Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1821-04-04
FOREIGN.


Received per ship Factor. from Liverpool.
London, jan. 26.
A meeting of the merchants. ship owners
and traders of the metropolis took place yes
terday at the City of London Tavern, Tor
the purpose of taking such steps as might be
best calculated Ito avert the renewal OF the
charter of the West India Dock Company lat
present under the consideration of bis Ma
iesty's ministers-''a measure" as decribed
by the requisition, $50 injurious to thecom-
mercial prosperity fof London" and also
TO secure those advantages which the pub
lie are entitled 10 expect at the expiration of
the existing charters of the several dock
companies, from The establishment ola prin-
cipe OF fair and open competition, instead Of
the present system OF monopoly and exciu-
sive privilege"
Mr.. Marryat, n. P having taken the
chair, said he did not mean, for moment
to deny that great advantages had arisen
from the establishment Of such large COM
panies as those to which he alluded, ,wh ich
could not be expected under other circum
stances. They had, indeed, fully answer
ed the end for which they had been esta-
bllshed. They had got large duties on the
shipping, in order 10 encourage them to IN
vest their capital, and that investme Mt was
amply repaid; but now that one great end
Of their establishment had been fulfilled, he
thought that another not les. important one
should be looked to--namely. that tie ad
vantages Of the establishment should be e.
qualy shared by the great body Of the mer-
chants and traders OF London. Let the meet
ing look back 10 what was stated az the Oh
ject Of Observation-Disclosures at the commence.
ment; let them examine what was said in
the debates of parliament upon that occa-
sion. Mr. Pitt stated that such company
would encour &c the warehousing system,
and, l.y lowering the rate of shipping char
ses, tend TO render the port of Londo. the
emporium of the world. They had, in fact,
that effect 10 very considerable degree
They did encourage the ware housing sys-
TEN by the increased security they gave TO
property. For ihs The rates they charged
were very high, but these were not feIt dur
ing the war, when we had, in point OF fact,
the monopoly of almost all the trade in the
wuTli But the case was now, however,
quite different. We Were in competition
with almost all the world, and could not as
ford those high rates which were formerly
paid. Indeed il required, in the present
state OF our commerce, that the rates On
shippkg should b. as low as possible The
effects az the continuation OF these high du-
ties, as the natural conse quence of continu-
&c nonopolies, were severely ielt in several
branches of foreign trade. He would not
mention our West india Colonies. for their
produce must come TO us under all cIrcum-
stances, ard whatever might be the char
ges. But the effects were very visb'. 10 y
Their branches of trade; he would mention
some. In 1909, in consequence of the
changes which took place in South Ameri-
ca, almost the " hole of the trade with Cuba
fell into OCT hands. But since the peace we
had lost the proportion of it, and last year
there were not more than 10000 chests of
sugar Cd which duty was paid. This loss
was mol only felt in that particular article,
no, being shipped here, but it naturally ex.
tended itself TO those branches ofsour manu-
tsctu:es whisA would be taken in return. -
lie would admit that other causes contribu-
ted TO this depression, besides the high char
yes Of The dock comPanies-suUh as the de-
.sects in our warehousing system generally,
and the nsnsit duties on foreign linens;
but certainly, in addition to those, the high
rate of dock duties, was main cause Of
the depression He would mention one case
in Which lie In selt was 1Uro,lntd. In