The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1821-05-23 00:00:00

The Earl of DARNLEY was of opinion that it
would be better that the county of York should
be divided for the purpose% of the Bill, and that
two Members should he returned for the West
!{►ding of the county of York ; at the same time
be would give his voice for the elect►ve right beiog
taken fro►n a corrupt borough a►►d extruded to a
county, whenever such a case occurred.
Lord ELLENBOROUGH considered it would be
better to give the town of Lancaster the right of
returning one Member to Perrhameni, and to give
the county of York the right to return a th►rd
Member.

The Earl of LIVERPOOL said, the consideration
which weighed on his mind iii making the pro-
position that he did, as to four Members to he re-
turned for Yorkshire, nos, that there could not be any
corruption, ■od that it could nut create a feeling of
jealousy in any other county, as the preponderance
of the county of York in extent was so much above
any other, and if the elective franchise was removed
to another county, there would of necessity be
two Sheriff's appointed by the Crown, and so it
would be here if the right was only extended to
the West Riding of the county of York.
After a few words from the Earl of LAUDER-
DA►.E, the Report was laid on the table, and the
Bill ordered for the third reading on Thursday.
A Pttnion was presented from Prince Edward's
Island against any alteration of the timber cairs.
The Marquis of LANADOWN presented two Pe-
tit inns front Olt Protestant Dissenting Ministers in
end übont the Metropolis, praying • revision of
the Criminal Code.

TIMBER DUTIES.
Earl BATHURST, on moving that the House
should resolve into a Committee on this Bill, ob-
served, that the debate had been put off by agree-
ment until tins stage of their proceedings. It be-
came his duty to state the principles of the mea-
sure now to be submittted to them. The subject
of the timber duties had beeu first taken up by a
Committee of their Lordships, appointed just after
the war, to iuquire into the best means of extending
and securing the foreign commerce of the country.
Tins subject appeared particular:), to invite the at-
tention of the Committee. In the year 1809 we
were excluded from all the timber marts of the
Baltic, in consequence of the hostile disposition. of
the Northern Powers. Their object was to depress
our colonial trade and injure onr 'twine by excluding
us from the benefit before derived from the interven-
tion of neutral vessels, through the means of which
the trade was at that period carried en. it became the
duty of the British Government therefore to have
recourse to its own resources, and to extend a coy-
respoudiug protection to the trade of the North

