arliament,
repeated these complaints at every opportunity; but they did not venture
to bring the question formally under the notice of the legislature.
Mr. Huskisson, however, thought it expedient to show that their
representations were groundless; and on the 12th of May, in moving for
"returns of ships built in the British dominions, between 1824 and 1825,
both inclusive, distinguishing the number in each year, and the amount
of their tonnage," he entered into an elaborate defence of the late
policy. Nothing could be clearer than his exposition of the principles
on which the former system was founded, of the changes which had since
occurred, and of the consequent necessity of our conformity to those
altered circumstances. Having developed the general principles on which
the navigation laws were originally founded, the different objects to
which these principles had been applied, the modifications which from
time to time had been made upon these objects, and the causes, political
and commercial, which had rendered such changes necessary he stated,
that all the allegations of mischief having ensued, and of an undue
preference having been given to foreign over British shipping, in
consequence of the late policy, were contradicted by the actual results.
The complaint was, that in consequence of this policy a decrease had
taken place in the employment of British shipping. Now in December,
1824, the number of British ships which entered our harbour was 19,104,
and the tonnage 2,364,000, and the number of foreign ships, 5,280, the
tonnage being 66,940. In 1825 the number of British ships entered was
21,980, and the tonnage, 2,768,844, and the number of foreign ships,
in the same period, 5,661, the tonnage being 68,192. It was to be
recollected, he said, that during this year there was an unusual
demand for shipping, both British and foreign, in consequence of the
unprecedented extent of speculation in almost every branch of commerce.
On looking to these returns, therefore, it was clear that the amount of
British shipping had increased in a far greater proportion than that of
all foreign nations put together. Such being the case, we were certainly
not in such a situation as was calculated to excite alarm with respect
to the comparative growth of British and foreign shipping. Even if the
latter had increased last year, it formed no ground for alarm, because
it might be fairly attributed to the unusual demand for shipping
produce