which they did not apply
has more than trebled its tonnage. To overwhelm the defalcations in
the British trade with the reciprocity states, by the extended or more
prosperous state of the general trade, was both unfair and disingenuous.
Yet, this has Mr. Labouchere not a moment hesitated to do. Knowing, for
he must have known, that the British commercial marine, in its trade
with the reciprocity states, had either decreased or only in a smaller
proportion increased with those states, it was a great fallacy and a
deceit for him to proclaim it as the source of prosperity. How stand the
facts with the reciprocity countries.

"In twenty-two years, then, there has been a decrease of British tonnage
employed in three of the five principal reciprocity states, and an
enormous increase of foreign tonnage in four of the five states. In
the two states where British tonnage has increased, the foreign, or the
tonnage of the same states, has infinitely surpassed it; in Denmark,
2793 to 82,284; and in the United States, 160,129 to 281,924; and yet
a British minister of state cites the cause of the increase of British
tonnage to the reciprocity treaties as a reason for this momentous
change. In thirty years averaging twenty of the reciprocity treaties,
our tonnage has increased only 38 per cent., while our population and
its wants have increased 50 per cent., and imports 104 per cent. Thus,
in every phase that the question is presented to us, the shipping
appears to have kept no pace with the other interests of the kingdom,
presenting to our view some great obstructive cause; and that cause, I
humbly submit, is the reciprocity system adopted so generally in
1824. Notwithstanding which, here have we a government insisting upon
extending, without a moment's hesitation, this system which has already
so deeply injured us, to three-fourths of the commercial marine of
this country. And what are the flimsy pretences in addition? Why, that
Prussia has threatened on one hand, and the United States coaxed on the
other, and that British masters and mates are intemperate, and
British seamen insubordinate. I will take the libel first, and ask Mr.
Labouchere and the whig government how it happens that British ships,
commanded by such masters and manned by such crews, are at the great
marine insurance office of the world, Lloyds, always insured 1 per
cent., 1 1/2 and 2 per cent, lower than the eulogised foreign ships,
with their masters and crews? Wi