between the tonnage of the veffels employed in the foreign trade of the kingdoin in the years 1774 and 1784, there ap peared to be an increafe of 100,000 tons, merchant tonnage; and, if he was correctly informed, the number of merchant veffels, now upon the ftocks in England, exceeded that of any former period. Thefe were confiderations of the highest importance; but it was, in his apprehenfion, principally to be accounted for from the interruption and fufpenfion of thip building in America. And he was clearly of opinion, that the prefervation and extenfion of this manufacture of fhip building at home, of which we were now in poffeffion, combined as many effential interefts and advantages, and perhaps more, than any other national object. The employment and fubfiftence which fo many perfons in different branches of bufinefs derived from it, were important, but fecondary confiderations; the breeding and retaining in our fervice, and increafing a number of able and expert artificers in fhip building, was of the highest political importance, and, of all others, the hoft worthy the attention of a country whofe power and fecurity chiefly depended on its naval ftrength. Upon the breaking out of a war, our commerce inuft neceffarily fhrink into a leis extenfive circle, and the workmen employed in our private yards would be at hand, and find im mediate employment in our public docks. He was perfectly aware that the new regulations and fanctions of the bill were principally calculated to prevent the revival of this manufac ture of fhips in His Majefty's American dominions; but he thought it could not be imputed to him, that he was afraid where no fear was. When he ftated his apprehenfions, that at leaft near the boundaries between the prefent dominions of Great Britain and of the United States, and particularly by the contiguity of the provinces of Main and Sagadahoc, bor dering upon the weft fide of the bay of Fundy, where, if he was righly informed, the beft fhip-building timber and mafts might be had cheap, and by the means of occafional refidence in His Majefty's dominions, and occafional conformity to our laws and government, all the guards which they could fet to prevent it would be broken through, or eluded and evaded if the mifchief be not reftrained by fome fpecific provifion. This was, he muft confefs, a matter of great delicacy and difficulty. He would not, on any confideration, move any propofition of retraint or coerfion of which the prefent colonies might with justice complain; he would propofe nothing which might fint the growth, check the induftry, or retard the profperity of thofe provinces. They certainly deferved all the protection, all the fupport, and all the comfort which which the faculties and the circumstances of the country either did or fhould enable her to afford to give them, Among innumerable falfe, immov'd, Their loyalty they kept, their love, their zeal. MILTON, Book V. God forbid that he fhould fuggeft any regulation which fhould even in fenfation or opinion affect their just rights or legal privileges: but if we could guard or fecure ourselves and them alfo from the fraudulent enterprizes and contrivances which would be attempted against us, both under the fhadow of their names, and the colour of their privileges, they would be doing an effential fervice to the united intereft of the whole empire. Various modes had been fuggefted for accomplishing this defirable end. The firft mode fuggefted, was that of fubjecting to a certain tonnage duty, all veffels of the built of His Majefty's American dominions upon their first entering the ports of the kingdom, at an adequate proportion to the difference between the price of the materials of building, and the cof of the equipment of ships in North America and in Great Britain. Another mode propofed by perfons of great knowledge and information on the fubject, was to limit and circumfcribe the power of the governors and cuftom-house officers in registering veffels in the colonies to a certain tonnage, a burden amply fufficient for their carrying on their coafting trade, their trade to the Weft-India islands, and their fifheries; and alfo for carrying their fifh to Spain, Portugal, and the Mediterranean, and to provide that all other veffels above that certain limited burden fhould be obliged to proceed directly to Great Britain under a protection of a licenfe from the refpective governors, &c. to Great Britain, and then and there only, that they fhould be entitled to a British regifter. There was another mode fimilar to the privileges given by former acts of Parliament to fhips which were chartered in double penalty, and gave bonds for the liberty of carrying fugars and rice to the fouthward of Cape Finifterre. It was requifite for the obtaining this privilege that the veffels fhould he proved to be of the built of Great Britain; and i was fuggefted that the fame proof fhould be made neceffary to qualify veffels to carry on the circuitous trade from the colonies to Great Britain. In conclufion, Sir Grey Cooper begged leave to affure the Committee and the right honourable gentleman, that he was convinced that it was expedient to provide, without delay, fome effectual means for preventing the revival of the ruiVOL. XX. 3 D nous Mr. Cornwall. Mr. Ald. Mr. Chan nous manufacture of fhips built in North America for carrying on the foreign commerce of Great Britain. Mr. Cornwall, the Speaker, remarked, that the present period of the feffion appeared to him very improper to introduce a queftion of fuch importance and delicacy as that fuggefted by the honourable Baronet. He looked upon the bill brought in by his right honourable relation as very falutary, neceffary, and calculated to concenter and give effect to all the best parts of our navigation laws, and to remedy fuch as were faulty; but it was intended only for a general regulation, nor had it any view towards defining or limiting the extent of the operation of thofe laws, but left them as they were before, general and univerfal over the whole of the territories fubject to the British dominions. If the bill had been of fuch a nature as to limit the operation of thofe laws, with refpect to any particular parts of the empire, it would have required a great and ferious previous inquiry, and a species of investigation widely different from that which was neceffary towards the prefent object. Mr. Alderman Hafen went into a wide field of political and commercial reafoning, to prove that the building of fuch fhips as were built in Newfoundland, Canada, and the provinces of Nova Scotia, could by no means, in any particu lar degree, affect the navigation of Great Britain, they being of fuch a flight conftruction as was only calculated for their own immediate trade to the Mediterranean, the West-Indies, and to this country, but not capable of the heavy trade of the circuitous navigation to the West Indies, there to take in ifland produce for Britain, and thence to carry our ma nufactures to North America. 