THE ANATOMY

OF THE

NAVIGATION LAWS.

1

OF THE

NAVIGATION LAWS.

BY JOHN LEWIS RICARDO, ESQ., M.P.

"Error est non minus vetus quam pestilens, quo multi mortales, ü autem maxime
qui plurimum vi atque opibus valent, persuadent sibi, aut, quod verius puto, per-
suadere conantur, justum atque injustum non suapte natura, sed hominum inani
quadam opinione atque consuetudine distingui."

GROTIUS-DE MARI LIBERO.

LONDON:

CHARLES GILPIN, 5, BISHOPSGATE STREET WITHOUT.

1847.

TABLE OF CONTENTS.

PAGE.

SKETCH OF THE HISTORY OF THE NAVIGATION LAWS

1

Early Trade-The Staple-What kind of Fleet England had

about the time of the First Navigation Laws

The First Act to increase the Navy of England

Wisdom of our Ancestors

A remarkable account of the effect of early Navigation Laws

The Free Sea

13

20

The Shut Sea

479322

The first restriction on the Commerce of the Colonies, and further

restraints on the Dutch

The first effect of these restrictions-War with the Dutch

Shipowners Logic

Some of the mischiefs that came upon us through our Maritime

Charter

The Reciprocity Acts and the prophecies of the Shipowners

The Strong hold

The Coasting Trade

The Creed of the Old School

A great boon to British Shipping

The state of the British Shipping after four centuries of Naviga

England and the old Navigation Laws, and England now

THE LAW AS IT IS

The Coasting Trade

Colonial Trade

Trade with Asia, Africa, and America

Trade with Europe

Accidental exceptions

Act for the registering of British vessels

7th and 8th Vic. c. 112

The effects of all due encouragement and protection

Causes of inferiority

Foreign Captains and Mates .

94

The care that our Navigation Law takes of Foreigners

100

The Great Nursery Question

101

The Merchant Service not a Nursery of Seamen for the service

of the State

105

How to Man the Navy

109