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FRIDAY EVEN

This day was published,
In Four Vol.. Ulm. price XI ts.
GERALDINE MURRAY; a Tale of Fashionable
Life.

By MissiiTLEOD,
Author .f Tales of Ton, Principle, Ste.
Printed for A. K. Newman and Co. London.

The following will appear this Autumn :
First and Last Years of Wedded Life. By Rosalia St. Clair,
Author of the Highland Castle, Banker's Daughters, &c. 4 Vols.
Uncle Peregrine's Heiress. By Anne of Swansea, Five Vols.
Ruins of Ituthvale Abbey ; or, Secret Causes. By Mrs. Oa-
laud, late Miss Haynes, Author of Eleanor; or, Spectre of &.
Michael's, &c. Four Vols.

Farmer of Inglewood Forest. By Mrs. Reline. Fourth Rdi.
Lion, Four Vols.
tlasfrone; or, the One-Ihnded Monk. By Mrs. Radcliffe.
Third FAlition, Four Vols.

LISBON.

-"t_

INTENDANCY GENERAL OF POLICE.
C PT OF A CiocuLAß TO ALL THE CORREOIDORS OP

SEPTEMBER 8, 1826.

of the House•_or at least of that portion of it, who are
now present—to a subject of such "vitt' importance to
the maritime power and greatness of the country. I
am well aware of the reluctance which Hon. Gentlemen
must feel to a statement, from its nature, neces arily
dry and tedious; but, I am also aware, that the matter
involved in it ii of too much importance not to demand
the deepest attention ; for, if the fears expressed in the
Petitions on the table of the House be well founded, it
is scarcely necessary f.r me to say that the sooner an
inquiry takes place the better.

The House, Sir, is aware that our Navigation Laws
have a two-fold object. First, to create and maintain
in this country a great Commercial Marine; and,
secondly,—(an object not less important in ti.e eyes of
Statesmen)—to prevent any one other nation Eton en
grossing to large a portion of the Navigation of the
rest of the World.

Acting upon this System, the general rule of our
',obey has been to limit, as much as possible, the right
of importing the ea-oductions of foreign countries into
this country, either to Ships of the producing country,
or to British-Ships.
There certainly have been exceptions to this general
rule, but it is the broad principle upon which the Nari
gation System of Ihis count) y was founded ; and it is
obvious, that the motives for adopting that s) stem were,'
first, that such portion of the carrying trade of foreign
countries as doss not devo!ve to British shipping should
be divided, as equally as possible, amongst the other
maritime states, and not engrossed by any one of them
in particular; and, secondly, that countria entertaining
relations of commerce with this country, and not pos-
sessing Shipping of their own, should export their pro-
duce to England in British Ships only, instead of em-
ploying the veseels of any third power.
But, when I state that the first object of our Naviga-
tion System was to c:eate and uphold a great commer-
cial marine, I think I may add, without fear of contra.
diction, that that object could not have been effected
solely by regulations, restrictions, or prohibitions, how-
ever judiciously devised. The only true and durable
foundation of a large commercial marine is to be laid
in the means of affording to it beneficial employment.
Without such employment—without, in short, extensive
commerce, and great capital, to sustain and invigorate
that commerce—no laws, merely protective, will avai'.
Whatever, therefore, contributes to extend the general
commerce of the country must, incidentally,—l may
almost say directly,—contribute also to improve and
extend its navigation. These two great elements of our
power and wealth are, of necessity, closely and inti-
mately connected. Ido not mean to say that their in-
west; are always identified. I know they are not so.
I know full well, that every thing which interferes with
the freedom of commerce is more or less disadvanta-
geous to the capitals which are employed in it. lam
ready to admit, as consistent with this general principle,
that the regulations of our Navigation System, however
salutary they may be, must, more or less, act as a re-
straint on that freedom of commercial pursuit, which it
is desirable should be open to those who have capital to
employ. 1 am, however, at the same time, bound to
say, that those regulations are founded on the first and
paramount law of every State,—the highest ground of
political necessity,—the necessity of providing for our
own safety and defence ;—the necessity of being pre-
pared to afford security to our numerous colonial pos-
sessions scattered throughout all the seas of the world ;
the necessity of protecting the different branches of our
widely spread commerce, against all the risks attend-
ant on a state of war ;—and, lastly, the necessity of pre-
serving our ascendancy on the ocean, and thereby sus-
taining the high station in the rank of nations, which
that ascendancy, more than any other circumstance,
has given to this country.
Entertaining these opinions, I am as ready as any
man can possibly be, to say that it is our duty, on all
occasions, to look to the peculiar nature of this State
necessity :—and that, whenever the interests of corn-
merce and navigation cannot be reconciled, the feeling
which ought to be uppermost in our minds should be,—.
(I, Sir, have no hesitation in stating it to be my feeling)
--that the interests of commerce, in all such instances,
ought to give way, and those of navigation to have the
preference. .

