The Sun.
London, England, 1851-09-05 00:00:00

FREE TR...4.DE IN IRELAND.
The following
most gratifying and important state-
rnent appears in the Northern Whig of Saturday,
Allowing the steady progress of Belfast under the
operation of free trade, and the tendency to improve-
ment in other parts of Ireland:—
" Whilst English shipowners have been grumbling,
here and there, against the operation of the re-
Dent changes in the navigation-laws, and proving to
their own satisfaction, in the teeth of facts, that they
ave.re being ruined with miraculous celerity, it is
pleaeaut to see Belfast looking celinly on and smiling
its coatempt of this angry vehemence of the Protec-
tionists and their allies of the shipping interest. And
this is a fact which is quite as remarkable as it is
pleasant. Belfast is deeply interested in the whole
question, and must, more keenly ma
thin, perhaps,
the case
other place, feel the injury or advantage,
c
may be, arising from the alterations
that the Legisla-
ture has effected. Old established ports, long crowded
with shipping engaged in the British and foreign trade.
ports whose reputation has been made, and which can
rest confidently on the strength of their position and
the advantages it gives them over new competitors
may bear, without trembling, a shock that would
annihilate the resources of less favoured localities.
Xtled for this reason it was that Belfast was and is pre-
eminently obnoxious to the operations of any change of
the character to which we allude. Bat under the
new system Belfast has flourished even more re-
markably than under the old. The modification of
the navigation-laws has not blighted its early
growth. It is stronger now than ever, like some
hardy tree that the sharp but healthful frost of
spring purifies instead of withering, and, instead
of destroying, only stregthens. Belfast has
not complained of the change—she does not mouth
bee terror at the competition of the foreigner. His
cheap-built vessels, and all the other good things he
is said to possess, are no bugbear to frighten her
from her wits, when she contemplates her own young
strength, and feels conscious of the vast resources of
industry, energy, and practical intelligence that lie
within her. It has been often flung in our face,
that we in Ireland can do nothing without calling
for help. Again and again has it been hurled at the
people of this country, as a reproachful taunt, that, for
every step they take motuproprio—of their own will and
energy—
they look for two strong pushes from the
bands of the Government. Much as may be said
against, al, this taunt is, after all, a childish, lying
charge. We may- take credit to ourselves, in
this case at least, that whilst English shipowners
growled and grumbled when our harbours were
thrown open to the vessels of the foreigner, few, if
any, complaints were addressed to the Legislature by
ports in Ireland. And we may claim, as a tribute to
that industry and enterprise which cur neighbours
Dave refused to cknowledge, the confession that,
spite of a che.nge more calculated to injure us than
any other part of the empire, while Belfast, facile
princeps, has run gloriously ahead, D. ablin , Cork, and
.Limeriek, too, and Galway, have given signs of new
spirit and vigour, that promise highly for what they
will achieve when their strength develops itself under
increased exertion.
" In former articles, respecting the growth of our
town, we showed how its manufactures prosper under
free trade. We are able now to complete the picture
by demonstrating the progress its commerce has
made under the same system, And, whilst we
do this, we need hardly say that it would be
very difficult indeed to prove that, whilst our
trade, and commerce, and manufactures, are thus
flourishing, our agricultural interests can be said
to suffer from the change. That man must be
gifted with a very extraordinary imagination, who
can look on a town like ours, with its mills crowded,
and in busy operation, its quays thickly lined with
shipping, its artisans remuneratively employed, its
shopkeepers driving a brisk trade—and then fancy to
himself the surrounding agricultural districts poor
and miserable, bankrupt in fortune, idle and hopeless,
and robbed of all stimulus to honest industry. And yet
the reader, who may be tempted to smile at this picture,
should bear in mind that this is the sort of raving
that the Protectionists have for a long time been en-
deavouring to force down our throats, with a thorough
disregard of our eyes and ears. Cotton manufac-
tiirers and mill-owners, they say, may be making
fortunes at the expanse of the rest of the community,
but most erephatically the rural districts are ruined,
and 34ried cure is going to the dogs. However, we
have only to say, that if the agriculturists fare under
the corn-laws as the shipowners fare under the
repeal of the navigation laws, we have very little
aommisseration for their present lot, and very
little fear for their future condition. By the
returns published at the close of the year 1848, it
appeared that the total tonnage of sailing vessels then
regissereal in the port amounted to something more
than 72,000 tons. Oar readers will remember that it
was only in the following session of Parliament Mr.
Labeuebare introduced his Bill for the repeal of the
navigation-laws; and the most sanguine might have
