The Sun.
London, England, 1861-03-16 00:00:00

Hon. Gentleman, in point of fact, is so conscious of
the prodigal, and even profligate manner in which
the House of Commons has, before now, yielded
-upplies notoriously to this end, that he took
the trouble, while asking leave to
introduce his Bill in respect to Har-
bours yesterday, to specify the exact amount
which he had found upon inquiry had during the
last few years, or as recently as from 1851 to 1860
inclusively, been given to the same end by the State
• —namely, the good round sum of £3,144,190.
England alone, he reminded the house, had a dis-
tinct amount of £38,000 advanced for the facilita-
tion of harbour enterprize. "It was proposed," he
said, " by this bill to assist the improvement andl
construction of harbours by loans on easy terms,'
the repayment of the sums so advanced to take place.
at a longer time than the loans granted under theA
Public Loan Companies Acts." Adding, however,
immediately as a not unwelcome pendant, that " It
was not proposed by this measure that the State
should make any profit, but that the money should_,
be advanced at such a rate as would pay the State,
and allow different places the means of bringing
their resources into effect." In those two brief but
suggestive intimations, Mr. MILNER GIBSON
epitomised the main object of the measure, which
he has now, from the House of Commons, leave fol
introducing.

Leave having been thus cordially allowed forI 1
.ntroducing this bill about Harbours, we cannot)'
have any reasonable doubt about the bill being
rapidly enough, when introduced, ripened into an
enactment. Any more doubt, in fact, than :,an be,
entertained as to the mortality along our coasts,
particularly along our eastern coasts, showing upon
the operation of the measure a visible diminu-
tion—that appalling mortality annually known to
result from sudden gales and periodical ship-
wrecks. Who that has given this subject the
most passing and superficial consideration is
not familiar with that melancholy symbol
of calamity of that dread calamity befalling,
year after year those who go down to the great,
deep in ships—known far and wide in these islands',
as the wreck chart? The fluctuation of the little'
typical figures upon that mournful wreck chart,
asterisks, dots, crosses, and so forth, indicative of
the vessels that have been dashed ashore, that have
struck upon sand banks, that have foundered, that
have lost all their cargoes and sometimes, alas !
not by any means unfrequently, that have had their
entire crews perish there without one survivor being
left to tell the tale of disaster—the fluctuation
of those terrible black marks upon the 'Wreck,
Chart, year after year, has afforded the nation for a!
long while the most painful information—informa-
tion conclusively demonstrative of the necessity
existing for precisely such a measure of relief
to the shipping interest in these islands as the Billi
now about to be introduced to Parliament by the'
combined humanity and patriotism of the right hon.
gentleman the President of the Board of Trade. It
is observable in a particular manner, however, that
Mr. MILNER GIBSoN does not propose this Bill for
the facilitation of improvements, as, in every way
a substitute for the construction of Harbours of
Refuge. His simple impression being that the
granting of the proposed loans will be produc-
tive, so far, at any rate, of very considerable
advantages. Together with this systematized
concession of loans—Mr. GIBsoN proposed, through
the agency of his measure, to effect " the aboli-
tion of what were called ' passing tolls,' and that
all tolls paid by ships that did enter harbours
:hould cease to be levied from the end of the
year 1861"—tolls, the abolition of which has long
been recognised as so very desirable. At
the same time the Government propose
to preserve the rights of the Harbour Commis-
sioners. Ample provision, we are told, will be
provided through the Bill about to be laid before
Parliament, ample provision to support the har-1
bours without any charge whatever being insti-
tuted, except on vessels actually using the Harbours.
Supposing any deficiency to arise, say at
Dover or at Ramsgate, it is to be provided
for out of the public treasury. Yet, at the
same time, it should be observed also in reference
to those two identical harbours just specified, that,
so far as Dover is concerned., it is not proposed in
Mr. GIBSON'S bill to make any change at all in the
management of the trust—while, on the other
hand, in regard to Ramsgate, it is intended to
remove to the Trinity Board the trust hitherto and
still confided there to the Harbour Commis-
-1
sioners. The discretionary powers heretofore'
allowed to certain charitable corporations,
such as the Trinity Houses at Hull, at
Leith, at Perth, at Dundee, and at Newcastle
upon-Tyne, for the levying of local dues on ships
for certain benevolent purposes is henceforth to be
disallowed under the authority of Mr. GIBSON'S
Bill, when perfected into an enactment. A judi-
cious modification of the existing system,
which at one stroke of that Minister's pen
as it were will relieve the shipping interes

lannually to the amount of £lB,OOO sterling. The
dues here alluded to, however, it is but justice to
remember, will not be permitted to " cease and
determine" until the death of ail existing pensioners.
To complete all, the bill prrJvides for the abolition
of all differential duties hitherto levied at our out-
ports. Hereafter, for example, no foreign ships
upon entering an English port will be taxed higher
by one bronze farthing than an English vessel.
Surely, this is but fair play—it is but just—it is
magnanimous. And it well befits an eminent
Free-trader, such as the right hon. gentleman the
President of the Board of Trade, to be the one
now to sweep away duties like these duties, in
many respects so very irritatingly differential.
It is an amiable little quid pro quo, proffered
among other powers to France—and coming just
opportunely upon the morrow of the abolition
in France of the passport system, so far as regards
British subjects. Every word that fell from
Mr. GIBBON'S lips last evenin i
proposition comprised withing, the scope of his
Bill for the abolition of these same differential
duties, was worthy of falling from the lips of.
leadingone
f t
re e
occupyingfree-trade so eminent a place among our
ade statesmen. "The object of these
dues," he said, " was to keep foreign ships away,
and not to put money into the pockets of the local

authorities. The abolition of these double dues gave

a great advantage to these ports. It never wasproved

hat those bodies who had abandoned these double

!dues had suffered from so doing. On the contrary,

tiey had gained from an increase in the number of
ships frequenting the ports. But it was thought
necessary to compensate these parties for these

!double dues. He believed they were compensated
(when they had never suffered any loss. At Hull,

as a substitute for the fine levied on foreign ships,
the Government had paid to the Trinity House
from £12,000 to £13,000 a year, amounting to
not less than £2'),000 since the reciprocity
treaties have come into operation. He asked
what justice there was in continuing to call
'Upon the taxpayers of the country to pay this
11amount for nothing P In justice there was no foun-
dmaetniot, n
tfhoerrtere
this annual payment, and the Govern.
proposed to discontinue it. They
said that at the end of five years this compensation