PUBLIC POLICY : NAVIGATION 831 
entirely confined to British ships, and must pass directly A-D. 177 
between the mother-country and the colonies; but countries 
which had shipping of their own, including not only the 
European countries but the United States and Brazil, could 
have commercial intercourse with Britain, either in their own 
or in British ships. The measure of 18221 repealed disabilities 
which had been imposed out of antagonism to the Dutch? 
but made no substantial change in our relations with other 
maritime nations; so far as they were concerned, a far more 
important step was taken in the following years, when power Reciprocal 
was given to the Crown to agree by treaty to reciprocal Ss 
trade with any country on equal terms®, and to refrain from 24opted 
continuing the discriminating duties which were imposed on maritime 
. 2 . : ” powers, 
goods imported in foreign shipst. By this means the danger 
of retaliatory duties being maintained by foreign powers was 
averted, as all the leading commercial nations entered into 
agreements for reciprocity in this matter®. 
There was also a considerable relaxation in the navigation and pre- 
” . ferential 
policy as regards the colonies, for they were allowed to tariffs were 
export their produce direct to foreign ports in Europe, itv 
instead of being obliged to ship them by way of the mother- Hage: 
country®, At the same time, a revised tariff embodied the 
principle of giving preference to colonial products in the 
English market’, and a serious attempt was made to bring 
about increased economic co-operation between the different 
parts of the Empire, while intercommunication was still 
to be carried on in British Shipping. In 1845 it appeared 
that this policy was on the whole working satisfactorily, and 
the Navigation Acts were codified’, But grievances arose, 
and British shippers were accused of making use of their 
- 8 George IV. c. 43. 
» 4 George IV. ¢. 77. 
+ Huskisson in Hansard, N.S. x. 793. 
Leone Levi, op. cit. 166 n. € 8 George IV. c. 45. 
© Hills, Colonial Preference in Compatriot Club Lectures, 285. 
+ In 1844 a Committee of the House of Commons was appointed on the 
mercantile marine at the instance of shipowners, who desired protection against 
colonial shipping. Lindsay, Merchant Shipping, m1. 70. See Mr Labouchere’s 
mpeech on the products of the inland States. 8 Hansard, xcviu. 997. 
3 Hansard, N.S. vii. 715.