Resolved unanimously, That the adoption of this bill at the present moment is highly objectionable and impolitic, as it cannot fail to encourage claims on the part of America to allow a free intercourse between the United States and the king's dominions in the West Indies, which was declared by t his majesty's privy council in 1791 to be inadmissible, even as a subject of negotiation, and which will likewise tend to expel from that part of the colonial trade, which is left for British shipping, a greater number of them, which will increase the accumulated distress already felt by the owners of British ships in the European trade, from neutrals being allowed to break the blockade of the Prussian and other ports, in consequence of which many British ships usually employed therein are now actually in the want of employment. Resolved unanimously, That it is the opinion of this committee, that in consequence of the suspensions of the Act of Navigation, there is not at present building throughout the empire a sufficient number of new ships to meet the annual decrease and consumption of shipping; for whilst such temporary and fluctuating systems of suspending the Act of Navigation are adhered to, the great body of British ship-owners will not extend their capitals in shipping, as no certain or adequate protection and encouragement is afforded them.

Resolved unanimously, That it is the opinion of this committee that it is now more than ever important that the exertions which were begun by this committee in 1801, and continued in the years 1802 and 1803, to obtain attention to the interests of British shipping, should be renewed with increased activity, as the good effect of the measures adopted in Mr. Pitt's last administration in 1804, for gradually regaining the inestimable advantage this country must at all times derive from the Navigation Act when enforced, began to be manifested; and if those measures had been followed up, with others dictated by wisdom, which there is good reason to believe was intended, the carrying trade between America and the West Indies would soon have been restored to British ship-owners.

Resolved unanimously, That the principle of this bill unequivocally evinces an intention of an abandonment of a fundamental law of Europe, universally acknowledged and acted upon, and of the colonial system of Great Britain, as established by the Act of Navigation, and a total dereliction

of those principles which our ancestors cherished for the maintenance of the maritime power of the nation, and by which the British navy has attained that superiority which is so essentially necessary, at this time, to preserve the independence of the empire.

Resolved unanimously, That it is the opinion of this committee that the ship-owners of Great Britain and Ireland ought not to relax in their endeavours to obtain, through the medium of their representatives in parliament, the future, full, effective, and beneficial operation of the Act of Navigation, by which means only we can rear and retain our seamen, the grand support of our present pre-eminence, and preserve our country from falling below the level of surrounding nations," but which never can be done if a discretionary power is lodged with the privy council to suspend its operation at their discretion.

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Resolved unanimously, That these resolutions be printed in the Morning and Evening Newspapers, and distributed in all the out-ports.

Resolved unanimously, That the thanks of this committee be given to the chairman for his indefatigable and unwearied exertions to support the shipping interest of the country, and thereby promoting the landed and manufacturing interests of the empire.

(Signed)

R. CURLING, Chairman.

At a meeting of the committee of ship-owners for the port of London, held this 31st day of July, 1806:

RALPH KEDDEY, Esq. in the Chair:

Resolved unanimously, THAT the thanks of this meeting be given to the right hon. John Lord Sheffield, for the eminent services rendered by him to the shipping interest of the united kingdom, and for his zealous exertions on all occasions to maintain, unimpaired, the maritime strength of Great Britain.

Resolved unanimously, That the thanks of this meeting be given to the other peers of parliament, who have expressed their opinion of the necessity of supporting, in

violably, the principles of the navigation system of Great Britain.

Resolved unanimously, That the thanks of this meeting be given to Sir Charles Price, Bart. Sir William Curtis, Bart. and to Mr. G. B. Mainwaring, for their steady and manly opposition to a bill likely, in the opinion of a respectable meeting of persons concerned in the building, fitting, and owning ships in this metropolis, to be seriously injurious to their interests, as well as to the general interest of the country.

Resolved unanimously, That the thanks of this meeting be given to the right hon. George Rose, the right hon. Sir William Grant, the right hon. Sir William Scott, Lord Castlereagh, the right hon. George Canning, the hon. Spencer Perceval, Mr.Staniforth, and the several other *members of the House of Commons, who have expressed their decided opinion, formed on the fullest and coolest reflection, against any further departure from the navigation and colonial system of Great Britain (relaxed partially and temporarily in the late war, for reasons, whether justifiable or otherwise, not necessary to be entered on), but which system the experience of the late government had induced them to adopt measures for completely restoring, and which, in part, had been effected.

