Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1854-04-05
RICHMOND wHIG.
THE BRITISH CoAsvING TRADE-ISTEREsTfyf;
DERATr

THE BRITISH CoAsvING TRADE-INTEREsriNe
DEBATE
In the House OF Lords, Lord Stanley Of Alderley
moved the second reading OF the Coasting trade BILL
Noble Lords opposite who had anticipated so much eyi
from the passing Of the for the repeal of the
igation laws in ls49, would, With his noble friends or
that side Of tho House. be pleased learn that hat
proved great boon to the shipping trade The shpppr
showed an increase of 100000 ons and the adiitioua
seamen employed amounted to 10000. If any portion Of
tue shipping trade had not paraken OF this prosperi,v
was the coasng trade, which, FAR from having ineea
ed' had remained stationary. QIcir hear) He was
aware that the conveyance Of coal by railway aud the en-.
pIoyment OF steamboats, had diminished ,hcnumber O,
ships employed in the coast;ng trade One objection
which had been urged to excluding the measure Of ls49
TO the eoastng trade had been that it would afford IA
cites Tor carying trade 10 allow foreigp
ships 10 be employed in the coasbg trade That ob;ac
ton, however, lie thought of little weight when IL
was remembered that the fact Of the persons employed
speaking fore'gn tongue would render il difficult for
mem 10 erade the revenue officers. The whole trade OF
The country had suffered from the want Of shppinc.
Ireights had risen upwards of fifty per cent: and in the
trade between Newcastle and London the xag.s NJ
sednen had from three and four pounds per month
seven and eight pounds The consequence of this was
great increase IN the price OF coal consumer In
This town. As an insiance OF the injury which had
been inhcted on trade by the of shipping, he
might state the fact that there large company in
Newcastle employed in the manufacture of alkaI, and
which required upwards Of 600 tons of shining du
ring the last year. but they we're creay mpeded in their
operations from the want of vessels although ther.
were many Norwegian ships lying in the port which
had brought over cargoes OF timber. He hoped
their iorcships would the policy of rel King
the law which gave rise to much inconvenience and
There was no fear of foreigners being able
TO compete with Epgshmen when t was considered that
the latter would have perfect knowledge of the coast
aud the ports; but many foreign vessels which now
from the Baltic and elsewhere with cargoes were often
Obliged to go in ballast to some other port oba
go and no less than tons of foreign shipping sail
cd from Que port in England another during the last
year in ballast. Hear Another important cons;de,a
on was that they Kept up tie price Of ireshts by the
continuance OF the present law, the result would be to
throw large portion of the trade into the hands OF the
railway companies, who were formidable com
peuors; ana they once got the greater part of the
adento their hands would be difficult 70 restore Il,
back to its former channel. With regard TO suggestion
made in the other house. that should be taken
20 secure reciprocity, and that country should be ad.
nitted TO the advantage Of coasng trade which
fused permit British ships participate in their
ing trade, he Of different opinion He thought we
should rather prove our confidence in the correctness
the principles adopting by allowing them 10
work then way aud that foreign Governments shouId
be induced to follow example, by any bargain com
peng them to concede equal advantages but by the sue
cess attending their adoption by Hear And in the
caseo the United States OF America the effect of throw
ing open our coastng trade to American vessels would be
70 great extent TO remove the constitutional objection
urged by the United States Government against admitting
Brush vessels to participate in their Californian
lie believed it would be found thatforegn countries would
meet US in fair and honorable spirit Holland aud 9th.
er maritime States had done in reference to the
sions previously made clause had however, been iu-
troduced enabling the Crown exclude from participa
ton IN the coastnG trade OF this country any
naon should circumstances arise with regard TO t rend
eng sucn exclusion advisable On the ground that the
measure was calculated extend the trade and
nerce and consequently the material prosperity of the
county, he hoped there would be objection to its
ond reading
LORD COLCHESTER admitted that there had been an in
crease foreign trade since the passing of the bill of
bui he attributed it rather to the gold discoveries
III California and Australia the emigration which had fol-
Owed and the necessity Of supplying the emigrants with
necessities, rather than to that measure.