THit KINGDOM.
By a decree of the 14th instant, I have been nomi-
nated Intendant General of the Police of the Kingdom.
This grace of her most Serene Highness the Princess
Regent imposes upon me many and sacred duties which
it will be impossible for me to execute without the faith-
ful and undeviating co-operation of the magistrates
who are charged with the police of the provinces.
Police may be divided into two parts. The adminis-
trative part consists in prosecuting crimes, in maintain.
ing peace and order among the citizens; the- judicial,
in discovering the crimes which the administrative Can-
not prevent—in collecting proofs of them—in securing
the perpetrators, and in handing them over to the cum•
pet nt authorities to be punished according to the laws.
This task requires much care, much vigilance, much
zeal, both on their part and that of the subaltern officers.
But rebellion bring the greatest of crimes, the greatest
vigilance at all times, and especially at the present,ought
to be exercised in preventing ir.
For this purpose it is necessary to rectify the ideas of
the public by all the means which are at their disposal.
It is only by being misled that they can cease to love
the new order or things, which offers so many guaran-
tees for public happiness, and a future so pregnant with
advantages over the past.
The Constitutional Charter, decreed and given by Don
Pedro IV. to the Portuguese, is an eternal monumeat
of wisdom and gen.-I-fluty, which demands the most
lively and the most unlimited gratitude. The political
powers are found combined in it, combined in a form
sanctioned by experience and reason; and the guaran-
tees which it contains are all those which reason and
experience have proved to be necessary for the preser-
vation of the rights of individuals and the prosperity
of nations.

Having, in addition to this, emanated from legitimate
authority, it has no fears to entertain from the opposi-
tion of foreigners. And how can it experience internal
resistance, but from as excess of perversity, or an abso
lute blindness of understanding?
It %ill be your duty to point cut these and other
truths oft iis kind to the people under your jurisdiction.
As president of a district, you are responsible for its
police, arid for all the disc riers you do not prevent
while the power of doing so remains in your hands.
Her Royal Highness, sacrificing her repose, and even
her health, declines no cares or labours which can ad-
vance the prosperity of the Portuguese; and it would
be a great misfortune if any of them were pre►ented
from enjoying that prosperity by the fault of the dele-
gates of her power.
It is likewise necessary that you should promptly ac-
quaint me with everything deserving of notice in your
district, and with the spirit by which it is animated.
For ordinary events it is oily necessary that a weekly
report should be mauve; but extraordinary events, and
especially those which require the of Government,
must be communicated to me by special couriers, and at
public expense, according to their importance or weight.
The commission of your subaltern judges will not
exculpate you from any charge of neglect, as you are
responsible to me for everything that belongs to- the
police of your district, in the same manner as your sub-
ordinate officers are to you. (Sired)
JOSE JOAQUIM DE RODRIGUES DE BASTOS.
Lisbon, August 23.

I trust that I have, in this brief statement, now placed
myself fairly before the House. And, if the measures,
recently adopted by h:s Majesty's Governmect, have
laid this country open to the danger, with which, ac-
cording to some, it is threatened, certainly I have im-
posed on myself no light task, in attemptibg to vindicate
and defend those measures.

NAVIGATION LAWS.

[PRICE SEVENPENCE.

~..........
mark more distinctly the alterations which have been
made in it.

