Parliamentary abstracts, containing the substance of all important papers laid before parliament, 1825, 1826

tion of mere cheapness would cast the balance] If what has been stated by your committee in favour of the produce of our American pro-leads them to expect some diminution of the vinces. export of the American colonies, from a change

The aggregate of these applications of timber in the scale of existing duties, they have also form a very considerable proportion of the gene-reason to believe that it is only by a temporary ral consumption of the country; and it appears to restraint of that export that the character of the your committee, that it would require something wood is likely to be improved, and its value little short of equality in point of price with eventually increased; such a diminution, therethose of the Baltic to exclude the timber and fore, is in itself by no means, in the contempladeals of the British colonies from importation tion of your committee, a sufficient ground of for these purposes. Nor must it be forgotten objection on the part of the colonies to any that the experience obtained within the last few alteration that may be proposed, unless it be years of the qualities and value of the Ame- such an alteration as shall be calculated extenrican wood, which has had the effect of removing sively to exclude from consumption the timber much of the prejudice that prevailed against it, of the North American colonies, and transfer in so far must probably have contributed to the trade to foreigners. Within certain limits induce a permanent extension of its consump- the trade of the colonies of Great Britain have tion. a just claim to encouragement and support from the mother country; and to such claim your committee are anxious to give full weight. It is not, however, a question whether this encouragement and support should be given or withholden; but, admitting it to be due, to what extent it should be carried, in justice to other interests, which have also their peculiar claims to attention, and which are, in the opinion of your committee, also deeply involved in this discussion. On the fair regard shewn to foreign countries, the extent of our commerce with them may depend, and in providing with too much partiality for the interests connected with the trade to and from our American colonies, we may put in hazard all those still more extensive interests that are engaged in the export to those countries which are directly concerned in the timber trade (if not of our foreign trade generally), by such a proof of deliberate preference of a principle of restriction as the rule of our commercial policy.

By the estimate of some of the witnesses, the excess of supply of American pine beyond the demand is stated to be at present considerable, insomuch that a heavy loss is incurred by the importers. This circumstance, even under the existing duties, cannot fail to lead to a reduction in its future importation, and, of course, to a diminution of employment, in the same degree, of the shipping engaged in the trade. If the effect of an alteration of duty should for a time increase the demand for northern timber, it must also undoubtedly tend to a similar consequence, not likely to be more than partially counterbalanced by a corresponding increase of demand for British shipping in the trade with the north of Europe, from the ports of which a smaller number of vessels may be sufficient for an equal amount of importation.

In maintaining the original duty imposed expressly for the purpose of encouragement to the North American trade, it cannot be contended that every claim on public faith is not fully satisfied. In point of expediency, how

By a diminution of the demand from America, the capital invested in sawmills and establishments in those colonies, stated at 150,000l., may be liable to some injury. It must be recollected, however, that the advantage given to the American colonial trade, on which these establishments were founded, has already extended beyond the period on which those engaged in it had any right to calculate; and having specu-ever, and in consideration of the interests inlated on their own views of public policy, they can have no just ground of complaint in the event of parliament taking a different view of what that policy requires, and subjecting these duties to some modification beyond the expectation which they had formed.

volved, your committee are disposed to think it may be allowed to go even something further in favour of the colonies. The difference created by duty on timber amounts at present to 31. 5s. per load; if, by the effect of the alteration, that should be reduced to 27. 5s., which would leave To the Canadian proprietor, the principal a protection, after providing for the ordinary value of the timber trade appears to consist difference in freight, in the actual selling price in the employment it affords to the persons con- of the respective descriptions of timber, of 17. 10s. cerned in agriculture, and their servants, during per load in favour of the imports from our North a certain period of the year, in conveying the American provinces, your committee cannot but wood from the places where it has been felled, think, in recommending such a difference, they to the places from which it is to be conveyed to shall at least be free from the charge of not havthe ports of export; while the part of the busi- ing sufficiently listened to the pretensions of ness which belongs to cutting and rafting is in the parties whose interests are involved in the many instances performed by axemen passing colonial trade, and tendered as great sacrifice from the United States for this purpose, who on the part of the country, both to the shipping are understood to be more expert in these opera- and the colonies, as they can persuade themtions than the labourers of the British terri-selves the house will be disposed to sanction. tories.

