The Sun.
London, England, 1821-04-11 00:00:00

ON THE NAVIGATION SYSTEM.

In a country situated as is this, the Navy is so indispensable a
part of its defence, that no hesitation can occur as to its being a
primary duty of the state to support the navigation in its best
source, ita ineecantlle mariue. The public advantage, is so in-
timately united with our shipping interest, that every reason-
able. 'encouragement beconies` a paramount necessity. The
economists . who would sacrifice navigation to the increase
of wealth, should consistently abandon the, establishment
of armies as ;till inure detracting from it, without pretence to,
production. A naval pre-eminence is happily preserved in a
numerous mercantile shipping, while foreign intercourse,
commercial instruction, and general wealth are, at the
same time, promoted. The two great principles of our navi-
gation laws, that foreign conunodities shall be brought from
the place of their growth, and in British shipping manned by
British teathen, seem to be the happiest thoughts of legislatior,
operadng upon and regulating human actions in their widest
range. The effects are, at once, moral and political. Did riot
the law force the use of native shipping, it is probable other na-
tions would become the carriers, who, with habitS formed to the
sea, have cheaper means of navigating. The depreision of navi-
gation, beiides the loss of mandine power, would be a priva-
tion of much knowledge to the country. It cannot be doubted
that the necessity of visiting foreign countries, imposed by the
navigaticin laws, gives rise to intelligence of every kind far more
Valuable than the expence of dearer conveyance: The masters
and mariners enlarge their ideas, the ship-owners, merchants,
manufacturers, and even cultivators, visit connections abroad,
and return with instruction and a fostered love of enterprise :
these qualities might, if not thus raised and kept awake, long
remain dormant by being left to the undirected course of pro-
gressive wealth. Further, the advancement of society in afflu-
ence depends upon the habits of mankind : a torpor may exist
for ages which nothing but legislative interference will shake
off, and give a disposition for exploring and ascertaining the
resources of distant climates, and of proving fortune in a va-
riety of shapes.. The frequent success of reflecting mariners is
obserVable in the number who become capable provident ship_
owners and valuable merchants, plain, practical, informed,
and useful: It is the step, by which, they, improve their condi-
tion ; and find, in proceeding to that kindred sphere, a natural,
active, serviceable asylum as they get forward in the progreei
of years and affluence. It is not.enougli to consider. the naviga-
tion laws as, cheap or expensive Methods of carriage, but as in-
ducing habits and eliara&ter. 'We are,. riot .to look back since
the period of their institution and make up the pecuniary ac-
count of the expense we-have incurred threough them, and the
apparent retardation "Of_wealth so proceeding ; but to calculate,
if we can, the enterprise, knolidedgee active virtue, and the con-
sequent wealth to which they.have given birth, by forcing, and
afterwards alluring numbers 'of our countrymen across so many
seas, and to so many emote- reg,ions.—The favourite idea of
'our political economists is to
.banish regulations, and to leave
.every species of industry to its own direction. 'They dwell on
the course which wealth naturally takes in its free progress to
its greatest height, through the various stages of socieev, from
the hunter, through thapastoral, agricultural, :manufacturing,
and commercial State. They hold every interniptiOn to per-
fect freedom:to be prejudicial to the speediest advance. They.
:beg the question of a never-failing activity and love of accumu-
lation ; they 'ebunt. riot orithe disposition to indolence, the con-
tentnient with little, taught-aid actually practised by So many ;
the calls-of religion ; the letveof :pleasure.; the passion for hoe
'dinar overcoming that for wealth i all which may arrest the ad-
Vance of public opulence in its free course through the early
pa middle stagee. We would cell into ~action more enotiyes
than, one. Individual exertion, on our adoption' of liberty of
:trade; may not be' allowed free. play ; if home iegulations do'
nor cramp it, external arts and rivalry will. It' we look iuto-
histoey, we find that changes have not been effected in society
'without some strong apfilication of external restraint'. The
elnierican savage would scarcely be reclaimed but by absolute
compulSiOn.' The Tarcateannot be brought to bUt by regula-
tion orforce, . from ranging his wilds with his flocks and herds,
to take, a step towards civilization by applying to agriculture.
The atteicliment'to husbandry is often found to predominate over
the :confinement, .uncertainty, and Artificial life of manufac-
turers and traderee and we have just observed hoW necessary
may be the interfereace of the law to add U.:domestic indus-
try the advantages off. enlarged!. naarigation..--44U.ART.E.RaY
REVIEW.).

