The Sun.
London, England, 1847-04-22 00:00:00

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NAV/GA.TIOS,I4WI6,
___,....-
The Committee appointed to inquire into the operation
'these laws met again on Tuesday to continue their
quiry. Members present: Mr. M.°Gibson (chairman),
r. Ricardo
Sir R. Peel Admiral Dundas, Mr. Alder-
an Thompson, Sir G. Clerk, Mr. Lyall, Mr. Liddell,
, ,
_..r. Mitchell, Sir Howard Douglass, Mr. Macarthy,
an Hume.
4 The Co mittee proceeded in their inquiry by calling
......ansis..‘ll
Mr. B ton, who was examined by Mr. Ricardo,
He
was 1, mine yearn
Was a South American merchant- had been upwards
of twenty
oiwnnSer. outhThAmerica, irnomChcilihialni dtoPethruis.
country consisted principally in the export of cop-
per ore. Alterations were made in 1842 in the terms
of admission of copper ore into this country; they
also brought into operation the navigation laws with
regard to the importation of foreign ore. Until
that time the navigation laws did not operate upon
the importation of foreign ores. In consequence of the i
navigation laws nterferin they were obliged to send
the copper ore home in Britishvessels ; previously to
that they (eight have brought it }Lune in find _n vessels.
That had considerable diminished i Ile export of copper
ore from Chili to this coutvry. The difference in the
rate of freight of foreign end British v,ss. Is bring-
ing the cop,,4er ore to Ei,glai.d was about two
einneas p,r ton. The rate of ir,iglit of a Danish
7,e-sel to the United States, for carrying copper bre,
Nan about three guinea:,
tout an English vessel was not
to be obtained under five guinen,:. It they were enabled
to send tit..., copper cre to England in foreign vessels,
they certainly would have it seat here in preference to
freignt of two guineas per ton on the copper ore was
the United States. Th, difference in the rate of
equal in copper to about 25 per cent. or 81. per
ton. The voyage to the United States was about
,he same duration as to this country from Chili.
In consequence of the export of copper ore to America,
a large importation of United States manufactures into
Chili had taken place. The export of copper ore from
Chili had fallen off since 1842. The consumption Of
English manufactures bad not fallen off in the same
proportion ; he apprehended it was because the effects
of that alteration were not yet fully developed. He
thought that in after years this country would import
no capper ore from Chili.

By Mr. Hume—Smelting had b. en very extensively
carried on in Chili since 1842. It had increased, he
thought, about five times. The coal used for the pur-
pose was found in Chili. It the law was continued the
trade in copper-smelting would soon be lost to this
country altogether.
_ _ _

By Sir Howard Douglas—The repeal of the duty on
copper ore would remove the evil.
By the Chairman—He was not aware that the Board
of Customs had, since 1842, permitted the introduction
of copper ore in other than a British vessel.
By Mr. Liddell—They were not allowed to bring cop-
per ore to England in a foreign ship although not in-
tended for home consumption.
By Mr. Hume—Copper ore might be imported into
France, Belgium, and the United States free of duty for
home consumption.
Mr. Bromnell, of Liverpool, was the next witness.
He was examined by Mr. Ricardo—Witness was a
member of the firm of Brownell and Co., South
America merchants. He had experienced consider-
able inconvenience in the South American trade re-
sulting from the navigation-laws ; especially in the
importation of copper ore, from the difficulty
of meeting with vessels to bring the ore home, and
also from the differential duties, and in consequence of
their not being allowed to employ foreign vessels to
bring the ore to England, which vessels took the ore to
the United States, Hamburgh, Sweden, and France, and
other plaees, there to smelt it, thereby diminishing our
means of getting returns for British manufactures. Before
the alteration in the custom-house arrangements, the
copper ore was brought to England in foreign ships in
the great majority of cases. In one year, of eleven
vessels his firm employed to bring copper ore to Eng-
land, ten were foreigners. The following was a state-
ment of the importation of copper ore since 1839. In
1839, it was 12,193 tons; in 1840, 9,133 tons ; in 1841,
10,819 tons ; in 1842, 10,186 tons ; in 1843, 12,693 tons;
in 1844, 19,363 tons ; in 1805, 10,302 tons ; in 1846,
10.824 tons. The great increase apparent in the years
1844 and 1845 he acc,ainted for by the great efforts made
in those years by the miners to repay the loans advanced
by the English merchants. The system under which
the mines were worked in that country for years had
been, that the merchants advanced large sums of money
for the purpose, which were repaid in produce. The
repayment of those loans had necessarily been a very
tedious operation. As soon as those loans were repaid,
no more copper ore would be imported into this country
from Chili. It would be smelted in Chili for England.
From
,atint
d,
gien
thchri
eserae.sxpe i
nlgtriiwne exp
eri
ence he believed
te.aclloinpgpeorff. that
ilnnthle the trade
84im2,poitrtati would
on
amountedfail
o
fore,to
309 tons, in 1843, to 127 tons ; in this year most of the
furnaces in Chili were allowed to go to ruin, and the ore
was brought to England to smelt. In 1844, when the
duty began to take effect, the importation of copper
amounted to 1,401 tons, anti it was now greatly on the
increase ; so much so, that a sale was held very lately in
Liverpool, of 130 tons of copper in one lot, a circum-
stance never heard of before. The Chilian authorities
had done everything to increase the smelting trade in
Chili. They had admitted coal duty free, they admitted
British vessels into their minor ports, allowed the export
of manufactured copper free of duty, and had altered
their navigation laws as respected the coasting trade.
He thought that the trade in guano, barlc, wool, dye
woods, and nitrate of soda, the chief articles of trade
from Chili, would be affected the same way as the copper
ore. He considered that our merchants were very much
Hindered by the navigation laws. The Chiliana gave
every possible facility to our trade.
By Sir Rob,rt Peel—The increase in the importation
4' ore in the two years imme lithely after the operation
of the change was in consequence of the increased ex-
ertions made by the miners to repay the bans advanced
by the British merchants. The copper ore imported in
those years was not in the natural course of trade.
By Sir George Clerk—The average rate of freights in
1840 was 41. 16s. a ton, in 1842 it was 5/. O. 6d., in
1843 it was 41. 45., and in 1844, though exclusively con-
fined to toabßoartititshhe ships, it
a nwd.asduonrilnyg2l.thle9sia9sdt ;yeinar the
average average bad been very nearly Si.
By Sir R. Peel—Copper ore was imported also from
Cuba and Australia. The quantity imported from
South America did not amount to half the whole im-
portation.
The next witness called was Mr. Budd, a gentleman
engaged in the smelting trade. He was exanined
By Mr. Ricardo—He was a merchant engaged in the
smelting trade in Swansea. His trade had fallen off
very considerably since the alteration in the Custom-
house regulations with regard to the importation of
copper ore. The consumption of copper had increased
very largely indeed. The smelting trade had been
drawn away from this country. There bad been no
falling off in the produce of British ore. This country
produced more copper ore than it consumed. For-
merly, the smelting trade, with the exception of a few
works in Germany, one in Norway, and one in Sweden,
was confined entirely to this country. Since 1842, the
smelting had been carried on to a great extent in the
United States, in South America, in France, and in
Hamburg. In the two latter places they used English
coal for the purpose of smelting. Coal from Newcastle
would not be so dear in Hamburgh as in the neighbour-
hood of London. At this moment there was not a suffi-
cient supply of copper to meet the demand. The con-
sumption had increased of late years, while the im-
portation had decreased. Occasionally freights from
South America had been very high, but last year they
were very low, in consequence of a glut of ships that
had been enticed there from other ports by the prospect
of high freights. It was better to have a moderate
supply of shipping at fair rates, than to have a large
quantity at low freights at one time, and a small quan-
tity at high freights at another. The injury he expe-
rienced by the navigation laws was, that they were pre-
vented from employing foreign ships to bring home the
am
which copper
had
de
enabled
lowera b ledf
foreign
and Sweden, to receive copper ore at much lower freights
than it could be received in this country.
iiggniitcs outnhtarnies, the
France, EnglishH vessels,
At four o'clock the committee adjourned.

