The Sun.
London, England, 1821-03-22 00:00:00

Proni what countries do oak and staves come to Memel ?—From Russian Po-
land, which is called Wolhynia.
What may be the expense of bringing staves and oak timber from the place of
its growth to the port of Illenfel ?—lt will be about half of that price.
What loss is at present sustained upon the importation of staves from Memel ?
—The freight is lost.
It has been stated previously to the Committee, that during the years 1817
and 1818 the wood trade was in a much more favourable state with Memel than
at present; do you remember whether or not the trade in staves was at that time
profitable or not ?—No, there was no profit upon that more than the timber
trade, for it was said the duties would be altered in those years, and therefore the
prices got up; but when the alvic,es came out from England, that there was no
altelation, the price went down as rapidly again.
What would be considered a fair remunerating price in Memel for bringing
timber there for exportation?—At 355. a load.
The present price is 30s. ?—Yes.
'What was the current price during the last year?—lt was 255. and 265.
Then, in point of fact, there is an advance of from 4s. to ss. ?—Yes, but there
is no timber bought yet. The people in the country say, we will not buy any
before we know what the duties will be.
Then is the advanced price required in consequence of the expectation of a re-
duction of the duty here ?—No, that cannot be, for we do not know whether
the,:e will be a reduction or a duty put on.
Is it in consequence of an expectation of change, either by reducing the duty
on the Baltic timber, or by laying a duty on the American, that this advance has
taken place in Prussia 2—No, but the stock is so small.
Then whether any change takes place here or not, the shipper in Prussia will
not accept of less than 30s. ?—lf they remain as they are now, people from
England will not import, and we shall be obliged to get rid of our timber as we
can, at whatever loss.
Has there been great dissatisfaction expressed in Prussia at the high duties ex-
acted in this country ?—Yes, and our Government has promised us, that there
shall be an alteration in the duties here, and that they will petition the Govern-
ment here about it.
If an alteration were made that would reduce the duty from 655. to 455. a
load. would that materially benefit the timber trade of Prussia ?—lt would ma-
tee-ally benefit the timber trade.
And render it advantageous ?—Yes, if we got better prices ; but we must al-
ways go by this market ; I think the demand irould then be greater for our
wood, and we should get a profit.
What were the rates of freight from Memel to London, during the last sea-
son ?-2I s. and 225.
With ordinary dispatch, how many voyages do you expect a vessel to make
during the season, from Memel to London ?—You may reckon sometimes two,
sometimes three voyages ; in Memel, we give always very good dispatch : a ship
of 300 tons never takes but five or six days loading.
With such dispatch, may not a ship be reasonably expected to make three voy-
ages in a season ?—Yes.
You have spoken of places on the Niemen, the Vistula, and the Oder, being
supplied with rum, and various articles of manufacture from this country before
the war, have they been supplied with similar articles from any other country
since ?—No, they take some articles from the Prussian manufactories, but they
are not so liked as English manufactures ; in Poland you cannot sell them so
well, they will always have the English if they can,
Have they done without those articles ?-1(:5, they have done without them,
for they have no money to pay for them, therefore they were obliged to do with-
out them.
What was the current freight fo: staves during the last season ?—From 101. to
121. and 131.

[Adjourned until To-morrow, one o'clock.

Sabbati, 24° die Februarii, 1821.

The Right Honourable THOMAS WALLACE, in the chair.

Mr. Burgin Haigh, again called in, and further examined.

