the extension and security of her commerce, will depend her greatest benefits. If she has privileges injurious to commerce, she may be induced, in any event, to relinquish them for an adequate consideration. As to her revenues on commercial import and export, they are (excepting on coal, and corn, and wine, which cannot be affected by the proposed improvements) very small, and are to be considered, rather as badges of authority, than as incomes. Where they are an object, they may be secured; and where they are otherwise, they may be relinquished or compensated for. As to places of patronage, they are very few and small. the If improvements have tended to unite London, its suburbs, Westminster, and Southwark, into one great capital, the city of London will still remain unrivalled, and reserve to herself, from situation and capital, the seat of commerce. Westminster must always receive her great line of import through her channels; Southwark need create no fear from the extension of its country and its coasting-trade; and, as to the suburbs, they are the offspring of herself. Her shipping extends for some miles, and both sides the river are dependent upon her commerce, and form the two great ranges of warehouses for the depôt of those bulky commodities which she cannot land and house at her own quays and warehouses. The whole extent of her own territory, bordering on Thames, below London-bridge, is small and confined, and is almost wholly occupied by the present range of quays, and without capability of an extension of any moment, and such as the times call for. The mercantile interest is a powerful one with government and with the_country, both for its commerce and its reForeigners also heavily complain of the embarrassments of the port of London. Something, therefore, must be done, and there can be little danger in the city uniting with the commercial interests, for the creation of docks near her own doors, when obliged from necessity to deposit the greatest part of her commerce wherever she can find wharfs and quays. She may make a virtue of necessity, and improve her own wants to her own advantages, venue. TH LANDLORDS OF THE LEGAL QUAYS. HEY are few in number, they possess estates of inheritance, and command powerful interests. The exclusive privileges of the legal quays have contributed greatly to advance those rents. A compensation adequate to the fall on advanced rents might be made, either for a term of years, by an annuity, or payment by instalments, where shares in the proposed docks are not accepted in preference. There is no moment when they could make the change with so much probability of justice being done to them, as at present. WHARFINGERS. These only possess a leasehold-estate, and their interests and advantages cease with their leases. From the limitation of legal quays, a competition among the wharfingers to out-bid each other in rents, operates as a combination against the public; since from high rents come high charges, and from confined spots, great delays. This class cannot be hurt, if compensation be made to them for the loss of their privilege, or if they have new leases on other terms. legal quays, from their convenience, would always com The and a preference on moderate terms. It is not indeed intended, by any plans, to compel commerce to any spot, or to disinherit the legal quays, but only to give the public an option, and also a remedy, in moments of distress. GANGSMEN. These are porters stationed under the wharfingers. They are in general freemen, and give security about 100 to 150/. for their places. They possess only a life-estate, with funds, among themselves, to support those that are superannuated, &c. Their utility is acknowledged, and their situation an employment of confidence. Their numbers may amount to fifty. About five of the wharfs employ men that are not precisely on the same footing as the gangsmen of the legal quays. Their class would not decrease by any new docks. LABOURERS LABOURERS ON THE WHARFS. They are a fluctuating class of men, and frequently taken from the soldiers in the Tower. They are employed by the job or time, principally by time: they would follow commerce on an extension of docks, and find proportional employment. CARMEN, CARTS, &c. Their employment, in passing from the warehouses to the purchaser of goods, would be the same, and they would be benefited by an increase of distance or extension of commerce. Their numbers are limited to 420. From the very narrow limited situations of Thames-street, and of the legal quays, there are not only great delays, but accidents frequently happen, affecting the lives of men and horses. LIGHTERMEN. These would float with commerce, and feel no injury. From the inability of wharfingers to land goods, craft are frequently detained a month or six weeks, or more, without compensation. An extension of quays and warehouses would disperse and liberate their craft, much sooner than at present, and enable them to multiply their little voyages. The extension of commerce, and the life given it by dispatch, would more than recompense the immediate loss from the partial docking of ships. If there was any injury, it might be ascertained by the commissioners. Their numbers are few, and their craft are inadequate. Their apprentices, whose times were nearly out, would favour any improvements of a general nature, in order to