been prepared for 301113 immediate temporary check.
But h- sea what the result IvAs been. On the Ist of
January, 1840, tiv,re was a tonnage of 53,335 tons
of sailing craft re!,•1,.!..,,red for Belfast, engaged in its
foreign trede. nod 18.827 tons in the coasting trade.
At the end of tha; veer, after the new laws had been
for so.e in force, the foreign shipping was found
to have te:,ere ;:icreaFed by 700 toss, whilst in the
coa.viD4 v7.s a decrease of over 200 tons. Now,
surely, if any kjury could have resulted from the
chati;tl of leaes,!asiere it would have fallen on the
forei,4n
.tradt where only competition could have been
lontrici fur. hat here, instead of loss, there has been
an increase ; tne only falling off, and that little more
final 1 perbeen-in the coasting trade, a
result which may b 3 accounted for on grounds that
by no means argue diacivantage to oar commerce.
" Well, on the Ist of .January, 1850, the foreign
trade shipping, belonging,- to this port, amounted to
something nage than 54,000 tons, and the shipping
in the costing trade to about 18,600, making a total
of over 72,600 tons. A later return was made in
May of this year, of which we content give the exact
particulars, but from which it appeared that the
general registered tonnage of the port amounted to
73,400 tons. Tills return did not probably extend
beyond the Ist of January, but it evidenced a steady
increase; and if we could carry the returns up to the
present moment, we doubt not a still more marked in-
crease would be found ; for causes have been ope-
rating this year of a character calculated to give fresh
impulse to oar commerce, and more than usual signs
of activity have been shown in the shipping interests.
But these facts prove that our trade is steadily in-
creasing in the most important points, and with the
most important countries, such as the United States,
the West Indies, South America, and otber places.
It may be worth mentioning-, too, that the returns in
some instances, whilst exhibiting a large increase is
tonnage, show a decrease in the number of ships—a
fact interesting, in so far as it shows that increasing
trade enables our shipowners to replace their old craft
by a larger and superior class of vessels. The
growth of our foreign trade, it will be remarked, has
been exceedingly rapid, a great increase having
taken place in the course of a few years. Besides
this, we have had souse thirty steamers, with a ton-
nage of over seven thousand seven hundred tons,
plying between our port and Glasgow, Fleetwood,
Dublin, Liverpool, London, and other places, and
forming a vary prominent element in the constitution
of our mercantile marine.
" All the items here set forth embrace the increase
that took place in the shipping of the port from Jan.,
1850, to Jan., 1851. How our trade and commerce
have grown during the last seven months we have no
regularly arranged and authentic data to show; but
all who have noted the course of business during
these months will require little argument to persuade
them to believe that, in this department, as in all the
other sources of her wealth, Belfast has been grow-
ing. more powerful as her opportunities became more
extensive; and we doubt not that the returns, next
January, will show a very remarkable and very gra-
tifying improvement.
"Here, then, are some simple facts for those who
mourn so dolorously about the evil effects of free
trade to ponder soberly upon. Whilst the official
returns, published by the Board of Trade, show that
the kingdom generally is in a prosperous state—that
more ships are engaged in the home and foreign trade
than in former years—that all branches of industry
are affording more general employment to the work-
i_hg. chasses—that the exports of manufactures are
largely increased—and that the comforts of life are
rn,-%,0 Widely diffused—it is gratifying to us to turn
frore
general accounts of the condition of the
X.itaardom, and point to Belfast 23 a case
anted evidence confirmatory of the
Gevernineatreports, more valuable • than all the prat-
;rig that the whole. set—one and all—of the farmers'
Peelle'frnd have
aid his age:ay:ay, utterance to since Sir Robert
acthients that
ha_ es,t,ilinlg hand on the monstrous en-
worked mischief to the
country, for the s'lleppeseoodnfagdvantage of a class.
" atr ra;inufactures textil—fabrics have in-
of thouse.;le of the numb'
creaeed hundreds
classes, iu this eorthern pe"lne
agda!nhfrom- them the
means of sublislcaci—an iron '''t,rl
in our town circulates arnompat itsis sprung up
artisans a
yearly revenue of v;,-,11 nigh eight„:' shouts
nd pounds
—other brume ties of industry
commerce of
like
pro?ertion—the shipping and
the
have shot ni-:ear with marvellous celerity—am, traders
and elioplr.cepers do a rapid and remunerativebusi-
ness, nevi, whilst new streets are springing up around u,
and Owe and country make interchange of reciprocal
advantages ; and all this has gone on—hear it, co_p
tectionists and farmers' friends—under the very heat
and fever of the terrible free-trade rigiine, with our
agriculture unprotected and our shipowners un-
shielded from the much-dreaded competition of the
foreigner. Yes, peace, order, and contentment are
becerning-daily more consolidated under free trade ;
to attempt a return to the old state of things would
be to plunge the kingdom into a bloody servile war."