MET.E6ROLOGICAL QBS.ItVATIONS.

• •
I'EXTRA.Cr from, a METEOItOLQGIC..4I. JOURNAL
• for Afarett 1821 kefit at the ÜBS ERV R 1 ,
GosPoier.•. , . . .
This month has been .very wet blidVindy, with strong gales;
particularly about, theainre of the veinal Equinox , and it it:o,-
mg rained on' 2l days, ..more or less) during the last lunation,
.we may term it a wet moon:
I The welcome return of thetpeing was visible the first week of
thiS period, when the.fvuit-trees generally began to break pro-
fusely into buds; and many of the spring flowers were in full.
perfection. At the close of. the month the fruit trees, &c. had
cominenced.leafihg, there having been but two slight frosts early
in the mornings of' the 15th and 23d ; in the former the thermo-
meter stood within a degree of the freezing point, and in the
latter, one degree below From a comparison of the mean
commencement of former springs, we find that that the present
'spring is'rather forward: e mean temperature of the air is
1 degree five-fourths higher than the mean of March in the
years 1817, 1813, 1819,.and 1820. The mean temperature of
spring water is three-fourths of 4 degree lower than in February.
This we attribute to the abundance of fain', often mixed with
transparent icy hailetones, which probably lessened the tempo_
nature of the ground, and consequently of well water. Indeed,
this month has presented the features of weather that usually
,occur in February.; and.the aspects in February were strikingly
analageus to these of March in general, both in regard to the I
positions of the ilrevailing winds, find the dccomposal and pre-'
.elpitant state of the air settee. the lowneSs of the barometer this
month, and. its 'unusual mean height, and egmparative t.tadi-
ness

The atmospheric a.r.tl meter•:•ic phenomena that have come
Within our observation this mo.,th, are 2 anthelia, 4 parhelia,
3 solar and 4 lunar halos, 2 hinar. bunt, 4 discus corona:, 4
kniall'lnetrOrs, 7 perfect ramboyis, and 1 aurora borealis.- here-
after described. • AlSo 4 gales of wind; or days on.which they
have prevailetl; nsanely, 2 frornS. E. 2-from.S.B. from S.W.
and 2.from N. W. •- • . • .

. „
BOTIFALIS.—At eleven o'clock in the nightiif the
24th:instant, an aurora borealis appeared here in-several upright
beams of gold—coloured light,' which rose aboVe the-:.tar Ala-
mac in the foot'oi ituilicnneda, then near the magnetic nieri-
4ian. These columns of 'light were preced: :AM ibllowed'by
the gradual rising of a mild white light in ::,,-nieircular form,.
to the height of.-2fi.deg. .above the r.orinL-ra ; and
when it had reached its greatest. altitiule at t;!i-:'ty rain'ates past
eleven, two yery
.brjght candated niet.ecrs fyri perpendicularly
over that part wnerc the. teams. of light .al-;lvared. In fifteen
rnin.utes after that time, spread at its base
nearly to the m;:ign.!.Aic east west, haStily disappeared, but
not by, the intr.:ie.:l;4m, of clouds, and no more meteors were
Seen afterwards. _ . .

GOSPORT, APRIL 6.—Rr.-MAR7ABLE BRIGHT SPOTS ON
THE IINILL.1111,11141.Tr.1) PABI' THE NOON.—At. eight
o'clock: last evening, two-bright sn ts app:axed on the opagu_.:
portion of the recer.'s The first we obs,:rved was nn-
-rnediattly under that' very dark . shade, liurnertiro,
of an oblong aTrpearance, e w:lich. rvcatec..ly
increased and dirmnished in Six of two flours.—
The other was t71;t111::,r, ti.e. ' snot :Aristareluts, and
through.' an a,: -.: the 'appearance of
'a star of the the surface of the
lunar orb. Whether these .: are of
ture, or whether the,are me, s' of the moon peculiarly
sitin.teC., so as to be t:lns • -1 by the refit:etion of the
sun's rays from the ca. spared to deride : but cer-.
t. of it is that they it . : .rtg t 2;. rte of the
poen,. when a goad ..d,
:vatic:-3 wele. Triad° , • . - •
, • • ' . , 'Wag
..• ' • • • of her
pcf-illyz bc : , _1 • an- ob.;
seavatien. •