Star.
London, England, 1826-04-03 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OF THE STAR.

Sin,—Ac an advocate of those principles of Free
Trade which have induced Government to adopt Inert•
sues for the prohibition on the importation of foreign
silks, and as an admirer of the steadiness and consistency
maniAnted in resisting the attempts• which have been
made to retard the operation of the proposed system, I
am unable to reconcile with such principles the state-
ment published in the newspapers a short time since,
purporting to be an outline of the restrictive regulations
under which the future trade is t be carried on.

The restrictions I alluJe to are quoted from a letter
from Mr. J. D. Hum., the Comptroller of the Customs
in London, to a Mr. Merry, of Coventry ; and as Mr.
Hume writes in the language of authority, we may
collect that the sanction of Parliament is likely to be
-obtained to an enactment having for its object—first,
to confine• for some years the importations of silk
to the port of London; and secondly, to, compel
such importations to be made in packages of a certain
prescribed size.

Whether the design of thus hatripeiing the trade be
to soothe the irritatediVelings of the manufac urers, by
humouring their notions as to the most effectual mode
of preventing smuggling, or whether it arise from a
well-grounded apprehension of danger to the revenue,
it is evident that a monopoly is to be given to London,
at the expense of the other parts of the kingdom, which
have been reasciiiably looking forward to the benefits
of warehousing, and importing fer home consumption,
as occasion may tequire, and in many of which prepa-
rations have been actually made; and I am desirous of
intruding on your columns with one or two remarks on
the validity of the reason assigned for these inroads upon
that liberal system of policy by which. our legislation,
in commercial matters, has been of late distinguished.
The notorious fact that cheap goods will, in all times
and circumstances, find their way, will apply to silks,
so long as the necessity exists for protecting our own
fabrics by a duty. It cannot certainly be supposed that
they will be smuggled more than while the prohibition
exists; but admitting the probability of the continuance
of the contraband trade, it is not difficult to shew that
the proposed restrictions will not operate as a check, bin
will have an effect directly the revel se. In adverting to
the two proposed regulations separately, I come first to
that of confining the silk trade to London.
Utile silks must be sent from London to any outport,
fur the consumption of the residents there, the cost being
increased by the amount .of the difference of expense
betty, en importing there and into London, and also of
the conveyance from London thither, the temptation to
smuggling into that outport is increased in proportion.
In addition to this, the delay and uncertainty of import-
ing goods through London would be always an induce-
ment to resident traders at an outport to import di-
rectly. There is sor;'..thing so unteasonalrle in making
merchants at the ports opposite the French coast, as
Dover, Southampton, Weymouth, &c. trade through
London, that such a regulatiou has always been found
to act as a prohibition. The experience with regard to
French cambrics ought to have opened the eyes of Go-
vernieent to the fallacy of confining a trade to one port.
That article has been restricted to London for years; and
it is nevertheless notorious, that there is a regular contra-
band tra.'e on the southern and eastern coasts for the
supply of the outports. One of the great benefits of
opening the silk trade—viz. n crushing the giant
smuggler," as air. Robinson says, can now scarcely be
hoped for, it being idle to suppose that a merchant re-
siding opposite to France (as at Dover for instance)
or a shopkeeper at the same place, will find it worth his
while to get silks through London, when the inhabitants
of the town can procure them expeditiously, and at a
cheap rate, from the smugglers. It is stated by Mr.
Hume, that the Officers of the Customs in the country
are re t sufficiently skilled in the value of silks to be en-
trusted, at present, with the collection of an ad valorem
duty. Now supposing this to be true, how, at the end
of a number of years, are they to become better versed
in the article than n6w, if, during that interval, no silks
can poeibly come near them? But,ln point of fact,
the officers on the coast, from the quantities constantly
seized and deposited under their care, are, and must be,
perfectly familiar with its various qualities and descrip-
tions in use; and the distinction oetween London and
outport officers is by no means so unfavourable to the
latter as people have been led to think. Wbt, then,
are the warehouses of London to monopolize the whole
silk trade of the kingdom ?--:Wny is the benefit of a
national measure to be partial, out of deference to a few
manufacturers? Why rather should not we throw open
every port and harbour, to receive that which would
not have been admitted at all but 'to answer the good
end and purposes of a Free Trade ?
Secondly, as tocemspelling ionporteticms to be made
in packages of a certain size. The rime experience
which-bas, or ought to have, proved that the confine-
ment to particular ports is no warn,- against smug-
gling, is sufficient also to thew that it has been attended
with no good effect to fix the quantities and sizes of the
packages. The immense quantities of french cambrics
smuggled on the coast are owing partly to limitations
of this sort; whereas, if traders and shopkeepers were
at liberty to import twenty or ten pieces, or even a less
number at a time, that quantity would suit both their
own means and the demands of their customers, and
there would be no occasion to smngele. Hats and bon-
Lets again may not be imported in less packages titan
bales or tubs of 75 dozen, the consequence of Which is,
that a tegulak contraband trade is kept up* by indi-
vid ears, hired to go to Calais and Boulogne, who return
daily with new bonnets on their heads, paying no duty
atatt : whereas, shopkeepers would gladly avail Them
selves of an alteration in the law, that wooed allow them'
to import such articles without restriction.
We are arrived, Sir, at an age which teaches us tp-'
despise these petty restrictions and trammels of trade'
as they deserve; a id we ought, at the commencement
of a new commercial era, to support the system we
:lave adopted, by preserving to it its original merit and
.astre, and not defaee it by plastering and patching,
that its natural features will become undistinguisha-
)le. Let vs d dare ourselves either hostile or frientry,
.d not open our doors to a stranger for the purpose of
curt ng his throat. In short, let the commercial world
-gise trrerr voices against any regulations having for their
tte exclusion-of all the , utportsin the kingdom
irons the anticipated advantages of the silk trade, and
the Puo.ibitron of all merchants and tradesmen , except
th'''e of a ye, y.catornsits capital, from entering in that
it-de at all.
I am, I know, speakino the sentiments of many ex-
irenced men; and it I succeed in drawing to the
subject the attention of these whom it has escaped, -I
sh II esteem myself fortunate.
London, Marzlt 31, 1;:215. D.

