§ Captain Pechellpresented a Petition numerously signed by the owners and masters of vessels at Brighton, complaining of numerous grievances, which he hoped he might be excused for stating to the House. The petitioners set forth that they had invested property to the amount of 10,000l.in the fisheries, and that on the nights of the 3rd and 4th instant their property had been damaged by the French fishermen to the extent of several hundred pounds; that remonstrances had been made in various quarters on this subject, since the year 1829, but no relief had been obtained. The consequence was, that a very large body of men, were, at this moment, totally out of employment. The Duke of Wellington had answered to a memorial laid before his Government on the subject, that the British fishermen might take the law into their own hands. But retaliation was out of the question; for the French boats were better built and better manned than the English. He should only at present remark, that it was extraordinary, that whilst the French suffered no fishing vessels of any nation to approach within nine miles of their coast, their vessels were in the habit of coming within boat-hook's length of the British shore. He should shortly call the attention of the House more fully to this subject.
§ Mr. Laboucherefelt it was necessary to trouble the House with a few remarks in consequence of what had fallen from the hon. and gallant Member, otherwise, those who were uninformed on this subject might receive an impression that his Majesty's Government had been guilty of great negligence in not providing a speedy remedy for such grievances. Now, he would engage to say, that if the facts stated by the hon. and gallant Member were embodied in the shape of a memorial, and laid before the Board of Trade, no time would be lost in communicating with the Board of Admiralty, and, in case the facts upon inquiry were made out, no time would be lost in affording the proper naval protection. He did not know whether the terms of the treaty with France were complained of; that was a very different matter; if any infraction of 411 that treaty had taken place, no time ought to be lost in making the proper representations to the Foreign office. He would only remark that the most speedy mode of procuring redress for the constituents of the hon. and gallant Member would have been to have, in the first instance, memorialised that department of the Government to which the matter more properly belonged; and if their representations had been disregarded, then it would have been time enough for the hon. and gallant Gentleman to come down, and ask redress from that House.
§ Captain Pechellsaid, remonstrances on this subject had been made time out of mind; and though he would not say the present Government had not shown every disposition to afford protection, he did assert that protection had been refused by the Board of Admiralty, of which the right hon. Baronet, the Member for Cumberland, was the head. This he could show by documents in writing, if necessary. He was determined, if Government refused, to take up this matter himself, with a view of compelling the French to observe the principle of equity and justice.
§ Mr. Laboucherecould only assure the hon. and gallant Member that no time would be lost in making application to the Admiralty, who would, he could take upon himself to say, pay every attention to the representations made to them.
§ Petition laid on the Table.