SIIIPPING "GRIEVANCES."
The North Shields Shipowners' Society have put forth a formidable document, detailing the grievances they suffer under the present Navi- gation laws. They complain that the repeal of the Navigation laws has been followed by the increase of foreign, especially American shipping, in a proportion far exceeding that of the increase of British shipping. This is traced to the absence of reciprocity on the part of foreign nations, to whom we have behaved with great liberality, but who in return still impose heavy duties on goods carried in British bottoms.
" When we consider that the amount of foreign tonnage employed in the carrying trade of this country in 1857 was 7,485,122 tons, certainly not one-third of which was conveying the produce of the country to which the ship belonged, and thus had a legitimate right to the employment, we can form a very just idea of the absolute loss arising to this country for a mere chimera, the speculative dreaming of some pseudo-political economist. Without exaggeration, the average value of the amount of freightage may be taken at 21. a ton register; thus, after allowing one-third of the foreign tonnage off, as being legitimately employed between this and the foreign country, we have remaining 4,990,082 tons, giving, at 2/. a ton, the sum of 9,980,1641. as the amount lost to this country by the employment of foreign instead of native shipping, this amount being so much less received for ar- ticles sold to other nations, or so much more paid for articles bought of them, as the case may be. What a different aspect the shipping of Great Britain would present at this time had this extra employment and addi- tional capital been distributed among it. No wonder the foreigners smile at our simplicity, and, while pocketing our cash, exclaim, Sic yea non vobis!' " A curious instance of exceedingly sharp practice on the part of the Americans is brought out in this report. Our coasting trade is open to them as to others. Not only is not their coasting trade open to us, but under pretext of its being a coasting trade, they ehut rte out from the traffic between the Atlantic and Pacific seaboards of the Union; asif England should declare the traffic with India or Canada to be coat tizig traffic ! The remedy suggested is a bold appeal to Parliament for a system or differential duties with the view of securing a preference for British over foreign shipping in colonial ports. If these be not granted British ship- ping is ruined!
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