1 Mr. Chancellor Pitt excepted against taking any step on cellor Pitt. fuch a fubject, except upon the moft deliberate difcuffion and moft ftrict inquiry. He fhould, therefore, for the prefent, refift every attempt of fuch a nature, at fo late a period of the feffion. In the mean time, gentlemen might turn it in their minds, and bring forward fuch propofitions concerning it as they might think, against the opening of the next feffion, to be advifeable.-Hehould, then, willingly go into the difcuffion, but would, by no means, pledge himfelf to adopt the principles of the honourable baronet.-At all events, fhould he be inclined to do fo, he would not confent to any step being taken in the bufinefs, without giving full and fufficient time for the people of the Colonies to he perfectly acquainted with it, in order to enable them, if they thought proper, to give it fuch oppofition, as they were intitled to do on a fubject which might fo materially affect their interefts. When the Houfe was refumed, Mr. Mr. Burke alluded to the latenefs of the feffion, and the Mr. Burke, flow progress the proceedings against Mr. Haftings were likely to make, which rendered him apprehenfive that it would be impoffible for the Houfe to get through the whole of the charges in this present feffion.-He fhould therefore, if it was the general wifh, poftpone the remainder of fuch parts of them as the Houfe thought proper. With respect to the charge relating to the Princeffes of Oude, he thought at all events, that it could not come on on Wednesday next, as had been intended; it must therefore be deferred till Friday -But as there was ftill more evidence to be gone through, Major Williams having only been examined in chief, and not crofs examined; and he having a defire to ask Mr. Middleton one question more, he fhould with the Committee to fit on Wednesday or Thurfday, in order to take the remaining evidence. Sir Matthew White Ridley thought it impoffible to go Sir Mat. W. through the whole in the prefent feffion. Ridley. Mr. F. H. Browne faid there could be no objection to the Mr. F. H, delaying a part of the proceedings till the next feffion; but, as Browne. the body of charges contained three charges more immediately important, and as one of thofe had been carried for Mr. Haftings and another against him, he thought it right, if the third were carried against him, that the House fhould proceed to the end, becaufe otherwife a difagreeable impreffion might reinain against him, which, it would be his intereft to have cleared up by as speedy a détermination of the business as pos ble. Mr. Duncombe thought it might be for the convenience of Mr. DunMr. Haftings, as well as of the Houfe, to defer the proceed- combe, ings. The Earl of Surrey remarked, that the party accufed could Earl of not be supposed to have any wifh fo much as for a speedy Surreye decifion; but, notwithstanding, Mr. Haftings and his friends fhould be never fo defirous for coming to a conclufion with the business, it would be impoffible for them to be gratified; for, it was probable they fhould be prorogued before they could poffibly get through the whole of the charges. Major Scott obferved, that it would be highly improper Major Scott in him to fay a word, as to what Mr. Haftings's wishes were upon the bufinefs, but the Houfe would know and must be convinced, that he could have but one wish, that not a moment's delay fhould take place, but that the charges fhould be gone through this feffion. Speaking for himself, as an Englishman, he declared, that it would be a grofs and glaring injuftice to Mr. Haftings to poftpone the bufinefs to another feffion; but, fpeaking, as a member of Parliament and an Englishman, who had the honour and welfare of his country 3 D 2 at Mr Hamilton. Mr. M. A. Mr. Fox. Major Scott Mr. Chan at heart, as connected with the Eaft-India Company, he would go farther, and would declare it to be his deliberate and folemn opinion, that the fate of the British Empire in India, depended upon a termination of Mr. Haftings's im peachment during the courte of the prefent feffion. He implored the Houfe to confider what was the ftate of India, at the prefent moment? Did the Houfe know that we had intelligence from India of four months and fix days date only? He had converfed with gentlemen of honour and undoubted intormation, who left Calcutta in February laft, and from all he had heard, he was confident that our exiftence as a nation in India, actually depended upon this fingle circumftance, whether the inquiry into the conduct of Mr. Haftings was finished or not before the prorogation. · Mr. Hamilton contended that it was the highest injuftica to ftop the course of the proceedings contrary to the wifh of the party accufed. He fhould, therefore, move for a call of the House, and would by no means confent to any delay or poftponement of the business whatsoever. Mr. M. A. Taylor advanced feveral very ftrong arguments to prove the impoffibility of the Houfe being able to go through the whole of the bufinefs this feffion, and strongly contended for the poftponement. through Mr. Fox profeffed himself a warm friend to a call of the Houfe, if an effectual call could be moved, because it certainJy was a moft defirable matter for that Houfe to go the whole of its duty refpecting Mr. Haftings during that fflion. If gentlemen would not attend, the fault was theirs, but it certainly would not be proper to proceed in fo extremely important a bufinefs in thin Houtes. Major Scott returned his fincere thanks to the right honourable gentleman (Mr. Fox) who had talked of propofing a call of the Houfe. He fincerely hoped that fuch a measure would be adopted--the fate of India depended upon it, and he trufted that the right honourable gentleman did not coincide in opinion with an honourable gentleman (Mr. Sawbridge) that the fooner we loft India the better. If he did, he could not purfue a more effectual mode than to poftpone the business to another feffion. Mr. Chancellor itt obferved that, perhaps, it might he allor Fitt. impoffible to go through the whole of the charges, but that, certainly, after that relating to the Princeffes of Oude had been decided, the remaining nineteen could not take up fo much time as the three others had done, and therefore, it would be right to go on as fast as poffible, and, by all means, to proceed in the charge of the Princeffes of Oude, but whether they fhould proceed any farther in the prefent feffion or not with the charges, the whole of the evidence, at least, ought |