CO885-(1-2) — Page 230

1. The Law as it is

1 -7

II. History of the Law

7-29

III. Case for further alterations

29

Colonial Case

29

Foreign Case

33

Case of General Commerce

38

IV. The proposed Bill.

40

a. Power of the Crown

40

Existing Powers

41

State of our Treaties

48

b. Question of Manning

54

c. Fisheries.

55

Colonial Coasting Trade India

56

56

Nationality of Foreign Vessels

57

Free Ports

57

CONFIDENTIAL.

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

C.O.

885

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

Navigation Laws.

IN bringing forward the proposed measure for the amendment of the Navigation Laws, it may be well that the attention of the Government should be called

1st. To the actual state of the laws which it is proposed to amend.

2nd. To the past history of those laws. 3rd. To the circumstances which now call for their amendment.

4th. To the precise extent of the changes con- templated in the proposed Bill, and to the reasons for which the Bill is cast in its present shape.

The objections which may be taken to the intended changes, and the answers that

may

be made to those objections, must also be well considered; but upon this head I am less qualified to afford information likely to be of use than on the others.

I The Law as it is.

The Navigation Laws are intended to pre- scribe the classes of vessels in which the trade

of this country and of the colonies is to be car- ried on. The rules which they lay down may be divided into those applicable to the internal trade of the empire, those applicable to the foreign trade of the United Kingdom, and those applicable to the foreign trade of the colonies.

These rules are contained in the Navigation Act (8 & 9 Vic. c. 88), the Possessions Act (8 & 9 Vic. c. 93), and some parts of the other Acts which form our code of Customs Laws. There are also several Acts which modify or

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