The Sun.
London, England, 1821-05-23 00:00:00

same year also, without any apparent reason
whatever, except a mistaken -spirit of spe-
culation, there had been a considerable in-
crease of importation of timber aom the, Bal-
tic. In 1817 the importation from that quarter
had been 79.900 loads ; in. 1818, it had risen to
130,000. So that the general importation of
timber in that single year, both from our Colo-
nies and from the Baltic, amounted to 3.3,000
loads, whereas in 1817 it had been only 216,000.
In 1819, the importation from both quarters had
continued to increase. That from our Colonies
had been 249,000 loads, and that from the Bal-
tic 102,000, making a total of 351,000 loads for
that single year. He had stated these facts, to
shew, that during the last few years, the Timber
Trade had not been in a natural, but in a forced
and'unusual state, on which it would be fallacious
and unfair to found any arguments, for the
embarrassments created in that trade had arisen
from excessive importations, unjustified by any
demand, and could not be justly attributed to
the state of the duties. The Noble Earl then
described- the want of proper gradations in the
amount of the duties on Baltic Timber, which
had been noticed by the Committee, and whirl
the present Bill was in part intended to correct,
It had been found that the duty was the same on
planks eight feet in length, as on those which
were twenty. The amount of that duty was 201.
15s. Bd. on every hundred. Now the planks
which came from Norway were generally fifteen
feet in length, and those from Petersburgh twenty,
so that an unfair advantage was given to the latter.
A lower duty had also been laid on all planks
below eight feet, under the impression that they
were of a very inferior description, and formed
no article of trade. In order, however, to avoid
the higher duty, planks had been imported a
little below eight feet, and had become a con-
siderable article of trade. The present Bill con-
tained provisions to meet all those cases. The
existing duty on planks below eight feet was 71.:
it was now proposed to raise it to 81., and to
make it apply to all, planks below six feet.
From six to sixteen feet, the duty would be 19/. ;
and from 16..t0 21 feet, 22/. The duty on planks
16 feet long was intended as a relief to the Nor-
way trade, which would now pay 11. 155.8 d. less
On every hundred than it had hitherto been
obliged to do. With respect to the compara-
tive duties on Colonial and Baltic Timber,
the. Committee had certainly admitted the
principle that timber and other articles ought
to be procured where they.could be got cheaper
and best, but taking into consideration the cir-
cutnstances under which our Colonial Timber
Trade had arisen, it had thought that some pro-
tection and encouragement should be continued
to it for a time, and that the only duty laid
upon it at first, should not exceed the amount
taken off from the Baltic timber. In proposing
this, however,. it was by no means intended that
the arrangement should be permanent. He
wished it to be clearly understood that his Ma-
jesty's Ministers were not to be considered as
pledging themselves to maintain it in force any
longer than it should appear expedient. It was
to be regarded as a subject fit, at all times, to be
revised, and consequently liable to alterations.—
He did not mean that it should be altered at the
expiration of three or four years, but after-a fair
lapse of time. His Lordship then entered into
some details respecting the price of Baltic timber
in' former years when' the duty was only 6s. a
load; and latterly when it amounted to 3/. 55.,
and showed that since the increase in the duty,
the price of the article bad only risen 11. He
concluded by recommending to their Lordships
to move with caution in a case where great inte-
rests were concerned, and where, if they should
hastily extinguish the Colonial trade, they would
afterwards find much difficulty in reviving it. At
the same time the taking off of 10s. from the duty
on Baltic timber, and laying a duty to the same
amount on timber from out colonies, would not
injure their trade. By the last accounts the
Baltic timber was getting up in price in conse-
quence of the probability that the present Bill
would pass. This rise would be advantageous to
our colonies, and in all likelihood would counter-
balance the effect of the alterations which it was
proposed to make in the duties. He then moved
that the House resolve itself into a Committee.

The Earl of LAUDERDALE said, he should not
trouble their Lordships at great length in the
state in which the [louse was, which, considering
the paramount importance of the question, was
to him surprising. It had been the wise policy
of the cou►ltry till 1809, not to tax timber at all.
The evil, therefore, could not have taken deep
root, and when they had learnt from experience,
that the effect of that system of taxation was to
force bad timber upon them at a high price. It
had been proved before a .Committee of that
House, that American timber was a very inferior
article to the Norway timber. The difference in

value of these two articles might be estimated by
the answer of one of the witnesses at
.the bar of
that House, who, when asked what lie would re-
commend a customer to give for the fellow of a

house built in London with -Norway timber,
value 60001., the house to be purchased being
built of American timber, answered, that' he
could not in his conscience recommend any one
to purchase it at any price. The fact was, that
the imposition of these duties was neither more,
nor less than a colonial job. It was in direct
opposition to the recommendation of the Re-

ports of the Committee of that House on Foreign
Trade then on their table, which directed them
to obtain all articles from lithe places where they
were to be got best and cheapest, without re-
ference to the place. So far from acting on this

ise principle, they had actually offered a boun-
ty for a bad article. It was unjust and ungrateful
towards Norway, who, notwithstanding our pro-
scription of their productions by high duties, had
scarcely made any alteration in her duties on

our commodities ; whilst the. favoured Russia
ever since the peace had followed up a regular
system of restrictive duties towards this country.
He knew that although this Report to which he
alluded contained some of the most absurd prin-
"ciples of legislation, also contained in some cor-

tier or another some of the most sensible notions

on the subject that had ever been broached. The
true common sense of the question w,as, that we