The Cologne Gazette gives as follows the obser-
vations addressed by the King of Prussia, on the 'l2th, to
the different States of the Diet, before the party sat down
to dinner :—" Ist. To the Deputies of the Province of Prussia
—'Your province bears in a double sense the name of
Prussia. You are the root of the monarchy, the country
in which my ancestors have always found devotedness
and affection. Your influence over the United Diet
will serve as an example for others. What you
will do will have a double importance ; if you sup-
port the Crown it will be invulnerable ; if you shake
the throne it will be in danger. Great responsibility
falls on you. My confidence in you is not weakened,. and
you will justify it.' 2d. To the beputies of Pomerania:—
:
' The Pomeranians have always had tor their
this
decisive e
nisso a fidelity
worthy of eulogium. They will now in Itth yon have
ment remain faithful to their traditioris., I
refer you to my
of counsel, if you have any hesitation,
itatindi
Governor,onthe Prince of
friend and brother, your Duke
—un‘ elunre spsro, much n°
hPaeruseasiaa.s'ed
mthes Daenpdu tti
oess
3 a,oofu
mo sueenh asoi
:
unhappiness—it
must depend upon you to dry up the tears
of so many of your fellow-citizens.
4th. To the Deputies of
Brandenburg : --abdo hTtoo
Your province is the heart of the kingdom,
and is also nearest my heart. The unique and traditional re-
lation between you and me has never been disturbed. you
have always been good and dear children to me. lam con-
fident that you will now be what you have ever been.' sth.
To the Silesians :—' Your province is a pearl, a precious
jewel of my crown. Your province is greater and richer
than many kingdoms. When you throw yourselves into the
bal
makean c ei t yyo uo
uhr a
dutyv a e
to preponderantseek
for
r tweight.he
right lsea hopee., you6th willT o
the Saxons : You, Saxons, never gave me any cause
of uneasiness. You have been always faithful and devoted.
You will be so again this time.' 7th. To the Westphalian :
Your province is proud to form the finest and most noble
race of Germany the most noble primitive quality of the
Germans is fidelity. 1 hope that you will prove that you are-
the true children of :your fathers.' Bth. To the Rhenish
provinces :---‘ Now to you, my dear Rhenish provinces, a cor-
dial word. You are aware that for a long time past I have
loved to see myself amongst you. You are nearest to my
heart ; I count particularly on you in the great work thee
we are about to undertake. Hitherto all our deliberation*
give proof of a great Parliamentary act, and an unalterable
sentiment of propriety. You have surpassed in political
education my other states. I count firmly on you ; your
good example points out to them the real path. All my
heart is attached to the Rhine ; near you I am at home, and
I am firmly convinced that you will justify my confidence."
GLASGOW PIG IRON TRADE.—To-day prices still
advanced, and although quotations cannot be given much
higher, we nevertheless believe that the beginning of a con-
siderable rise has taken place. The accounts received to-day
per the Hibernia; are very satisfactory; as also the favour..
able prospects of an increased trade with France. Prices we
Weald quote for to-morrow at 725. mixed Nos., and from
appearances little offering. Indeed, the late exportations.
have made pig iron scarce in the market} and at prams*
there are more buyers than sellers... National oickertiffr.

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