SPEECH OF TILE RIGHT HON. W. HUSKISSON IN THE
HOUSE OP C SIMONS, FRIDAY, THE iiTH OF MAY,
1826, ON THE PRESENT STATE OF THE SHIPPING

The Great Charter of the Navigation System of this
country is the Act of the twelfth of Charles the Second.
The different mocks which that Act provided for the
encouragement of shipping, may be arranged under the
6ve following heads:
First, the Fisheries.—The ocean is a common field,
alike open to all the people of the earth. Its produc-
tions belong to no particular nation. It was, therefore,
our interest to take care that-so much of those produc-
eons as might be wanted for the consumption of Great
Britain, should be exclusively procured by British in-
dustry, and imported in British ships. This it so
simple and reasonable a ruse, that, in this part of our
Navigation System, no alteration whatever has been
made; nor do I believe that any will ever be con- ,
templated.
Toe second object which the Navigation Laws had in
view was to give, to the shipping of this country, eni-
pleyment in what is called the Coasting Trade. Whelk
those laws were first passed, that trade was confined to
England only, but, since we have become legislatively
united with Scotland and with Ireland, it has embraced
the whole of the British Islands. In this important part
'of our policy also there appears to be no motive for al-
teration. I shall, therefore, dismiss it with a single
observation. The law, in this respect, remains un-
changed, and will remain unchanged, so long as we .
have a de,ire t 3 maintain a great commercial marine.
The third object of our Navigation System was the
European Trade. The rule laid down, with regard to
that trade, was—that the ships of the other States of
Europe were to be at liberty to bring, from any port
in Europe, any article of European production, wi:h
the exception of certain articles, since known in trade
by the name of the " enumerated articles." They
amount in number to twenty-eight, and include those
commodities which, being of the most bulky 'nus*,
employ the greatest quantity of shipping. With respect
to these " enumerated articles," the exception was this,
that they should not be brought to our ports in ratty
other than British ships, or ships of the country in which
they were produced, proceeding directly from such
country to this. This was the general state of the law
in respect to European Commerce, from the time of
its enactment, in the twelfth of Charles the Second,
down to a recent period. Its provisions however, were
more rigorous and exclusive towards Holland and the
Low Countries. The regulations of that period were
not framed merely for the preservation and encourage-
ment of our own commerce, but also to weaken the
powerful marine of Holland. Guided by this policy,
our ancestors applied more severe measures towards the
Dutch, than they thought necessary towards any other
nati In. In this spirit it was that they prohibited the
importation, generally, of the productions of the other
countries of Europe from Holland; instead of c-nfin-
ing that prohibition to the twenty-eight enumerated
rVes.
e fourth, object of our Navigation System was to
ieg late our Commerce with Asia, Africa, and Ame-
rica, The rule of law on this head was, that no article,
the produce of either of those three quarters of the
globe, should be allowed t 3 be brought into an English
port, except in a British ship.
Tt.effth and last part of the System of our Naviga-
tion Laws related to our Colonies. The principle on
which we acted towards those Colonies was strictly to
confine them, in all matters of trade, to art intercourse
with the Mother Country. They were not allowed to
dispose of any of their produce, otherwise than by send-
ing it in British vessels to this country. They were
equally restricted from receiving any articles necessary
for their consumption, except from this country, and in
British bottom!.

This, I apprehend, is a fair summary of the main
points of encouragement to the Shipping Interest of
Great Britain, and of repression of the Shipping of other
States, aimed at by our Navigation Laws, as those laws
existed from the twelfth of Charles the Second down to
the year 1783. In mentioning this latter period, I ad-
vert to it now as the commencement of that mighty
change in the state of the world, the foundation of which
had been then laid in the progress, and unfortunate
issue, of the American war. But before I state what
that change has been, so far as relates to Navigation
and Commerce, I shall, perhaps, be permitted briefly
to notice sonic of the circumstances which had prepared
the way for this calamitous contest : the result of which
as I shall shew presently, rendered the revision of our
Navigation System a matter no longer of choice but of
necessity; a result which, in its consequences, in less
than half a century, has dragged after it nearly the
%hole Colonial System of the Old World.