Resolved unanimously, That a petition be presented to parliament early in the next session, for the repeal of the West-India and American Intercourse Act recently passed; this meeting being convinced of the highly injurious ten

* The following are the names of the other Members of the House of Commons who voted against the American Intercourse Bill, and in support of the Navigation Act, referred to in this resolution, viz. Lord Charles Manners, Lord Robert Manners, Lord Edward Somerset, Lord Charles Somerset, Lord Arthur Somerset, Lord De Blaquiere, Lord Rendlesham, Lord Lovaine, Lord Garlies, General Phipps, Mr. Chute, Sir Henry Mildmay, the Right Honourable John Foster, the Honourable Henry Lascelles, Colonel Sibthorpe, Mr. Bankes, the Honourable Rich. Ryder, Sir Robert Buxton, Sir Robert Preston, Sir A. S. Hammond, Sir V. Gibbs, Mr. Spencer Stanhope, Sir J. D. King, Mr. M'Naghton, Mr. Charles Long, Mr. Samuel Smith, Mr. George Smith, Mr. Huskisson, Mr. Fellowes (Huntingdon), Mr. G. H. Rose, Mr. Rutherford, Mr. Bagwell, Mr, Wm. Bagwell, Mr. Baker (Hertford), Mr. Barne, Mr. Bootle, Mr. Ashley, Mr. Fitzhugh, Mr. Steele, Mr. Wallace, Mr. Leycester, Mr. Dent, Mr. Hammett, Mr. Brodrick, the Honourable W. Wellesley Pole, the Hon. R. S. Dundas, Mr. W. Dundas, Mr. Holt Leigh, Mr. Claude Scott, Mr. Samuel Scott, Mr. Holford, Mr. Thoroton (Grantham), Mr. S. Bourne, Mr. G. Johnstone, Mr. Ainslie, and Mr. Longfield.

dency thereof to the general interest of the country, as well as to that of the ship-owners: it having been established beyond all possibility of doubt, that the islands in the West Indies are inundated with the produce and manufactures of the East Indies and of other countries by the Americans, to the prejudice of British merchants and manufacturers.

Resolved unanimously, That it is the opinion of this committee, that the merchants, ship-owners, and manufacturers of Great Britain and Ireland ought not to relax in their endeavours to obtain a full and effectual operation of the navigation and colonial system of the country, by securing the freight to the colonies to British ships exclusively, and the monopoly of supplies of manufactures of all sorts to the Mother Country, which it appears to this meeting can be best done by dutiful and respectful applications to parliament, and by the persons who are interested availing themselves of the earliest and best opportunities of awakening the attention of the representatives of the sea ports and manufacturing counties to the true and most important interests of their constituents; and also, by the attention of those who may be desirous of becoming representatives of such places being called to the same object.

Resolved unanimously, That the thanks of this meeting be given to the sub-committee, who were appointed to superintend the application to parliament, during the late session, against the American Intercourse bill, for their uniform attendance and perseverance in pursuing the measures previously adopted by this committee, to give effect to the maritime interest of this country.

Resolved, That the preceding resolutions be inserted in the Morning and Evening Newspapers, and transmitted to the out-ports, and to the principal manufacturing towns in Lancashire, Yorkshire, Cheshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire; to Edinburgh and Glasgow; and to Dublin, Cork, Waterford, Limerick, and Belfast.

Resolved unanimously, That the thanks of this meeting be given to the chairman, for his great attention to the shipping interest.

(Signed)

RALPH KEDDEY, Chairman.

At a Meeting of the Committee of Ship-owners for the Port of London, held this 23d day of October, 1806:

RALPH KEDDEY, Esq. in the Chair:

RESOLVED unanimously, That it is the opinion of this committee, that the ship-owners of Great Britain and Ireland ought, at the present crisis, to express unequivocally their grateful sense of the patriotic conduct of those peers and members of the legislature who publicly declared, during the last session of parliament, their opinion of the impolicy of relaxing the maritime principles of the country, and the absolute necessity of maintaining inviolably in future the navigation and colonial system of Great Britain.

Resolved unanimously, That the thanks of this committee be given to Sir Charles Price, Baronet, for his constant and unremitted attention to the interests of British ship-owners, for his uniform support of the maritime principles of the nation, and for his manly and independent opposition, in the last session of parliament, to a bill, which this committee are still convinced will prove highly injurious to the general interests of the Empire.

Resolved unanimously, That the thanks of this committee be given to Sir William Curtis, Baronet, for his attention and readiness to support the petition presented by them last session against the American Intercourse Bill, and for the manly and spirited sentiments expressed by him on that occasion.

Resolved unanimously, That it is the opinion of this committee, that, unless the navigation and colonial system of Great Britain be strictly adhered to in future, the most ruinous consequences will result to the country; the com- . mittee, therefore, trust, that an early investigation will take place in parliament on that important subject, in order to ascertain the actual state of the shipping and navigation of the Empire-the present state of the loyal British colonies in America-and the great increase of foreign shipping employed in the trade of this country and its dependencies; so that the public may no longer be deluded with speculative theories in political economy, which cannot be supported by the test of experience and truth.

Resolved unanimously, That these resolutions, and those which were entered into by this committee on the 31st day