Earl WALDEGRAvE suggested that national danger might
arise from tue knowedse which foreign sailors would OBJ
tain oil the navigation OF and rivers by being
permitted TO participate in the coastug trade.
The Earl OF DERDY believed it had been stated in re.
ference TO the measure of lsi9 that by the law of the
United States any nation relaxing their navigation Law
avor Of American ships would OBTAIN the same relaxation
of the navigation laws Of that country in return The
coisng trade not included in that measure and "a
the trade from New York to California was claimed by
America coasting trade ships were excluded from
participating In it. He wished to know whether the
effect passing this bill would to throw open the
California trade TO British vessels?
Lord Stanley of Afderey did think the passing
the bill would necessarily remove the existing restrictions
in the American navigation laws the colstng trade
but It would constitute equitable claim on the part Of
this country for their abolition and would remove the
constitutional objection of that Government that no ad
vantage could be given by State Of the Union over
o:her.
Lord Derby-That was to saw, its effect would mot bs
to place the tade between New York and California 10
on different footing from that between Ney-York nd
boston. Hear IL was obvious, this change would give
us strong claim in equity upon the Government of The
United States in regard the whole of their coas,ns
trade ..a"
Lord Stanley Of Aldery-In equity wo certainly shall,
be entitled TO the copccssion. .H.
Earl Grey was glad 10 find that this measure which
went to remove the last OF those absurd restrictions which
had so long encumbered our navigation laws met with
general concurrence With regard the remark of tho
noble Earl Wadegrave he seemed forget that already
charts were published by the Admiralty OF our coasts and
rivers which any foreigner might purchase For himself
he saw no danger in permitting foreigners acquire such
ntormaon believing he did that this country was too
great and too powerful to who kuew the navigation
OF its coasts Upon the point Of RECIPROCITY he hoped
the Government would abstain from pressing the
they had under the clause hsnobe end had referred tl
in order to force concessions them for the more
perence hGy had of tho progress of free commcrcaI
principles for foreign nations the convinced was he
that the less diplomacy in criered in such matters the
better. Hear, hear lt only few wears avo tha,
this county decided upon adopting such principles with
out reference TO what course might be taken BY other
ons and tue result bad been precisely what he had an
ticipaied For some time our example not followed
it being supposed that that state Of commercial
to which We had arrived the consequence of the
tenn OF restrictions upon which We had so long actsd :
hut within the last year two foreign countries seeing
the extraordinary effect the relaxation O. thuy absurd ~
s'rcuons had produced upon our commercial and
huus'tfl prosperity, had gradually begun to aiopt the
same course. He hoped the good sense Of ministers
would induce them sill TO leave those countries TO act
for themselves abstainng from advice or application and
it would speedily be found that whatever restriction thev
might maintain for the purpose Of nrng our trade would
Jure their own ten times Ho was satisfied II tho
Government adopted this policy no, many years would
eapse before all countries even the bgoted such
spain, would, by the Of example be compelled
TO abolish all restrictions on trade. Hear .ri % %
Lord Brougham had, with other free traders opposed
the measures OF 1872 on the ground stated by the most
venerable authority on free trade, though he did not 90
With him to the ull cEteut-Dr Adam Smith whose doc
trine was that while he had doubt Of the soupdnes
free trade as applied to the wealth of county he con-
Sdered that the deences Of country must always form
an exception. Hts view had always been when ihinos
we're well to leave them So and no, to apply change
change was unnecessary, especially In important mat
ter as the national dcences The measure of 1919 how
ever having passed. he thought the present measure
not stop short OF
The bill was then read 4 second time
THE POLICY or PRUSSIA.
From the Lonion Times, March 1911
An address signed by several members Of the Pruisp