The Sun.
London, England, 1803-02-28 00:00:00

Pritish Slttp3, wttich ‘r otild on.fi• raise a War of re-
taliation on the part of other Nations, by wttich WC
must unavoidably lose.
The fear expressed by AM TOR PA,Tst. 'ai'4o
the Northern Nations rivalling us in Navigation,
does not skew a.very clear conception of their situa-
tion. Russia is, during five to six months, Sweden
duling four months, and Denmark and the Southern
Baltic Shores three months in the. year, enveloped
in ice and winter, which efredually stops their Na-
,vigation, when no British Harbourexperiences such
impediment. Any Foreign Ship, not got home be-
fore the winter sets in, must winter in a Foreign
Country at. a most heavy
,expence, and keep their
Sailors on -wages for months without any use—a
case very coitimon, and a heavy drawback on their,

earnings.
In regal,d to the danger expressed, that by..hay.
ing employed many foreign Sailors in British Shits,
during the War, they have been improved, and
have obtained English habits ; it may be depended
upon they are likely to stay, .aiid their nativecoun.
try will see very fete •of diem return, as they dire
certainly better treated in British. Ships than mist
others. What has' happened, in this respea, Ist
War, is exaftly; what occurred every fernier War,
and therefose the consequences can easily, by der..
rience, be ascertained, as more beneficial than bat.
ful to this Country.
• Whoever would assoit, that a Ship-Ownet.cou
not maintain a , Ship's Company which visit Other
Countries, where mostly provision catibe laid in
ld
much cheaper than at home, at a cheaper rate than
a manuUturer could an equal number of his,peooeo
who never stir from home, would be deservedly
laughed at ; yet saying that the Lanilett Interest
has, in this point of view,
~an advantage. over Ma-
ritime Commerce, is asserting this very imProba"
bility to be fa&. To call.the Tonnage nntY,%Yhich
is hardly nine-pence in the pound at farthest, oti
the
usual rates of freights, and in many instances ranch
less, a heavy, burthensou ea. injurious, not
beara-
ble Tax, when the Duties flou,e's, by Onvern-
ment and Parochial Tix:es, swallow from five to tea
shillings in the pound of the amount of the Mit
many parts of this Kingdom,' is an unadou.nt#e
assertion, which must be left to the'complaining
Ship-Owners to be explained, for it is totally otttuf
toy power to solve this riddle.

In my humble opinion, it is dangerous polio to
admit any set of people whatever to set up a (Jaya
on the score of their being useful,
that they ought
to--be exempt from. bearing dired burthen or taxes,
the same as their equally. industrious neigbbours,
who .have borne them many Years,
,and are not
gitfed with'equal assurance to' cry aloud and spare
not. It is asserted, that at Canton, in Chirp,
many thousand people, With families, lire in 4oats
on the river, upon the prin,:iple.that the boats /being
in part covered in). afford them a cheaper' 'retiteett
than houses, and so, in truth;theyvidulti in many
places in this country, when freed from all Tax"
whatever ; nor will, itlbe probably denied, th4t te'v
claside iii
.men pay less direEt Taxes than Sairprs
for if they had not to pay sixpence pet' 1116rit
of their wages to 'Greenwich Hospital, thou-
sands of them would not pay a groat in their '
liyes. This is noways said‘tb derogate of Alert
• usefulness or value as members' of society,:whjc,%;
fully appreciate ; but people must not eres o",
score of hardships which do not exist, het are OA"
ginary. The complaint of shilis being sunk iroheir
value, is not at all provid *by- their tieing. °illy
worth tWo.tfeirdi of An -they tiVete ferreetlY csti"
mated.
S1311)81 as
'every' .1"'"g dse, ,were during
u
the 'ar got -14ond-iiteit.true .value ; 'they must
return to their true standard, and repeal or nietel'eal
-of this petty Duty of Tonnage on Sliippinp .011
not prevent this occurrence ; fur it days to the na•
ture.of things It will be so.. •,,lecall it a petty POP
foe: SO' it. Ise ineverpsense of the word, when the
:immense capital employed' is considered. -`'Vat ti
this Tonnage'Duty to that laid on the, West-lOia
Trade' by' the Docks 'in die Isle: of Dogs Pe. A-tnere
phantom in the-Comparison !
As to ehe example of France,' in Siting bounties
to Shipping, we have seen inch 'awful 1-xamples '
given by that fantastie; fickle, and 'at present—en-
slaved people, we 'ought not to be 'so ready to praise
what their Government 'sounds forth, and is vfteri
vox et Areterea If such bounties are really
paiii and they
nit tieube
yitare':ih4d;
ttupal,elymore titan the sound of
promise,
who, besides the most admiteatbCleosecurity theYnt .
~.'
joy as to properly and,stability, in regard to mer-
cantile regulations' and duties, paying' interest .at
the rate of twelve per' cent. per annum, ought to
have some encouragement more than: common, CO
run the ri,k of the frowns-of Neptune, in addition
to the otle:r perils they are exposed to.
I note that the Ship-Owners have no'blejedion,
if the amount of 'fonnage Duty on Shipping was
laid as a duty on the goods exported and 'imported.
Generous souls ! provided they do but get shut of
it, they don't care if it was laid on the Lambkins
playing in the fields !,

This trait causes me, in additi,,n,
wish that the Legislature will see the hnpropriety
of the repeal'; and though this. may not be a veryhandsome concluding wish, to be -imparted to )1".
the Ciairman of the Petitioners, yet I hope you
will allow, that honest conviction of what is rights
ought to be a consideration superior to every thing
else, and therefore, I trout, be accepted by you as
an excuse for any incivility my wish may imply.,
subscribing myself, heartily: to

Dear Sir, your';,

Feb. 10, 1803.

N EA RC HUS.

I OCKS.

DAY.

India Stock 217 •
Indi.t gonds ' •
Exchcq. Bills is. dis.'
.FuntlAhle ditto limn.
";d Exchequer Ilills'dis.
Oinniuth 4
Impel'. 3 per Cent.
Ditto Ann. 11A
1 !lank foi opening
India for Acc.
Cons. for Apri1.72.0