show the state of the trades before the repeal was completely carried out for British and, partially so, to foreign ships, and that, in order to estimate the full effect of the measure on British shipping, it is necessary, also, to show the number of British ships built and registered during the respective periods.[1]
There are two features in these returns deserving special notice.
1st. According to the opinion of the Board of Trade this account shows a larger relative increase than that of the previous returns relating to the employment of tonnage, while it, at the same time, confirms the hypothesis that many British ships now find an employment in the indirect trade of foreign countries, which, of course, does not appear in the accounts rendered in England. Indeed, during the
- ↑ Table showing the total number and tonnage of Sailing and Steam
Vessels built and registered in the United Kingdom in each year, from
1842 to 1857 inclusive.
-+ + -+ + + -
Years. | Vessels. | Tons. | Years. | Vessels. | Tons.
-+ + -+ + + -
1842 | 914 | 129,929 | 1850 | 689 | 133,695
1843 | 698 | 83,097 | 1851 | 672 | 149,637
1844 | 689 | 94,995 | 1852 | 712 | 167,491
1845 | 853 | 23,230 | 1853 | 798 | 203,171
1846 | 809 | 125,350 | 1854 | 802 | 196,942
1847 | 936 | 145,834 | 1855 | 1098 | 323,200
1848 | 847 | 122,552 | 1856 | 1150 | 244,578
1849 | 730 | 117,953 | 1857 | 1278 | 250,472
-+ + -+ + + -From this it will be seen that the total of such tonnage was in—
1842 129,929
1849 117,953
-
Decrease 11,976
1850 133,695
1857 250,172
-
Increase 116,777