American. Colonies. Heavy duties *eye knitted-
ately imposed oat the whole of the Baltic •tiosber,
and the duties on Colonial timber wets eitatether
remitted. In 1809 and 1810 a duty of 2/..15. per
load was Lid on Bsltic timber, the duty of which
before was only 63. These date's were stated at ,
the time to be a measure of war policy, the "winos
n-nce of which was by no mums to be coward
upon, as they had nu reference to revenue in their
application. It was held at the time that it would
be at any period at the discretion of Goers meat
to repeal those duties. especially "Awn peace shield
occur. A notice of inquiry having taken place im-
mediately after the was, it rot-all those engaged in
the timber bode iu a state of extreme activity; they
resolved to make the best use of their time, *ad
very large imports of timber took place aimed im-
mediately, without any reference bring had to the
probable demand which the country would have
for it. In 1817 the quantity of timber imported
from the North American Colonies atnouated
to 136,000 load., a hood portion of which came
flom Prince Edward's blend. In 1818. in conse-
quence of the notice which' had been given in Par-
liament, and without any additional demand for the
commodity, there were 203,000 loads of fir-timber
imported. A large number of ship% of considera-
ble dimensimis, which fell out of employmeut from
the finishing of the war, were turned over to this
trade. A great number of seamen, whose occupa-
tion just then hailed them. added to the facilities
for enlarging this trade. There were no other rea-
sons for the increase of the trade than that which
he had stated. A similar increase took place in
the importation of Baltic timber, which was equally
unwarranted by the demands of the market, and
fur which no rearms could be assigned, but
an excessive spirit of speculation, excited in
some measure by the proposed inquiry of Per-
liament into the state of the duties. In 1817
there were 79,900 loads of Baltic timber im-
ported ; iu 1818 there were 130.000. The
amount of both kinds imported that year was
334,000 loads, making a difference between that
and the preceding year of 216,000 loads. lit
1819 there were imported from North America
249,000106dt, and 102,000 loads from the Baltic,
making together 351,000 loads—a larger-excess
than that of 1818. He wished to Malmo' it on the
House, that this amazing increase was not owing
to any augmentation of demand, or any probability
of the kind—on the contrary, the demand was consi-
derably diminished. Neither was the increase in
any way attributable to the state of the duties,
Which, while they remained and were thought likely
to remain, had caused little difference in the trade.
In any arguments, therefore, to be used in this goes-
tom, it would be unfair to make any reference to
the forced and unnatural state of the trade in
1818 and 1819, to furnish arguments for the con-
tinuance of the duties. On the other hand it
would not be fairly assumed that the depressed
state of the trade was owing to the competition of
the North American Colonies with the Baltic coun-
tries. The attention of the Committee had been
directed particularly to the unequal pressure of the
duties, for want of proper gradatious having been first
established for laying them. Of deals, plank, and
rough timber, the duties on plank were felt the
lightest. The Bill before their Lordships went to alter
and regulate that application of the impost. The
same duty had been fixed on all plank from eight to
20 fret in length, at the rate of 201. 15.. Bd. for a
funning hundred, or 125 feet. The effect was, to in.
ttoduce the greatest inequalities of duty. The Nor-
way plank generally ran to 18 feet in length, the Rus-
sia plait! to 20 feet. The duty was very much lower
on all plunk under eight feet. The impression was,
that the timber short of eight feet was a separate and
substantive branch of the timber trade. The con-
sequence war, that all the Norway timber was cut
purposely to avoid the high duties, and imported
in lengths jnat under eight feet, and a considerable
number of *hips were engaged in that nude. The
duoy before was 7/. per hundred on all timber un-
der eight feet. The proposed duly would be 61. on
all mider six fret of length. From 6to 16 fret the
duty would be 191. per hundred ; Born 16 to 21 feet
22/. This would gives considerable relief to the trade
of Norway. Tile Russian trade was one in which
much capital had been embarked ; it kept a con-
siderable market open for British manufactures,
which it would be impolitic to close. By the former
arrangements Norway had a considerable advantage
iu our snorkels over Russia, which it was no* demi.
able to abolish. The ill-proportioned duties WI
plank and rough timber would be rendered more
equal ; whereas there was less duty on plank than
rough timber, it was desirable that the heavier duty
should fall on the manufactured timber. It re-
mained for him to stale what duties were to be laid
on colonial timber. He admitted the general pro-
priety of free principles in trade, but thought that
the peculiar circumstances of the case ought to be
taken into consideration. Some iudulgence was
_due to the Colonies in the first place. Ile Proposed
such a difference of duties as should compensate ih.•
Colonies for the difference of expense on freight aad
transport. The Comittee had recommended that some
pr.dectiois Armlet be given to the Colonies. The Bill
nut only went in furtherance of that recommendation.
but a little beyond it. The difference 'of duty
would be equal to about 11. beyond the difference
of expense in freight and transport. The duty be-
fore on Baltic timber wait equal to St 5.. per load;
the whole difference to be eetablished between the
former and the new duties was IL It was his duty
to state, that the arrangement was not to be consi-
dered as permanent; it had never been the loans-
! tion of the Government or of Parliament to exclude
per menently the timber of the Baltic. The presetit
measure must be considered as one which would
. be subjected to revision, not in three or four years,
but after a fair lapse of time. As to those who
tit eintanied that 110 interest ought to be considered
separately. and that the country should be left to
supply itself with the best mad cheapest articles,
thoogh a good principle, it was not applicable to a
state of things in which almost every interest