History of merchant shipping and ancient commerce, Volume 3 (of 4)Lindsay, W. S. (William Schaw)
History
History of merchant shipping and ancient commerce, Volume 3 (of 4)
Lindsay, W. S. (William Schaw)
Commerce -- History; Shipping -- History; Steam navigation -- History
After this division Lord Stanley relinquished all further opposition
to the Bill in committee. He withdrew an amendment which had for
its object to meet the complaint of Canada, that there were greater
facilities for the transmission of their produce by the way of New
York than by the St. Lawrence, because, at New York, the Canadians
had the choice of an American or a British ship, while, from Montreal
or Quebec, they could only send their produce in a British ship.
Lord Stanley proposed to effect the object, not by enabling ships of
all countries to enter the St. Lawrence, but by enabling British or
American shipping to convey from either outlet the produce of Canada
or of the United States. His Lordship seemed to feel himself that
this was, if not an impracticable, at least a very imperfect scheme,
as it did not legislate for other colonies, and so he relinquished it
together with his general opposition. Lord Wharncliffe, finding Lord
Stanley did not support him, withdrew his amendment also, leaving
conditional legislation to the discretion of the Crown; that is,
leaving the Queen’s Government to judge of the expediency of asking for
restrictions in particular cases. The remaining clauses were agreed to.
[Sidenote: Bill read a third time.]
All effectual opposition to the Bill was now hopeless. But, on the
third reading, Lord Ellenborough took the opportunity of observing
that he could not refrain from touching upon the measures which it
would be absolutely necessary to adopt for the security of British
shipping under the new system. It was only fair that the Shipowner,
among various other burdens which he named, should be relieved from
all duties on timber. Government should promptly introduce measures
for the examination of masters and mates before their appointments,
and for their trial upon the loss of ships; also for the establishment
of a fund for the support of worn-out seamen, similar in principle
though not in extent to that existing for the seamen of the Royal Navy
at Greenwich Hospital; also a measure for the registry of ships, the
present system being altogether erroneous and deceptive.
[Sidenote: Timber duties, &c., admitted to be grievances.]
Earl Granville agreed with Lord Ellenborough as to the reduction of the
timber duty; and, as to the new registration, he was not prepared to
say that he saw any great objection to it. With regard to the Merchant
Seaman’s Fund, the attempt to restore it made last year, he must remind
their Lordships, was opposed and defeated by the Shipowners themselves;
the subject was, nevertheless, deserving of the best consideration. It
was intended, he added, to bring in a Bill to improve the discipline of
the mercantile navy.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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