The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1851-07-18

of this enormous trade. The American ships could
obtain at that moment from E6 to El0 ton freight
from New York to California, while the British
and India, could only obtain from 2Os to 25s ton
hen his noble friend said that the repeal Of the
navigation laws had not improved the American
shipping, he did not seem to be aware of what was
going on in America in reference to the extraor-
dnary trade with California. The stimulus thus
given to the building trade Of America was such as
20 astohish every one. When first the tr ade with
San Francisco was opened, the American ship
holders employed nearly the whole of their ships
by freighting them to San Francs,). At present
there were 900 of their ships at California and GOO
more were employed in the whaling and coasting
trades. The year before last the Americans built
about 100 ships, and there in the last year
l, 100 on the stocks This great in crease in the
shipping trade Of America was 0ccasioned by the
combined action of the California ira 10 aud the
repeal of the navigation laws. 1t was impossible
that the British shipping could long contend az sinst
such state of things. By a document which he
held in his hand it appeared the outfit of British
the amount Of its outward trade only to f79i,
lea wing o balance Of about Ell 300 against her.
Such a state of things, if permitted to continue,
would assureGly involve this country in difficulties
much more serious than ever it was in before. IL
was always the opinion of their ancestors that these
laws were of defensive character, and the repeal
of them they very we'll knew was unsoug ht for AMI
unasked by the people this country.
oREi COulu uOt utip tue W.
BILE Earl opposite, upon the admission that the al
terati0n of the navigation laws was calculated to
give great stimulus to the commerce of the world
If it had done that, he thought it followed pretty
clearly that the first commercial nation in the world
could not fail to receive its full share of the traffic
Individual cases of great difficulty and embarrass-
ment might no doubt be found; but upon great
question Of that kind, they must look to the gene.
raj result Of the whole. The noble Earl, then, dad
not attempt to show that the shipowners generally
were not extending their business. AS it mad been
truly stated by his noble friend, there snip
owner alone who had in single year added nine
more ships to the number usually employed The
noble Earl had spoken Of the extraordinary results
in the trade OF the world by the opening of Cali
fernia, and by the sudden creation of a large 80 n
munity in that part of the world. No douot very
great effects had been produced by this Californian
trade. and America, of course, reaped the irsG ad
vantages by the increase of their freights that
part OF the world. In the peculiar situation in
which she was placed in reference to California, it
doubt most difficult for any other country To
compete with her in that ira ie But he was unable
10 understand how that circum stance affected the
question of the navigation laws. He Carl Grey0
however, believed that this country had shared IN
the benefits of the Californian trade. If they
could believe the ordinary information which they
received, no nconsiderabe number Of English
sells had gone to California. 1t appeared by the
last accounts received from that place, that of
$500 tons Of Shipping that had recently been TO
California, no less than 800 were British, and
halt Of the remainder We're American There was
no uOUDt tQat America nAu Il superior advantage
over British ships in the trade with California; bat
in consequence of that trade she Withdrew a large
portion OF the ships which had been previously
IIoyed in the Brazils, New Spain, AID other
tries and their places Were immediatel supplied by
British ships. lie at once admitted that the rega-
lations maintained both by France and Spain were
contrary to every principle of fairness, and Of which
this country had great right to complain. He
thought too, that they were entitled to adopt any
measure consistent with their interest in order TO
meet these unjust proceedings. With regard to
these regulations, they were not only to consider
whether France and Spain had acted fairly towards
them, but also whether they affected this country
as much as they affected the countries that had
adopted them. And on the ether hand, they were
called upon to consider whether they would, by
tallatory measures, do more harm to ourselves than
to those countries. The noble lord opposite said
that when the retalia.ory clauses were introduced
into tie bill, IL with the understanding that the
government were to have made use of the power
thus given in opposition TO such regulations Ii he
Carl q remembered right it was stated dstnc ;ly
that these clauses were introduced with this object
that if it were found that British ships were really
suffering In the competition with the ships of other
countries, In consequence Of the adoption by them
OF such regulations, those powers to be en-
Toyed. They merely reserved to themselves the
power In case they found it advantageous to them
selves, TO give effect 10 those retaliatory clauses
against foreign nations. With regard TO Spain, the
grievance that high diferential duties we're I'M
posed upon the importation of ali commodities, If
mporte in British ships, instead of their own
tional ships: The effect of such regulation was
nO doubt. highly injurious to trade. But to whom
was it injurious The British shipowner now and
again, perhaps, los; good voyage but, as the no
bic lord stated, the whole trade of spain was, after
all, so inconsiderabe, that it was really matter of
very little consequence to the shipping interest Of
Great Britain. Thanks TO her restrictive system
hat spain carried on such petty and Insignificant
rade with all the world. But what could TINS Juo-
~ do! They might interpose countervailins
country in Spanish ships. What would be the
esult of such a course Why, they would sim ply
'ut an end to trading between the two countries
altogether, which would be a serious injury to
,ur own manufacturers and merchants, anu stlInu-
ate the trade of the smuggler to great extent.
rance main aimed absurd restrictions. She refused
o receive even the produce of her colonies, ii
imported IN English ships. The practical opera
ion OF this was, that the French merchant aud
nanufacur, il afforded every opportunity OF buy.
hg cheap cotton and indigo IN London, were pre-
ented from doing so IL he was compelled to snip it
N board an English ship II there was an English
hip lying in the Baltic and that a cheap cargo of
i'm Der and hemp could be then tanned, the French
hip builders could not take advantage Of the cir.
unstance TO the serious injury Of the latter. the
oss TO tie English ship owner was the loss Of |
OCCASIONAL voyage; but the loss TO the French was /
be deprivation of the enormous advantage Of OBJ |
aiming the material for carrying the r trade
D the best and the cheapest manner. In the same
Jay, as regarded the colonial trade. IL was not |
by the French law, to carry any commo- |
titles between France and their colonies, aor from
Their countries into the French colonies, in British
hips. The effect was, that the few French colonies
spite OF their enormous expenditure to bolster
hem UP, were dragging on "a miserable existence.
here was Algeria, for Instance-a territory highly
ndowed by nsture-upOn which millions had been
,lended by France. Every year it was the source
an enorrDous expenditure. That country that was
reat in the time oithe Roman empire and was Que Of
le mort productive portions Of the civilized world
that enuimOus territory, instead Of making any
rogfcss like our own colonies, was but source of
areLse to FIarce. Were they then to punish
rance by saying that French vessels should not
AIRY any commodities into our own colonesi This
ou!d be but triling injury to the French ship
wner, because he was already excluded by n com
etition against which he could not m axe head, in
be carrying trade to our colonies; but il would be,
, far as our colonies were concerned, TO deprive
hem occasionally Of the opportunity Of obtaining at
&c cheapest rate commodities which French snip,
bder accidental circumstances might be enab Cd
, convey The competition between the British
lirowner and the French and Spanish shipowners
light be compared to a race between the hare and