The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1849-06-03


that the repeal of these laws would affect our maritime
supremacy, he met BY stating that the proportion OF
seamen drawn into the navy from the mercantile marine
very small. and the number OF the seamen IN the lat
ter service had OF late increased so rapidly hai mere was
e danger OF its not being able 10 supply any additional
demand He denied that the ship building interest OF this
country would be unable compete with that OF Others
if the protection they at present enjoyed was Withdrawn,
and he rested this view chiefly upon the superior strength
with which ships constructed, and upon the
great of the country the materials required
for ship building, especially with regard In
many ines OF navigation at present open Tor fair competi-
with the ships OF other countries, their
present found 10 prevail and he held II clear that
try which the greatest number of points offered the
greatest number of vessels at the lowest feights must
prevail IN the struggle for the carrying trade OF the world
lCheers
Lord Nelson contrasted the expense of American and
British ships, with the view of showing that could
not sustain competition with the mercantile marine of
that country He recalled the conduct OF the hero Of
Trafalgar in the West Indies, when he dsobeyed the
deTs the commanding officer i'm Ger more stringeny
to carry GU, laws which he deemed TO be fundamentally
necessary for the support of the royal navy ear hear
the present measure were carried he believed that they
would British shp-owners sailing foreign Ships and
under foreign flags Hear hcar.l
Lord Bruce advocated the bill just of con-
cession to our discontinued colonies
Earl Talbot considered the fraught with dan
ger TO the country He reviewed the question in IFS his
toncal, commercial, and national bearings, and in adj
condemned the bill.
the government measure; but scarcely word OF what
he SAID was audible in the gallery.
The Earl OF narrowly had been conserving party 10 the
appointment OF the committee to inquire the operation
of the navigation laws for he did consider that protec
on and free trade were the principles OF good and evil and
to be applied without any reference to circumstances
What, he now asked, would be the advanx of repeal
ing the navigation laws when foreign nations denied them
any reciprocity! Ii taking leap in the dark and
eced shipowners and shipbuilders Of England would
be exposed to rulnous competition with the inter-
ssts abroad enjoying the highest protection. [iear.l
The noble lord concluded BY declaring his conviction
he
maritime supremacy Of the country depended [Cheers
Lord Wharnclfe said, that in tracing the history Of
navigation laws he found that every change in them
had been forced upon the country by circumstances From
the evidence collected before Parliament the subject
commended that the proposed repeal OF these laws was
now inevabe and though there was difficulty in ar
irving at sound decision on the subject, his opinion,
upon all that he could learn that the maritime SUI
premacy OF the empire was not endangered thereby and
that the competition OF foreigners upon equal terms ought
| to give the shipping interest serious alarm
The Marquis OF Londonderry opposed the bill as a
dangerous experiment on the maritime power of the coun
try.
Earl Grey said that, great his confidence in the
merits Of the question before the House, it had been in
as conducted by noble lords opposite, irrelevant,
vague and unsatisfactory. lHearl If there one
interest in the country more likely to derive advantage
mercial marine They had therefore, right to expect
from the noble lords opposite that they would point out
what respect the k Of the ne laws
from that competition which they much dreaded. The
arguments which had been relied in the present
debate relied upon in the time of Mr. Hnskisson,
and in the first year OF his entrance into Parliament he
had heard them utterly demolished by that distinguished
statesman. [Hear, hear:] The course which had been
through the different provisions of the existing law, and
ask to the repeal of which of them the dangers and ruin
anticipated attached.
Having specified these different enacments, the noble
lord proceeded to show that the whole range of foreign
manufactures were not touched by them In every case
they were left to compete with the rival whom they had
mo IN xVh Tho nth hand thav
were protected from those with whom there could be
pretence for saying that rivalry existed The British
shipping was deeply interested in getting rid of these
PRECIOUS restrictions Ii the barbarous and dsgracefu
principles of monopoly which the navigation laws
were founded were adopted by foreign nations to the
same extent by themselves, the warehousng system
would be at end, and the classes dependent
thereon would be involved in ruin. (Cheers If the
srctions OF the navigation laws not preserved for
the purpose OF raising freghts, what were they for
| [Hear, hear
He conended that reduced freghts were gain to the
shlpowneI Just as reduced cost in the production in the
articles sold by HIM great gain to the trader. With
reference TO Canada return to protection impracti
cable and he was entitled TO assume this, the noble
lord opposite, and those who acted with him. had never
lifted finger TO obtain it, however much it might be
desired by them. The noble lord then expressed his
strong and decided opinion, that the relaxation of the
navigation laws on their behalf a dictated
by policy and pudence and that if The House refused
sanction the bill before Them it would give stab the
relations OF this country with its North American colonies
from which IT would not recover
lie then reviewed the which the navigation
laws had been applied in America from the time of Crom
well downwards; for more than a century they had
manned practically dead letter These things were writ
ten for our instruction. if only took warning by it,
[ear IT, unfortunately, the result of the debate was
different from what confidently anticipated, that
would be bold man, in his opinion, who in the face of
such result, had to encounter the dangers and difficult
ties by which their colonial government would then be
surrounded. [Cheers] He warned the House against
reopening the question of protection the present state
OF Europe, OF setting class against class question
exciting the food of the people Were their lord
ships going to play into the hands of the gitaors con-
nected with the anti corn law league and give pre-
text for reviving the machinery of that association J
| [Cheers]
| Lord Stanley said the question now was, would they
wholly repeal their navigation laws and not whether
stances of the times. A noble earl, who generally pro-
characterized the navigation law barbarous princi
held IN his hand speech delivered by the noble earl
relaxatons which Mr. Huskisson had proposed and
which the noble earl now appauded (Hear.)
Earl Grey said it would save trouble if he were
TO say al that he made that speech before he was
twenty three, that he had never sat in Parliament and
that he could not be expected to have very distinct re-
collection of what he said that occasion. (Hea and
laugh)
Lord Stanley would not in that case allude further to
the speech He then described the and importance
OF the shipping interest," its pecunary and national great
ness-all which they were called nIon hastily, and
with an astonishing want of shown, TO put in