The Sun.
London, England, 1845-12-12 00:00:00

PRESSURE OF LIGHT DUES.

Your Committee are convinced, on the clearest evi-
dence, that the light dues press heavily on the commer-
cial shipping of this kingdom, especially on the coasting
trade.

They are heavy on British shipping as compared with
other countries. In Russia, France, the United States
of America, and Prussia, no separate charge is made for
lights. The British over-sea trader complains that
!.hips, from the continent of Europe bound to the East
or West Indies, or any part of the south of Europe, pass
up and down Channel without paying any light dues,
whilst British ships sailing with cargo from the United
Kingdom to the same ports must pay heavy light dues ;
that vessels wait for a full cargo, or go in ballast up and
down Channel to avoid the charge of light dues ; and
that it consequently often happens that merchants cannot
execute the small orders they receive at home or from
aliened at the time IA tkated, and thereby often lose the
markst.

COASTING TRADE SUPPLY OF SEAMEN.

The rates for light dues are not only unequal in the
amount charged by the boards in each of the three king-
doms, as shown in another part of this report, but they
press also, in the opinion of the witnesses, more heavily
on some branches of the shipping than on others.
Thus, whilst every class of shipoNners complain of the
burden of light duespthe sailing coasting traders have
the strongest ground for complaint, as they say their
trade has been a losing one for some years past. They
allege that the value of all shipping, and of the coasters
in particular, has been deteriorating, whilst they have
to meet the competiton of the steamers, now generally
employed between the principal ports of the kingdom ;
and the competition of steamers daily increasing has
obliged them to lower the freights so much that the
owners are now compelled to seek every possible means
of lessening the expense of sailing their vessels, and
they consequently look to relief from the light dues,
which form a large part of their expenses. Indeed, in
some places, the sailing coasters have already much de-
creased in number, and in others have entirely ceased to
sail, leaving the trade to the steamers.
The steamers also complain loudly of the burden of
the light due, which become very heavy, as they make
more frequent voyages, and pay every time they pass
the lights.
Your Committee is most anxious to submit to the
House the claims of the coasting-trade to immediate re-
lief, not only on economical, but on political grounds of
the highest importance to the maritime interests of this
country.
The great support of the naval power of the United
Kingdom has been the facility of obtaining a supply of
hardy seamen from the mercantile shipping, whenever
required for the service of the navy. Great Britain has
lied several brat-wiles of cemnaerce, the nursery of that
, hardy race which have so ably maintained the honour
pnd power of the country on that elerneut where hey

force has been, and we trust is destined long to continue,
paramount ; but the earliest attention of Parliament is
requisite to obviate the results • that may take place from
the changes that are going on in the world by the intro-
duction of steam ; and in our own country in particular,
amongst the coasting shipping.
Your Committee are the more anxious to direct the
attention of Parliament to this important subject, be-
cause some other branches of our trade which have
hitherto supplied the hardiest of our sailors have of late
years considerably- diminished, from various causes,
which it is unnecessary to detail.
From our colonial trade in the'Eaat and,Weet Indies
we have had, and shall continue to have, a supply of
seamen ; but the Greenland and the South Sea fisheries,
the Baltic trade, the Newfoundland, and, beyond all the
others, the coasting trade, have supplied the hardiest of
our sailors, and a decrease of the supply from- those
sources must undoubtedly affect the future manning of
the navy ; and consequently lessen the naval power of
the country.
From the evidence before the Committee, the coasting
trade, which has, beyond all other trades, afforded to the
navy the largest supply of the hardiest of cur seamen, is
likely to decrease,- unless Parliament shall adopt timely
measures to protect it.
The coal trade from the north of England must he
consith red the chief branch of the coasting trade ; and
the evidence respecting the rising competition of rail-
roads, deserves the particular attention of Perliameer,
with reference to the burden arising from the light diies.
The late increase of railroads from the coal distric is in
the north, and the expectation that they will soon Le
employed to supply London with coal, are so well knee. n,
and the consequences to the coasting coal trade so evi-
dent, that your Committee consider it unnecessary to
do mere than direct the attention of Parliament to the
subject as one of vital interest to the kingdom.
The coasters also on the south and west coast of Eng-
land complain of the light dues, stating that they have
been losing of late years, and that the trade has been
much depressed.
Your committee are of opinion that the extent of
injury to the shipping, to the trader, and to . the con-
sumers generally, from the light dues, will be best un-
derstood by perusal of
,the evidence row submitted. to
the House ; and Mr. Ogilby states that the merchant,
the broker, the shipowner, and the consumer, are all in-
jured by these dues ; and that a great spur would be
given to the coasting trade it the light dues were taken
off altogether ; and in that opinion your Committee en-
tirely concurs.