The Sun.
London, England, 1817-11-06 00:00:00

THE TIMBER TRADE AND FISHERIES.

Mr. EDITOR,—The recent decision in the Vice-
Admiralty Court of Halifax, by which the Ame-
rican fishing vessels have been restored, notwith-
standing they were seized on the shores of the,
King's Colonies, has excited great attention in
British North America, and at Poole, Dartmouth,
and various other places interested in the Fisheries
at Newfoundland, and in the Gulf of St. Law-
rence ; more especially as the unequivocal and
explicit declaration of LORD CASTLEREAGH, in an-
swer to a question from Sir JOHN *NEWPORT in
the Sessions before the last on this subject, led
the public to believe the Americans were to be
considered in the same light as other foreigners,
and that they would not be Allowed to fish nearer
the coasts of any of His Majesty's dependencies
than the latter, namely, than three leagues ;
which are the limits laid down by all the writers
nn the Law of Nations. if the Americans are
thus to be encouraged, the Fisheries of the King's
Colonies must be abandoned, and the subjects of
other Nations will probably claim the same right
to fish on these coasts, and how their vessels can
be seized by His Majesty's Cruizers or Revenue
Officers, and condemned, whilst the Americans are
allowed to fish within the same limits with im-

punity, is beyond our comprehension ; unless in
order to conciliate the Americans, the Nation is
prepared to quarrel with the other Maritime
Powers whoSe subjects may be disposed to fish
on these coasts and waters.

We really did hope a more generous, firm,
and decisive policy would have been adopt-
ed towards British North America. It should
be recollected, that its inhabitants are the re-
mainder of the Loyalists—and the descend-
ants of Loyalists who quitted the other parts of
that Continent on the breaking out of the FIRST
American War—abandoning their property and
adhering c?ith fidelity to their Sovereign and to the
Country of their ancestors.—Surely these are
not the people who ought thus to be treated !
For whilst the Americans are permitted to inter-
fere with our Colonial Fishermen, the latter have
no chance whatever of competition in the markets
with the lot mer.

On this subject and the Lumber Trade, a way-
ward policy seems likely to be pursued—alike in-
jurious to the Colonists, as it will be to many
of the great trading and manufacturing interests
at home. It wonld be much more dignified for
the Government, to speak out and to state the line
of conduct they intend to pursue with respect to
these Fisheries and the Timber Trade, before the
winter is further advanced, tha' to leave it to the
uncertainty and doubt which prevail at the pre-
sent moment.

It is well known to be the intention of the
Merchants and the Agents of the Coloui:qs not to
charter ships for Timber from British North Ame-
rica for the next season, front the apprehension
that a duty will be imposed on all Cot.oNlat.
Wood, and that alterations «re intended to be
made in the duties on Foreign Timi)er. Now
were it otherwise, and it was generally known
that the Trade was to remain permcinently on its
present footing, a much greater number of
ships, we are assured, would be chartered this
winter for the next spring for the King's
North American Colonies, than during the last.
By which the Ports .to which the ships belong.
will ,be relieved from an enormous increase of
poor rates ; a general employment will take place
in all the branches of 'Trade connected with the
outfit of shipping ; orders will be given for goods
for expnrtation to the Colonies, and a corres-
pondent beneficial operation created in every point
of view, highly advantageous to the Nation.
The grounds of objection to the importation of
Foreign Wood have been so often before the Pub-
lic, and have been so universally, admitttd to be
well founded, that we will not fatigue your Read,
ers by their repetition, but it they bad not, and
the policy of encouraging the growth of Timber in
Foteign States, in preference to the growth of' it
in the United Kingdom, or in the King's Depen-
dencies, was in any wise or at any time advisable
or prudent, this is certainly not the period for
snch a system, for, independent of the depression
of shipping in general, there cannot strictly be
said to by, at the present moment, a price for
English Oak. In various districts the land is
really groaning under its pressure, and the fami-
lies.who have for the last thirty or forty yeats
been husbanding their Wood cannot now sell it !
A Right Honourable Individual who, a few years
since, bought a large Estate, with a great quan-
tity of full grown Oak upon it, has not been able
to make a sale of any, and from the system intro-
duced of thinning instead of the old' practice of de-
vastating whole Woods, the quantity of Oak
Timber now fit for use is far beyond the average
consumption of it for shipbuilding, and in a few
years will fat exceed the average War'Consnmp-
tion—that it is to be presumed, the Landed Inte-
rest will not in future be so supine on a subject so
deeply affecting their welfare as they have been,
under a delusion founded on the most gross mis,
representations that ever were practised in any
country.—Why this particular and important pro-
duce of the soil is not to rise in an equal ratio
with other productions of the earth, we have never
had satisfactorily explained to its. The price of
Oak Timber in 1663 and 1756 was nearly the
same and continued so until 1702. The rise
which took place in 1793, and subsequently,
was not from the want of Oak Timber, but from
the before-mentioned delusion practised on the
Public, and the want of that open general competi-
tion for the supply of THIS ARTICLE for the Naval
Service, which with respect to all other articles
was the uniform practice. On three Estates in
Sussex, there is at this time more full grown Oak
Timber (we do not mean to include Ornamental
Timber) than would be required for two years.
consumption, public and private, and that in j