introduce themselves into life and business. C COMPENSATION. NOMPENSATION might arise out of various funds; and, as revenue and commerce would be equally benefited, each might apportion a part of its savings and improvements for a limited time. This application would be found, with some little modification, adequate to satisfy the necessary annual instalments due to the sufferers, and the burthen would gradually dissolve with time. 1. The savings to the revenue, by a decrease of needless officers, might be appropriated. B 3 II. The II. The docks and quays might pay some consideration for being legalized as lawful quays. III. Sufferers might receive certain shares in the new docks in return for their losses. IV. A compromise 'might be made with the legal quays and an additional charge for landing and shipping goods for a certain number of years. Though this may operate as an immediate tax, it is better to submit to that than to the tax of plunder, and secure dispatch. Yet future annual savings by docks, from losses and plunderage, would be more than adequate to a small tax of 4 or 5000l. per annum for a limited time. Commerce, by paying fewer charges, &c. in the docks than at present, might well afford to pay a small additional tax to purchase safety, dispatch, &c. TH FUNDS FOR MAKING DOCKS, &c. HE creation of docks and extension of wharfs are not taken into the estimate of a dead expense; as the improvements would pay and support themselves after the first outset. Individuals, if a permission were granted under public sanction, would, of themselves, as in case of canals, carry them into execution by private expense, risk, and management. The city of London and other public bodies might be invited to encourage the scheme and possess shares, and also certain powers in the management. Government, as they would be benefited by every extension of commerce, might contribute to the undertaking by a gift or a redeemable loan, having the premises and rents mortgaged as a security, or they might render assistance in various other shapes. The power of framing regulations of the docks, &c. might be vested with Commissioners or Trustees, as in the Ramsgate-harbour trust. Some materials might be found on the spot to lessen expenses, particularly bricks, which should be made of particular dimensions adapted to the works. GENERAL OBSERVATIONS AND HINTS ON THE EXTENSION OF COMMERCE. TH HERE needs but one general reply to all the apprehensions that may arise from the fear of throwing hands and professions out of employment. Prejudices were were once applied against canals, turnpike-roads, and the use of machines in manufactures; but canals have extended old, and created new markets, without decreasing sea+ men or the coasting trade; turnpike-roads have given improvements to agriculture, and convenience to markets and to travellers; machines have given extension to manufactures, and we only want docks, quays, and warehouses, to give facility to commerce. Perhaps some may fear the lessening the river-navigation on the Thames, and its importance as a nursery for our seamen, but the same objection might have been applied to the building of the bridges. The extension of commerce is the surest means of creating and encouraging our seamen. While we have commerce and navigation, we shall never want hands. It is from thence that a thousand little springs and rivulets will flow to give employment and fertility to industry. Destroy commerce, and the whole tribe of watermen would soon dwindle again into insignificant river-fishermen. Liverpool has no rivernavigation, and yet never wants seamen. If London and Great Britain could be made the grand depôt of merchandize, and if goods were bonded under the king's lock, until taken out for home-consumption, it would throw the capital of the merchant into his commerce, and leave the revenue to take the benefit of it, at the moment of consumption; for commerce is the parent of revenue. This system is already adopted, without detriment, in the East-India trade for teas, China, silk, sugar, &c. also in the articles rum, tobacco, coffee, &c. If this reasoning be true, the extension of docks, &c. would favour any general system of bonding, and under the best regulations. The Committee of the House of Commons for preventing the illicit practices used in defrauding the revenue, recommended, for the accommo dation of trade, at the instance of the Commissioners of the Customs in Scotland, "That all high-duty goods be warehoused at importation, in "warehouses to be provided, to the satisfaction of the proper officers, at ،، the importer's expense, and under the joint locks of the King and the "proprietor; subject only to the payment of duties for the same, when taken out of the warehouses for home-consumption; and that, if taken "out for exportation, the same to be delivered free of all duties whatever. "The extension or permission to be granted for three years."-"That, un"der the present system, much distress frequently arises from the want of ready money to satisfy the duties at the time of importation, and various "artifices are made use of to obtain drawbacks fraudulently, by which there " can be no doubt that the revenue suffers considerably, probably more than "it gains by the sums retained at present for goods intended to be exported." Third Report of the Commissioners, 23d March, 1784. B 4 Holland |