping had
increased by upwards of a million and a half. During the
same period the number of registered seamen in the
United Kingdom had also increased, for while, in 183,
the number was 154,000, in 1850, they had risen to
225,000. He would only trouble the House but with
one more refereuce to what took place at that time in
respect of the state of the shipowners. It was one
which he had great pleasure in quoting, because it had
reference to a debate which took place in that House
on the subject at the time when the Right Hon. Gentle-
man who had proposed this resolution to the House
filled the situation which he at present had thaionour
to fill. The debate arose on the presentation of a peti-
tion by Mr. Alderman Waithman from the shipowners
of the port of London, complaining in exactly similar
terms as the one the Right Hon. Gentleman had pre-
sented that evening, of the undue competition to which
the shipowners were subjected by the alteration which
had been made in the navigation- laws by Mr. Huskia-
son, that this competition had irretrievably ruined the
shipping interest, and praying that the House would
make such an alteration in the law as would in some
degree remedy the evil. In reply to that petition and
to the speech in which it was introduced, the Right
Hon. Gentleman (Mr. Herries), who, as he had stated,
was President of the Board of Trade, used exactly
the same arguments which he would have the
honour of addressing to the House on the pre-
sent occasion.—(Cheers and laughter.) He read
to the House statements showing the increase in tonnage
which had taken place since the change; spoke of the
greater activity which prevailed in all branches of the
trade, and stated that it was not reasonable to suppose
that if the statements of the petitioners were true, that
men of business would lay out their capital in greater
profusion upon what was a minor and worthless trade.
The Right Hon. Gentleman on that occasion also quoted
an extract from a report which had been presented to
Congress by Ur. Cameron, one of the most celebrated of
the American commercial statesmen of the time, the ob-
ject of which was to show the advantages which would
inevitably result from a relaxation of their maritime
laws, and strongly recommended a perusal of it to Hon.
Members. The Right Hen. Gentleman still was fond of
quoting the opinions of American statesmen, but some-
how or other they were of a different school to those he
quoted—(Hear, hear)—but, however that might be, the
incident he had stated to the House *bowed that the
complaints of the shipowners were exactly the same
then to what they were now, and that they could not be
attributed to the recent change which had taken plane.
'To his mind, and from all he could learn on the subject,
that change had had quite a contrary effect from what
those petitioners said, and he would demonstrate that
it had been the means of giving a general extension to
the commerce of the country—that the shipowners
of their own country had received their full share of the
benefits of that extension—and that the shipbuilding in-
terests had not been injured by it. As to the general
extension of commerce which the change would effect,
he need not detain the House long in establishing that,
for the very complaint those parties made was, that
where it had taken place foreign ships had visited these
shores in increased numbers. It was not, therefore, pre•
tended that commerce had not increased, but then it was
said that this extension of it had been purchased at the
expense of the shipping interest of this country. So far
from that being the case, he found, on referring to the
returns, that the amount of the tonnage of shipping in the
loreign trade entered inwards and outwards in 1848 was
10,600,000 tons; in 1849, 11,500,000 tons; and in 1850,
]2,200,000 tons; showing an increase of tonnage em-
ployed in 1849 over 1848 of 1,100,000 tons and of
3850 over 1849 of 700,000. But then it was said this in-
crease was purchased at the expense of their own ship-
ping, and in proof of that the trifling diminution of the
tonnage in British shipping employed in 1850 as com-
Pared with 1849 was referred to. It so happened,
however, that there was a similar diminution of the
tonnage in the United States shipping which cleared
at the ports of the United States, and the
fact of such diminution in either case was
nothing to be wondered at, for there could be no doubt
that it arose from the new channels of trade which the
recent change had opened up to the shipping interest,
and which prevented a portion of the shipping from en-
tering the home ports, being more profitably employed
otherwise. He found, however, that for the six months
ending the sth of July last, there had been a considerable
increase in the tonnage entered inwards and outwards, as
compared with the corresponding period of last year.
For the six months ending sth July, 1850, the tonnage
entered inwards was 1,600,000 tons, while during the cor-
responding period of the present year, it Was 1,700,000;
the tonnage entered outwards for the same period being,
in 1850, 1,977,000 tons, and the present year, 2,090,000
tons, showing a considerable increase of the entries both
inwards and outwards. He had said that there was a do-
wean in the tonnage of the United States shipping, and

he found that for the six months ending June, 1849, it
was 2,753,000; for the six months ending June, 1850, it
had falleu to 2,632,000, while in foreign tonnage there
was an increase from 1,675,000 tons, to 1,728,000 tons.
He also found from looking into the Sound duties
which had been paid on the shipping employed in
the Baltic trade, that during the last three years the
proportion of British to foreign ships passing through
the Sound was greater than at any former period. But
the Right Honourable Gentleman next told them that
they were losing the Indian trade, from recent changes,
.but he found from accounts which had been published
by the East India and China Association, that within
the last two years the tonnage inwards and outwards of
British ships in that trade had increased 25 per cent.