BAN.

NS.

(From the London Gazette of Tuesday.)
An Account, pursuant to the Act seventh and eighth
Victoria, cap. 32, of the Average Amount of Bank
Notes of the several Banks of Issue in England and
Wales. in Circulation during the Week ending Satur-
day, the 23d day of August, :851:—. Average
PRIVATE BANKS. Amount.
Andover Bank, Andover—Heath and Co 10,643
Ashford Bank, Ashford—Jemmitt and Pomfret 9,527
Aylsham Bank, Aylshc,m—R. and G Copeman. 4,555
Aylesbury Old Bank, Aylesbury—Rickford
and Hunt
Bildock Bank and Baldock and Biggleswade
Bank, Ilaldock—Wells, Hogg, end Lindsell
Barnstaple Bank, Barnstaple—Marshall and Co
Basingstoke and Odiham Bank, Basingstoke—
Seymour, Lamb, and Co
Bedford Bank, Belford—T. Barnard
Bedford and Bedfordshire Bans, Bedford—
Trapr, Halfhead, and Co.
Berley Bank, Bewdley—Nichols, Baker, and

22,017

16,250
29,5 M

0,488

Orane.:
Bicester and Oxfordshire Bank and Oxford
Bank, Bicester—Tubb and Co. .... •••
Birmingham Bank, Birmingham—Attwoc ds,
Spooner, and Co
Birmingham and Warwickshire Bank, Birming-
ham--.J. L. Moilliett, and Sons 1 457
Blandiord Bank, Blandforil—Bastard atm Oak 7,853
Boston Bank, Boston—Garfit and Co . 54,565
3oston Bank, Boston—Gee and Co 7,503
Bride:Titer Bank, Bridgwater—J. &J. Seale,' 4,808
Bristol Bank, Bristol—Miles, Harford, and Co. 32,569
Brnseley and Bridgnorth, and Bridgnorth and
Broseley Bank, Broseley—Messrs. Pritchard 17,249
Buckingham Bank, Buckingham Bartlett,
21,129
Parrott, and Co.
Bury and Suffolk Bank, Sudbury Bank, Stow-
Market Bank, Bury—Oakes, Bevan, and Co. 55.950
ganbury Bank, Banbury—Gillett and Tawney.
18.952
952
Banbury Old Bank, Banbutry—Messrs. Cobb..
Bath City Bank, Bath—Moger and Son
Bedfordshire Leighton Buzzard Bank, Leighton
Buzzard—Bassett and Grant
Birmingham Bank, Birmingham—Taylor and
Lloyds . .................................. .......... 27 662
Bradford Old Bank, Bradford, Yorkshire—H.
A. and W. M. Harris and Co
Brecon Old Bank, Brecon—Wilkins and Co
Brighton Union Bank, Brighton—Hall, West,
and Borrer
Burlington and Dritfield Bank, Burlington—
Harding, Smith, and Co ,438
Bury St. Edmunds Bank, Bury St. Edmunds—
J. Worlledge and Co.
Cambridge Bank, Carnbridge—Mortlock and
Sons _ _ . 2,437

20,603

30,238

12,150
61,118

0,438

Cambridge and Cambridgeshire Bank, Cam-
bridge—Messrs. Forsters
Canterbury Bank, Canterbury—Liamtnond and
Co..

