Star.
London, England, 1831-03-14 00:00:00

SHIPPING AND COLONIAL INTERESTS.

Saturday, the gentlemen connected with these iateresis dined togethor
at Freemasons' Hall, Mr. Alderman Thompson in the chair. &masher
six o'clock upwards of 350 gentlemen sat down to a setnptunip. dinner.
The Hall was prtpared for the occasion with more than customary care,
the:table appointments, lamps, lus:res, &c. being unusually numerous
and splet,did ; several arches, suppn ted by gilt columns, at,tl en-
wreathed with artificial flowers, adorned the tables, each arch Lamg
surmounted by a flag, inscribed with the name of some British Admiral
or other distinguished Naval Commander. The vocal department was
admirably sustained by Messrs. Charles Taylor, Morgan, Broadhurst,
Goulden, Bellamy, and 513,ter Lewis.

Amongst the distinguished individuals at the iipp•T table were--
The Marquis of Chandus, Sir Richard Vyvyan, Bart. M:. Ward,
M. P., Mr. Alderman %Valilimn, M. P., Mr. eV mood, M. P.. 'Air.
Robinson, M.P., Mr. Capel, M.P.. Mr. Bell, M. P., Mr. `. r:i
Mr. Irving, M P., Colonel Fox, Mr. Justice Halhburton, of Nova
Scotia, 4t.c.

The first town watt " The King," marked with the warm.tt ay.
planar.
_ _

This was followed by the " Navy and Army." Air. " Rule
Britannia." in which was introduced the following lines apprv-la e to
the occasion :

" To thee belong Co'onial reign
And ships by hardy veterans manned ;
These aid thy wealth, thy trade sustain—
A bulwark form to guard thy land.-

The CHAIRMAN then rose to call the attention of the company to 't
toast that indeed had reference to the sentiments and feelings which
brought them together. They were assembled to maintain the .‘ ship.,
colonies, and commerce," of England. Fortunately for this comity
there had once been a time when the Ministers and the King o;- this
country were wont to consider those interests as the main sourer of
that power and wealth which had obtained for England that
eminent station amongst the nations of the world. He thought
he was entitled to congratulate the country upon so large and
so respectable a body of Gentlemen as those whom he had then
the honour to address—men who disregarded the theoretical and
visionary dogmas of philosophical statesmen, as they woe called,
whose advice, if followed, would prostrate in the dust, would
level at a single blow, the shipping and the colonial interests of
this great country. He sincerely congratulated his countrymen gene.
rally upon the fixed determination which had that day been shown to
maintain those two Important interests. It might at fitac view se .111
that any comment on, or allusion to, politics, would be out of Oleo
upon such an occasion as that ; but he really could not pass iv,.
noticed the financial propositions of the noble lord, tile Chatter:l,r
of the Exchequer. In his opinion they could not fail to lead to he
confusion and destruction of all interests connected with the colord..l
trade. It was, indeed, no matter of surprise that apprehrnsit
should be entertained when a Minister of the Crown avowal, hi
practice at least, that he set no higher value upon the MHO C
lonies than might find a sufficient equivalent in a few hundred thousard
pounds. The British Colonies had been fostered and supported by men of
the greatest integrity and of the soundest political principles that had t v. t
adorned this or any other country ; by Mr. Pitt, Mr. Percival, tn!
Lord Liverpool. They encouraged our North American colonies. for
they felt how important It was to this country, in the event of a sac, t.r
be rendered independent of the Continent, for a supply of naval stores. In
that those Ministers had proved eminently successful—our North Ame-
s rican Colonies became populous to a great extent, and possessed of great
wealth. We thus procured a safe and extensive market for nittnufac.u.
rers, and employment for 400,000 tons of Bridsh shipping and 20,0tht
seamen. In such a state of things he candidly confessed that lie was
not prepared to expect that Ministers would sacrifice such interests for so
paltry a compensation as a few hundred thousand pounds. What was
the object to be attained ? They were told it was for the purpose of
relieving the consumers of timber and the dealers in that article.
Now, he begged to observe that the dealers, who might be expected
to know something of their own business, had made no complaint of
the duty upon Baltic timber, and he professed himself unable to
understand why Baltic timber should be forced upon this country
against the will of the parties concerned. One would suppose that the
parties ought to be the best judges—and to a man they sere unar
mous in an expression of their disapprobation of that course which his
Majesty's Government were pursuing. It was thought by some
that there existed nowhere in the country sufficient power to arrest the
government in their course, while it was his opinion that power enough
was to be found in that room—(Applause)—to arrest that course by using
a due and becoming activity in making those representations and those
statements of facts which could not fail to open their eyes to the real condi.
don of this most momentous subject. He sincerely wished that the present
government could be induced to take a lesson from the United States,
' and especially from the statesmanlike views which Mr. Chamberlain, the
Representative of New York, developed In his able Report to Congress.
By him that profound remark was made, that the approaching rise or
fall of nations was best discerned by the state of their navigation ; and
that it was a well-known principle with the ministers of every maritime
country to encourage the commercial marine. It must be as plain as
light to all who heard him that the moment our commercial marine a as
impaired our naval ascendancy would disappear ; and it was not less
inftputable that the safety and independence of this country must al-
ways depend upon its naval power. He concluded by proposing—
t. to the ships, colonies, and commerce of the British
nation."

