NAVIGATION. 
in our colonies; and tiie third ena&ing claufe fecured 
the Eaft-India, Guinea, and Levant, companies, from 
foreign fliipping. 
The aft 14 Charles II. c. i'x. alfo differed in fdme re- 
fpefts from the aft 12 Charles H. c. 18. By the latter it 
•was Afiicient, with refpeft to the veffel, if file was either 
owned or built at home ; while, by the former of thele 
afts, both thele circumftances were declared indilpen- 
i’able. 
In commercial writers, the phrafes “ enumerated and 
non-enumerated commodities” frequently occur; thele 
expreflions took their rife from the navigation-aft. Thole 
are “ enumerated commodities,” which, by'this aft, can¬ 
not be carried from the colonies to any foreign parts, 
without being firft unladen in Great Britain. Subfequent 
afts of parliament have enlarged or contrafted the number 
of enumerated commodities, according to circumftances; 
and one general exception has been introducedjn this 
branch of the navigation-aft; as fome of the enumerated 
articles are permitted to be carried, by a direft courfe, in 
ihips of the empire, to places fouth of Cape Finifterre. 
The principal objefts which the navigation-aft, 12 
Charles II. c. 18. had in view, will be bell explained by 
its preamble, which declares it to be palled, “ not only for 
the fake of employing and increaling Englilh fliipping 
and feamen, and fecuring a vent for woollen and other 
manufactures; but alfo to make this kingdom a ftaple of 
the commodities of thofe plantations, as well as of the 
commodities of other countries, for the Applying them, 
(it being the ufage of other nations to keep their plan¬ 
tation-trade to themfelves ;) and farther, if colonial com¬ 
modities Ihould be taken from any part but the planta¬ 
tions, that the trade of them would thereby in a great 
meafure be deferted from hence, and carried elfewhere ; 
his majeity’s cultoms and other revenues much leffened ; 
the fair trader prejudiced; and this kingdom not con¬ 
tinue a ftaple of plantation-commodities, nor that vent, 
for the future, of the viftual and other native com¬ 
modities of this kingdom.” 
Britilh-built (hips are declared to be fuch as have been 
built in Great Britain, Ireland, Jerfey, Guernfey, or the 
Ille of Man, or in fome colony at the time belonging to 
Great Britain ; any ftiip whatever, taken and condemned 
as lawful prize, is to be regarded as a Britilh-built ftiip. 
Ever fince the navigation-aft paffed, furveyors of the aft 
of navigation have been appointed at the cuftom-houfe, 
whofe duty it is to keep a regifter of all Britilh-built 
ihips. 
Britifti feamen are declared to be fuch as are natural- 
born fubjefts of the empire ; or naturalized by aft of 
parliament; or made denizens; or become fubjedts by 
conqugft. And, by 33 Geo. III. c. 68. foreign feamen, 
who fnall ferve three years in the Britifti navy, during 
the time of war, if they have not taken the oath of alle¬ 
giance to a foreign ftate, may be employed, and fliall be 
eonfidered, as Britilh feamen. The fame ftatute alfo in¬ 
troduced the principal modification which has taken place 
in the navigation-aft, by enafting that, from the con- 
clufion of the war, no goods lhall be exported in Britifti 
velfels, tinlefs the mailers and three-fourths of the crew 
were Britifti; the navigation-aft not interfering with the 
exportation of goods from Britifti ports. 