_
27,180

Carmarthen Bank, Carmarthen—Morris and

Sons
Chertsey Bank, Chertsey—Messrs. La Coste „ 2,916
Colchester Bank, Colchester—Round, Green,
and Co.
Colchester and Essex Bank, Witham and Essex
Bank, and Hadleigh Bank, Suffolk, Colchester
—Mills, Bawtree, and Co 25,612
Cornish Bank, Truro—Tweedy and Co .. 36,815
Coventry Bank, Coventry—Little and Wood-

cock - ••
City Bank, Exeter—Milford and Co
Craven Bank, Settle—Birkbecks and Co.
Cardiff Bank, Cardiff—Towgood and Co
Chepstow Old Bank, Chepstow Bank, Mon-
mouth Old Bank, Monmcuth Bank, Brecon
Bank, and Ross and Herefordshire Thank,
Chepstow—Bromage, Snead, and Co.
i)erby Bank, Derby—Messrs. Evans
Derby Bank, Derby—Smith and Co.
Derby ole Bank and Scarsdale and High Peak
Bank, Derby—Crompton, Newton, and Co
Devizes and Wiltshire Batik, Devizes—Hughes
Locke, and Co
Diss Bank, Diss—Oakes, Fincharn, and Co
Doncaster Bank and Retford Bank, Doncaster—
Cooke and Co
Darlington Bank, Durham Bank, and Stockton-
on-Tees Bank, Darlington—Backhouse, & Co
Devonport Bank, Devon port—Hodge and Nor-

7.123
6,704
6,107
7,030

M/11

Dorchester Old Bank and Dorsetshire Bank,
Dorchester—Williams and Co. ...
East Cornwall Bank, Liskeard—Robins, Foster,
and Co.
Riding Bank, Beverley—Bower, Hall,
and Co.
Essex Bank and Bishops Stortford Bank,
Chelmsford—Sparrow. and C 0....
.xeter Bank, Exeter—Sanders and Co
Fakenham Bank, Fakenhatn—qurneys, Birk-
beck. and Co.
Farringdon Bank and Bank of Wantage, Far-
ringdon—Barnes and Medley
Farnham Bank, Farnham—Messrs. Knight
Faversham Bank, Faversham—Milton and Ca
Maiming Bank, Godalming—lfellersh and
Keen

Guildford Bank, Guildford—Messrs. Haydon..
Grantham Bank, Grantham—Hardy and Co
Castings Old Bank, Hastings—Smith, Hilder,
and Co.
Hereford City and County Bank, Hereford—
Matthews and Co.
riertford and Ware Bank, Hertford—S. Adams

and Co
(lull Bank and Kinv,ston-upon-Hull Bank, Hull
—Smith, Brothers, and Co.
Huntingdon Town and County Bank, Hunting-
don—Rust and Veasey
Harwich Bank, Harwich—Cox, Cohbo Id, and Cr 4,925
Hamel Hempstead Bank, Hemel Hempstead—
Smith, and Whittingstall..,... 2G,965
lertforishire,Hitchen Bank, Hitchen—Sharples
and Co. 29,170
fl,Teford, Ross, and Archenfield BAnk, and Ross
and LA rchentield Bank, Hereford—Morgan,
Hoskins, and Co 18,299
Ipswich Bank, Ipswich—Bacon and Co.
trwich and Needham Market Bank, Suffolk,
Hadleigh Bank, Manningtree and Mistley
Rank, and Woodbridge Bank, Ipswich—.
Alexanders ant Co.
Kentish Bank, Maidstone—Mercer, Randall,
and Mercer

cington and Radnorshire Bank, Kington—J.
Davies and Co
cnighton Bank Knighton—J. Davies and Cn 8,061
inaresborough Old Bank and Ripon Old Bank,
Knaresborough —Terry and Co . . 18,077
Kendal Bank, Kendal—Wakefield, Crewdson,
and Co. 34,203
Kettering Bank, Kettering—Gotch and Sons—, 7,065
r4ane End Staffordshire Bank, Lane End—C
Harvoy and Son
[Jeer's 13ank, Leeds—Beckett and Co 52,487
Leeds Union Bank, Leeds— Vir. Williams, Brown,