INTEREST.
A Petition from the Ship Owners of North Shields having-been
presented to the House, on the 27th of April, complaining of the
Alterations recently made in the Navigation Laws, Mr. Has-
kisson took occasion to give notice, that he would, on an early
day, enter into an Exposition of the present State of the Navi-
gation of the United Kingdom. Accordingly, on the 12th of May'
Mr. HUSKISSON rose, and spoke, in substance, as follows :
Sir—ln the course of the last Session of Parliament,
the Hon. Member for Grampound • frequently trok oc-
casion to indulge himself in c. rtain oracular denuncia•
tions, foreboding the ruin of this country, as the result
of the Commercial and Foreign Policy of the Govern-
ment. At that period, the Commerce of the Country,
it most be allowed, was at least sudicienCy active, and
the demand for mercantile Shipping greater, perhaps,
than had ever before occurre i. Whethcr from these
circumstances, or from the solemn tone of mystery in
which the Hon. Member's denunciations were delivered,
they dii not, at the time, make any considerable im•
pression, either in this House, or out of doors.
Recently, however, a variety of Petitions has been
-presented to Parliament, from persons connected with
the port of London, and with several other commercial
towns, expressing their apprehensions, that the Shipping
Interest is in a state of decay, and that the foundations
of the prosperity and security of the country are, in con-
Elnence, likely to be undermined. When such im-
pressions have been created in quarters, where the au-
thority of the Peti.ioners, so far as their observations,
go, is entitled to the greatest consideration, I trust that
no apology will be requisite, for claiming the attention

I begin with laying it down as a general position,
that, in looking to the interest of the Ship Owner, we
'ought not to cramp commerce beyond the degree
which State necessity requires fo►r the protection of out
navigation. I sa• that, apart horn the considerations
upon which the Navigation-Laws were founded, we are
bound not to depress one branch of industry, in order
to give undue encouragement to another.
The question!, therefore, which we have to consider
are these—

Sir, the war which began in the year 1756, corn.
monly called the Seven Years War, was, strictly speak-
ing, so far as relates to this country and to the Bourbori -
Governments of France and Spain, a war for Colonial
privileges, C lomat claims, and C,lonial ascendancy,—
In the course of that war, British skill and British Ira*
lour placed in the hands of this country Quebec and the
Havannah. By the capture of these fortresses, Great
li~itaia became mistress of the Colonial destinies of the
Western world. What use we made of our successes in
that quarter, I will not now stop to inquire.
But if the proceedings of the Government of this
country, after the peace of 1763, be closely examined,
we shall find, that many.of the causes which, ten years
after Wards, led to the unfortunate rupture with our then
Colonies, now the United States of America, may be
traced to our unseasonable attempts to enforce, in their
most rigid and exclusive application, our Colonial and
Navigation System. Every complaint, every petition,
every remonstrance, against the oppressive tendency,
and vexatious consequences, of that system, on the part
of the inhabitants of New England—every temperate
effort made by them to obtain some slight relaxation of
the trammels that shackled their disposition to engage
in commercial enterprise—were only met, on the pan
of the British Government, by a constant succession of
new laws, enforcing still more restrictive regulations,
framed in a spirit of still more vexations interference....
I One instance of the character of that legislation will be
sufficient; and I give it, as a slight specimen of the com-
mercial jealousy which prevailed in our Councils, in re-
ference both to the Colonies and to Ireland.

First; whether the alterations which have been made
in the system of our Navigation Laws have, or have
not, exposed the great public interests, for the support
of which that system was established, to jeopardy and
hazard ?

Secondly; whe:her those alterations are such as to
have placed any particular branches of the shipping
interest of the country in a situation of difficulty, such
as to entitle them to specific consideration ?
%Ai►dly; whether, in the alterations which have
been adopted, his Majesty's Government have been ac-
tuated by a mere gratuitous desire to make experiments,
.and to try the effect of innovation; or whether those
alterations, even if attended with some inconvenience to
particular interests, were not called for by circumstances,
in order to obviate greater inconvenience, which might
have arisen to the general interest, if we had rigidly
persisted in the course which we formerly pursued ?
Now, Sir, before I join issue with those who call in
question the necessity or expediency of the alterations
which have heti made is the system of our Navigation
Laws, the House will, perhaps, permit me shortly to
recall to their recollection the principal outlines of that
system ;—a course which is necessary, in order to

• Mr. Robertson.