The Sun.
London, England, 1821-03-21 00:00:00

so destructive to the materials of the ship, that they have many of them determined
not to make it all, and have, in their club-regulations, discouraged a second
voyage being made.
In point of fact, is it not usual, particularly on the west coast, when ships con-
template a second voyage, that they sail from this country early in March, or not
later than the middle of that month ? That entirely depends upon the port at
which they seek to load; if they go to the bay of Fundy, they may sail in the
middle of March to all the other ports ; it is almost useless attempting to sail
before the last week in March, or the first of April.
Do you include Miramichi ? I include ilfiramichi ; the timber is seldom
ready there for ships sailing before the first of April.
Then it would appear, it is more from an apprehension of expence, or disasters
attending a second voyage, that ships are deterred from attemptingit from the east
coast, than that the time from the middle of March to the conclusion of the season
would not, in the ordinary course of events, be sufficient for that purpose ? It is
partly from the first of those causes, and partly from the second.
Do you not consider that ships sailing from the port of London in March, for
the North American colonies, and meeting with ordinary dispatch there, and the
same on the return here, have sufficient time in the ordinary course of events to
perform two voyages ? I will state, that from actual experience in the years 1819
and 1820, there were not more than from 130 to 200 ships returned to Great
Britain from their first voyage, before the first of September, which is full as late
as a ship ought to sail, to make her second voyage safely and conveniently.
Can you speak .to when the ships that arrived after the first of September de-
parted from this country ? I can only say, generally, that they departed at the
usual time. I take the course of the trade for two years.
Then the Committee are to understand, it is a more convenient arrangement for
ship owners trading with the North American colonies from the east coast of the
country, to make one American and one Baltic voyage than two American ? Not
only more convenient, but in very many cases it is utterly impracticable to make two.
On the west coast it suits them better to make two American voyages than to
adopt any other system ? Certainly.
Can you inform the Committee what proportion of the timber of North America
is brought to the markets on the east coast, and what proportion to the markets
on the west coast of the kingdom, including Ireland in the last description? I
am not at present competent to answer that question.
Do not ships belonging to the eastern ports principally carry on the trade be-
tween America and the western ports of this kingdom ? They do so to a large ex-
tent ; the Shields and Whitby ships constantly return to Liverpool.
Has the present system of duties on wood had the effect of decieasing the import
from Russia ? I apprehend not, because I find there has been a progressive in-
crease in the import of wood from Russia, which I am prepared to shew to the Com-
mittee. I have extracted from the Lords Report the whole import from Russia,
and brought it all into loads, for the more convenient observation of the Committee,
and I find, that from 1800 to 1806, several years before the present system of wood
duties was adopted, and during which the intercourse with Russia was perfectly free
(I have carried it no further, because in 1807 the passage of the Sound was inter-
rupted) the average import from Russia was 105,344 loads. I have then taken it
from 1814 to 1819, and I find the average for those years to be 121,837 loads ; and
I find the import for the last three years, 1817 to 1819, to be greater than that of
any preceding three years, 1818 and 1819 being also two years in which the largest
import took place from the British colonies.
The first of those comparisons is between a state of peace and war ? In war
we import generally from Russia for government, which demand has almost
totally ceased now.

In the statement now made by you, is the import for government in the prece-
ding years included ? Certainly in both cases.
How long has it ceased ? During the peace the import for government is com-
paratively very small ; there is some.
Are you aware of any objection to such an alteration of the duties as should have
the effect of decreasing the import of deals from Russia, and increasing it from
Norway ? As respects shipping, nothirg I apprehend could be more fatal.
What other objection do you see ? The other objection I apprehend to be, that
Russia is an infinitely better customer to this country than Norway.
Do you apprehend that the same injurious consequences would ensue to British
shipping if the duty on Baltic timber were reduced, as if a duty to the same extent
were'imposed on timber from the British colonies to the north of Europe ? If the
duty on timber from the north of Europe were reduced, I apprehend the conse-
quences to British shipping would be beyond all comparison more injurious than
by laying a duty on American timber.

What extent of reduction of duty do you contemplate in that answer ? I believe
that any reduction would produce that effect ; the greater the reduction, of course
the more decided and the more instantaneous the consequences.
Do not you believe, that any small reduction of the duty on Baltic timber would
have the effect of raising the price of it in the country to the same extent ? I think
that a small reduction of the duty on Baltic timber would have the effect of raising
the price of it abroad, bat would, at the same time, lead to such au abundant con-
signment of it to this country as would continue the present depressed state of the
market, and be bad in its result both for themselves and the colonies.