The Right Honourable Gentleman had, however, passed
over a most important feature in the subject. He meant
those new trades which for the first time had been
opened up to the shipping interest of this country. He
found that during last year 213 British ships, of 68,000
tons, had entered the ports of the United States with
cargoes, where they could not have traded before, so
that the increase of tonnage in that case alone was nearly
half the diminution which during that year had taktre
place in the home ports. There were numerous instances
of a like nature. A most active trade with Australia
had sprung up, and even with France au increase had
taken place. He found that in one month 18 ships
had arrived at San Francisco with cargoes from Aus-
tralia, and an active trade was being carried on. The
Right Honourable Gentleman complained that there was
a great decrease in the freights, but if that were so the
increased trade enabled shipowners to carry at a cheaper
rate. As to the shipbuilders being ruined, the case
had turned out exactly the reverse. In 1810 only
10,000 tons of foreign-built ships had been entered, and
during the past three months only 511 tons had been
entered.

Here an Hoer. MEMBER observed that 40 Members
were not present in the House, upon which strangers
were ordered to withdraw, but upwards of the requisite
number having been found present,
Mr. LABOUCHERE resumed. He challenged con-
tradiction of the statement that, generally speaking, so
far from decay or inactivity pervading over ship-building
yards, they were in a state of great activity. From a re-
turn of ships built in the United Kingdom during the
last three years, be found that the number of ships built
in 1848 was 847, with a tonnage of 122,000 tons; in
1849 the number was 730, with a tonnage of 117,000
tons, and in 1850 the number was 689, with 133,000
tons. The average tonnage in the first; was 140, in the
seeond, 161, and in the third, 194 ton‘. It is quite true,
as the Right Hon. Gentleman the Member for Stamford
had observed, although the number of vessels built had
decreased since 1848. the average tonnage was larger.
At Sunderland, one of their greatest ports,would it be de-
nied that the business of shipbuilding there was in a
state of unprecedented activity, and that more and
better ships had been built during the year 1850 than
at any period since Sunderland had become a ship-
building port? In support of this statement, he
quoted the authority of a respectable local
paper. In 1848, the tonnage of ships on the stocks
was 15,000; in 1849, 23,000; in 1850, 28,580 tons. In
consequence of the complaints made by the shipbuilders
and shipowners of the port of London, he had deter-
mined to ascertain the state of the London shipbuilding
yards, and through the Surveyor-General's office of cus-
toms he obtained information as accurate as could be ob-
tained on the subject—information, he might add, which
had not been furnished by private individuals, but by
ship-builders. In 1848, there were built in the London
yards three ships of iron and seven of wood; the ton-
nage of the former 1,300, and of the latter 3,100. In
1849 there were built seven ships of iron, and ten of
wood; the tonnage of the former 1,656, and of the lat-
ter 7,356. In 1850, the number of ships built was
thir teen of iron, and seventeen of wood; the tonnage of
the former 4,562, and of the latter 9,935. Thus in the
year 1850, no less than thirty vessels of 14,000 tons
had been built in the London ship-yards, or double the
amount of tonnage built in 1849. He might bo told that
these ships were built not for British merchants, but for
foreign ship-owners or Governments, but he used the
fact as an argument to show the improved condition of
the ship-building interest, and not in reference to ship-
owners. An extraordinary improvement had also taken
place in the quality of the vessels built, as well as in the
amount of tonnage. From all sides he had been fur-
nished with evidence of the increased science applied to
ship-building—of the great efforts made to procure the
best ship-builders, and of the general improvement that
had taken place in the trade. The Right Hon. Gentle•
man read extracts from a letter written by some ship
owner in Liverpool, detailing the improvement that had
taken place in that town, and stating that a repeal of the
navigation-laws had given such an impetus to the trade
of ship-building, that many of the educated classes
were bringing up their children as ship-builders. He
should next consider the consequences of their relaxa-
tion of the navigation-laws. From all great maritime
countries they enjoyed some substantial equality. It was
said that they had not much to give us. That might
be, but they certainly had much to take away.—(Hear,
hear.) With regard to Holland, they had gained an
important advantage, for the Dutch had placed British
vessels on a footing of equality with the national ships.
Since the change in the navigation-laws, they had en-
tered into a most advantageous treaty with Sardinia—
advantageous to the country as well as to Sardinia itself,
and worthy of the distinguished statesman who was at
the head of affairs in that country. They had not only
obtained reciprocity, but an important stipula-
tion for introducing into the Sardinian ports their
own manufactures at low rates of duty.—(Hear, hear.)
