The Sun.
London, England, 1821-03-23 00:00:00

Norway merchants, that were indebted to the British merchants were obliged to
pay the money to government.
It was not incurred by any excess of export of British manufactures or British
commodities, beyond the import from Norway ? I cannot say positively that that
was the case.

Has it not been the fact, that the imports from Norway have very much exceeded
the exports ? Directly, I believe, they may have 'done so ; but Ido not think it
necessary to.frace the direct importation to Norway, inasmuch as our bills go
through the Continent, and may be trdced home, in some instances, to the British
manufacturer here ; and bills that are drawn for the produce of the country, hardly
ever come straight from Norway here, but the importation of timber from Norway
is now principally confined to what we call debenture timber, which is allowed to
come it at a very small duty, for the rise of the mines in Cornwall. and which, by
the last accounts we haire, *as about 395. a load, delivered in Cornwall. The
Memel timber, independent of the duty, would be 31. is. And they canhot deliver
it there, but the consumer has it from Norway at the above rate.
it it not the practice with the merchants who trade to Norway, to keep their
correspondents, or the persons from. whom they draw their wood there, in debt to
them, with a view to securing the importation from particular parts of the country,
or a particular estate ? Certainly not, we would rather they would not owe us a
farthing ; they can only pay the debt in wood, and unless we arc allowed to
ii i-
port that wood at a moderate duty, the whole of that money thtigt be lest to the
British merchants. If the government would allots a certaih quantity of wood to
be brought duty-free, to pay that debt, the Norway merchants have no objection
to give up the trade altogether; for I believe every one of us shall close our con-
cerns this year, and we must set down with the loss, unless we have some means,
in sonic way, of getting the money back again. The last cargo we sold from
Moss, was .e,09-11. 4s 10(1. the charges were 2,3091. 12s. 2d. leaving a loss of
2141 18s. 4d. ; the duty was 1,5001. out of it.
What rate of duty, in your opinion, on Baltic timber, would give the largest
revenue, considering the interests of the different trades ? The largest duty would
be produced by reducing it half, or to 11. 2s. Gd.
Do you think that could be done without the complete destruction of the
North American timber trade? I think it certainly might; the difference of
freight, I think, is about 11. ss. and that would place Canada, if the goods were
of an equal quality, on a par with the north of Europe.
That is, assuming the goods to be of an equal quality ? Yes ; but if you
allowed them the whole freight, which averages, on deals and timber, about 21. the
load, that would be placing Canada on the banks of the Thames ; and if they
cannot compete then as to quality, the consumer is only paying the difference.
State what you conceive would be the amount of duty that would place the
timber of the respective countries upon an equal footing, so as to give a fair com-
petition ? I have before stated 255. difference ; but as Ido not think the article
so good, although her advocates say it is, I therefore think it would be on a fair
competition in less than 40s. difference of duty.

William Stuart, Esq. called in and examined.

In what line of business are you engaged ? A merchant, and engaged in the
colonial timber trade, as an importer on commission.
You have of course directed your attention to the question of the duties upon
timber ? I have, particularly since the publication of the lords' report, directed my
attention to a consideration of the subject, on finding, from the published evidence,
that however high the character of the parties examined, their sphere of observa-
tion was too limited to enable them to afford accurate information, as will appear
by extracts I have made from official documents, contrasted with the statements of
witnesses first questioned.

A Norwegian merchant states, page I I and 12—That in consequence of the
present system of duties on foreign deals, and the exemption of colonial wood from
duties, that " the exportation from Norway, during the last five or six years, has
decreased very much," and " during the last year has amounted to very little."
It has likewise been stated, that " more than one-third of the ships engaged in
the trade with Norway are British ; that the Norwegian ships are decreasing very
fast, and that as they are decreased, and lost, they do not build them again."

The following extract from the official returns, page 131, will, however, serve to
refute the opinion, that the deal trade with Norway has been declining during the
last six years ; and although the importation of 13 15 (which was generally ex-
cessive) is included, shows, on the contrary, that the total quantity imported in the
last three years, exceeded that of the preceding three years.

Imports of Deals, Deal Ends, and Battens from Norway, during the

six years referred to :