TRADE WITH CHINA—THE NEW TAX ON BRITISH SHIPPING.
hr the Shipowners of England, instead of indulging in melancholy forebodings of the ruin of our Navy, and senseless denunciations of Mr. llusiossoses reciprocity system, were to exert themselves to procure the repeal of the Orders in Council lately issued fir the regulation of our Canton trade, we should have a higher opinion of their spirit and sagacity than we think they deserve at present. It is really marvellous to observe the apathy with which the mercantile community appear to regard this subject. It is nos some weeks since the attention of the public was directed to the injurious consequences of these Orders in Council to our Canton trade ; vet we have seen no symptoms of any attempt on the part of the shipowners, dockowners, and merchants of London, to procure their repeal. They ought certainly to know by this time, that Mr. CHARLES GRANT will do nothing till he is compelled to exert himself; and that the silence of the mercantile community in re. gard to the injury likely to result to British commerce from the regulations in question, will be taken for an approval of them. That we are not making much of a matter of really small imporhince, will appear from the following statement, which we copy from the Courier.
" About forty:five ships, the tonnage of which amounted to nearly 70,000 tons, were, previously to the late act of Parliament for opening du; trade to China, employed in the trade between London and ('hina. About "AY) officers and men were employed in those ships. Above 4,000 persons were engaged in fitting them out. The value of each of those ships was about 50,000/. " This was the state of things. What is their present situation ? Three of the ships formerly employed have gone, or ate going this season, from London to China; four other In itish ships have gone or are going. The tonnage of the whole seven amounts to 8,500 tons. Not one of these ships has heel, etlgaged to go to Canton. Their bills of lading, itt consequence of the Orders in Odineil, are merely for Macao or Lintin. seventeen American vessels have gone, or ate going, this season, to China, front Loudon and Liverpool."
The value of each of the ships engaged in the East India trade was formerly about 50,000/. it is now reduced to 10,0001. or 12,000/. The number of hands employed in navigatieg and fitting out vesscls to Canton from London has been diminished by at least six thousand.
Surely this is a serious matter. The want of employment for our shipping is, to a certain extent at least, easily accounted for by the fact, that every British vessel of 400 tons burden, with a cargo of' 100,0001., has to pay a duty of 750/., from which American and other shipping is free. Of course, American or Dutch vessels will he preferred by shippers to our own, as long as they can carry goods to Canton at a so much cheaper rate. If the late Ordi; in Council bad been promulgated by a foreign government, whet an outcry would there not have been against them ? But, 0 shame ! they are the work of our own Free Trade Ministers—the men who have sent Dr. BOWRING to Paris, to convince the ignorant Frenchmen of the int pulley of restrictions.on commerce! They are worthy of the men who could find no better substitute for Mr. 51.keaolt1 1NKS, than a Lord of the Bedchamber, to guard our cumnsesi.,1 interests in Canton.
Mr. Romesore, the new Chairman at Lloyd's, was very ii.;lignant the other night, at the omission of all notice in the King's Speech of the distress of the shipping interest; and endeaveured to convince the House that it was in a deplorable condition. Ile would have spoken much more to the purpose, if he had called the attention of Ministers to the effects that must inevitably ensue, if the China trade Orders are notwithdrawn. It is in vain to expect that the house of Commons or the Nation will consent to the reenactment of the old Navigation laws; but a strong and brief statement might have been made, demonstrative of the impolicy of supporting the Factory gentlemen at Canton by a new tax oil British shipping. We hope soon to see this subject brought forward in Parliament. The Ministers will stick to their Orders till they are fairly driven to repeal them.
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