154 APPENDICES. 



parts of the Empire should be reviewed by the 

 resj^ective Groveruments. 



" lu all new contracts provisions should be 

 i:; sorted to prevent excessive freight charges, or 

 any preference in favour of foreigners, and to 

 ensure that such of the steamers as may be 

 suitable shall be at the service of His Majesty's 

 Grovernment in war time as cruisers or transports/' 



Resolution : — 



(}^.) " That it is desirable that the attention of 

 the Governments of the Colonies and the United 

 Kingdom should be called to the present state 

 of the navigation laws in the Empire, and in 

 other countries, and to the advisability of refus- 

 ing the privileges of coastwise trade, including 

 trade between the Mother Country and its 

 Colonies and Possessions, and between one 

 Colony or Possession and another, to countries 

 in which the corresponding trade is confined to 

 ships of their own nationality, and also to the 

 laws affecting shipping, with a view of seeing 

 v.'hether any other steps should be takeu to pro- 

 mote Imperial trade in British vessels." 



II.— THE KECENT CORN DUTIES. 



When, in 1902, to provide funds for the South 

 African war, a small duty was put upon all 

 com coming into our countr}^, certain statesmen 

 (for purely political reasons) loudly and insist- 

 ently proclaimed : — (1) That the food of the 

 people was being so taxed as to raise the price of 

 bread, and (2) that the Government were trying 



