The Sun.
London, England, 1821-03-23 00:00:00

NAVIGATION LAWS.

‘1) the Right Honourable the PRESIDENT and BQARD of
COUNCIL for TRADE and PLANTATIONS. --
THE AIE3IORIAL OF THE SHIP OWNERS OF
SOUTH SHIELDS,

SHEWETR,
THAT your Alemorialists feel it indispensably

necessary to represent to your Honourable Board the
Preemt very distressed state of the Shipping Interest of the
Country, and that since the termination of the War their pro-
has depreciated one half in value ; and that which re-
yields your Memorialists no profit in the employ-
`t; but, on the contrary, they are ready to prove actual

Tlvit. whilst other bodies of men in the Country were loudly
121 ting forth their complaints, both to Parliament and the Go-
*:l.'2Zt, the Ship Owners continued to bear their lossas with-
out representation or complaint from a feeling that Government
unable to relieve them.

That your Memorialists have at all times given their support
° the Established Institutions of the Kingdom with loyalty and
zeal ; and that circumstanced and depressed as their property
they find two measures brought under the consideration of
E!arliarnent, which, if carried into effect, will destroy the small
I.elakling hope left to them of struggling with their present
difficulties, as they were contented to do until the return of pro-
fitable employment, namely, " The Equalization of the Duties
crz Foreign and Colonial Timber"—and " The Relaxation of
" the Navigation Laws ;" that by reason of the existing duties,
of Nei price of labour, and of every article necessary to the
equipment of British ships, when compared with other Nations,
/.°llr Memorialists cannot enter into successful competition with
l'e'reigners,

That it appears to your Memorialists the Equalization of the
Tlrnber Duties will annihilate the Colonial Timber Trade, and
thereby throw out of employment an immense tonnage of ships
without the possibility of any employment being found for
Ahem

That as evidence of no additional channels of trade being ac-
°%sible. to British shipping, employment cannot be found at
Present for the whole shipping now otherwise engaged than
izl the Colonial Timber Trade, and a certain portion of such
fps are only calculated for that particular trade, and of the
latter some not calculated for the Timber Trade of Northern
Europe:
That by means of an equalization of these duties, a total stop
Would be put to Ship Building, and ruin inevitably fall on the
aereral branches connected with it ; the principal ones which would
he immediately affected are the Rope-maker, Sail-cloth-manu-
facturer, Boat-builder, Copper, and Iron-smith, and various
others, and last, but not least, that of " Mariner."
That as affecting the whole population of the Kingdom, a
aserifice of the Shipping Interest, by any relaxation of the Na
Nation Laws, or any equalization of the Foreign Duties,
l'°llld more extensively and vitally affect the prosperity and
lbet`4-1-01 livelihood of a larger portion of such population than
thep'lrize of any other Trading Interest whatever.
Majesty's
Your Memorialists beg leave to call the attention of His
Government to that vital security of the Country
:nlch it possesses in its NAVY, and to the fatal inroad on that
urity which Will necessarily arise from a diminution of the
"laritime Carrying Trade.
That your Memorialists do not here enter into a detail of the
l'arlous advantages derived by the Agricultural, Trading, and
eftmercial Interests of the Country from the Colonial Timber
Tim .ea but wan reference to the supposed advantages to arise
fro,
anY transfer of that Trade to the Ports of the North of
, -r°Pe, your Memorialists confidently submit, that the advan-
Islges are greatly in favour of the Colonial Trade, as now regu-
-4alcd by 1,,,x;.
That your Memorialists cannot, in consequence of, the exist-
rt 'duties, the greater value of British labour, and also of the
114'eased charges of Navigation, compete with Foreigners in
We arrYing Trade, and as the relaxation of the Navigation
As by a Report of the late Committee of the
I
°°°nrable Souse of Commons, yoUr Memorialists earnestly
4111ait, that the permanent interest and safety of the Country
tLe°ll44.4a in their being upheld without relaxation ; and
anY alteration of those Laws founded on that Re-
wherein they recommend " the relaxation of the principles
,t Of. the Acts 12th, 13th, and 14th of Charles the Second to the
externs•
‘, of 0. admitting ta,,
importation
into the nite........uguom,
't ~,t4° Produce of every part of the world, from every part
":"''Worfd without rentrence to the place of their growth
lirod
~ , • place in British
''14414-,, nee, provided such importance takes
the would be ruinous to the shipping interest, and finally
for beicl4°ll7 at large, as your Memorialists have just grounds;
$e —eying that the LONG carrying Trade will be transferred
for, -
.13, gn bottoms, and the produce imported from some NEAR
t ri the European Continent, where the greatest encourage-
haPiens to be given as an entrepot, by small craft or ,
tri
1i 'll vessels, to the complete exclusion' of the more important
41 Carrying Trade.
4.nat Your .Memori-d,sts beg leave to press upon the con-
• of alas Majesty's Government, that upon such an
taking Place h would be the interest o some neigh-
?owe:to create such free port contiguous to the British
in order to increase their own maritime strength and
which would necessarily diminish and supplant the
Sh: shipping and marine.
His hvuld Majesty's Government permit the great
jri ter of the Navigation Laws to be broken down, enacted, as
etiPreamble to one of those statutes emphatically states, " for
increase of Shipping, and encourageMent of the Navi-
gation of this nation, wherein under the good providence and
Protection of God, the wealth, safety, and strength of this
ILe ngdom. is so much concerned," the barrier which protects
IT Landed Interest in the restrictive Corn Laws; cannot pos-
°lY be maintained, neither will the Government be able to
3.-7 e th.. necessary Revenue of the State, your Memorialists
Other fall a sacrifice to any new principle.
Your Memorialists therefore particularly entreat the atten-
tion of your Honourable Board to these important sub-,
elects, and that no alteration may take place in the exist-
ing Regulations which may tend to the further de-
pression and decrease in the employment of British
Shipping.

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