The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1849-04-12
The Navigation Laws Of Great Britain,
IMPORTANT DEBATE.
Imperial Parliament.


Imperial Parliament.
HOUSE OF COMMONS.
NARcn 9.-Numerous petitions were presented
against any alteration OF the navigation lawsamong
Others from Liverpool Of bulk, and
from shipowners and others Of London signed by nearly
\ n 900 persons.
MODIFICATION THE EAuG LAWS.
MI. LABoucHERE moved the second reading Of the
Navigation Bill.
Mr.. HERRrEs thereupon rose, and expressed his do
termination to offer his most strenuous opposition to
the further progress Of the measure He felt 1t incum
bent upon him to move, as amendment that the bill
be read q second time that day six months The dis
cussion might be regarded ar resumed one-as con-
tnuaton, In fact, Of that which took place year
The interval which had elapsed had been fruitful in
information bearing upon the subject and In
sions Of public opinion decidedly adverse to it. Mr..
had placed the alleged necessity for this
measure upon three different grounds The first was,
the supposed anxiety and determination Of Canada to
necessity for their repeal for the sake Of tho West
Indies and the third, the mensees which had been
prudent to disregard He would dispose Of these three
grounds before he to what he called the real
IN dispute AS ground ior dne repeal Of t ms
nothing The anxiety of the Canadians not for .
repeal Of the navigation laws but for return to
lection Nor the argument endeavored to be made
In connection with the Of the West Indies in any
degree more fortunate The before tho House
would be advantageous to tho West Indies in many
ways-in none more So perhaps, than in the additional
facilities which 1t would give for the introduction Of
slave grown sugar into this country the free COM
petition Of which with West India produce threatened
our colonies with destruction And as to the third
ground that connected with the attitude Of foreign
powers, 1t unsubstantial the others During
the interval which had elapsed between the first and
second introduction Of the bill the government had
IN negotiation with foreign powers upon the subject
The communications received from them deserved tho
attention Of the House. Not of these communica-
powers had asked what they would do If we repeal
ed the navigation laws and the reply Of the majority
Va: to the effect that at they could not tell
This was particularly the with regard to the
man states and cities who referred period which
would perhaps never arrive namely the Establishment
OF central government In Germany But oil tho
Dutch and German states and ports, Hamburger Lu-
beck, Mecklenburgh SerlE, etc, wished to postpone
their decision until the before mentioned central 90
vernment established; and he thought indeed
that would be advisable that the house should
sede to his motion for putting of the reading Of the
bill till that day six months by which time they might
have received moro satisfactory Even Prussia
their great ally could give them consolation until
indeed, consented to negotiate with us. The United
States would not answer us. The United States
never committed themselves. (dear, hear. But what
did Austria say more reproachful note than that
which had been received from the Austrian minister
could hardly be conceived. 1t barely within the
limits of diplomatic courtesy and poteness (Hear and
laughter 1t was thus the Austrian minister wrote
the subject -
"fda a. Ce nest pas surprise que lie gouvcrno-
ment Imperial voulu quunc question telle que cclle
laquee s'agit de repondrc pu lui etre addressee
par celui de Ia Grande Bretagne II croysit pouvor
fatter que les principles on ne peut plus bcraux Qu
president Ia legislation Autrichicnne la naviga
lions commercantcs seraient pos ignores An
gleterre. esperait que lie gouvernement Brtanniquc
naurait pas voue entcr oubli que l'Autriche
81 franchemcnt fat vaoir plusieurs occasions ct
partcuercment lors des negotiations qui precedee
Ia conclusion des Traites de Commerce ct de Naviga
ton du q Decembre 1872 ct du Juliet 1885, savoir
sue les b0tmenB Angais sont assujettis dams les
etats dc PEmpereur sucune espece de mesure res
trictive quaint leur provenance leur destination
de sabotage scul exccpte) nj quaint Tespece de mar
shandises quils trsnsportent ct que pom ne pcrcot
