NAVIGATION LAWS. The recent change in the Navigation Laws is already producing such important results in the commerce of England with foreign nations (and conse quently in the industry of all nations) that it will be desirable briefly to notice the subject here.
The system of the Navigation Act, as it is termed, had its foundation during the Protec • torate ; but the act so called was that of 1672. This act declared that no produce of Asia, Africa, or America, should be imported into Great Britain except in British ships, naviga ted by a British subject, and having at least three-fourths of their crew composed of British seamen. It also laid higher duties on all goods imported from Europe, than if they were imported in British ships. To this act many persons have attributed the great growth of British shipping. When the American co lonies became independent, their ships lost the advantage which they had when the States were colonies, and their shipping was placed on the same footing as other foreign ships. The consequence was that American ships sailing to Great Britain came in ballast, while British ships carried merchandise both ways; and accordingly the United States placed Bri tish shipping under the same disadvantages in their ports that American shipping was under in British ports. The consequence of this was that British ships sailed to America in ballast when they went to the United States to get a cargo, and American ships came to Great Britain in ballast when they wanted a British cargo. The consumer of the foreign produce in both countries accordingly paid double freight for it. This lasted till 1815, when it was agreed by treaty between Great Britain and the United States that the ships of the respective countries should be placed on the same footing in the ports of Great Britain and the United States ; and all the discriminating duties were mutually repealed. In 1822 Mr. Wallace, president of the Board of Trade, in troduced five bills, which were passed into laws, and which made other important altera tions; one repealed certain statutes relating to foreign commerce, which were passed before the Navigation Act ; a second repealed various laws that had been passed since the Naviga tion Act, and also that part of the Navigation Act which enacted that goods of the growth, produce, or manufacture of Asia, Africa, and America should only be imported in British ships, and that no goods of foreign growth, production, or manufacture, should be brought into Great Britain from Europe in any foreign ship, except from the place of their production or from the ports from which they were usu ally brought, and in ships belonging to the country of production or accustomed shipment; a third permitted certain goods then enume rated to be brought to Great Britain from any port in Europe in ships belonging to the port of shipment; a fourth permitted the importa tion, subject to certain duties, into certain ports, of various articles from any foreign country in America or port in the West Indies either in British vessels or in vessels belong ing to the country or place of shipment, and such goods might be again imported to any other colony or the United Kingdom ; and a fifth permitted the exportation in British ships from any West India colony to any foreign port in Europe and Africa, of any goods that had been legally imported into the colony, or which were of its growth or manufacture ; and it permitted the exportation of certain articles; enumerated in the act, in British ships to any such colony from any foreign port in Europe or Africa.
In 1823 Prussia retaliated, as the United States had done, which led Mr. Huskisson to propose the passing of what are called the Re ciprocity Acts, in 1824 and 1825. These acts empowered the king, by order in council, to authorise the importation and exportation of goods in foreign ships, from the United King dom, or from any other of his majesty's domi nions, on the same terms as in British ships, provided it shall first be proved to his majesty and the privy council that the foreign country in whose favour such order shall be made shall have placed British ships in its ports on the same footing as its own ships. Since that time reciprocal treaties of navigation have been made with the following countries : Prussia, Denmark, Hanover, Oldenburg, Mecklenburg, Greece, Bremen, Hamburg, Liibeck, States of La Plata, Colombia, Holland, France, Sweden and Norway, Mexico, Brazil, Austria, Russia, and Portugal. That with the United States of North America, as already observed, dates from 1815.
An act was passed in 1849, entitled 'An act to amend the Laws in force for the encourage ment of British Shipping and Navigation' The full meaning of this act can only be un derstood by referring to the acts and parts of acts which it repeals, and to its provisions. It repeals a part of the act of 1824, and the whole of that of 1825. The general purpose is to diminish the restraint on the freedom of navi gation. British shipping has already derived great advantages from the enactments above mentioned, and the Reciprocity Acts.
There seems every probability that as British shipping is now fairly brought into competi tion with foreign, great improvements will be made in ship building : indeed such improve ments have already commenced.