Mr. Cavendish Bentinck made another speech at Whitehaven on Tuesday
last, in which, evidently well pleased with the success of his effort last week, he follows up his attack on Mr. Plimsoll. Indeed, he repeats with gusto the phrase "scandalous fabrications," with which he had branded some of Mr. Plimsoll's statements. According to Mr. Bentinck, it is the duty of the Government to resist the attacks upon the shipowners, as " he hoped the ship- owners in the future would resist them." The danger to the British Shipping interest " had assumed an aspect so threatening,
that unless some favourable change shortly occurred to mitigate its force, the trade would probably pass mainly into the hands of foreigners." And for the agitation which has caused this danger there is no reasonable cause. How can the Mercantile Marine of England be "full of coffin-ships," the Secretary of the Board of Trade asks, when out of 27,000 vessels only 550 were stopped, either for overloading or want of repairs, "after all the vigilance which had been exercised by the Board of Trade ?" Some persons may be of opinion that if the vigilance of the Board of Trade was a sufficient proof that no faults existed which the Board did not spy out, the demand of the Government for additional powers was unjustifiable. But though Mr. Bentinck thus seems to think that the Merchant Shipping Bill, which was wrecked in Com- mittee, and the Unseaworthy Ships Bill, which was hurriedly passed in the closing days of the Session, were both unnecessary measures, he finds some satisfaction in the thought that " Plim- Bonen principles" have been defeated. 'Yet we had supposed that the Unseaworthy Ships Bill was amended by the addition of more than one of Mr. Plimsoll's suggestions. We are afraid, too, that after Mr. Disraeli's exhibition of his readiness to throw over his subordinates, we cannot attach much importance to Mr. Bentiuck's prediction that the comprehensive measure of next year will embody no " Plimsolian principles."
Previous page
