Shipping Interest: Huskisson’s 1827 Debate on Britain’s Shipping and Trade Policy
Restored from a historic House of Commons speech, this edition presents the 1827 discussion on the distressed state of the British commercial shipping interest.
It follows William Huskisson as he weighs tariffs, reciprocity treaties, and the fate of British shipping in a changing Europe.
The text covers key questions of the era: how different nations taxed ships and goods, the logic of reciprocal treaties with Prussia and other powers, and the balance between maritime power and free trade. It also situates the debate in the context of navigational laws and policy changes advocated by Parliament and government ministers.
- Read Huskisson’s arguments about discrimination in customs duties and its effect on shipping and industry.
- Understand the role of reciprocal treaties with Prussia, Portugal, Brazil, and the United States in shaping Britain’s navigation laws.
- Explore the practical debates on tariffs, transit duties, and the impact on transshipment across European ports.
- Gain insight into how 19th-century policymakers framed international law and national sovereignty around trade.
Ideal for readers of historical political economy and naval history, this edition offers a clear window into early 19th-century trade policy and its lasting questions.