The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1821-04-17 00:00:00

TIMBER DUTIES.

Mr. WAI.LACE moved the Order of the Day for the
Don.e going low Committee on the Report or the Select
Committee on the dote* on Timber.

Mr. J. P. GRANT rose to move an amendment. There
was no preposition rl than that, if by prohibitions se
one yule, am! treaties on the other, people were compelled to
go to a dearer mai ket instead of a chimp'r for any comma.'
ally, the tX.CAS or the purchase of the dean r article was sas
muds Olie* tont of the pockets of the million. The country.
at prevent lust 000,000/. a ye''r by she restrictive reielatiuoy
which prevented it hum linfing timber wbets they could
procure it on the ea%ical terms. It ..111 peculiarly,
desirable th■t correct priuciples of political tcotionep
should not be 'hewed from in this, the first nirnan►e
pearefdlag Gum 'lie COI 111 In I I I cc tin Foreign 'h'rade.
e ervertl that she object of the Ship-owners in edition he ;
thris ciumtion was, tis fuice a greater tiaa.,ily
tutu the trade of the ciinatry then it couhl support, instead
of !cuing it tlunittisls twill the supply Lvcspie only equal to I
the demand, He read extracts trout the evidea-e puree
before the Committee to Phew that she gaudily of
shipping employed is. the American titular trade over
and *hove whit %rota suffice lor the trail, to Ike Baltic,
consisted aulely of uld transports. And the only que,tion
was whether these transports should be kept up. NOM,
ompspiur4l of at amount of the duties, but of the sego-
lati..us affecting the trade only. Them resulatimm now
gave a drawback to Russia of 160,0001. and a bounty to the

•
ship-owner of 450,604 e mtually. He thonglit that the
precept state of the trade was suoie utiraculutie animals°.
If the Committee met merely to couciliate adverse claims, lie
thought it might have been very well dispensed with. lie
viewed the neevore proposed with the greater regret, as it
was to be eotteidered as the earnest of whet his Mejtoty's
Ministers were dteposell to do in the way of a reformation
in the system and regulations of our foreign trade. The
lima. Gentleman then described review* dolma mud reguia-
Linos which he proposed to substitute in the roam of those
recommended in the Report, and concludes! by moving, as
an ammo:lomat, the/ the Howie do resolve itself into a Cum.
toupee of the whole House to eousider further of the duties
on foreign timber.
The question baring bees put—
Mr. WA LIACE thought that the Hon. Gentlemau hail
not laid sufficient grounds lo induce the House either to
reconsider the general question, or the particular points to
which he had adverted. In originally bringing forward the
measure, be (Mr. %I/Aimee) had expected the principal op-
position from the Colonial interests, and lie had not hero
ilisappoiateJ ; but he had received opposition, and suffered
animadversions from another quarter where he had least
expected it, because he had not gone the full length of the
principle of allowing a freedom of trade. He had gone as
fur as prudence, permitted, out confining his attention to
the costumer only, but extending it to the whole country.
His opinions on the subject were still the same as whey
s-. the question was introduced to the notice of the house;
I he should not therefore enter at any great length into it.
He could not, however, think, as had been urged on a fin mer
night, that we were to attend merely to the interests of
the consumer. His sole object was to ameliorce the
trade, and remove in some degree the pressure that
was felt. The effect of taking the ditties on the cubical
contents would be to prevent Russia from participating is
the adramages, and giving a monopoly to Norway. It
would raise Russian deals from 12/. to 301. while those of
Norway would be only 141. Some there were who thought
we should not attend to these consideratious, but merely
attend to the interests of the consumer. He, however, viewed
the question aa it affected the general commercial in-
terests of the militia. The Right Hunouralsla Gentleman
then entered at runtolerable leugth into the arguments
of the Hosoursble Gentlemau who pieced, el him (Mr.
Grant). He denied that the drawback, as stated by that
lion. Gentleman, would amount to 450.000/. If we drew our
supplies from the Northern States of Europe, we should pay
900,000/.-400,000/. if which would go into their pockets.
On the whole, he was not dieposed to raise the price of Ame.
f iCSII timber. It would have die effect of escliidiug the
trade from Kathie, and therefore he could not agree to the
proposit ion.
Mr. W. SMITH said, he should certaiuly support the
proposition of his Hon. Friend (Mr. Greet), •libou.th he
thought to go into details on such a question as tlus, is as
hopeless a cuneern as could nett he attempted; and its what
ke should address to the illutthe, he should endeavour to
confine himself to general priemples. Then uu order to
clear away the rubbish, he would ask, was it wise, merely
for the purpose of encouraging the shipping interest (the
full importance of which he was free to admit), to send to
America for what •e could get at the mouth of the Elbe?
Were they to send to Newcastle- fur bricks, merely because
we had ships that wanted employment, or send to the Eye,
bullet for sugar when we could get it front the West? This
he considered a simple stud a plebs illustration of the prin-
ciples. He therefore thought the wily way to reconcile the
difference of upisnou abet existed, was to refer it to a Com-
mittee up stairs.
Mr. MARRYATT thought the arguments of the Gentle•
men un the other side at variance with the souudest promo
pli sof commercial polo,. Hr thought the course fur us to
pursue was to adhere to the strictest thipaitiality, and be di-
rected slime by the must liberal motives. He cuucludrd by
saying that he should support the original motion.
Mr. RICARDO said, it was not his intention to detain
the Hoare many minutes. He thought the boos offered to
Norway very inconsiderable. Nur would any monopoly
whatever be greeted to Norway by tone-toilet( to the provost-
110a of his Hos. Friend. He had taken the liberty, so a
former acetate°, of stating his opinions at some length.
These opinions were slot at all chang.d, and be sbonil con-
eider himself quite nojustthabte in occupying the hole of
the House longer.
Mr. KEITH DOUGLAS thought the recommendation of
his Right Hon. Friend (Mr. Wallace), the most inconsiste lit
• that could be, but he did not think the proposition of the
Hun. Gentlemen opposite (Mr. Grant) would effect the
•equtlity it professes. He thought it must desirable the
trade should he settled on that basis that "mild produce a
free competition.
Sir W. DE CRESPIGNY said, that the interests of our
(*lentil possessions should he particularly attended to.
Mr. GLADSTONE saw no advantage likely to result
from the proposition of the Hon. Gentleman (Mr. Orntil)e
but to lay a duty on foreign deals fur the purpose of giving
employment to the sawyers in this country.
Mr. BENNETT said, the body of the House hail impro-
perly and culpably untreated the question to merchants who
were mainly interested in the point at issue, and to Gentle-
men representing large tomes that haJ the shipping interest
to attend to. He had nu prep° ion iu favour of Qll4ll
country more than another, hut much lees should be give
as advantage to Russia, tbe most eantiug &emit ism in Europe,.
He believed that Rums and Norway were rosining a race of
absurd regulative', hot it was oar duty to show these foolish
despotic goverumesits that we knew better thinpsthao to sup.
port these ancient ridicnlous Gothic systems. He had heard
that the measure proposed by the Right Hon. Gent. wee
to be merely temporary. He hoped it would be so, and
that it Wined not lot a twelvemonth, fur he thought
if the people of England knew their own interests
they would petition simian it. The object of it was
too to serve the colonial interests, but to give an ad-
vantage to Russia; sod if there was a Goyeruineut in the
kaolin world to which the enlightened and liberal people of
ugh*sd would wish nut to give an advantage, it is to the
base, detestable, casting, hypocritical, blood stained Govern-
ment of Russia.

