strictly a debt of justice to Ireland. The benefits of our Commercial and Navigation System were extended to her. She was permitted to trade direct to the Colonies, and placed rather upon the footing of a partner than that of a dependent, in the concerns of the British empire.

If I have gone into this detail, I have done so, 'because it appeared to me necessary, as bearing, in a peculiar manner, upon the question now before the House. The immediate lesson which I draw from it is this,-that it is a part of political wisdom, when danger is foreseen, not supinely to wait for its approach, but, as far as possible, to take timely measures for its prevention.

The peace with America gave the first great blow to the Navigation System of this country. There had now arisen an independent state in the New World. Our colonies had fought for, and had taken, a station in the rank of nations. They had now interests in navigation to attend to, and a commerce of their own to protect. It therefore became imperative on this country, unless we were prepared to relinquish all trade with America, to conform to circumstances. It was impossible for us, in this new state of things, to enforce the system of our Navigation Laws, which, until then, we had so rigidly insisted upon. That part of the system which provided, that none of the productions of Asia, Africa, or America, should be imported into England, except in British vessels, could no longer be adhered to.

After the peace of 1783, and before the General Congress of America had established that system of government, under which the people of the United States now live, —a work which was not completed until the year 1787,— each of the different States, then composing the Union, was at liberty to act independently of the others, in matters relating to its trade with foreign countries. Accordingly, almost every State established a different rule of commercial

intercourse with this country. The general character, however, of their legislation, was conceived in a spirit of peculiar hostility (not unnatural, perhaps, so soon after the exasperation excited by civil discord) against trade with Great Britain. In some of those states, indeed, British merchants were prohibited from trading with them altogether : in others, heavier duties were specifically imposed upon British merchandize; and in all, a desire was manifested to give a decided preference to the goods of other countries.

This state of things continued until the year 1787, when the General Congress met, and one uniform system of commercial policy was laid down. By that system, a heavy blow was aimed at the Navigation of this country. It was resolved, that all foreign ships, trading to America, should pay half a dollar, which was afterwards raised to a dollar, per ton duty, beyond what was paid by national ships. And further, that goods imported in foreign vessels should pay a duty of ten per cent., over and above what was demandable on the same description of goods imported in American vessels.

This system,in the adoption of which, the Americans had, in a considerable degree, followed the example of their English ancestors, was likely to become seriously prejudicial to the commerce and navigation of this country. The proper authorities, therefore, set about considering what was to be done in order to counteract it. The Board of Trade had recourse, for advice, to the most eminent merchants and practical men; and various projects were started on the occasion. One plan proposed to give a bounty on all goods exported to America in British ships. Another, to impose a duty on all articles carried out of this country in American ships. A third, to retaliate upon the Americans, and, following their example, to lay

a specific duty on American ships, and on goods imported in those ships. These and various other plans, having the same object in view, on being sifted and examined, were found to be open to insuperable objections. It was shewn that, without attaining their object, they would prove injurious to the commerce and manufactures of this country; and all of them were, in consequence, abandoned.

After this inquiry, and a long struggle to counteract the Navigation System of America, without in any degree relaxing our own, this country found it necessary to adopt the system of Reciprocity, on which, since the year 1815, the commercial intercourse between the two countries has been placed; namely, equality of all charges upon the ships belonging to either country in the ports of the other, and a like equality of duty upon all articles the production of the one country, imported into the other, whether such importation be made in the ships of the one or the other. In the practical consequences of this arrangement, our adherence to another part of our navigation laws, instead of serving, appears to me to have shackled the shipping interest of this country. Our law still provides that goods, the produce of Asia, Africa, or America, shall not be imported in foreign ships, unless they be the ships of the country of which the goods are the produce. The Americans retaliate this restriction by applying it to all goods the produce of Europe. An American ship

trading to this country has, in consequence, a great advantage over a British ship trading to America. The American vessel, on her voyage to England, is freighted with a cargo wholly produced in the United States. She has nothing else to bring here. For her return to America she may load in the ports of this country with a cargo, partly the produce or manufacture of Great Britain, and partly of any other country. The British ship is debarred

from this advantage. Her cargo, when trading to the United States, must be exclusively of British origin. For instance, an American vessel, at the port of Liverpool, may take nine-tenths of her cargo, in articles the produce of Lancashire, and the remainder may be made up of brandies, wines, or the produce of any other part of the world, to be procured at Liverpool. But, if an English ship, proceeding to the United States, were to take a single cask of brandy, or a single pipe of wine, she would be liable to seizure and forfeiture. Is it not, therefore, fairly to be presumed, that a further relaxation of our System, to the extent of allowing the importation, from the United States, of goods, the produce of any part of the world, in American shipping, on condition of the like privilege being granted to British ships in the ports of the United States, however departing from the policy of our ancestors, would be rather an advantage than an injury to the shipping interest?

Shortly after the commercial legislation of the United States had assumed, in 1787, a regular shape, and an uniform character, the war of the French Revolution broke out; a war which lasted nearly a quarter of a century. The course of this war was marked by so many strange and anomalous circumstances, both by land and upon the ocean;-so large a portion of the continent of Europe, including nearly all its trading and maritime communities, became subjected to the despotism of one great military power;-that despotism was exerted in so extraordinary a manner to crush maritime commerce ;— that it would be vain to enter upon the history of our Navigation System, or of that of other countries, during this long contest. It is, however, certain that the commerce of the United States of America, which were the

only, at least almost the only, neutral power that could trade in safety, was greatly benefited by the war. It is equally true, that Great Britain, being well able to protect her commercial marine, in consequence of her vast naval superiority, did extend that commercial marine, in spite of all difficulties, whilst that of the other countries of Europe was greatly reduced. It is unnecessary for me, as the facts are so well known, to dwell further on the circumstances of that war. We may, therefore, as far as relates to the present question, pass over the period between 1792 and 1815.

At the latter period, peace being restored, and with it the independence of the states which had been incorporated with France, the commerce of the world began to revert to its ancient channels. The nations of Europe, whose flags had, for so long a series of years, disappeared from the ocean, were now naturally anxious that their own trade should be carried on in their own ships. This gave a check to the shipping of the United States, which was also felt by the shipping of this country. Perhaps in a greater degree by our own shipping, in consequence of the restitution of several extensive and valuable colonies, which we had captured and held during the war.

Besides this material circumstance, there were others, to which I will briefly advert, which had a natural and inevitable tendency to interfere with, and diminish, the employment for shipping in this country.

The first to which I shall allude is the Abolition of the Slave Trade. They who are old enough to rememberand I am one of the number,-the early debates which took place on this subject will recollect, that the arguments in opposition to the measure were grounded chiefly on the danger with which it threatened the Shipping Interests of the country. The necessity of kidnapping