With refpeft: to the confequences which immediately 
refiilted from the navigation-aft, there are different ftate- 
ments. At firft there were loud complaints that we had 
not fliipping enough to import from all parts, and yet 
were prohibited from getting goods and fliipping from 
foreigners; while, immediately before the palling of the 
navigation-aft, the complaint had been that our Ihipping 
was rotting, and our mariners had gone into the Dutch 
fervice. Sir Jolliua Child, who publifhed his treatife on 
trade in 1668, is fo decidedly and warmly of opinion that 
the navigation-aft was highly beneficial to the nation, 
that lie thinks it ought to be called Charta Maritima; 
and in another place he obferves, “ that without this aft: 
we had not now been owners of one-half of fhe 'ftiipfnng 
or trade, nor‘Ihould have'employed one-half of the fea¬ 
men we do at ! p'refent;” while fir Roger Coke, in his 
Difcourfe of Trade, publiftied 1670, aflerts, “ that in'two 
years after the navigation-aft of the ftimp-parliatnent in 
16-51, the building of ftiips in Ertgland became offe-tliird 
deafer thah before, and that feamen’s wages bectffne fo 
eXcefiively dear, that We have wholly loft the Mufcovy 
and Greenland trade, whereby we gave tile Dutch and 
other nations the power of driving the trade of the 
world.” 
Tliefe opinions and ftatements, however, may be re¬ 
conciled; there 'can be no doubt that the firft fefult of 
the navigation-aft would be to increafe the demand for 
Britifti feamen and flipping, and of courfe to raife the 
price of fliip-buildiiig, feamen’s wages, and the rate of 
freight. This increafed demand would, in time, create 
an increafed fupply; and, though the rate of freight pro¬ 
bably did not come down fo low as it had been wlfen the 
Dutch were allowed to be our carriers, yet the imme¬ 
diate very great rife would neceflarily be temporary. It 
may be remarked, however, that one of the evils com¬ 
plained of by fir Roger Coke, and which Hill exills, would 
not have been produced had the reftoration-parliament 
followed exaftly the navigation-aft of the long-parlia¬ 
ment. By the latter, liberty was allowed to purchafe 
ftiips where they could be procured cheapeff; fliip-build- 
ing of courfe would not have been fo much railed as lir 
Roger Coke complains ; while the great objeft of the aft, 
the increafe of feamen, would have been more completely 
and efteftualiy fecured; fince, if ftiips had been bought 
where they could be procured cheapeff, freights would 
have become more reafonable, and l'ailors increafed in 
confequence. 
There can be as little doubt that the navigation-aft 
has been beneficial to Great Britain, eonfidered as a na¬ 
tion dependent for her fafety and well-being on her ma¬ 
ritime power, as that it has been prejudicial to her, con- 
iidered as a nation purely commercial. The manner in 
W'hich it operates then, in two fuch different ways, has 
already been pointed out. “ That nation (as Adam 
Smith well obferves) will be molt likely to buy cheap, 
when, by the moft perfeft freedom of trade, it encourages 
all nations to bring to it the goods which it lias occafion * 
to purchafe ; and for the fame reafon it will be moft likely 
to fell dear, when its markets are thus filled with the 
greateft number of buyers.” Now, the navigation-aft 
direftly and exprefsly difeourages or prevents foreign 
nations from bringing goods into Great Britain ; and, as 
the fame author remarks, “ if foreigners are hindered 
from coming to fell, they cannot always afford to come 
to buy, becaufe, coming without a cargo, they mufti lofe 
the freight from their own country to Great Britain. 
By diminiftiing the number of fellers, therefore, we ne¬ 
ceflarily diminifti that of buyers, and are thus likely not 
only to buy foreign goods dearer, but to fell our own 
cheaper, than if there was a more perfeft freedom of 
trade.” 
Laftly, there can be as little doubt that, under the cir- 
cumllances in which Great Britain is at prefent placed, 
it would be highly impolitic and unfafe to alter eflen- 
tialiy the navigation-laws. She ftands now more in need 
of maritime defence than flie ever did ; and the means of 
that maritime defence require more than ever to be pre- 
ferved untouched by the encroachments of foreign na¬ 
tions ; fince, if the navigation-aft were abrogated, the 
operation of our taxes is fucli, that foreign Ihips, in 
almoft every cafe, would be able to carry goods at a 
much lower rate of freight than our own fliip-owners 
could do. But, on the other hand, it may well be qilef- 
tioned, whether, at prefent, the regulation of the long- 
parliament fhould not be adopted, and full liberty given 
to purchafe ftiips wherever they could be found cheapeff: 
as has been already remarked, freight would thus become 
more reafonable, and confequently the great objeft of 
