The Sun.
London, England, 1820-05-22 00:00:00

Lyndon Paptre.

GEORGE FOTHERGILL, Chairman,.
6. That the thanlis of this Meetitig"be given to the Master
the Trinity house, for his prosupitude in calling this
Meeting, and fur his conduct its the Chair.

To the Honourable the Commons of the United Kingdom of
Great Ilritnin and Ireland, in Parliament as.,embltd.
The Humble Petition of the Undersigned Merchnnts, Ship-
Owners, and Others, interested in the port of Newcastle-
upon-Tyn e,

SHEWETIL,
That your Petitioners have heard with extreme anxiety and
alarm, that it is in the contemplation of his Majesty's Minis-
ters to efiect an alteration in the existing system of Foreign
and British Colonial dirties upon Wood• Your Petitioners
humbly submit that the adoption of such a measure will tend
very grievously to their injury, if not to their utter ruin,
without, as they conceive, materially benefiting any other
class of his Majesty's subjects, inumuch as it will have the
effect of throwing nearly the whole of the carrying trade from
the Baltic and Norway into the hands of Foreigners, and will
prove most irajurious to ti►e Mother Country, and to the

Colonies.
That while your Petitioners admit to the fullest extent, the
claim of the Manufacturers of this Kingdom to the high con-
sideration and protection of Government, yet they du, at the
same time, most 'humbly suggest, that the admission of the
ships of Foreigners to ellgpSs the principal part of the carry-
ing trade, of such a bulky commodity as timber, will ulti-
mately more than counter-balance any present advantage
11 that the Manufacturers might gain by the adoption of the

HIPTIMITT.
That the carrying trade will be thrown into the hands of
foreigners is most certain, owing to the wood being the pro-
duce of their own country, combined with their unquestion-
ed ability to navigate at lower rates of freight : and although
it might cause a present demand for a small quantity of the
goods of our manufacturers, (probably not exceeding the de-
creased consumption of our own colonies.) 'should this alte-
ration of the duties be carried into effect, yet it is respect-
fully submitted, that ruinous consequences would ensue to
a great proportion of the shipping interest of the kingdom,
of which so large a portion is employed in the conveyance of
lumber from North America, and to the numerous branches
of trade connected therewith, and dependent thereon, when
every encouragement ought rather to he given to the trade from
our own colonies, upon which so considerable a part of the

community depends fir its existence.
Your Petitioners beg leave to state the great spur of this
trade in a national point of view, and that otso2 '
length of the voyage, more than double the touttw
site to supply the country with timber and deft; il4
sssUld-
possibly be employed, had we even the whole o‘fitge
trade to the Baltic, and from the invigorating nature of .the
climate, .a nursery for British seaineuralmoit unecitt;klled has
been formed; but even this valuable Source of Men fit for
manning our hitherto. invincible navy will be utterly lust,
•
should the proposed alteration take place.
That the effect of the alteration contemplated in the' system
of duties will be to prohibit the importation of timber from
the American colonies altogether, and in this mousier the
establishments of the subjects of Great Britain will be broken
up, and the colonies deprived of almost their only me-
dium of exchange for the manufactures of this country, and
the immense numbers of people who have had every encou-
ragement held out to them tu•eniigrate to our North Ameri-
can colonies, upon the faith of the trade being protected,
will therebrbe thrown out of employment.
Your Petitioners further beg leave to state, that a great
number of the ships belonging to this port are almost ex-
elusively calculated fur carrying timber from liii►ish America,
being too large for the Baltic trade, and from their peculiar
construction, are, generally spoiling, ill adapted fir thy
West India or other trades, and even were t Ivey so adapted,
those trades arc already glutted with a surplus of shipping..
The only advantages to this Country which your Petitioners_
can suppose to lie contemplated to alive from the proposed
alteration, will he an increased demand from the Northern
States fur our Manufactures ; yet, it is must Olt 1,1.19 that AS
all article of commerce, if the consumption on the one hand
is to is regulated merely by the civil:mid ut4buo;dit)