Would not the demand depend upon the consumption in this country ? That hag
not been found to be the case in the wood trade for the last three or four years.
. Has' not that been found the case as referable to that part of it which conies from
the Baltic? Certainly that has not been the case with respect to that from the
north' of Europe, for the Norwegians will send here at all events if they find the
least opening to do so.
Do not you think that some arrangement of the duties for the protection of British
shipping might have the effect of preventing any possible injury that might arise
from an additional facility of import from Norway ? There would still be the
circumstance before pointed out, of the capacity to bring the wood in so much
smaller a proportion of tonnage
__ than from the colonies.

In other respects it might be effeetal ? In other respects it is practicable of

course.

Are you acquainted with the state of the timber trade of Memel ? Only gene•
rally.
- -

Can you inform the Cbmmittee, what was the current shipping price of timber
there during the last season ; good timber ? The price of middling timber in the
last season at Memel, I think, was from .255. to 28s. a load.
Are you aware that the shipperS of timber at Memel have intimated to their
correspondents, that they cannot afford to supply timber for the present year, but
at an advance of ss. per load ? They have offered it for this year at 305.; anti
generally as to the Prussian ports, they have recommended their correspondents to
buy early, es if the duty was reduced, an immediate advance of price would take
place there.

To what circumstance do you impute the advance that has already taken place?
To the former price being too low. _ _

Do you mean lower than the shipper could purchase, or afford to supply it ? Of
that I cannot possibly judge, i. can merely state the facts; if the price last year
was 265. to 28s. their now asking 30s. is a proof they thought it then too low.
Then in point of fact whether a reduction in the duty on Baltic timber should
take place in this country or not, the price for the present season is likely to be
higher, particularly at the port of Memel, during the present year than last ? Au
I can say is, they are asking more, and will get it if they can.
An advance in the price could only arise from an increased demand?—Of course,
if the duty is lowered there would be more wanted, and that would immediately
cause an increase of price, the effect of which would be just to put into the foreign
merchant's pocket the difference of duty.
Admitting that the trade with Sweden and Norway is dependent upon the controtd
of Great Britain, inasmuch as it chiefly consists in a trade of import, what evils in
your opinion might be calculated from such duties being laid on goods imported
in foreign ships, as might give a decided preference to the British flag ?—There
is no evil in laying a duty on foreign ships as regards British shipping, certainlY
on the contrary, it is in so far a protection to the British shipping.
Are there any other evils that might result from such duty being laid, in your
contemplation ?—tiks far as regards Sweden, almost every thing British is prohibited
at present, and therefore we can hardly be upon a worse footing with that country ;
as far as respects Norway, our exports to it are so inconsiderable, that I cannot,
contemplate any evil worth consideration.

Theefore it *Would be your opinion, that it would be good policy to confine our
import trade with Sweden and Norway, to our own ships ?—That is a large ques-
tion ; as to general Policy, it would be decidedly advantageous to British shipping'
You have stated that you are of opinion, if a protecting duty is laid on timber
imported in ships of Norway and Sweden to this Country, so as to give a preference
to British ships, it would be productive of benefit to British shipping, might it not
be expected in such case, that a countervailing duty would be laid on the shipment
of such timber by British ships in Sweden and Norway ? No, because their great
object is to sell their timber.

You think they would submit to it think they would.

Mr. David Bellhouse, called in, and examined.

What is your business ?---Generally a builder and timber merchant and car'
penter, at Manchester.
How long have you been engaged in business there ?—Three and thirty years.
During that period, have you been accustomed to make use of Baltic timber, and
also American yellow and red pine timber ?—Up to within the lait twelve or fifteen
years we had not made use of much American yellow pine ; since that, we have'
made use of a great deal of it.
Have you, in the course cf your experience, had opportunities for ascertaining
the durability of each of those kinds of timber, after they have been used ?--With
respect to American pine, it has not been long enough in use, I fancy, to ascertain
I have never seen any that has keen at all-injured by time.
For what purposes have you been in the habit of using the American yellow pine
The general business, what it was first used for in Manchester, was cotton machine?+
and after that it obtained almosf universally for packing cases ; and then it is used
for building a great deal in cottages almost wholly, and in middling buildings it is used
frequently for small scantlings, ' on 'account of its being freer from knots ; we con-
ceive it not quite so strong, but approaching very nearly, because a large knot in
the Baltic timber would break a small scantling, when it would not be an object
in a large one ; the Baltic timber being more knotty than the American pine, we
can get smaller scantlings out, to be as strong or thereabouts.
By small scantling, is the committee to understand that you mean joists?
mean joists, and single rafters, and ceiling joists.
Is it the practice to introduce the ends of such joists into the walls? Yes.
Have you had an opiortnnity of observing whether, in such cases, the appear•
once of dry rot has been found to exist? I have never known an instance of it.
Have you known the existence of dry rot in the use of any other description 01
timber? I have, in the Baltic timber, both Dantzic and Memel.

[To be continued.]

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