War and Commerce.

Mount Ida Chronicle, 22 June 1900, Page 5

War and Commerce.

(From the *' Nineteenth Century.") War with France opened in 1793, and was protracted, with the exception of the short break due to the peace of Amiens, for twenty-two years. "We started with 1fi.073 ships of 1,540,000 tons, . manned by 118,000 men, and with a navy of 141 ships of the line, 155 frigrates and 129 small vessels. We had to deal wi 11 a thoroughly inefficient enemy, disorganised by revolution and distracted by intestine quarrels. From the first hour of war our military superiority was unchallenged. The declaration of vraK however, caused a very serious contraction of trade. There were many failures and a temporary loan of £5,000,000 was necessary to avert panic. This measure had a most salutary effect, and only £3,855,000 was applied for, )3arly in 1 the struggle the attack upon our "commerce 'began. Ships of war and privateers of all sorts fell upon it. Rowboats put off to merchantmen lying becalmed in the Channel, or under the Forelands, and carried them by boarding. £urcouf in the East Tndi'es swept into his net not only helpless sailing " ships but also large and heavily-armed, Tndlamen. In ISOS the Roche.fort squad-! roil got to sea and took in five months, four warships and forty-two merchant•men. "In 1S10," says the "Naval Chronicle," quoted by Captain Mahan,' " signals were out almost every day at Dover on account of the enemy's privateers appearing in sight." In 1800, tho same authority tells us, there were eighty-seven large French privateers in the Channel ports of France alone. From first to last the French captured 11,000 phips, with their cargoes, worth £200,000,000, a toll of per cent at tha vr'y least on our trade. At first sight this loss does not look particularly heavy, and it. certainly had no effect upon the issue of the war. It was only so much property destroyed that might, if spared, have added to our wealth. We annihilated French trade, so that Napoleon could not even send a cockle boat to sea, as he himself confessed, and we captured no fewer than 1031 privateers, .carrying 9400 guns, manned toy G9,000 men. Thus we lost ' an average of 550 ships a iyear and took less than fifty-five a year of the depredators. Neutrals, it will be observed, lost by peace and gained by war. From -• 1790 to 1793 the average clearance o£ neutral shipping was under 200,000 tons. ,

■P'of Reps. Jones and Hanrahan, such date to HL/ba as early in July as they find suit able.--Carried. ALLOCATION or TROPHIES. V . Geddes Cup : "Resolved that the conHr ditions under which play was determined for ■ this cup. at a special meeting held on 29th ■ July, 1899, be upheld in play for such cups W at the bonspiel this year. 'First Drawing r (two rinks from each club) : Otago Central "v. Cambrians, lit. Ida v. Blackstone Hill Alpine v. TJpper Manuherikia. Drawing for Three District Medals, R.C.C. " —First Drawing : Cambrians v. Blackstone Hill. Upper Manuherikia v. Alpine, Mt. Ida v. Otago Central. A BANNER. Proposed by Bep. Calder, and seconded by Rep. Dawson—That the province -procure a •banner, to lie held by the champion club of next bonspiel till the conclusion of the succeeding bonspiel. wheu it shall be held by the champion club of that bonspiel. and so on in perpetuity ; that the winning club's name or initials be placed npon the banner -each year,—Carried. veTES OP THANKS. Votes of thanks were passed as follows : To the retiring- president (Mr G-uffic) proposed by Mr Cowan : proposed by Rep. Calder— That this meeting of the Curling Province of New Zealand desires to express its satisfaction at the manner in which the •"secretary has discharged his duties during his term of office, and that this meeting of representative members desire to record in the minutes their approval of his services; •a voce to' the president (Mr Hugh Wilson) moved by Eep. Calder.