Star.
London, England, 1824-12-25 00:00:00

SHIP-OW.VERS' SOCIETY.

The General Annual Meeting of this Society was on
Thursday held at the City of London Tavern, to receive
the Report of the Committee, and for other purposes.
At one o'clock GEORGE LvALL, Esq. was unanimously
called to the Chair, and commenced the business of the
Meeting by proposing that the Report be read.
Mr. Cock, the Secretary, was accordingly requested
to read it. It was of considerable length, and detailed
the various acts of the CovEmittee in the past year, and
referred to the several measures of the Legislature, con-
nected with the shipping interest, during the same pe-
riod. The commencement of the Repo( tis so import-
ant, that we feel it our duty to give it entire. It is as
follows:

al REVENUE AND NAVIGATION LAWS.—At length the
Committee have the gratification of congratulating the
ship-owners upon the near accemplish meat of that most
important object, to which their wishes and efforts
have for several years past been directed, namely, the
consolidation of the numerous Laws relating to Navi•
gation and Trade, and the sepatatlon of the Customs
from the Excise.
" At the close of the last Session of Patli.tment, a Bill
was introduced by Mr. Herries, Secretary to the Trea-
sury, for repealing no less than 469 Laws relating to
the Customs; and also four other Bills, re-enacting such
of die provisions of those Laws as it had been thought
expedient to retain, viz.
" A Bill for the general Regulation of the Customs.
" A Bill for granting Duties of Customs.
" A Bill for the Prevention of Smuggling.
" A Bill for regulating the Customs of the Isle of Man.
" Further Bills are also in preparation, viz :
" A Bill for giving certain Bounties fur the Encouragement of
Trade and Navigation.
" A Bill for the Registry of Vessels.
" A Bill for regulating Vessels carrying Passengers, in cer-
tain cases. _ _

" A Bill for regulating the Trade of the British Possessions
abroad.
44 The Bill to repeal the several laws relating to the
Customs. is intended to effect its object, first, by pat-
' ticularising those Acts and parts of Acts which are in-
tended to be repealed, in order that they may be ex-
punged from the Statute-book ; and next, by general
description; because, however careful the researches
upon which the reference to these existing /Ws may be
prepared, some enactments inserted in Statutes chiefly
relating to other matters, might still be overlooked.
The general repeal will, therefore, obviate the possible
evil of any such omission, and at the same time serve
as a legal declaration that no law of a date anterior to
that of the new code, can continue to have any force.
" The Bill for the general regulation of the Customs
is intended to constitute the chief and fundamental law
of the Customs, for the government of that department,
and for the collection of the large revenue which is
levied under that authority. Under the three general
heads of Inwards," Outwards,' and 4 Coastwise,' this
Bill is to contain all the rules relating to the arrival or
departure of ships, and to the landing cr shipping of
goods. It will also comprise the Law of Navigation ;
all the provisions of which, as enforced in every part of
the world, are to be re-enacted in it. Some of these may
not appeir to be strictly connected with the Law of the
Customs of the United Kingdom; but it has been deemed
desirable by the Lords of the Treasury, that the whole
subject should be arranged under one head; and consider-
ing, how lar a portion of the Law of Navigation is, in
effect, the lalv of imports and exports, it could scarcely
have been classed otherwise than as a pin of the general
law of the Customs... It will probably be found, when
this-comprehensive Ifilthas-bcen fully considered, that
there are some subjects of a local, temporary, or pecu-
liar nature, contained in the Acts to be repealed, which
are not provided for in it; and their Lordships haves
therefore, considered that a separate Bill to include
such subjects may be necessary ; the attention of Mr.
J. D.' Hume, the C..inwtroller of the Customs (who bas
been selecvd by the Board for this difficult and impor-
tant work] has accordingly.been directed to a Bill of
that supplementary description."

Captain LOCKYER —isq-77-3uitited to command the
R0312421r, of 50 guns, at Chathanhin the room of Captain Muccsvr,
who is appointed to command the blockade service between Heathy
Head and the Land's End. The ROUNST will sail in the course of
this week for North America.
Monday se'nnight, a turkey-house belonging to Mrs.
Kelly, of Hamden, in the pairsh of Eastry, was broken
into and' robbed of 14 fat tut keys.
Several of the manufacturers at Blackburn, have
lately advanced their weavers' wages 3d. per cut on the
6.4ths calico pieces.
A fire broke out last night, between eight and nine
o'clock, at Messrs. BRADFORD and Co.'s Patent Leather
Mantifactory, William-street, Spa-fie:us, which burnt
with great fury until the whole of the premises were ce-
stroyeci, together with a house Isackwards. It damaged
two others. Tire fire is suppose.' to' have originged
by the furnace having been.made too nor, snd setting
some of the coniposition in flames. Mr. BRADFORD is
insured. There were no lives lost.
'Considerable damage has been dare during the pre-
sent week in the neignbourhoud of Windsor, by the
high minds blowing down stacks. of chimneys and ur-
tiling'various houses. The trees in the New Forest,
Great and Home Yaks, have again teceived consider-
able injury, some fine elms anu other trees have bet a
completely torn up by the roots..
From the Will of J. Goss, Mariner, of pri.itot, graved 1795.
" My .Encutrlt to pay (out of the first monies collected) to
my.belmied wife, Sarah, if living, one shilling, which L give as a
.token of my love, that the may buy Irate[ nuo, as I know she is •
bitter pleased with the Cracking of thew than she is with anadimg
holes Us per stockings."

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