The Sun.
London, England, 1818-03-30 00:00:00

tide legally imported, not excepting prize goods,
to any foreign country in amity with the King:
At present the trade from thence to the South of
Cape Finisterre is confined to Barrlsn Shipping,
but why it is to he extended to foreign vessels re-
f. • - ;
mants to he explained. -To-the North of CapeFi-
nisterre, they cannot at present trade, even in
British Shipping, and therefore, without any
ostensible cause or necessity for it, that such a
measure should have originated with the present
Administration has excited great surprise in the
Mercantile circles ; unless the Noble Lord at the
head of-the Foreign Office has it in contempla-
tion, at the next meeting of the Sovereigns at
Frankfort, (where the foreign Newspapers re-
present a new system of general commerce is- to be
established) to give up the great bulwarks and
sate-guards of the country, and to rely for its de-
fence on the Military force of the Kingdom, and
not on its Navy. For without a strict adherence
to the Navigation System, it is impossible to
maintain the latter, and it foreign vessels are to
be allowed a free intercourse wi,h every part of
his Majesty's Dependencies, it will be in vain for
British Shipowners to attempt to compete with
them. Many other objections could be offered to
this unfortunate measure, even with reference to
the revenue ; but I will riot pursue it further at
present than to ask this question :—Why should
not the provisions of.this 13111 be extended to all
the West India Islands, and foreign • vessels be
allowed to take West India produce direct from
the West India Islands to any country in amity
with the King, whether in Europe or elsewhere
At present the West India Islands are restricted
in their trade.altogether to British Ships, and the
only direct intercourse they have with Continental
Europe is confined to Gibraltar and Malta.
This Bill recites " that great advantages' re-
sulted to the said Colonies from the facilities given
to the trade thereof by the said Acts :" that is
hy tire 47th of the King, &e. Yet,, however
strange it may appear, this Statute was never
acted upon until it had expired For the order
nominating the Ports from which this new trade
was intended to have been carried on in Nova
Scotia and New Brunswick, did not appe;rr Until
the Act, which was a temporary one, had ceased
to•exist ! Therefore no advantages could have
been derived from it. To sinew the inconsistency
in the views of the Government respecting the
trade of the King'S American Colonies it is only
necessary to observe, that it is not a year since
an order was sent out to Canada to prohibit the
importation into that Province, by the interior
cvmmonication, of articles from the United States,
although those articles ‘votdd have been brought
to England from the Saint Lawrence in British
Ships.

• Again„ in 1816, two Acts of the Legislatures
of, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick were passed
regulating the Export of Gypsum, which were to
he in force for five years ; and these Acts were
sanctioned by his. Majcsty in Council ; yet the
foarth section of the present Bill goes to legalise
a trade in Gypsum -in American vessels, in con-
travention of the t‘vo Provincial Statutes, and even
whilst an Act passed lost year by the American
Congress, prohibiting the importation of this
article in British vessels'into the United States, is
still in force.

I am afraid,. Sir, I am occupying too large a
space of your valuable Paper, and therefore shall
conclude ; but, with your permission, I shall re-

some my correspondence, with a view to induce
the Public-to a calm and dispassionate considera
tion of the political relations between Great Bri
fah, and the United States, which it is too mud
the in the Metropolitan Journals, to dis
rem present.
Liverpool, March 26, 1818.