Page:History of merchant shipping and ancient commerce (Volume 3).djvu/250

 should be allowed to proceed from port to port in England and then return; but that sailing from a British port, and being bound for a foreign port, they should be permitted to carry from one British port to another, and then clear out and proceed on their voyage. The Customs' authorities reported that this could be done consistently with safety to the revenue, provided there was a restriction that the cargoes should not be carried in vessels under 100 tons burden, so as to prevent smuggling, although, as a matter of fact, the light dues and other charges must effectually prevent such a trade. Such was the bungling scheme respecting the coasting trade proposed by Mr. Labouchere, whereby he attempted to satisfy all parties, and bring the Americans to terms.

When Alderman Thompson asked whether any intimation had been received from the American Government as to any convention with respect to the coasting trade, Mr. Labouchere answered, that in a recent interview he had had with Mr. Bancroft, that gentleman said, "he should be willing the next day to sign any convention which should include the coasting trade, and Mr. Labouchere believed him to be sincere; though, by Mr. Buchanan's letter of the 9th February (which had not yet reached England), the American Secretary of State had expressly said, "the coasting trade is of course reserved." As a matter of course, when Mr. Buchanan's letter reached England all Mr. Labouchere's visions of reciprocity in the coasting trade vanished. At a subsequent period Mr. Labouchere, curiously enough, entered into a