The Sun.
London, England, 1818-06-15 00:00:00

Ptt:WINCIAL PARLIAMENT OF LOWER. CANADA.

WRDNESDAY, APRIL 1, ISlB.—Thi day, at
three o'clock, the house being met at the Castle
of S . accortling to adjournment, a
Message by the Gentleman Usher of the Black
Rod WAS sent down to the Assembly by his Ex-
cellency, to request. their imu;ediate attendance
upon his Excellency io the adartrnent allotted to
the Upper House of the Legishture. The Honse
went up accordingly, when his Excellency was
ileased to give, in his Majesty's 'tame, •he Royal
ASSent to a number of public and private Bills.
And then his Excellency viac pleased to deliver the
following Speech to both Houc,•s:--,-

• " Gentlemen of the Legislative Council,
" Gentlemen of the House of Assembly,
-The assiduity with which you have applied yourselves to
the public business brought. before you, puts it now in my
power to close this protracted Session, and to enable you to
return to your families and homes. I should feel myself, how-
ev(u., wanting itt justice, were Ito dismi-s yon without assur-
ing you of the satisfaction with which I have dewed the liar-
' niony that has marked your proceedings, and the laborious
diligence with which they have been conducted; and for
tbc,e eminent proofs of your zeal and patriotism, I have to
offer you my warmest acknowledgments.
.4 Gentlemen of the House of Assembly,

" To you my thanks are particularly due for the ready fi-
ber d;*ty with which you hare granted the supplies for the
turrect year; and I trust you will nut doubt that, in the ap-
pljeaCon of the monies you bare placed at my disposal, I will
be guided by a doe regard to economy.
" Gentleueen of the:Legislative Council,
" Gentlemen of the House of /assembly,

" The measures you have adopted during the Session are
valuable evidences to me of your regard to the welfare of the
Province, and of your attachment to-the Government under
17hich you live; and in takin; my leave of you now, I feel a
,nfifirtit pipe, that in your respective districts you will your-
belvcs contit,ne to be actuated by the same good principles
which have thus it,fluenced your puh!ic conduct ; and that
tvnur hest exertions will not be wanting to instil them equally
into all around you."

-Vie following, is the Address of both Houses
;of the Legislature of Lower Canada,to the Patsce
RGENT against the imposition of any duties on
colonial Wood, and the reduction of the duties
'tog Foreign Timber. We flatter ourselves that
Covernment will adhere to the present system,
Itrul not allow any foreign influence, or, indeed,
any other motive, to induce them to depart from
it ; as every • day's exile r.i
Pnte contiulll3 tllO
..15(10151 and judgincrit which the Earl of Bathurst
and the late Mr. Rose evinced, by their adoption
of the present regulations respecting Foreign
Timber. This Address has, we understand, been
sent home, and still dotibtles-:dy receive that at-
tention and consideration which the importance
of the subject demands
To Ms Rcyal Highte3s the PutfvcE Itecktcr of the United
Ringdoni of :eat Britain and Ireland.
" May it 'please your It.d'fal Highness,
1. We, his Majesty's most dutiful and loyal Subjects, the
tegislative Council and the Contmons of Lower Canada, in
Provincial Parliament met, do humbly approach your Royal
Highness, most respectfully to represent that much alarm and
anxiety harts for a long time past agitated the minds of all
11 cm I interested in the commercial prosperity of this Pro-
sr two, the Cause whereof has been explained by the bumble
Petitions of the Merchants submitted to this Provincial Legis-

lature, whereby it appears that these alarms have arisen fro;

the well-founded apprehension, that his Majesty's Ministers
have under contemplation to recommend to the Imperial
Parliament the extension of the Duty on Timber imported
into the United Kingdom from his Majesty's North Ame-
rican Colonies, to an amount equal td the additional duty im-
posed on Foreign Timber in the year 1813.
" As the adoption of such a measure would, in our opi-
nion, produce most injurious consequences to the Commer-
cial Interests of this Province, and to all connected therewith,
it becomes our duty jointly to address your Royal Highness on
this important subject.

" The literal encouragement for a series of years given by
the Imperial Legislature to the importation of Timber from
these Northern Colonies, has afforded practical proof of their
resources in the various description of Timber with which
they abound, and induced much of the national Capital which
had been previously diverted to the advantage of Foreign
States to be brought to and beneficially applied to the im-
provement of the Lumber Trade between Great Britain and
her North American Colonies, and has raised that branch of
our Exports to rank amongst the first in consequence; but
these advantages must be lost to the Canadas, should tke duty
'contemplated be imposed, or any reduction be admitted from
that at present paid on Foreign Timber, when imported to
,Oreat Britain.

" In either of these cases the effect, we humbly submit,
would certainly be the annihilation, or nearly SD, of the Lum-
ber business in this province ; would throw out of the trade
three-fourths of the vessels employed therein, and in all pro-
bability would force a 4rge number of British seamen to look
fur support in the service of foreign Powers.

" The depressed state of the Commerce of the Canadas,
since the late War with America, requires encouragement
iath,r than additional burdens; from this source the greater
ii,iportion of our Provincial Revenue is derived, and non,
opluvi we are celled upon to provide Pe the expences of the
eini/ Government of the Province, we look forward with con-
fident hope that thy fostering care of his Majesty's Govern-
ment will not in the present instance he withdrawn from us,
that no additional ditty will be imposed on Timber or Lumber
of any description imported into the United Kingdom from
the North American Colonies, and that the duties on Foreign
i usher and other Lumber may be continued as established in
the year 1813.
(Signed) " J. SEWELL, Speaker of the
Legislative Council.
(Signed) L. J. PAPINEABE, Speaker of
Quebec,
the House of Assembly.
March 1818:"