1852.] OF THE ROYAL INSTITUTION. 211 
capital, longer experience, more extensive colonial trade, and larger 
commercial relations with every nation of the world. 
“It is impossible to escape from the conclusion, that, if we are 
behind the Americans the fault is entirely ours, and the superiority 
must be attributed either to the greater knowledge, intelligence, 
adroitness, or ability of the Americans, or to ignorance, prejudice, or 
supineness on our own part. 
“‘ If I then succeeded in satisfying you, that it would not be wise 
any longer to assert our hereditary superiority by words merely ; if I 
led you to do more justice than we have hitherto done to our younger 
brother over the water; if I led you to believe it was just possible 
‘that our younger brother, with some faults, was less prejudiced and 
more active than we have hitherto been willing to give him credit 
for, and that it is just possible that Old Britannia, rich, indolent, and 
shutting her eyes, might have inadvertently let the sceptre of the 
waves drop from her fingers; then I accomplished all I hoped for. 
To be well assured that we are not first is, I hope, enough with En- 
glishmen to secure that we shall be. 
“ To-night I shall endeavour to go more fully into the question, 
How ? How shall we now, rapidly and surely, make progress in 
navigation and naval construction ? 
“If I may venture to state any single source to which I should 
look for the advancement of naval construction in this country, I 
should say it was from the general increase of knowledge of the true 
principles and theory of ship-building among all the classes of 
society who are connected with the naval and shipping interest of 
this country. 
“This may appear to be a common-place remark; and it may 
sound like a truism, to say that we should all do better if we knew 
better. But the diffusion of knowledge of the kind I mean, among 
the classes I refer to, is really more practically valuable than does 
superficially appear. In this country there is a vast number of 
persons, and a great variety of interests, concerned in the construc- 
tion of every ship.— First, there is the Legislature who make Acts of 
Parliament for ship-building ; —Then there is ‘‘ Lloyd’s’”’ who make 
rules and regulations for ship-building, and who give the certain 
rank and classification according to their own notions of what a ship 
should be ; —: Then there are the Insurance Brokers who insure a ship 
at a larger or a smaller premium, according to their rules for the 
security of a ship and the property she contains ;—— Then there come 
the Proprietors of Harbours and Docks who charge tonnage-dues 
according to certain registers and laws; and Boards who regulate 
pilotage and make other nautical laws according to their own notions 
and principles ;—Next comes the Ship-Owner or Merchant, who 
orders the ship from the ship-builder and holds the purse-strings ; 
and he too, who never sailed a ship in his life, he too has his notions 
right or wrong, not only of what his ship ought to be, but of how 
he ought to have her constructed: he virtually dictates to the 