The state of the duty on deals will not, in the opinion of your committee, allow the same degree of relative reduction to be applied to it, which has been recommended for that on timber.

At this rate of difference, it appears to your cumstances will permit, to adopt more liberal committee, a fairer competition will be given to principles than those by which our commerce foreign produce, and a freedom of choice (which, with them has been hitherto governed. under the present relative prices, can hardly be said to exist) will be secured to the consumers, between the descriptions of wood brought from the respective points of supply, while a certain and large proportion of the consumption of the United Kingdom will be assured to the American colonies, in the applications of their timber to those uses for which its qualities and comparative price must give it a preference.

The rate of duty on long deals at present falls considerably below that on timber, whilst on those of short lengths it rather exceeds it. In what principle this distinction in favour of deals, as compared with timber in the log, originated, your committee are at a loss to discover, and are averse to recommend a continuance of it, at least to its present extent. They feel, however, considerable difficulty in proposing to equalise the duty on timber and deals, which, if effected by the reduction of duty on timber, must be attended with a large sacrifice of revenue, and if by an addition to that on deals, might tend in some measure rather to impair than assist the foreign trade of the kingdom, by the effect it would have on the exports of wood from those

However the tendency of the evidence generally may be, to recommend an alteration in the duties, to such an amount as may prove a corrective to the trade, without impairing materially the consumption of the American timber; a considerable variety of opinion was expressed by the witnesses examined, as to the extent to which an alteration of the existing duty might be carried, without danger to the fair demand for the produce of our American colonies. Amidst the different opinions given, it was difficult for your committee to determine the precise amount by which the relative difference between the co-states, of which deals form the greatest prolonial timber and that from the northern states should be reduced, and in fixing upon 20s. they have not only taken that sum as a point between the extremes, but have been influenced by a reference to the accounts of the market in several years, and particularly in 1816, 1817, 1818, and 1819, as it is given in a paper added in the appendix, and in the evidence of two of the witnesses; when it appears to have been, according to the remarks of one of them, in a natural and healthy state; when a fair com-in which the duty at present bears upon this petition existed, when the prejudice entertained against American timber seemed to be on the decline, and the demand for it augmenting. The relative price was, at this period, about or nearly three to four, which has recently been reduced to one-half, owing to the unnatural situation into which the market has been brought by excessive importations, produced by the va-mittee, is one that has reference to deal ends, rious circumstances which, at the present moment, have contributed to disturb the channels, and change the character of the trade.

portion. This, in the opinion of your committee, precludes the application of a rule of strict equality to deals and to timber; but it appears to them, that while the amount of duty on timber is reduced in the degree proposed, a small increase on deals of large dimensions will in some measure lessen the distinction, at least as far as that class of deals is concerned. On the shorter deals, they recommend some reduc tion of duty, less with reference to the manner

description of deals in comparison with timber, than in consideration of the difference in the quantity of wood contained in a given number of deals of the larger and smaller dimensions, which seems to call, in respect of the latter, for a more favourable assessment. Another alteration which has suggested itself to your com

on which a comparative low duty has been hitherto levied, in order to accommodate the ship-owner in broken stowage; this indulgence has been found to lead to great abuse, in cover. ing the introduction of timber of this description as cargo, (a practice never contemplated) to an extent most injurious to the revenue. They therefore submit the propriety of confining the length of this class of deals to six feet, and making a moderate reduction in duty to which they are at present liable.

Your committee next proceed to consider in what mode that alteration of duty should be effected, whether by reduction of duty on Baltic timber, by an imposition of duty on American, or by a combination of both; and the result of their consideration has been, a preference of the last mode of producing the relative approximation they have recommended in the prices of the respective descriptions of timber, by the imposition of 10s. on the American timber, and a corresponding reduction from the duty on that imported from the north of Europe; this they conceive to be most effectual to produce the advantages they have in contemplation; by re-mittee's examination; and although the reduc moving the excessive inequality of the present system, facilitating our intercourse with foreign nations, and marking our desire, as far as cir

