The Sun.
London, England, 1826-10-05 00:00:00

SPEECH ON THE NAVIGATION LAWS,

•
TO THE EDITOR OF THE . SUN.
Sin—You cannot, I am persuaded, do a bet ter service to
some of yourßeaders,than by making knoWn to them the very
able Speech, delivered by Mr. Huskisson, in the cOurSe of
the last Session, on the subject Of. the Navigation Laws.
During the leisure of the autumn, such. information cannot
fail of being acceptable to many, who might not, perhaps,
be in the humour to attend to it at a more bustseason. The
subject itself is of the greatest importance. Few can be
mentioned, of a political nature, which involve so deeply
the best interests of the country. The state of our Navi-
gation Laws affects, in the first instanee, a large body of
men, who invest their capital in ships; through. the ship-
owners, it touches the merchants, a more numerous body,
who elpploy them as the carriers of their goods; through
the merchants it extends to the internal trade of the min,
try, and thence it speeds to the consumers, who form the
'great mass of the population. Thus, either first oriast, it
eOmprehends within its influence, all classes of the com-
munity.' TO consider the subject in another point of view—
on board of the trading ships is the commercial marine;
and this constitutes the seminary for the navy,of England.
With the.deeline of the shipping interest, therefore„,the
security and safety of the nation itself must be endaii;.
gored !
Mr. luskisson's speech was delivered on the occasion
of a petition, presented on behalf of a body .of ship-owners,
who complained that the shipping interest was in a state
of decay. They alleged, that our shipping had for some
time been rapidly declining ; that the employment of Bri-
tish ships had decreased, . while that. of foreign vessels
trading with this country had increased; these erects thew
attributed to' the alterations recently made in .our system
of Navigation Laws. But what the -petitioners principally
eoMplamed of, is the pol% in tin- tox,,int
dutiefg oli the 400 d, ,aud :11ippiog of slid, z.tigrfde
fo inipOWA no higher eh was upon Hiiiish snit their
earitoei. With a visa io remove tlic impre—
siOn which such a petitioo, from such gusrter, was cal-
culated to produce, and to lay before the public a clear
exposition of the present state of our system, Mr. Huskis-
Son delivered the speech aboVe mentioned. The country
is indebted to him for thiS statement, and the information
which he has communicated ought to be generally known.
'His speech is distinguished by his usual good sense and
disCriminating judgment. It shows great observation and
'very extensive practical knowledge, and is highly valuable
also from the statesnum-like views with which it 'abounds.
In one species of merit, this performance, as a composi-
tion, is defective, it is not well arranged. Some of the
topics and arguments are out or theirproinir place;
,and it
is to be feared, that many who heard the speech delivered,
could not fully appreciate its excellence,
After stating the several questions, which would nun,
rallY arise from the subject matter of the petition,,Mr.Htis7
kisson proceeds to cOnsitliVi the Origin and progress of our
navigation syitem. " The great charter of the navigation
system or thi, country," he says, ." is the act of the 12th
of Charles 11. The different modes which that act provided
for the encouragenient of shipping, may be arranged under
the five folloWing heads:--First, the Fisheries. Me ocean
is a common field, alike open to all the people of the earth.
Its productions belong to no particular nation. It was
therefore our interest to take care, that so much of those
productions as might be wanted for the consumption of
Great Britain, should lie e.relusively procured by British
industry, and imported in British ships."—p. 7.
" The second object: which the Navigation Laws had in
view, was to give to the shipping of this country employ-
ment in what is called the Coasting Trade. When those,
laws were' passed,' that trade was confined to England only.
But since we haVe become legislative:, united with Scot-,
land and Ireland, it has embraced the whole of the British
Islands."Hp: 8.
," The third object of our navigation system, was the
European trade. The rule laid down in regard, to
this trade was, that the ships of the other States of
Europe were to be at liberty to bring, from any. part of
Europe, any articles of European production, with the ex-
ception of certain articles, since known in trade ',Yule name
of the enumerated articles. They amount in number to 28,
and include those commoditiei, which; being of the most
bulky nature, employ the greatest quantity of shipping.—
With respect to these enumerated articles, the exception
was this—that they should not be brought to our ports in
any other than British ships, or Ships of the, country in
which they were produced, proceeding directly from such
country to this. This was the general state of the law, in
respect to European commerce, from the time of its enact-
ment, in the•l2th of Chas. 11. down to a recent period. Its
provisions,' however, ,were more rigorous and exdusiii
towards Holland and the Low Countries. The regulations
of that period' were not framed merely for the preservation,
and encouragement' of our own commerce, but also to
weaken the pOWerful marine of Holland. Guided ,by this
policy, our ancestors applied more severe measures towards
the Dutch, than they thought necessary towards any other
nation. In this Spirit it was, that. they prohibited the its
portation,generelly, of the productions of the other Coun-
tries of Europe' from ifolland; instead of confining that
prohibition to the 28'enumerated artielea."-4. 9.
" The fourth object of our Navigation, System was to
regulate our commerce"ibith Asia, 4frica, and .thnerica,....:.
The rule'of our laW on this head was, that no article, the
produce of either of these three 3uarters of the Globe,
shoukl be allowed to be brought into an English port, ex-
cept
ship."--p.
o9f, J.
" The in a Britishfithe systepi of our Navigation
The
Laws related to our Colonies. The principles on which
h
lastip
we acted towards those Colonies MS strictly to confine
them, in all matters of trade, to an intercourse with the
Mother Country. They were not allowed to dispose Of
any of their produce otherwise than by sending it in Bri-
tish vessels to this country. They were equally restricted
from receiving any articles necessary for their consump-
tion
IL 9.1 except from this country and In British vessels."-.

Charter of our Navigation
The
has been called) was
System (as the statute of Chas. 11.
ial marine ; and this
principal object of this Char
to create and ciaintain a great Con
m4nifekly, for the of upholding purpose
ma-
rune and the Navy of England.
lobjein .
ct view,
The /
gislature had also :mower. .
from
Commercial
though of lest imp° ,ent other nations
of the world.
rears clear, that,
rtance, to prel . of thereat
the National
engrossing too larqe a portion of the navigation
.statute .
was extremely trictive lual exclusive. Englun wished• ,as
to have a monopoly, to gain for herself, and to retain, much as possible or the navigation and trade of the world .....-
would
In this, we did no more than every other country
the policy of this
wish to do. But let us not be so
sweak as to flatter our.
e eltirs, that such an exclusive system could continue for
vli The period-in which the system was estashed/
was one peculiarly favourable. The leading nations bli
of the
jealous of ships or trade; such
Continent were not then
things were disregarded as beneath
monarchy'. Our policy was not opposed or counteracted
and, with the advantages of a long peisee' , produced gratin,
the notice of a great
ally very considerable effect. From that. time we advanced
in manufactures and conMler!::P, anti eYen oketstrippAti or
neighbours of I-1011and and the 'Netherlan, The success
of this policy continued uninterrupted fora early a century.
But in the progress of the world, a time was soo o
when such a restrictive system would not; bepatiently