promise was realised, Mr. Robinson doubted if, even then, the British shipowner could compete successfully with the foreigner.
Mr. Clay. Mr. Clay, the extreme Liberal member for Hull, who would perhaps have lost his seat had he voted for repeal, made a Free-trade speech, but ended by voting against the Government measure. The position he took was that as long as the burdens of the shipowner remained, protection must be conceded to him. Mr. Hornby, who represented another of the outports, recommended that concessions should only be made pari passu, and that we ought not to give up the all-important maritime advantages we possess.
Mr. T. A. Mitchell. Mr. T. A. Mitchell reproached Free-traders like Mr. Hornby for voting against repeal, and especially animadverted on Mr. Gladstone's procedure, whose speech in its general effect was surprising, as coming from an advocate of Free-trade. A more effectual mode, in his judgment, could not have been taken to damage the whole scheme. Mr. Mitchell ardently supported repeal, not believing the average rate of freights would decline in consequence; moreover, the repeal, he thought, would enable us to escape the inordinately high freights which, in times of sudden emergency we were now called upon to pay.
Mr. Hildyard. Mr. Hildyard urged very strongly the importance of the coasting trade of the United States, and the necessity of securing it. He admitted that the coast of England was a difficult and dangerous one, and that there was not much chance of America competing with us in that trade. On the other hand, the coasting trade of America was of great importance. An United States committee on harbours and rivers,