en- Auriche de ccs nAvires Ia suite desdits trstes
1NDsk sHn~a- ttol
Angaise jouit consequence en- Autriche des avan-
tages les plus etendus, puisQu'ee est plscee, lcx
fHite egalte avec Il navigation ndissne La prep1e
par eontre que lie pavilion Aurchien NEST point rate
Angicterre dune maniere analogue, est implement
fournie par lie moderatum mentionne plus haut. 49,
L'Autriche trouve d'aleurs present dams un etat
de transition 81 telle situation rend par ellie
meme tout gouvernement tres dHncle, simon morale
ment impossible, d'arreter ct do proclamer d'avance
tout systemic potique parelle enterprise serai
aujourdhui pour rAutrche encore specialsment din
cile par rapport politiQue commercials aussi
position dams laqusle ellie Sc trouve placee "a
qualite dc membre dc 10 Confederation Gsrmani-
That was the style Of answer we got from Austria
CHear hear) Even from Belgium they had got no very
thing proposed and get everything she could but tho
government Of Belgium now doing that which all
good governments ought to doacts Of justice to its
Hear) Lord Howard de Walden wrote as follows from
Brussels
have the honor herewith to transmit to YOU cow
Of note which have received from tho Minister Of
Foreign Affairs, in reply to the communication which
made to him under your lordshp's instructions CON
veyed to in your dispatch Of the I'D of December
last to the alterations In the British navigation
law intended to be proposed by her Majestys
ment during the present session Of Parliament. !
pressed to your lordshp at the time that 1t
babc that the Belgian government would abolish tho
derental duties levied in the ports Of this
try British goods not imported in Belgian vessels
Subsequent conversation with M. d'Hoffschmdt, and
very donst
init Of competition on perfectly identical terms between
British and Belgian vessels would be listened to for
inetant.n There another state to which Q
nication had been made-he meant France. Now, no
thing could be civil than the reply Of France and
yet nothing more decided than the opposition which
she gave by her acts to our proposition. doar) In
the interval which had occurred between the tmc
which LORD MormanSy presented the note Of our
ply to It, the Chamber Of Deputies had to deci-
zion the question Of the salt duties directly
risnce with plan. They had imposed a duty on
salt coming in French vessels and additional higher
duty salt coming in foreign ships thereby excluding
thing that all these things should have in
France in Belgium In Germany and other places that
continue after all the missionaries from this country
who had gone abroad to teach those benghtcd foreign
ers what would be for their benefit and for their good
Clear, and laughter) The hon. member for the West
Riding (Mr. Cobden) had been that mission, and
yet he had failed to convince them of the efficacy Of
taken towards that system Of free trade which the hon.
member went to teach. (Hear) The hon. gentleman
then proceeded to state the real question at issue be
fore the house 1t was maintained on tho one hand,
that the navigation laws had secured to this country
large commercial marine, that large commercial
marine necessary to great naval power, and
that the repeal Of the navigation laws, by crppng
commercial marine, would impair our maritime
strength. On the other hand, 1t was contcnded
that the navigation laws restrained enterprise and
impcded commerce by enhancing the cost Of freight
that the laws not essential to large CONNER
cal msrne-that, even II they were, such marine
not necessary to strong naval power, and that
their repeal desirable inasmuch as 1t would DO Of
great advantage to trade and Of disadvantage to
maritime strength He admitted that to some extent,
the navigation laws imposed restraints upon commerce,
by slightly enhancing the cost Of freight But he main
tanned the necessary connection between these laws
and the existence Of large commercial marine and
the necessary connection again between largo COM
mercial marine, and great naval power. The Qucs-
ton then, lay between the advantages Of the navig
ton laws on the one hand, and their inconvenences
the other The restraints and impedimcnts, which
he admitted to exist Of too insignificant cha
racter to be weighed against the national advantages
conferred by the navigation laws upon the country
He then proceeded to make good his position that tho