[101] See Mr. Buchanan’s letter in full, vol. li., ‘Parliamentary Papers,’ p. 239.
[102] It was presented on the 8th May, 1820, by Mr. Alexander Baring, afterwards Lord Ashburton. The whole case is reported in Tooke’s ‘History of Prices.’ Appendix, p. 332.
[103] Vide ‘Lord George Bentinck: a Political Biography.’ By the Right Hon. B. Disraeli. Pp. 421, 422. See also p. 409, a curious story of the marine picture in the Miracle Room at the cathedral of Antwerp.
[104] The Americans have, however, persisted in this policy to this day; a fact which cannot be too often repeated.
[105] It may be said that the reason for maintaining the coasting trade was not so much the fear of injuring the shipowners employed in it as destroying “the nursery for our seamen.”
[106] See ‘Hansard,’ March 23, 1849, vol. ciii. p. 1229.
[107] The original Bill, and the Bill as amended in Committee, will be found in vol. iv., 1849, pp. 331 and 347.
[108] In the first draft of the Constitution of the United States, the power of Congress was limited by a special provision that “No Navigation Acts should be passed without the assent of two-thirds of the members present in each House.” See Pitkin’s ‘Political and Civil History of the United States;’ and, though this proposal was afterwards reported against, it remains in force to the present day.
CHAPTER IX.
The debate, March 1849—Speech of Mr. Herries—Mr. J. Wilson—Question of reciprocity—Doubtful even in the case of shipping—Difficulty of the “Favoured-nation” clause—Marquess of Granby—Mr. Cardwell—Mr. Henley—Mr. Gladstone—Burdens to be removed from Shipowners—Conditional legislation recommended—Views on the subject of the coasting trade—Americans not Free-traders—Smuggling in the coasting trade—Mr. Robinson—Mr. Clay—Mr. T. A. Mitchell—Mr. Hildyard—Mr. Ricardo—Mr. H. Drummond—Mr. Labouchere’s reply—Majority of 56 for Bill—Committee on the Bill—Coasting clauses withdrawn—Mr. Bouverie’s amendment opposed by Shipowners’ Committee—Mr. Gladstone’s scheme also opposed by the Shipowners—Questions of reciprocity, conditional legislation, and retaliation—Details of American Law—Mr. Bouverie’s plan rejected—Mr. Disraeli’s speech—Third reading of Bill—Mr. Herries’ speech—Mr. Robinson—Mr. Walpole—Sir James Graham—Mr. T. Baring—Lord J. Russell—Mr. Disraeli—Majority for Bill, 61.