CONCERNING OUR MARINE, &G. 



135 



It is disgraceful that our Marine is not directly 

 represented in the British Parliament. Is it possible 

 that every clown in England, who is owner of a few 

 acres or miserable hovel, is carried to the poll,— and 

 that our shipping interest, and brave seamen, to 

 whom the rest of the nation is indebted " for all 

 they have, and almost all they know," are passed 

 over — ^have not one direct representative — ^have not 

 even one du'ect vote, and that their interest is total- 

 ly neglected * ? Will it be credited that our most 

 sage legislators, as if on purpose to ruin our marine, 

 have laid on a tax of L. 4 per load (above Is. 7d, 

 per solid foot) on oak-plank, and L. 2, 15s. per load 

 on rough oak- timber, imported from other nations ; 

 which, as only a small part of what is (not of what 

 would be) used, is so derived, at the same time that 

 it raises the price of the whole t nearly 100 per cent., 

 tends comparatively little to swell the revenue,— 

 nearly the whole of the high monopoly price revert- 

 ing to our landholders and our grateful Canadian 



* See App. E. 



t The price of any article raised at home, when any part re- 

 quires to be imported, of course rises to the whole cost (prime 

 cost, duty and freieht) of the foreiffn. 



t 