.• • ~ ~

other Counties equal quantities may be found, We
have little doubt. We know many families who
expected to have realised at this time on their
fall of Timber, but who, not finding a sale
for it, are experiencing much distress from the
general depression of it in the Market.
la proof of these remarks, we need only refer
to the .Country Gentlemen in all the Wood Dis-
tricts, who. we are satisfied will add their con-
firmatory testimony to ours. Therefore, to re-
duce the Duties on Foreign Timber will ' tend to
increase the pressure already felt at home, on
o,ilt Timber, Larch, and other „woods, and to im-
pose a duty on the industry and resources of the
Colonies, will augment that pressure by ITS RE-
COIL on the trade, manufactures, and navigation
of the Mother Country. For as the trade to the
Colonies under the Navigation Laws is altogether
British, between 1100 and 1200 British built
ships are employed in it, but which will be
thrown out of employment, if. any duty is int•
posed on Colonial Timber,—and by the annihila-
tion of this trade, will the (anthill exports to these
Colonies of upwards of One Million Sterling in
Home Manufactures be lost—and for what ? Why
to get rid of the importunities of FOREIGN COURTS,
grounded and. urged ,on by the avarice and self-
interest of individuals and families who are
" Citizens of the World," and who, from the
long suspension of the Navigation Acts, and the
mitigated manner in which the late war was unfor-
tunately carried on in an intercourse even with
the enemies countries, have become rich, power-
ful, and importunate, and who, from their übiquity
of character, are, (as may best suit their views)
'subjects of -different countries at the same time.
We, however, trust his Majesty's Ministers will
hesitate before they adopt any of the measures now
so seriously apprehended, and that -they will, be-
fore the winter is too far advanced, make known
to the numerous and various classes interested,
the course which they intend to pursue, for the
reasons we have before-mentioned.

The disinterestedness with which your excellent
raper is conducted by your gratuitions insertion
of Articles on Miscellaneous topics, many of them
of the highest importance, must be our apology
for requesting that these Observations may appear
on an ewly day, whilst your liberality; firmness,
and patriotism cannot fail to excite a kindred feel-
ing towards yOu, and a fixed determination to
give the widest possible circulation to your Paper.
We are, Mr. Editor,
Disciples of the Old School, though
Dealers in Timber,
And your very faithful Servants,
lank Coffee-House, Nov. 4, 1817.

T.W.
J. Y.

SUDDEN DEATH.—Last night Mr. JAMES TIDY
way from London to Southgate, dropt
down, and expired while in the act of crossing
the road: near his' own house. His loss will be
most severely felt by his wife and five children.
Mr. O'CONNOR has served a Capias
.or Latitat
npon JOHN MOCKLER, Esq. a Magistrate of the
county of Meath, upon the grounds of defamation.
He lays his damages, it is said, at twenty thousand
pounds.—(Patriot, of Dublin, Nov. 1.)
Mr. INCLEDON arrived at New York in the ship
John and Edward, front Liverpool, on the 12th of
October.

" To-morrow,' and To-morrow, and To-morrow,
" Creeps on with stealing pace from hour to hour,
" And soon•will be no more"—
therefore delay not till " To-morrow" that which
can be done To-day. " To-morrow" the Lottery
commences drawing, '' To-morrow" some of the
SIX Prizes of 20,0001. may be determined, and
(‘ To-morrow"' will afford an opportunity of ob-
taining an independent fortune, at the Offices of
G. CARROLL, the Contractor, 7, Cornhill, and 26,
Oxford-street.

'l'o-dav is the first day of Term, and Westmin-
ster Half is in a bustle. To-morrow the Lottery
commences Drawing, and the Offices are crowded.
Those who have any thing to do with Law, com-
plain of the Law's delay, and their fears predo-
minate. Those who have adventured in the pre-
sent Lottery, fix their wishes on the SIX 20,0001.,
and their hopes predominate. Now there will be
no " delay" in the drawing of the SIX 20,0001.,
which will, " without delay," be paiol as
5000, RS draWR, by J. and J. SIVEWRIGHT, 37,
Cornbill, 38, Haymarket, 11, Holborn, and 141,
Oxford-street.

The unprecedented number of Six Prizes of
20,0001. in so small a Lottet y as the present—the
evident advantage of the Scheme, which contains
more Prizes than Blanks—and so great a portion
of the Blanks being entitled to a second Chance,
with the option of receiving 121. each instead—
have all combined to create an extraordinary de-
mand for the Tickets and Shares, particularly at
Swlyr:s old,and.fortnnate Offices, 1! , Poultry ;
12, Charing-cross ; and 31, Aldgate High-street;
where two Prizes of 20,0001. and several others
of 1,0001. &c. &c. &c. were sold. in Shares in the
last and late Lotteries.—The Drawing begins To-
Morrow.

The last Lottery that commenced drawing the
7th of November, was, like the present, composed
of Money and Stock Prizes : and it is no doubt in
the recollection of the Public, that BISH sold
Two Prizes of 50,000/. besides various minor
Capitals. Since that period, there have been Two
more .Stock Lotteries,' in which BISH's Offices
again stood pre-eminent, having sold 1 Prize of
40,000/. 1 Prize-of 30,0001. 1 Prize of 20,000/.
and 1 Prize of 15,0001., besides an immense
number of. smaller Capitals; and during the same
peiiod, the number of Money Capitals sold by
BISH is too numerous for an Advertisement.—
This continued success, though it only speaks for
the past, yet it does not augur badly for the fu-
ture ; we, therefore, shall not be surprised if we
have to ;announce, shortly, that BISH has sold
the greater part (if not all) the Six 20,0001.
Prizes, contained in the Lottery which begins
To-morrow, the 7th of This Month.
Wall the foreigners of distinction that have ar-
rived in this country, none has so numerous'and
varied a Levee as that interesting Stranger, the.
Orang Outang, at Exeter 'Change ; the vast mul-
titudes that visit him daily is beyond conception.
He is equally courteous to all ; even the most
timid Lady or child is 'received by him with the
greatest affability and condescentio-n ; and allranks
retire from his presence with the most distinguish-
ed approbation and delight

SUPPLEMENT to the LONDON GAZETTE
OF TUESDAY, THE 4TH OF NuVEMBLE.
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 5.