The Statesman.
London, England, 1822-04-02 00:00:00

etose articles into the free ports of the lol•mies. Ab
thosgh It was not alloweJ by the existing laws that as.
American or other i..reign ship ! r.,wr direct) to
the island of Jimmies ur any other of the West inuis
set tory were` allowed to ensile with their cowl.,
so the island of lierthivia, anal to haye the foods (-Aerie.'
I !WIC. to auy other port. That heing the state in which
Use intercourse w..a carried on under the cxistitit laws.

lie thought it would he better to allow the direct inter
course at once. --(Cries of hear, hear, near.) If the
• Committee looked to the nature of tie trade as i t was
carried on hetor-M the Colonies, thew.to-lid 6nd the.
they had deported from the spirit of the Navigation
• Laws. The alteration, there }.re,. which he meant to
pl.-pose, would not rttert so Wrest s change front the pre-
sent protirets sonic !inn. tiontlemen might have ;Jeep
intluved to enl.po•e. 'I he first part of his plan was to
rroeti all the parer Acts which regolated the trade
heretofore, and then to consolidate into a system all the
' which woulf in rotore regulate the intercourse.
0.,e of the Bills whirls he intended bringing in, would
apply to the c mercial intercourse between our North
Ameriran and West Indian Colonies and the United

States of America. Ihe other would apply to the inter-
cohere between the former and Europe. Ile utetint to
allow that articles then pertnit!eol to be imported into
the ports of Great Britain, might be imported in Britiab
or foreign ships into other ports of Europe to be named"
hereafter.. He would, however, have those ships re-
stricted and navigated as the law then required with re-
gard to British ships. Under those restrictions. he
would allow the importation into other ports in Europe
of such articles as it was then legal to import into Eng-
land: That arrangement would apply to the islands of ,
America. He would r,commentl, to h tve foreign ships
put on the seine footing with British ships. Fur the,
consequence of a contrary course would he, that foreign'
powers would put the same ictions on British mem
eel,. One objection might be urged against the mea-
sure lie was proposing, on the part of our North Ameti—
can Colonies. It was not right to overlook in that sr-1
rangetnent the claims of our North American Colonies
our regard for their interests; A great deal was due to
the steadiness and fidelity of those Colonies to this
country. Great consideration was due to the tirinarss
Of their adherence to the mother country, and to the
si-
toilarity of their laws and institutions. They were both
governed by the same laws, formed by the same habits,
%poke the same language, and had the same character-
istic traits of feeling. It was therefore but reasonable,
that they should be protected by imposing a certain duty
On all articles from other countries, which could he
had from those colonies. It was but reasonable to give
them the benefit of a fair protecting duty. That duty,
however, should be settled on a moderate scale. The
object of the old measure bring to extend our foreign
trade, it would be onreasonable to increase the scale of
ditties so as to annol the object which thee had in view.
That was the nature of the •neastire which he meant to
submit to the Committee. Ile hoped he bad shown by
a comparison with the former laws, that the alteration
Odell he was shout to primate would not effect any
great change. So far from the measure, in his opinion.
hating attended with any injurious effect to the naviga•
lion of the country, he was quite confident both the its
tigution antl commerce of the country would prosper ht
it. There was another point which it was right that
i'arliament should consider. Nn one !mold see how long
the colonies of Spain or Portugal would be subject to
their ouastivs. 1 bey might erase, no matter whether
. de Jere or defeat', to belong to the mother countries,
sod by the IlleillßWE which he wag going to propose, the
trade with them would he established in foreign ships,
as it would be with the independent States of America.
The trails with the Brazils and Cuba was open to the
wh.tle world. It was wrong and unwise to allow free
trade with the Brazils and Cuba, &r., but not to allow
it with the United States of America. That was an on
Wise and partial node of regulating our interests with
indepeoilent states. We ought to look to the policy
adopted by other states towards their colonies, but par-
ticularly of Spain and Portugal towards the Brazils and
Luba, the trade with which was open to the whole
worl4.—(Hear,hear.)—lf they permit a more unrestrict•
ell intercourse than torinerly with their colonies, and it
Great Britain adhered rigidly and pertinaciously to
the system of exciudon, and not pat 'her colonies on
I:.e seine footing of free intercourse, the effect would
he most injurious to time interests of those colo-
nies. Another !otitis in which the question ought
to be viewed, was that which regarded the Slave
Trade. Notwithateutting the many sod great tempts-
tious, this country had to continue that odious trade, yet
most nobly and most disinteremedly,' they were the
hat to aboliell it, and on the abolition of that traffic,
they raised an everlasting memorial of their warns-
itimity. humanity, and greatness as a nation. They
load also exerted themselves to obtain the support and
concurrence of other States in that great cause. They
hail Weed got a nominal support. Spain and Portugal
still carried on that traffic in the Brazils anti Cuba. But
this conntry having abolished that trade in her colonies
ought to give them the greatest latitude of trade. Look-
ing then to all those circumstances, he taught they 'f-
looded the twist unanswerable arguments in favour of ,
opening the trade with the colonies. That was the most
eilectual mode of giving relief to the colonies. Par-
liament ought to condoler how to give relief to the Uri-
[l4o proprietor anti to the negro under his protection.—
If they removed the restrictions,) and broke asunder the
letters by which co 11111 l erce was bound, there was 110 cal-
-1 &dating the beneficial results Which would follow. He
uid out think he could give any Mitt r illnstratoom of the
'trees of a free trade than the application of the
words of * great poet of their own country, in allusion to
the influence of climate ou the soul-
-•• What seasons can contort',
What fancied zone can circumscribe the soul
Who. conscious of the source from which The springs,
Bt remain' light, on resolution's wings,
Spite of her frail companion, dauntless goes.
cr Llb)a's deserts, and date Zerubla's sa Asus."

That was Hie language applied to the souls of men, but
was far short of this description of the soul of commerce.
The Right Hon. Oentleman, after a few more observa-
tions. conclnded, amidst loud cheers front both aides of
the House, by moving the two following Resolutions:-
14. Tim' the Chairman do move for leave to bring in a
bill to regulate the trade between his Majesty's posses-
awns in America and the West Indies, and other places
in Mlle( ice —and 2nd. That the Chairman move for
Lave to bring iu a Bill *to regulate the initial between
title altajesty's possessions iu the West Indies and other
places, exclu.ive of America.
On the question being put by the Chairman en the first
Resolution,
WILBERFORCF., in a low tone, expressed his
apprehension, lest the extended intercourse between on.
Colonies and foreicn possessions, proposed Dr the Right
Hon. lientleinan, should give increased facilities for the
illicit traffic in Slaves. The Registry Bills lot 'Halted no
adequate security, for though that measure had been
carrit.ti into
complete effect in the Island of 'Frinidad,
it had not been adopted in all our colonial possmnions.
Mr. BARHAM said. it would be worse than mViness
to think of importing slaves, when our colonies had not
the supporting them. He trusted his lion.
Friend wool.l inform himself further, before be suffered
it to go forth as his opinion that the present measure was
calculated to encourage the Have trade. • • .
Mr. WILBERFORCE, in explanation, said, that at/
hen isan t observe was, that increased into course would
give increased tacilities forillicit traffic, and would there-
ittre call for addhional securities.
Mr. MARRYATT contended that, on the mare 0'