G24 Navigation Laws. | [Dae. 
shipping of other states:—states less jealous,of .our/maritimeaseendancy 
in time of war, and at all times, confining their views uponthe ocean tothe 
industrious employment of their seafaring people,.withoutJoeking,to,the 
ulterior object of, one day, disputing with us the dominion of that,eceand) » 
And so, the same privileges of trading with’ our, colonies, which were. 
forced from us. by America, were. voluntarily; conceded to,\the north 
of Europe—meaning Prussia, Denmark, Sweden, and the Free;Towns 
of Germany ;—‘ strictly confining, howeyer,,'to British, shipping, only all 
trade between this country and the colonies, and all inter-colonial trade 
between the different foreign possessions of the, British empire.’s)|4, aj 
Now recapitulate and sum up the amount of the. successiveencroach-. - 
mentsupon the Navigation Laws. Referring to our former division—1.,The 
Fisheries remain as they were—except the withdrawal of bounty.to whalens 
—a matter of no great significance. 2. The Coast Trade is extended.to the 
whole of the Britishislands. 3. In the European Trade, the, very ‘enur 
merated’ articles are importable by any power, who will first:take them 
to its own ports. 4. Of the other three quarters of the globe, ene is 
placed: precisely under the regulations. of the European, trade;,.and 
finally, 5., our colonies are thrown open to both Europe and America... 
Of what value now are the poor relics of this palladium. of ,England,? 
Absolutely, as power, or privilege, not worth contending for. Except what 
regards the fisheries, the coast trade, with which, of course, no nation, will 
ever think it desirable to interfere, and our foreign possessions ;, and the 
whole might now be swept away; and the country be none the worse. Nay, 
much of it is decidedly mischievous—as giving others an uncalled for 
advantage against us.. For mark—notwithstanding our compacts of reci- 
procity, and our concessions relative to the colonies, the law is still, that 
the produce of Asia, Africa, and America, shall.not, be, imported.in 
foreign ships, unless they be the ships of the country, of which;,the 
goods are the actual produce. This restriction America, retaliates, by 
applying it'to the produce of Europe. And _ thus, notwithstanding all, 
treaties and arrangements and reciprocities, an American ship trading, to, 
England, has an advantage over @ British ship. trading to. Americas,..The 
American coming to England, is. freighted with a cago nly the pm 
duce of the United States. Shecan bring nothing else, On returning 
to America, she may load pargly-with the produce or manutactares of 
Britain, and partly with those ofzany. other country. , The, Britishyshi 
jis forbidden ‘this advantage; her cargo. must be exclusively (British, 
For instance, taking Mr. H.’s illustration, «an American yessel, .at_ the 
port of Liverpool, may take nine-tenths of her cargo si /articles:, he 
produce of Lancashire, and the remainder may be  ntates my of -bran- 
dies, wines, or the produce of any other part of the wa cd, to-b pro- 
cured at Liverpool. But if an English ship, proceeding to the. ¥ 
States, were to take a single cask of brandy, or.a single pipe.of wine, s 
would: be liable to’seizure and forfeiture? ce 
Away then with ‘these. restrictions—the, effects. of , which are, £ ‘ 
recoiling upon our’ own heads—the common result of over-reaching— 
boeen uM , 
and the sooner we screen ourselves from them the better. ‘a 
The ‘facts, then, with respect to our Navigation Laws are, these— f 
they are no longer what they were; that they have been deeply.eny . 
trenched upon—not by caprice, or audacity, or philosophy, :but, 
and necessity—by those wha knew their wants and how to enfor 
That however advantageous these laws may once have been, Yi, 
Ro vit unth- . Weta 