It was with gratification he had to state that foreign
countries generally were disposed to meet us in the same
liberal spirit in which we had acted. The only excep-
tions to this were the three countries of France, Spain,
and Belgium. With respect to the arrangements be-
tween these countries, he was prevented from saying
more at present. Negotiations were still going on be-
tween them and this country, which he trusted would
terminate satisfactorily to all parties. Bet when French
authority was quoted against him, he must say that, de-
siring to speak with every respect of the public men of
that country, he could not accept them as authority on
this question. Looking at the capabilities it possessed
of becoming a first-rate shipping country, it did not at
all occupy the position it should do. He believed at this
moment it did not possess a single mercantile ship above
600 tons burden.—(Hear.) In fact, by her absurd sys-
tem of restrictions, France had absolutely excluded her-
self from the commerce of the world. Her iron duties
alone were sufficient to do that, for if she could not build
her vesels cheaply, she could never occupy the position
she ought to do.—(Hear, hear.) But he would not rely
on British authority as to that. He found the Chamber
of Commerce at Bordeaux, in its report for 1847, stated
that the nets of protective and prohibitive duties, which
was cast around the mercantile and shipping interests,
were the cause of the decay and death of their mercan-
tile marine.—(Hear, hear.) He now came to the
motion of the Right Hon. Gentleman. If it had any
meaning at all, it meant that they should address the
Crown to place foreign shipping under any absurd re-
strictions which might be imposed by any foreign power
on British vessels. For instance, if Spain excluded Bri-
tish vessels from Cuba, we were to retaliate by exclud-
ing Spanish vessels from Trinidad. This was in effect
to ask us to punish ourselves and our colonies for the
sake of punishing Spain. He could not believe the
House would ever consent to such a policy. But he
might be asked what then was the intention of giving
this power to the Crown if it was not meant to be used?
Was it to stand a dead letter? Certainly not. He said
it ought still to be maintained, in order that the Crown
should exercise it for the promotion of great national
objects.—(Hear, hear.) He certainly did not expect
that any foreign power would modify its policy simply
to please us. But if any foreign power should single
Great Britain for exclusion, then it might be a mat-
ter for consideration how far this power should be
brought into operation. No foreign power, however,
showed any inclination to act in this spirit. On the
contrary, they had placed us generally on the footing of
the most favoured nation. There was one point on
which he could not help saying a word. He believed
that, of late, a great improvement had taken place in
the building of our ships. Another point for congra-
tulation was, that an Act passed last session for the
examination of masters and mates was beginning to pro-
duce a marked effect. Up to the month of January last
1,304 masters and mates had applied to be examined;
269 failed at the first examination, but most of them
Passed successfully afterwards. Mr. Towsen, the exa •
miner of Liverpool, a well-known and highly-respectable
man, said that since his appointment several schools for
naval tuition had been established, in which parties were
anxious to perfect themselves in navigation before pre-
senting themselves for examination, tied naval schools
He were being established in various parts of the country.
hoped that he had proved our commerce had not suf-
fered from the changes which had been made, and that
sourenprospects h
e didwere never
believee r more encouraging
British
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e allusionvery
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swrneudst
would always be maintained,
to thiscountry. The same
regulation prevailed in the United States. Their vessels
r must be manned by two-thirds American sailors and one-
third foreign, and he believed in all cases preference
was given to Feiglieh seamen, who were not only the
best but the cheapest in the world. In conclusion, he
would say, that if the House believed the policy it had
he trusted
they would not interfere with it in future. He had the
agreed to in the past had been satisfactory,
greatest confidence of our success on the trade being
thrown open. He could never understand how British
industry in all other departments could compete suc-
cessfully with the world, and British shipping
masters and shipbuilders should fail.—(Hear, hear.) All
the evidence before the House proved the contrary.
With regard to the motion before the House, he held
that it would be a most impolitic course, in a mere spirit
of retaliation, to imitate the absurd restrictions of other
countries, and on this ground he hoped the House would
reject it.—(Hear.)
Mr. G. F. YOUNG said be hoped he should not be
out of order in prefacing the remarks he hid to make by
acknowledging the reception he had experienced on re-
appearing in a place which was associated with so many
agreeable recollections, and he trusted that, having of
late been compelled to take a more prominent part than
he wished in the discussion of commercial matters out
of dooors, he would not be considered presuming
in venturing so soon to take a part in this debate, on a
subject with which he had been connected all his life.—
(Hear, hear.) Ho would follow the Right Hon. Gentle-
man as closely as he could, in the order in which he had
presented the various topics touched upon by him. The
Right Hon. Gentleman bad very adroitly assumed at the
commencement of his speech, what he ought to have
proved—namely, that if there were difficulties affecting
our shipping interests, they must be but temporary, be-
cause in the end they must share in the general prospe-
rity of the country. We had already had proof of the