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Tne toast having been drunk with much applause,
The Chairman got up to propose the health of the distinguished
nobleman on his right, the Marquis of Chandos. He was a nobleman
who had ever evinced the most earnest desire to do all in his power to
promote the commercial interests and prosperity of this country. The
West India Interest—an interest second to none in this coutitry—
had much reason to congratulate itself upon the possession of such a
ChWrman—upon the possession of so able an advocate in the House
of Commons.

The Marquis of C.awnos returned thanks on behalf of that body
to whom he was indebted for the favourable manner in which his health
had been drunk, and for the compliment paid, not so much to hints&
as to that eminent class who had done him the honour of appointing
him their Chairman. He should have felt proud and gratified in sop.
porting the Government if he felt that he could have done so consistently
with the just rights of several large classes of the community, and the
gtneral interest of the Empire. He was, however, one of rn',l: who
would never permit the language of despair to tall from his lip.. lie
felt assured of this as of a position demonstrated, that the inarr s; of the
their prospects becatne, the more seciuhlusly
colcnies must be maintained ; and the more distrets gathered around
the maintenance of their just rights.
sthheomuidabneddtehveomteohreimgielor
toy

Ur. ATTWOOD ;wormed " Paospoity to our North American Co-
lonies." He was decidedly of opinion that the colonies had a tight to
protection and security, and that no government was entit!etl to the
support of the country which was prepared to sacrifice the trade a
colonies to the interests of Russia, and that at a time when we tslieht
be almost said to be under a threat of actual hostility. This was not
the policy pursued by Pitt or by Chatham : they were no: nien to ruin
the colonies for the sake of a few additional hundreds to be brot.gla into
the Exchequer. They were told that this blow aimed at the trade of
the colonies would advance the agricultural Intere,i, by enablmg the
farmers to build their barns and their pigstyes upon easier terms than
heretofore. (A laugh.) He thought he saw evidence in that TOWII that
the systems° justly complained would not much longer be *Lowed to
continue.

Mr. KEITH DOUGLAS then got up to propose " The shipping in-
terest of Great Britain." He felt assured that nothing but want of
activity on the part of the persons composing that interest Gould lead
to its ultimate injury. Tnerc was no class in the whole community
more loyal, or whose loyalty was better appreciated, than the bodies
connected with %hips and colonies ; and h.: was persuaded that upon a
due maintenance of those interests depended the splendour of the .hrone
and*the security of the empire.
Mr. G. F. rousu, having been selected by the committee to return
thanks upon that occasion, could not refrain from expressing the feelings
which such a scene as that he then witnessed excited in his breast.—
Adopting from a noble lord the nervous language used by him, he
would say, that notwithstandiroz all the vicissitudes and all the depres-
sion to which the shipping interests were exposed, and all the suKtings
they had undergone, there were those connected with them' who had
never despaired, whose cheek had never bLinched, and whose hearts had
never quailed. (Applause.) There was no man in the country with a
British heart within him who would not exult at witnessing the meet.
ing of that day.

\lr. Inviwo said that the Chairman had given " The Lat:ic. of Eng.
land." He was commanded to give no le.s a personage than the Old
Lrdy of Threadnerdlc.►treet (a laugh). He had to give •• Ihe Go.
vernoi and Company of the Bunt of England." It wa, one of those
institutions by which, in periods of great adversity, this country ass
enabled to resist foreign enemies and domestic treachery. lie regretted
to think that unsound priyeiples had found their way into high plates,
but where, he trusted, they would not 101 l be Ale to
themselves.

The toast was then thank with much arplauge.
Mr. WARD, in returning thanks, said that the old lady whose 1. alth
had just been drunk, learned carly in life that she was not to lit alto.
gather for herself, and under the influerce of that feeling she bad always
done her duty.

The CHAIRMAN then proposed " The health of Sir Richard Vy.
Cryan and the other Ilembers of Parliament, who had hoLoGrid the
company with their presence that day."

Sir RICHARD Varvyaw, in retuming thanks on behalf of himself
and brother Members, felt much gratified in leaming that their and
his political conduct had given satisfaction to so respectable a Meeting.
The Hon. Baronet then adverted to the political principles and conduct
of the present Adiuinistration, exmurint tbr character of the sr.aucial
measures of the Government, aad proticuncing a tlecitled cen►ure upon
the late Budget.
ttber toasts were subsequently given, and the festivity ti the
Meeting was continued to a late hour.

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