The Amendment was then put and negatived; the ori-
ginal motion was then carried; upon which the House went
We a Committee. Some clauses were thee added la the
8111, and agreed to. The House having resumed,
Mr. WALLACE moved that the Report be received to-
morrow.

Mr. BENNETT objected to the Report being brought
up, hut subeequeutly miaowed, on condition of the Bill
being read a third time oil Tburad.ry omit.
Mr. BUXTON consented to postpone a Institut of which
he had given notice for Wednesday nem, at the suggestion
of Mr. B. Bathurst.

hIr.HUME gave notice, that on Thursday sett he should
mare for an accosts' of the number of Courts Martial at-
tended by the Judge Advocate-General.
COMMITTEE OF SUPPLY.
The House then went isle a Committee of Supply.
Lord PALMERSTON proposed that a sum nut exceeding
5,6141. be granted to defray the expenses of the Army Medi-
cal Hoard.

Colonel DAVIES mid, that in his mind this departMent
was conducted on a most extravagant 'wale, and thotrifore
grooved, that a reduction of 1,2001. be made.
Lord PALMERSTON said, it would be quite Impossible
to conduct the establishment on more moderate trite% nod
there was no way of meeting the Hon. and Gallant Member
bmg by assertion, the only argument ►e had made use of.
Mr. HUME hoped lbe Noble Lord would, in the coarse
of the next year, n..lice the number of cleika in that oak*.
After a few words 04111 Nli.. SENNETT the motso. was
carried.

Lord PALMERSTON next tuotierl, that the atm of
10,5141. be panted to defray the sapruars of rennin isohlic
offices in Ireland.
Mr. HOME said, that in furencr years, when Ireland was
is the same 'tat, of perfect peace as now, there was not ono
quarter the Staff. To the Medical Stall' in putirelat, he
hog the strongest objections. He had, on a former ireeasion,
mated hi. °panto un Oral 103.01. The *shoot Staff in
Ireland is greater than sr England, and therefore tic ishould
pi otiose that the sum of 7,000/. hi. sul“tituted.
Lord PALM ERSTON said, that the Medical Staff had
the same duties to performs as ilia Staff in England, sod that
au 'atelier iium would sneerer.
Sir H. PARN ELL had peas objections to wow eetrowe-
gaol items iu the Estimate". The present spies wail WOE,

o.dir..wßon

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