The Sun.
London, England, 1820-04-26 00:00:00

WEDNESDAY. APRIL 26 it-220.

FURTIIEtt INNOVATIONS

ON THE
NAVIGATION and COLONIAL SYSTE

We are induced to call the attention of our
Readers at the Out-Ports to the Petition which is
in a course of circulation forignatores in the
City. It was first noticed in the Morning Post of
Monday se'noight, and on Monday appeared in the
New Times. Its object is to obtain a complete
change in the Trading and MaritiMe Sys►em of
the Country ; but, for the present, we shall not
enlarge on the subject, bat give the PeritiOn it-
self to the consideration of the Public, reserving
our objections to it for another day. We under-
stand that thepartirs who promote it are determih,
e.rl to present It kiPTPliettent we cannot however
suppose tbat it will receive the sanction of the Go-
rumen', or of those Members of the Legislature
who STILL, feel the necessity of maintaining! the
MARITIME POWER of the Country ; but that it
will not only be opposed by. the Shipping and.
Trading Interests, but also by the Manufacturing
Community. The motives of the Merchants and
Bankers who advocate the measure are obvious,
and cannot fail to he seen through even by those
classes of the People whose particular interests
are the °Hedged and immediate objects of it.

MERCHANTS' PE LIMN

'fo THE HONOURABLE THE HOUSI4; OF COMMONS
OF THE UNITED EINGDONI OF GREAT
AND IRELAND.

THE HUMI3LE PETITION OF THE UNDERSIGNED
MELCH ANTS OF THE CITY OF LONDOIt,
" SHEwETH,

" 1 hat foreign commerce is eminently Condu-
cive to the wealth and prosperity of a country, by
enabling it to import the commodities for the pro-
duction of which the soil, climate, capital, and
industiy of other countries are best calculated, and
tosexport in payment those articles for which its
own situation is better adapted. _ _

That freedom fet,in restraint is calculated to
give the utmost extension to foreign trade, and
the best direction to the capital and industry of
the country.
"'That the maxim of buying in the cheapest
market, and selling in the dearest, which regulates
every Merchant in his individual dealings, is
sit ioly applicable, as the best rule tor the trade of
the whole nation. • •

" Tint( a policy, founded or tl4ese principles,
would render the commerce of the world an ioier-
chaoge of mutual advantaKvs, and diffuse an in-
crease of wealth and cujoynienta among the
hitants of each State.

" That unfortunately, a policy the very reverse
of this, has been, and is, more or less, adopted
and acted upon by the Government of this anti of
every other country ; each trying to exclude the
productions of other countries, with the specious
and well-meant design of encouragiug its own
productions: thus inflicting on the bulk of its
subjects► who are consumers, the necetsity of sub-
mitting to privations in the quantity o► quality of
commodities; and thus rendering what ought to
be the source of mutual benefit and of harmory
among States, a constantiy-recurring occasion of
jealousy and hostility.
"'That the prevailing prejudices in favour of the
protective or restrictive system, may he traced to
the erroneous supposition that every importatiou
of foreign commodities occasions a diminution or
discouragement of our own producttons to the
same extent ; whereas it may be clearly shewu,
that although the particular description of pro-
duction which could not stand against un-
yestraiued foreign compe,ition would be dis-
couraged, yet (is no importation could be conti-
nued for any length a► time, without a corres-
ponding exportation, direct or indirect, there
would
,be au encous'agetnent„ for the purpose of
that exportation, of some other production to
which our situation might he better suited ; thus
affording at least an equal, and probably a greater,
awl certainly a more beneficial employment to
our own capit”l and labour.

" 7 hat of f,',4.z:ntirnerotia protective and pro,
hibitoty duties of our\........,thercial code, it may he
proved, that while all operate as a very heavy
tax on the eotninunity.at large,, very few are of
any ultimate benefit -to the classes in whose favour
they xvere originally instituted, and none to the
"extent-of the loss occasioned by theta to other
classes.

