New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-06-07

the past, nut Also ana AT ledsl equdllN
to the practical student of current af-
fairs. The old Colonial system under
consideration is that which prevailed
from 1860 TO 1854: that is. in the
definite era from the extensive estab-
lishment Of British colonies in North
America down TO the French and Ind
ian Seven Years War. which recast the
( political maps of two continents and
transformed the British Colonial En-
pire in both body and spirit. This was
the era Of Great Britain's chief con-
frmation i'm naval and commercial pre-
emInence. and the methods by which
that status was attained are worthy OF
careful consideration 10y every one who
Is concerned in the development Of
commerce in our own day
/ II was fully realized by farseeing
/ statesmen during the Commonwealth
and at the Restoration that England :
/ development depended upon the pos
/ session Of adequate naval strength and
7 that sea power was the fundamental
/ factor upon which the future CONNER
cial and colonial empire must be- based.
/ The Colonies had already been secured.
Now it WAS necessary 20 establish a
sea power which Should hold them
against all foes. and which should be
able TO protect commerce between them
} and the mother country. Next, the
commerce was 10 be developed. fostered
and protected. and thus. finally. p0pula-
/ ton. industry and all other elements
/ Il national greatness were 10 be In
creased I'm the outlying parts Of the
empire.
II was with this end in view that the
famous Navigation Act Of 1850 was
drafted and enacted 10y Parliament
after only few weeks Of deliberation.
This act Disseminated in various ways
against foreign shipping. for the pro-
lection and encouragement Of English
Shipping. one notable respect being the
complete prohibition II foreign shipping
I'm trade between England and the
Colonies. Foreign ships were also eN-
cluded from the coastwise trade of the
British Isles. Discriminating duties
were enacted 20 favor domestic over
/ foreign shipping II was required that
the master and three quarters OF the
crew Of every ship should be British
/ subjects For the protection and pro
motion Of British shipbuilding all for
eign built ships. even though purchased
/ by Englishmen. were excluded from
British registry. In brief. the act was
much more strict. exclusive. and in
/ tolerant u YOU viii. than our own
American navigation laws, which have
/ for years been subject 20 so much un-
| favorable criticism by theoretical free
traders.
The result of this British Navigation
| Act was immediate and unmistakable.
Between 1860 and 1858 the English
mercantile marine was approximately
doubled and the royal navy was in
creased fully two-thirds. In 1868, Of
ships cleared outward from England
the English tonnage was about 0J.2OO.
in 1858 il was 19O. J33. and in 100 IL
was 213 500. At the same time trade
between England and the American
colonies showed similar expansion.
In the first ten years of the Restora-
ton it amounted To only about one
tenth Of the whole British trade. Be
fore the end OF the century 1t was con
siderably more than doubled.
This strict protective policy in com
mercial affairs was. moreover. no new
thing, but merely further application
Of principles which had long been uni
versally accepted. and which formed "A
part Of Engand's traditional policy.
Certainly since the days OF Richard ii,
if not from an earlier date. the policy
Of protecting the national shipping
from foreign competition had been
pretty consistently followed. II ii was
carried To greater extremes In 1860,
that was because IL was recognized
that the safeguarding and development
Of the colonial empire which had then
been founded required such action.
The course was abundantly justified by
the event. From that time forward
English naval and mercantile suprem-
acy on the high seas was secure.
We cite this as IA single example
among many of the consistent. per-
sistent. aggressive and at times ruth
less policy of Great Britain to foster.
promote. protect and extend her com
merce through legislative and admin
istrative means These things are per-
tinent and profitable for remembrance
at this time, when Ill considered pro-
tests are made against even the most
moderate measures OF this kind on the
part Of the United States. The lack of
such principles in the present British
system is pointed out for our emulation.
without regard for the fact that II was
only through rigid exclusion and high
protection that Great Britain built up
her trade to "A point at which she could
afford TO adopt her present policy. The
fact OF history, as demonstrated in Mr..
commercial pre-eminence of Great
Britain, which has for two centuries
been the envy of the world. was at
tanned, not through the free trade
through a policy of protection in con-
trast with which our stiffest naviga-
ton laws and highest protective tariff