i4AVAL 1141TELLIGti4CE.
PItOMOTIONS.
The following Commanders have been promoted to the rank of
Captain :—Hon. Geo. Barrington, W. Itochforte. and W. Estates.
' The ftiilowing Liu:tenants to the rank of Commander :—Wiillam
J. Prows, J. H. Paddcrw,J. A. thowe W. tl. Pierson, William
Smith, E. Mainwaring, and W. H. M•1;ougal,
The following Masters' Mates and Midshipmen to the rank of
Lieutenant :—E. L. Smythe, 11. Buxton, K. Hungerford,. W.
Weaver, J. M. Cross, T. Mabee, E. Pope, J. Purcel, W. Seacole,
G. Whitaker, J. S. Watson, H. Johnstone, J. Bee, It. Browne,'
C. Miller, J. Bolton, P. Bissome, G. It. T. Disney, C. 'Fitzgerald,
Charles Pricket, and E. Bijou.
Lient. H. D. Trotter is promoted to the rank of Commander,
and appointed to the Britomart ; Lieut. J. Chiniley to command
the Bullish; Lieut. George bliall, the !Loyal Charlotte cutter;
Lieut. Constrained, th•: Hyena Colonial vessel at Malta ; Lieut.
J. R. It. Webb, the Swan; Lieut. James St. John, the Dwarf;
Lieut. N. Colthurst, the Asp cutter; and Lieut. English (late of
the Tribune), to command the Contest gun.brig, for the Newfound.
land station.

A letter from the Havannah states, that the Fttaarr, 10, Captain
Morison, arrived there on the 24th of February, having picked up
a smuggling vessel with coffee, a Guineaman, of 170 tons, with
Sky-eight slaves on board, and the wreck of a very valuable Ame-
rican ship called the Sally, laden with silk, the greater part of the
crew of which she saved.
FALMOUTH, Aran. I.—Wind W.—No arrivals. Sailed his Mi-
jesty's ship SHAMILOCE, OA a cruize.
PORTSMOUTH, APRIL I.—Captain Herat' HILL this day corn-
mistioned the Matvu.ta, 74, and the Officers and crew of the Su-
rges removed into that ship. The Serena is breaking up.
The PARTTMAR, 10, is recommissioned at Woolwich by Captain
IL B. MARTIN. Lieutenant J. B. DRIFIFIELD Mr. W. WOOD,
Master; M. T. Batt (b). Surgeon; Mr. W. 1). Foam, Purser,
are appointed to her.
Thursday the Indian Tikder transport, Lieutenant J. W. Youwo,
Agent, arrived from St. Kitt's, whence she sailed on the 12th ult.
with part of the 4th Regiment qg Foot, which landed yesterday
and marched to Winchester, to join head-guarters.
Aran. 2.—Wind W.S.W.—Arrived the Fortuna, from
Rio de Janeiro, in 111 days; Medleys, Caoos:Lar, from London
for Singapore; and the Phoebe, RICHARDSON, from ditto for Deme-
rara. 'The Woodbridge, Dzas, for Sierra Leone, did not sail, as
last reported.
Cowes, APRIL 2.—Arrived the Choice, Witrart.rv, from St.
Domingo; and Lincoln, KIRTLAND' from New York, in 35 days.
nut, APRIL W.—Arrived and sailed for the River,
the tion• Company's ships General Kyd, Repulse, and Bridgewater,
from China ; Atlas, Hiner, from Madras; British Monarch-, PRA a-
son, from Oem ; Ceres, —, from Honduras; Ebenezer,
Wit.trausow, from Opokto; Findley, —, from Alexandria ;
Warrens,---, from the South Seas; and the Cyrus, —, front
Matanzas. Arrived from the River, and remain, the Anne,
Psarrawrst, fur Genoa; Pallas, Unawares, for Boston; Helen,
Cog, fur Honduras; Charles William, Titorraa' and Rolla, Manse.
for Miramichi ; Prince, Anna Maria, Aid, and Ceres, for Quebec ;
Harmony, Watson, for Halifax ; Venerable, Boarox, for Honduras;
Atalanta, Jonnson, for Bombay; Caledonia, CRILOHTON, for Cadiz;
Sir Joseph Bathes, Klan, for Jamaica; and the Griffin, for
the South Seas.