156 



NAVIGATION LAWS. 



of construction, to easy derangement, is a dangerous 

 guide. The many noble ships so inexcusably lost, in 

 late years, Ix'tween the entrances of the Delaware 

 and lluiUon, owe their destruction to a blind depen- 

 dence on a single chronometer. The most expedi- 

 tious and certain way of observing the longitude, is 

 by the eclipses of Jupiter's satellites. Their times 

 ot immersion and emersion at the first meridian are 

 noted in the Almanac, and these, compared with 

 the times at which the telescope shows the observer 

 the occurrence of the same phenomena, determine 

 the longitude. But the unsteadiness of a ship at 

 sea deprives the mariner of this expeditious method. 

 Fortunately, there yet remains open to him one of 

 sufficient accuracy : this is, by observing the dis- 

 tance of the moon from the sun and other fixed stars, 

 and comparing the time of observation with that 

 time at which the Almanac shows a similar distance 

 for the first meridian. The only difficulty attending 

 this beautiful method, which the rapid movement of 

 the moon in her orbit, and her consequent change of 

 distance from the stars, renders proportionably cor- 

 rect, consists, in the first place, in nicely observing 

 the distance, and then in correcting it trigonometri- 

 cally for the errors occasioned by parallax and refrac- 

 tion. A single lunar observation, like a single 

 chronometer, has been confided in to the loss of 

 many a gallant ship ; but a series of them, taken 

 from day to day, with stars on different sides of the 

 moon, and concurring to show the same longitude, 

 are worthy of all confidence. Thus, aided by these 

 heavenly guides, is the mariner at all times able to 

 determine his position. He should not, however, be 

 inattentive to any means of information ; he should, 

 by observing the difference between the magnetic 

 bearing of some heavenly body, and what calcula- 

 tion shows to be its true bearing, daily inform him- 

 self of that wonderful phenomenon, the magnetic 

 variation ; he should, in calm weather, ascertain the 

 direction and force of the current, by lowering a boat, 

 and anchoring it to an iron vessel let down below 

 the superficial strata of the ocean ; in approaching 

 the land, he should be attentive to the changing 

 colour and temperature of the sea, which last is, espe- 

 cially on some coasts, an admirable monitor; also 

 to the floating of weeds, and the flight of birds, such 

 as do not stray far from it. All these little cares, 

 the watching of the barometer, and profiting by its 

 friendly predictions, and the frequent inspection of 

 the chart, whilst they take from the dangers of navi- 

 gation, amuse the mariner, and beguile the tedium 

 of the sea. Thus, then, is a ship conducted from 

 port to port; thus are dangers avoided, difficulties 

 overcome. Though they who traverse the vast 

 ocean leave neither track nor waymark for the 

 guidance of those who follow, it is thus converted 

 into a plain and convenient highway, extending to 

 the extremities of the earth. See the article Ship. 



NAVIGATION LAWS. The acts of the British 

 parliament, intended to favour British shipping in 

 preference to that of other countries, are denomi- 

 nated navigation acts. It is the policy of every 

 nation having any considerable advantages for mari- 

 time commerce, to encourage and protect their own 

 shipping, by giving it advantages in the home ports. 

 One mode of doing this is by absolute prohibitions in 

 certain species of trade ; another is, by taxing foreign 

 shipping, or the cargoes imported or exported in 

 foreign bottoms, at a higher rate than the national 

 vessels or their cargoes. The most celebrated law 

 of this description is that passed by the British par- 

 liament in Cromwell's time, in 1651. Its object was 

 to wrest the carrying-trade of Europe from the Dutch, 

 into whose hands it had, at that time, mostly fallen. 

 For this purpose all foreign vessels were prohibited 



from engaging in the trade between one British port 

 and another, or between any British port and a 

 colony or dependency of Great Britain. This trade 

 is equivalent to the coasting-trade of the United 

 States of America, and such other countries as have 

 no foreign dependencies. The trade between the 

 ports subject to any government, whether at home 

 or abroad, is a proper object of legislative regula- 

 tion, and the reasons for confining it generally to the 

 national shipping are obvious ; since, if a country 

 depends upon foreign vessels to carry on the trade 

 between its different ports, the means of communi- 

 cation are liable to be withdrawn in case of a war 

 with the nation whose shipping is employed in such 

 trade. Another reason in favour of such a law is 

 founded in the policy of most countries to opt'ii 

 to their own citizens the means of employment, 

 as far as their habits, disposition, and capabilities 

 dispose them to fill up such employments. There 

 are other reasons for such a regulation, which need 

 not to be stated here, but which, with those above 

 stated, have induced maritime countries to pursue a 

 similar policy. The other material provision of the 

 law of Cromwell's parliament, was a requisition that 

 foreign ships should bring to England only the pro- 

 ducts of the countries to which the ships belonged. 

 This at once cut off the Dutch from all their foreign 

 carrying-trade, as far as Great Britain and its depen- 

 dencies were concerned. The operation of such a 

 law would, of course, be limited by the amount of 

 commerce of the country by which it should be 

 adopted. But the commerce of England being 

 extensive, it would necessarily have a powerful 

 influence in increasing the maritime industry and 

 capital of the country. If every nation with which 

 Britain had any commerce, had had a commercial 

 marine, and had passed a similar law, still the British 

 shipping would have stood upon an equal footing 

 with that of each foreign country in carrying on the 

 trade between the two, and the Dutch, the great 

 rival against whom the law was levelled, would 

 have been confined to the trade between Holland 

 and Great Britain. But as all foreign nations had 

 not such a marine, and as all those which had did 

 not immediately pass similar laws, the British navi- 

 gation not only regained from the Dutch the trans- 

 portation between British and other foreign ports 

 than those of Holland, but also acquired a very large 

 portion of the foreign carrying-trade between one 

 foreign port and another ; of a large proportion of 

 which they have kept possession now for more than 

 170 years. Such are the general features of the 

 navigation acts of Great Britain ; but they allowed 

 of some exceptions, as where it was supposed to be 

 for the advantage of Great Britain to supply foreign 

 countries with any particular product of England or 

 its colonies, and such a supply would be promoted 

 by relaxing the navigation laws, as was the case, for 

 a time, in respect to some West India products, the 

 vessels of other countries were permitted to trade to 

 the colonies, and take away cargoes of such products 

 for any foreign port. This was a relaxation of the 

 colonial system, which is closely interwoven with the 

 navigation laws. It was adopting, so far, the prin- 

 ciple of free trade. But this principle does not, by 

 any means, form the basis of the present system oi 

 the navigation laws of Great Britain, nor, indeed, of 

 any other country having a commercial marine of 

 any considerable extent. In the trade between any 

 two countries, one cannot obtain any advantage by 

 legislation, except by the supineness or mistakes of 

 the other; for whatever regulation is adopted by 

 one, may be countervailed by a corresponding regu 

 lation of the other. In case of a reasonable share of 

 intelligence on the part of both, each must be content 