" That among the other evils of the restric-
tive, or protective system, not the least is, that
the artificial protection or one branch of intlustry,
or vernier of ptoductioti, against foreign competi-
tion, is set tip as a ground of claim by other
branches for similar protection; so that it the
reasoning upon which these restrictive or prohi-
bitory regulations ate founded, were followed out
consistently, it would nut stop short of exeludiog
us hoin all foreign coiumerce whatsoever. And
the same train of argument, which with corres-
pondiog prohibitions and protective duties, .hould
exclude us from 'foreign trade, might be brought
forward to justify the re-enactment of restrictions
upon the interchange of productions (unconnect-
ed with public Revenue) among the kingdoms
composing the Union, or among the counties of
the same kingdom.

That all investigation of the effects of the
restrictive system, at this time, is peculiarly caned
foro U 3 it may, in the opinion of your itetitiouelS,

,

:00.!; !Ca

[PRICE SEVENPENCF

:lead to a strong presiimiiiion, that the ttlisttess
which now so generally prevails, is coosideratllY
aggravated. by that-system and that, some relief
may 'ohtaed by the earliest practicable re.
ntoval of such of the restraints as may be shewn
tote most injwicius to the capitai and industry of
the .coajw,inity, and to be attended- with no com-
pensating benefit to the public Revenue.
" That a declaration against the anti-commercial
principles of our restrictive system is of the more
importance at the present' juncture, inasmuch as
in several _instances of recent occurrence, the
merchants and manufaCturers in- foreign States
have assailed their -respective Governmeafs- with'
applications for further protccti,e or piohrhitory
duties and regulations, urging the ex,imple and
authority of this country,- against which they
are aitni)st exclusively directed, as a ttanction for,
the policy of such measures. And terolinly, if.
the reasoning upon which our rearrictious have
been defended is worth any thing, it will apply
in behalf of the 'collations .Of foreign States
against us. They insist upon our superiority .in
capital and machinery, as we do upon their COm.
paratire exemption from taxation, and with equal
faundatinn.

" That nothing would more tend to counteract
the commercial hostility of foreign States, that►
the adoption of a more enlightened and more con•
ciliatory policy on the part of this country.
" That although, as a matter of mere diplo-
!Meg, it may sometimes answer to hold out the
rttnoval of particular prohibitions, or high duties,
as depending upon corresponding concessions by
other States in our favour, it does not follow that
we should maintain (lour restrictions, in cases
where the desired concessions on their part can-
not be obtained. Our restrictions would not be
the less prejudicial to our own capital Ind indus•
try, because other Governments ptrsistU in pre-
serving impolitic regulations.
" That, upon the whole, the most liberal
would prove to be the most politic course, on such
occasions.

" That, independent of the direct benefit to be
derived by this country on. every occasion" of slicl.l
concession or relaxation, a great inciden!ril object
would be gained, by the recognition of a swind
principle or standard, to which all ittbsequent
arrangetnents might be referred ; anti by the sa-
lutary influence' which a promulgation of such just
'views by the Legislature and by the Nation at
large, could not fail to have on the policy of other
Stales.

" That in thus declaring, as your Petitioners
do, their conviction of the in►policy and injus-
tice of the restrictive system, and in desiring every
practicable relaxation of it, they have in view only
such parts of it as are not count c►et!, or are only
suboidinately so, wi►h the public revenue. As
long as
.the necessity for the Wesent amount of
revene subsists, your Petitioners cannot expect
so important a branch of it ns ►he customs to be
given np, nor to be materially diminished, unless
'some substitu►e, less objectionable, ,he suggested.
But it is
,against every restrictive regnlation, of
trade, not essential to the revenue, against all du-
ties merely protective from foreign competition,
and against the excess of such deities as are partly
for the purpose of revenue, and partly for that of
protection, that the prayer of the present Peti-
tion is respectfully submitted to the wisdom of
Parliament.

" Your .Petitioners therefore humbly pray,
that your Honoitrable House will be
pleased to take the subject into consider-
ation, awl to adopt such measures ns
may be calculated to give gfeater free-
dom to foreign commerce, end thereby
to increase the resources of the State."

FOR THE SUN.