The Sun.
London, England, 1831-02-18 00:00:00

MEETING OF MERCHANTS AND SHIP

OWNERS.-( THIS DAY).

this morning a meeting of the persons interested in the ship-
ping trade of the country was held at the City of London Tavern
'the room in which the meeting was held was crowded to ex..e.%s
by most of the principal merchants and ship-owncrs in the City of
London. The principal question for discussion is the propriety
of memorializing Government against the proposed duty on
Canada timber.

Mr. Alderman THOMPSON, M.P., took the Chair.
There were present Alderman Waithrnan, Mr. Robinson, M.P.,
&c. Eke. The meeting became so full that an adjournment to the
ball-room was considered, but not carried into effect.
The CHAIRMAN raid, if he could have entertained any doubt
of allowing the use of his room to the calling the meeting, that
doubt was removed by the numerous meeting he saw betbre him.
He felt that the policy of the Chancellor of the Exchequer,
in imposing an increased duty on Canada timber, would prove
most disastrous in its consequences to the shipping interest ot
the country. Many of the .Noble Lord's plans were to lie altered,
and he hoped the plan of laying a tax on timber would also be al.
tered, when it was shewn that the tax would be injurious. His
opposition to the plan had nothing political in it, and he felt as_
sured that feeling was entertained by the Ministers.—(Hear.)—
At PO time was support to Government more necessary than at
this period. There were engaged in the carrying trade about
1,600 vessels of a very considerable tonnage, and employing up-
wards of 20,000 men. He contended that the ships which were
engaged at present in this trade would, if the preference were
given to the Baltic trade, be wholly rendered useless, and
the many thousand tons of shipping now engaged in the Colonial
trade would be wholly lost. This would not be a measure of re-
lief for the people. The commercial marine was the foundation
of that navy which had driven from off the seas all hostile flag,
like chaff before the wind. He was one of those who held tha
opinion that any plan to increase the trade of the colonies would
increase the riches of the mother country. He was gratified at
the reduction of the coal duty, but contended it would not afford
that relief which was expected to the shipping interest, if the
timber tax Was imposed.
GEORGE RICHARD ROBINSON, Esq. (M.P. for Worm-
tea) rose to move a series of resolutions, and complained of the
conduct of Government in opening the West India trade to the
United States. The plan of putting on a tax on the Canadian
timber would ruin our important colonies. The measure had
already increased the price of Baltic timber. This measure would
too, tend to put foreign shipping on a superior footing, and
throw our colonies into the back ground.—(Loud cries of
" Hear.") He was not opposed to foreigners, but while the
foreign Governments refused to allow our ships freely to enter
their ports, it was the most absurd system to allow foreign ship-
ping to enter our ports without a protecting duty to British ships.
The Hon. Gentleman then alluded to the speech of the Presi-
dent of the United States in reference to the West India trade,
and said that he would be most happy to continue the amicable
relations with those states, but he (Mr. R.) would not throw open
our trade to the Americans unless the United States should make
concessions to this country. The propositions made in the Le-
gislature of the United States for reducing the rates of dealers
on imposts of British goods, had been rejected as related to sugar,
iron, and cotton bagging.—(Hear, hear.) It therefore was true
that the Americans had outwitted our Government in obtaining
the opening of the West India trade, as, whenever an American
gets a footing in the West Indies, it must be at the expellee of
the shipping of this country.—(Hear, hear.) The Hon. Gentle.
man read statements to prove that the United States had a great
carrying trade, and aimed at obtaining that with the West In-
dies. The direct trade in 1816 to the United States was 212,435
tons, ar.d in 1829 it was dwindled down to 63,086 tons. He men-
tioned these circumstances to show how the direct trade to Ame-
rica had fallen off. The Americans would, if these things went
on, soon have a tonnage equal to our own; and he saw the
Americans were gaining advantages at the expense of this
country. He had a letter from Halifax, received that
morning, expressing their utmost consternation at the
opening of the trade with the West Indies. The policy
ot allowing French wines into this country at a reduced
rate of duty, when France continued to keep up the restrictions
against British goods was bad. France took very little of our
manufactures, but principally colonial produce, while Portugal
took from us vast quantities of manufactures. Another fact as
regarded Portugal was, that to that country we owed the suc-
cess of the Newfoundland fishery, Portugal taking a vast
quantity of fish. He therefore contended that the regulation
of the duty on French wine was a boon granted to the
injury of Portugal. With respect to the proposed duty
cotton, he would say a few words. Government had acted
wisely in remitting the duty on printed calicoes, but he thought
they had not acted so wisely in placing a duty on cotton,
as it would encourage the import of American cotton to the di,
advantage of the import of India cotton, which was brought
in our own shipping. He considered the interests of our colonies
intimately bound up and inseparable from those of this country.
With respect to the coal trade, he thought the boon to the ship-
ping interest was not so great as it ought to be. He concluded
by moving a resolution to the effect—" That the announcement
by the Chancellor of the Exchequer to propose an increased tax
on Canada timber, the equalization of the wine duties, and the
putting of one penny per pound on cotton, has excited among all
men the utmost alarm."—(Loud cheers.)
The resolution was put and seconded with acclamation.
Mr. Alderman W AITHM AN said he had endeavoured to sup-
port the shipping interest, as well as all the great trading inte-
rests of the country. The measures of Government were else-
where met far differently to what they were among practical
men.—(Hear.) He was not averse to free trade properly so
called, but he was opposed to those wild theories which had done
so much mischief. He considered the colonial trade was the
most important branch of the trade of this country.
The Alderman was speaking when our Reporter left.