In consequence of the report referred to them, the mode of levying the duty on deals and wood of the other denominations, under which it is imported into this country, according to the cubic measure, has been an object of your com

tion of them all to their cubical contents in assessing the duty, seems, on the first view of it, the most easy as well as the most equitable

principle that could be adopted, your committee | lection of the duty, there does not appear to be have found reasons in support of continuing the any sufficient reason; and they therefore submit existing mode (both as a matter of convenience, to the consideration of the house the propriety of and as producing a degree of equality between making the same duty attach on all importations the countries by which our importations of of wood in foreign ships alike, and that the wood are furnished), sufficient to prevent their amount of difference between the importation in proposing to the house to relinquish it; in pre- the foreign ship, and that in the British ship, serving the mode, however, they are of opinion, should be fixed for the future at 5 per cent. that an improvement may be introduced into the scale now in use, by admitting a gradation of duty, between the deal ends and deals of the largest class, which, it appears to your committee, would attain more effectually that advantage by which the existing mode of levying the duty is chiefly recommended.

Your committee have abstained from entering, in this Report, into details upon the subject of battens, oak plank, staves, deck-plank, paling-boards, masts, spars, and the other various denominations under which timber is imported, to which their attention has been directed. The duties on these will be influenced by those on the more important articles, and will make a necessary part of any measure that may hereafter be submitted to the house.

The policy of a legislative preference being given to the importation of timber in the log, and the discouragement of the importation of deals, seems to your committee very doubtful, both because they are of opinion that any advantage to be expected from the conversion of timber into deals in this country will not be sufficient to compensate for the corresponding disadvantage to the general consumer (to whom the deals would come with a considerable increase of cost), and because it is founded on a principle of exclusion, which they are most averse to see brought into operation in any new instance, without the warrant of some evident and great political expediency.

One only further recommendation has suggested itself to your committee, which, in concluding their report, they are desirous of offering to the house. It has appeared in the evidence, that a great proportion of the timber which is imported from the province of Canada is the growth of the United States, and has been permitted to be received into that province free from duty, and has from thence been exported to the united kingdom, with all the benefits and immunities conceded to the produce of the British territory. To obviate the objection to which this practice appears to your committee to be liable, they are of opinion, that with every exportation of timber from the British provinces in North America a certificate of its being the produce of those provinces should be required, and that timber imported without such certificate should be hereafter charged with the same rate of duty as would be payable on it, if imported directly from a foreign state.

In submitting the result of what has occurred to them in the course of their inquiry into this important subject, your committee have only to add, that in the recommendations which they have tendered, it has been their endeavour, to the utmost of their power, to conciliate the claims of adverse interests and the contending considerations of policy that demanded their attention. If what they propose falls far short of a recurrence to those sound principles by Your committee have discovered in the ac- which all commerce ought to be regulated, they counts before them, that the protective duty in trust it will appear to the house, that they have favour of British shipping has been made to proceeded as far as, under present circumstances, operate in different degrees on the importation is consistent with an equitable regard to the of wood of different descriptions, varying from protection due to extensive interests that have 24 to 5 per cent, and in some unimportant in-grown up under an established system, and stances falling below, as in others considerably which must be deeply affected by any material exceeding these rates, on the value of the par- and sudden change to which that system is ticular article imported. For this inequality, subjected. which introduces much perplexity into the col

9 March, 1821.

GLASS.

IRELAND.

AN ACCOUNT shewing what has been the Amount of Duty received, and of Drawback paid thereout, from 5th January, 1824, to 5th January, 1825, upon Glass; distinguishing
the Amount of Duty and Drawback upon the several sorts of Crown, Flint, Plate, Bottles, and Broad or Spread; and distinguishing also the Amount of Drawback upon the
Glass exported to Ireland, from that exported to other parts of the World.

Broad or spread 13,942 10 0

£ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. £ 8. d.
399,660 16 10 25,892 4 2 51,315 15 11 77,208 0 1 120,219 10 0
291,699 17 21
177 0 5172,390 17 0 172,567 17 5 22,296 12 91
41,766 15 0 1,622 12 9 1,136 10 11 2,759 3 81
114,028 12 3 1,304 6 9 50,401 15 7 51,706 2 3
159 11 6
159 11 6

22,318 19 5

AN ACCOUNT of all Glass exported to Ireland previous to 5th January, 1825, the Debentures on which were not paid; and also of all Glass exported since 5th January, 1825, up to the latest Period to which such Account can be made up.

Glass exported to Ireland previously to 5th January, 1825, the debentures on which!

were not paid.