You have stated in your former examination, that the price of New Brunswick
yellow pine is at present eighteenpence a foot in the Liverpool market; can you
inform the Committee what was the current price of the same wood in November
and December last ?—ln November, I bought 3,724 feet at sixteenpence half-
penny ; I have not any account for December, but it was about the same.
To what cause do you attribute the advance ?—I have reason to suppose it is
ur_der the expectation that there will be a trifling duty laid upon the timber.
Should a duty be laid equal to the advance, do you think it probable that that
advance will be supported ?—Yes.
Should no duty be laid, as those buyers expected, are you of opinion that the
price will fall again to the rates current in November and December last P—l
have no doubt of it.
Then if a duty is laid, the advance in price will be equal to that duty, and thus
fall on the consumer ?--Certainly.
If the present price of eighteenpence is supported, will that cause a diminished
consumption in your opinion ?—No.
If the Dantzie pine falls to 2s. 3d. and the American pine is at Is. 6d. will
that, in your opinion, cause a diminished demand for American pine in the Lan-
cashire market ?—No, 1 believe not.
Do not the prices of commodities depend rather on the proportion that the sup-
-ply bears to the demand, than on the duty they pay, or on any other circum-
stance ?___The quantity of timber at present in the market, and the less demand,
of course has been one reason of timber coming down in the Liverpool market ; at
the present price of timber, sixteenpence halfpenny, and an advance, so as to make
it eighteenpence, equal to what it is now, I am still of opinion, it would make no
difference as to the consumption of the article.
Does not the price depend upon the proportion the supply bears to the demand,
rather than on the duty the commodity pays ?—Certainly, the price must make
an alteration in the consumption of the timber, whether pine or Baltic.
Does not the price depend upon the quantity in the market, and the proportion
the supply bears to the demand ?—There is not a doubt that the scarcer the article
is in the market, of course it will be the more liable to be advanced. I think I
mentioned that in my examination before, as it refers to Riga timber, that Riga
timber being more scarce, it is higher in price, and that must be the same with
every other timber.

In the offers which buyers make for timber, do they consider the amount of the
duty it has paid, or whether it pays any duty whatever ?—The importers of timber,
and the merchants who buy it from the importers, can speak better to that; that is
a business of their own. I buy mine generally from the purchasers, and sometimes
from the importers, for the purpose of consumption ; but with respect to what
they do in the market, in point of speculation, that is a business I am perfectly
ignorant of.

Do not you always endeavour to purchase timber at the lowest price at which
you can obtain it, without enquiring into the charges made upon it by the im-
porter ?—Yes, certainly.
Supposing, from any alteration in the duties, the importation of pine timber
should be reduced two-thirds of what it has been of late years, and the Baltic timber
be increased two-thirds what it has been, would not that contribute to advance the
price of the North American timber ?—Then it comes, probably to the question
before put to me, that it will depend entirely upon the quantity in the market.
If there were only one-third of the quantity of American timber in the market,
would not the price be increased ?—There is no doubt of that.
Mr. Thomas Simson again called in, and further examined.
There was an account you were requested to deliver in this morning, have you
prepared that account ?—I have ; it is a list of the names of the Norway ships and
their tonnage, and the names of the British ships and their tonnage that entered
the port of London last year.
From what document is this account made out ?,
Report lists.

)—From the Custom-house

(The witness delivered in the same, and it was read as follows :)

BRITISH SHIPS.

Wilding -
Joseph and Jane
James -
James -
Vigilant -
Triton -
Wilding -

Tons.
267
269
241
227
328
182
267

Tons.
Sophia - - - - 224
Bonito - - - - 291
Union - . - - 357
Cornwall - - . - 367

11 Ships, Tons - 3,020

NORWAY SHIPS.

Minerva

Tons.
Petnts - - - - 300
Norge - - - - 300

Minerva - -
Anna Chaterine -
Skrifriheden -
Aurora - .
Porsgrund -
Delphin - _
Propaphia -
Eucharis - -
Petrus - -
Industry - -
P. Aug,. Fred" -
Georgiana - -
Dovre - -

Venus


-
Sostrene - - - - 270
P. Christian Fredk - - 390
300-
380
Aninc:rCd,hiaris-tiania- :
Varige Hariancie - - 259
Eucharis - - - 317
Dovre - - - - 300
Luke - - - - 71
Georginia - - - - 120
Anna Dorothea - 340
Johannes - - - 413
Spes Nova - - - 250
Adjutor - - - - 220
Forende Brodre - - - 500
Anna Christrice - - - 309
Harmonie - - - 280
Providentia - - 302
Christiania - - 300
Maria - - - 320
Emanuel - - - - 133
Dorothea - - - - 100

Freza - -
Amphitrite -
Europe - -
Spes Nova _
Emanuel - -
Johannes Tonder

Fortuna - -
Haabets Anker -
Flora - -
Industria - -
Lawrence and Mary
Emanuel - -
Hohnstrand -

51 Ships, Tons - 15,456

What duty do you think might be imposed on the timber from the British pro-
vinces in North America, without materially diminishing the consumption ?