Page:History of merchant shipping and ancient commerce (Volume 3).djvu/224

 and the freights the mercantile marine earned per annum at nearly 30,000,000l.

These were enormous interests, he exclaimed, and ought not to be dealt with lightly; but when, in addition to all this, it was considered that the existence of these interests lay at the foundation of our national defences, and, that without these defences, we could not maintain our present position as a nation, surely there were ample reasons, if not for resisting all change, at least for adopting such changes as appeared necessary, not in the reckless way now proposed, by a sweeping resolution for the entire abolition of the Navigation Laws, but by improving, altering, and modifying them in such a manner as would be consistent with the great interest they were framed to protect. He therefore prayed the House not to assent to experimental changes, which might impair the strength of the right arm this nation had hitherto put forth to awe and control the world, -      |          Sailing Ships. |        Steam Vessels. +-+-++-++- Years. |          |         |  Proportion  |           |        |  Proportion |  Tons. |  Men. |   of Men    |   Tons. | Men. |   of Men |          |         | to 100 Tons. |          |        | to 100 Tons. -+-+-++-++- 1852 | 3,215,665 | 146,286 |     4·55     |   165,219 | 13,277 |     8·04 1854  | 3,516,456 | 146,522 |     4·17     |   212,637 | 15,894 |     7·47 1869  | 4,677,275 | 152,186 |     3·25     |   880,028 | 43,304 |     4·92 1870  | 4,519,141 | 147,207 |     3·25     | 1,039,969 | 48,755 |     4·69 1871  | 4,343,558 | 141,035 |     3·25     | 1,290,003 | 58,703 |     4·55 1872  | 4,245,904 | 137,101 |     3·23     | 1,515,704 | 66,619 |     4·40 1873  | 4,067,144 | 130,877 |     3·22     | 1,680,953 | 71,362 |     4·24 1874  | 4,037,564 | 128,733 |     3·19     | 1,827,024 | 74,873 |     4·10 -+-+-++-++-