and C
faep,ester Bank, Leicester—Pagets and Kirby 19.641
Lewes Old Bank, Lewes—Ntolineux and Co 27.821
bichPeld Bank, Lichfield—Palmer and Green 10,710
Lincoln Bank, Lincoln—Smith and Co 65,221
Lampeter Bank and Llandilo Bank, Llando-
very—David Jones and Co.
Loughborough Bank, Loughborough—Middle-
tin's and Cradock
Gymington Bank, Lymington—C. and S. St
Barbe
Lynn Regis and Lincolnshire Bank, Lynn Regis
—Gurneys and Co.
Lynn Regis and Norfolk Bank, Lynn Regis—
Jarvis and Co.
Macclesfield Bank, Macclesfield—Brookleburst
and Co
ganningtree Bank,Manninztree—Nunn and Co.
Marlborough Bank, Marlborough and Wilts
Old Bank, Marlborough Old Bank, Marl-
borough Old Bank and Hungerford Bank,
and Hungerford Bank, Marlborough—Tanner
and Pinckney 1,786
Marlborough aad North Wiltshire New Bank.
Marlborough—Ward, Merriman, and Hillier -
Merionethshire Bank, Dolgelly—Jones and
Williams
inors' Bank, Truro—Willi-

3,552

14.816
4,225

5,69

illyams and Co ll,OBO
Monmouthshire Agricultural and Commercial
Bank, Abergavenny—Baileys and Co 23,706
Monmouth Old Bnnk, Monmouth Bank, Brecon
Bank, Chepstow Bank, Chepstow Old Bank,
and Ross and Herefordshire Bank, Monmouth
—Bromage and Snead. .............
Monmouthshire Newport Old Bank, Newport
—W. Williams and Sons B,OBB
Newark Bank, Newark—Godfreys and Hutton 17,941
Newark and Sleaford Bank, and Sleaford and
Newark Bank, Sleaford—Handley, Peacock,
and Co................................................ • 33.424
Newbury Bank, Newbury—Bunny and Slocock. 20,231
Newmarket Bank, Newmarket—Eaton, Ham.
mond. and Son
Norwich Crown Bank, Norwich—Harveys and
II dsons 41,005
Norwich and Norfolk Bank, Norwich—Gur-
neys and Birkbeck 57,512
Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Bank, Not-
tingham—Hart, Fellows, and Co 6,967
Nuneaton Bank, Nuneaton—Craddock and
Co
Naval Bank, Plymouth—Harris . Mudge, and
C 0... ..................................
New Sarum Bank, Sarum Everett, and
Co
Nottingham Bank, Nottingham—Smith and Co 24,068
Oswestry Bank and Oswestry Old Bank, Os-
wefatvr Prox on and Co
Oxford Old Bank, Oxford—Robinson, Parsons,
and Co. . 28,036
Old Bank Tunbridge, Tonbridge and Tonbridge
Wells Old Bank, Tonbridge and Tonbridge
Walls and Sevenoaks Bank, Tonbridge—
Benching and Sons...
Oxfordshire Witney Bank, Witney—Clinoh,
and en
Pease's Old Bank, Hull, the Hull Old Bank and
Beverley Bank, Hull—Pease and Co. 36,743
Penzance Bank, Penzance—Batten and C 0... 10,079
Peterborough Bank and Oundle Bank Peter-
borougah—erAs 10,513
iesgrs. Yorke .. . 6,736
Pezeorokeshire Bank, Haverfordvvest—J. and
ReWadinWit g Bank, Reading—Simonds and Co 24,248
ReCo....ading Bank, Reading—Stephens,Blandy, and
Richmond
Rochdale
—od.na.ide.-I.M.c..i.ex.ra.w. ell and Co 27,166
Rochdale Bank',
RoaynadtonetOian...k: . ......................... ................................... .. 44:42868
601111 10,816

3,292

23,69

7 267

THE