629 - Navigation Laws. [ Die. 
per centwon the goods,:beyond-what she degiel on her: peiaeo This 
washer triumph; and our defeat. ; yaitotoarl Ip aysb 
-»oIn_1785, another) relaxation took place, sad Irdtiod was permitted to 
trade direct to'the: Colonies. This, again, was: forced upon vus..‘\ We 
& capitulated,” says) Mr. Huskisson, to Ireland and her volunteers; andy 
not again to recur to Ireland, within these few years, she) Tkas!beew ade 
pie to a free participation of the coasting trade. noo ginse oils 
-»For. years were we fretting under the curb: of America, and)strugeling 
nis counteract: the ‘effects of her commercial system. , One while) wé 
were thinking of giving a bounty on goods exported: too America in 
British ships, “that i is, taxing the country to enable the merchant to:pay 
the American tax—a charming method of counteraction :+-another time, 
we were for imposing a duty on articles carried out’ of this coantry:in 
American ships; but this would drive the American out of the market; 
and that we did not want to do :—and finally, we thought of retaliating; 
and laying specific duties on ships and goods,—which was)‘ kicking 
against the pricks.” All these suggestions, however, were successively 
abandoned ; and in 1815, we found it our wisest—and observe,!our only 
practicable—course, to adopt what is termed the system of reciprocity: 
What is meant by this?) What you charge us, we will chargevyou? 
No no;—you shall lay the same charges. upon our ships’ and cargoes 
that you lay upon your own, and no more; and we will do the same; 
We will make no difference in the charges between our shipsand yours ; 
nor, any in the duty on articles the productions of your) country; 
whether: brought by your ships or ours—and, yow shall do ne sane; 
that is, all « discriminating duties” were abrogateds/)\) 90) booiu bas 
“ Discriminating duties”-—what are they? Dutiesimposed omtereade 
vessels and cargoes, over and above those imposed ‘on: home ships-and 
cargoes. These, we see, America had levied uponvus from the«terminas 
tion of the: war till 1815. She had learnt: the lesson 'fromoourselvess 
she had taken the leaf out of our book,’ says)’ Mri iuskisson. io These 
‘duties were familiar with us,—we exacted them from all:/European ships: 
Well, but this success of America—did it never-put the: thought into 
the head of any other state, of imitating her illustrious:example, and of 
fercing a similar concession of reciprocity? 'To ‘be: sure, atididiodn 
1822, Prussia laid some heavy charges on British shippmg, obviously: for 
the very purpose of bringing it about... What was the consequence?» JA 
clamour against the Ministers from the ship-owners, «who would have 
had them, by. all means, go to war, to bring) Prussia :to! order. What 
course, took the ministers? Why, they thought it, good ‘souls, they 
thought it their duty to expostulate with Prussia; and Mr. Huskisson, 
himself, conferred with the Prussian minister. And what was his: reply? 
« You-have set us the example, by your pert and light charges, and: your 
discriminating duties en Prussian ships, and we have not gone beyond. 
the limits of that example. Hitherto, we have confined the increase’ of 
our port and tonnage charges to ships only ; but itis the intention of my 
government, next year (and, of this he shewed; | tothe: terror-stmick 
eyes of the Minister, the written proof) to imitate youstill more close 
by imposing discriminating duties on the goods imported in) yourshipss 
Our object is a just protection to our own navigation; /and’so Jongias 
the measure of our protection does not exceed that which is afforded it 
your ports to British ships, we cannot see with what reason, you scalp 
complain.” This was conclusive. Mr. H. was dumb-founded); heshad 
Se 
