The Sun.
London, England, 1814-05-12 00:00:00

ENGLISH OAK TINIBEIt.

It is said the Ci.rand Junction and other Canals
have derived great 'hehefit from the carriaze of
Oak TiMber, from the interior of the country, to_
Lon'dbn and the Out-ports ,for Ship-buildiv; and
from the carriage into the interini-ol foreign Tim-
ber for House-bnilding yet, that the persons con 7,
ccrne.l- in the inlara Ovigation the - kingdom
'are lndifferen't to the:result of the grent'ireleton
uow de pcnllin-g, e'rber.. a y_tno.re. 1a r ge.o,dt Tim-
ber shall he brought:fron the interior to London
am! the Oat-port for 'flaval‘put•phses. It will,
1;-i; w e cr., tip,;eai•, ty. r eferenee Funks- of •t
Canals e,l%,ing: coMmunicatiOn vith London aml
the Ou'-,x~rtthat tlie.earriage ol• the (lift:event
specieA of Timbers lieflire tpeniioned con4itutes a.
very great proportion of their ne.t.teral etUUloyment
And that there is no reason. to doubt they feel a
strong interest on 'this' stibjert. It is also ,s,aid,
the 'price acirainaffeCisintiterially, the Landed
Interest ; wie Ncifill to know whether the price of

Oak Timher will not be nitfr,4l depressed, if. the
building of lartteips shOnld In.:: discontinued. in
. fireatTritain ? It likecrise utiOt not be 'uninte-
.res•ting to ascertain, whether the difference in the
value of theTitni•!er at the liedge,rows of fields, (hies
not generally exceed the value of the rent of the
elds It will alio afford another' object of in-
teresting research ,to persons tvido have considera-
ble property in Woodland, to a.F.certain, notwith-
'standing the ship-bnih!ing which it is alleged hits
t.l4eu Once at the Out-ports and in the King's
yards during the two wars, uthcihr±r therc"
not ..?t•i.)?, Mroughout all the Timber Counties, a gene-
rat fill of in the prke of Oak Timber fit for ship.
building. We shall forbear to press this suhjet,
untii the examination now going on, as to the
state of Oak Timber in England, is closed ; hut,
webare no doubt, it will appear there is no ra-
tional ground to stippose country incompetent
to the Supply of all the Oak Timber wanted litrthe
Navy and the Merchant's Service. Indeed.we know
the annual: consiunption for both has been ex-
, Arentely exaggerated ; and so it will be evident, if
the same is ,trictly itiquired into. A delusion has

too long prevailed on this interesting subject; yet,
not withstending the prejudices which are still re-
tainccl elle establishment of this impOrtant
fact, we do trust :he Legislature trill cause io be
sifted to the bottom the circumstances which have
led to Stich 2111 injhn inns impression On the
,public
mind. We are surpriSed to observe so rooted and
fixed an inclination to disbelieve the competency
of Great .Britain to supply Oak Timber, in size
and quantity, equal to all the wants of the Navy
and the Merchant's Service! .We ate satisfied
there never- was a scarcity--and that there never
will he a scarcity—if•a fair indwentent is held
rut to the Landed Interest to_persevere in the sys-
tem which has orevailed during the last five-and-
twenty years, in extending and protecting the
growth .of Oak Timber. The political grounds of
the objections to I.he proposed measure in fa-
vintr of India-built Ships we do. not at pre-
sent notice : they are self-evident. Indeed, we
.cannot suppose that, after a war, founded on
and upheld by the maritime superiority of the.
country, any rational Politician' would venture to
• eecomumend an abandonment of the Ship-building
Establishme.ats of the Kingdom, because ships.
may. be built cheaper ii foreign countries, or
of a more dUrable material in British India.—
The restive cost of Ships built in England and`
India does- not .appear to he. of any moment,
compered to.the great question to which the in-
vestigation of this subject must- lead, namely,
whether the friends of the Bill to give British
registers-tied) chat acter to the Ships, clump mit Asia,
for the purpose of trading to amid front time United
Kingdom -to, India and China, and to the inter-
mediate places within the East, India Company's
Charter-,
.are prepared to declare, that an moue-
diate breach shall be made in the Navigation Sys-
, tent of the Country, and the present Laws re-
pealed, and hi; Majesty's subjects allowed to buy
Ships in Russia, or other places, wherever they
may be; had at a cheaper rate than in Great Bri-
tain. UnksS they are disposed to go this length,
toe BM can; i t be supported on any broad grounds
of national policy. *Avrty are the East India Mer-
chants to be allowed advantages over those en-
im the West India Trade Codependent of
the freleat to England from India and China or
the former) ?' We Mean with reference to the
employment of Ships built in India, which are to,
be from time British Colonial Trade. If
there.:is•any good Sense,,sound policy, or national
timis measure, India-built Ships ought to
he admitted to participate even ill the Coasting
Trade of the. E-epire ! Vet the Advocates of this
proposition have not had the courage to go this
length. Under a supposed scarcity of Oak Tim-
ber for Ship-building, this measure has been sug-
gested. How, long it will he maintained, will de-
, rod on the good sense of the Goverment, and
the patriotisui of the Legislature ; but; \surely, it
iS too late to try problems on vital questioos.of
this nature, though it may not be too late for the
'iodelef-a to acknowledge their .Aneestors were en-
- mTned With more practical tiiddid sense and wisduar.
than 11u-tie-mei...el, :mod that Great Britain is "-an ex-
eeption,' io all its features,- .political and com-
mercial, and does not fail within the dicta of the.
Economists, which have, unfortunately, so be-
numbed the faculties of some of the omen of the
present day, thatthey appear to be disposed .to
try every •species of experiment to - reader du-
bious time grooods on which the 11,'.iticne Glory
and independence of the Country have hitherto
been nuruntained. NVe therefore bur. the Home
interestS will receive, in the coutse of time present
Session of Purl:ailment, that protection to %chic!'
they are so pie-eminently eittitleda and when it
is recollected Cott so many indastrious indivi-
duals, on both Beaks of the Thames, are, at this
time, piniug ill ini,:try., from the want of em-
ployment, with no prospect-. 4 relief, if this ques-
tion is not inunediately set at rest but an nett-
frod,tion of distress, from time numbers of their
fellow-artizans who will be thrown on time world
town discharged from the puhlie service, we
erinnot hesi,tate to express our firm conviction
that, in time cour4eof this Sei6in, their case will
be decided Upoll by the Legi,htuce, wit', that re-

occasio:ls,

.1, whicp I

ral goof. "as, on :ft:Ill
their cieetsibi,s, and, tkerchy, secure, on ail great
atyl emergencies a continuation of a te:-
sonrce at holm., %vhich has been, at many former
periuds, o s;) conTictinsisz I,e;ieficial. to the Nation.
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