The Sun.
London, England, 1820-08-17 00:00:00

TIMBER DUTIES.

MINUTES of EVIDENCE relative to the TIMBER TRADE,
taken befare,the SELECT COMMITTEE of the HOUSE
of LORDS, appointed to ittrire into the Means ofextend-
ing, and securing the FOREIGN TRADE of the* COUN-
TRY, and to Report to the House.

(Continued I'r-inn our Paper Of 'Monday last.)
Die Sabbati,lo° Junii, 1

The Marquess of. LANsnowNE in the
.Chair,
Order of adjournment read.
Sir ROBERT SEPPINGS is called in, and eta•
mined as follows :

Are you one of the Commissioners of the Nary Board

()%s, many years have you been in that appointment ?

About seven years.
You have filled other employments previously to that time
in his Majesty's Dock-yards ?—Yea, progressively, in different
steps, to 'the situation of Master Shipwright. .
In the situations you have filled, have the different descrip-
tions of Tifathee employed in his Majesty's service fallen Under
your observation ?..—Yes, a considerable quantity; in point of g
fact, all the descriptions of Timber used in Ship buildutg.-
3
Will you state to the Committee any observations you may
have had Occasion to make, or experiments you may have seen
tried, upon the comparative qualities of Timber the produce
of the North American Colonies, and of the produce of the _
Countries in the North of Europe, which supply TitilbCia -
whether Oak or Fir ?-1 have seen a considerable qnantity of
Timber, of the growth of the North of Europe, used for these
last 20 years; and within theie last 10 years, I. have seen a
• considerable quantity applied to Ship-building., of the growth
of Canada.; anti I consider the Timbers, both Oak. and Fir, 4
not to• posse, • for the purposes of Ship-building, more than
one half the durability of similar Woods of the growth of the
North of Europe.
To what do you attribute that want of durability in Timber:
of the North American Colonies ?--it is particularly liable to,
the gros.ylli of Fungi, that' species of vegetation which is the
forerunner of 4lry rot.
Does that obserration apply equally to every description of
Timber, the produee•of the North American Colonies, which
you have seen employed in Ship-building, or to any one de-
seription More than another ?—it,applies both to the Oak and
the Fir, both to the Red arid the Yellow Fir. •
Does it apply equally to the Pitch Pine?—Not equally, hitt
in a great-degree, It applies not quite so much to the Red
Pine, as to the Yellow:
Can you state 'from whence the Pitch Pine is principally
imparted ?—I believe from South Carolina; we have it front • ,1
various parts.
And from Canada?—No,' I believe there is none grown
there; 'I ant not aware of any. • • •
Are you aware, whether any has been imported from Ca- •
nada; ,Mit being- the produce of Canada,' but of the United
States ?—I riot.'
Can you state whether any experiments have been tried, in .
Iris hfitijesty's•Dock Yards, as 'to the comparative strength of
rill)l-mr, the - produce of, the North American Colonies,
and 'Tiniber• imported from the North of Europe ?—Yes,
r here hare.' •
State ivirat :have been the results ?—I cannot exactly state
them; but to the best of my iveallectitni favourable to the
Timber of the North of Europe. • • " •
Is there any minute of the result?—Yes, which I can send •
in to the Committee. ' • •
Can -you state. to the Committee the result of any observa-
tiring that yon, or others in his Majesty's Service, hare'maclei'
upon the durability of• Timber, -the produee of the Northi
American Colonies, or Timber imported froai- the North-of
Europe, applied to the same purposes ?—I
.think about the
year 1796, to the best of nil, recolleetion, tig.;re was a certain'
number of Frigates built of the Fir of the Balti=c; and their'
average durability was about eight years. Moot' the year
1812,1 here Was aconsiderable number of Frigates bnilt atso of
Fir, of the growth of the North American Colonies, and their,
average durability was not half that time.
Can you furnish the Committee with an account of the res-
pective periods at which the frigates to which you have al-
lotted were built, broke up, and sold, anil the comparative
price at which they were sold, and. the comparative cost of
tacit ?—Yes, certainly.—(See Paper annexcd.)
TOtt have stated thiit your observation applies only to Tim-
iter, the prodnee• of •Metnel, Dantzic, and Riga?—Yes.
state to the Committee- on what account those Timbers
leave been exclusively employed in preference to others, the
prOduce of other parts of the North of Europe am not
aware -of any other description of Timber gtown in the
:Ninth. of Europe br.ktight to market, that is applicable to the
"A
-impose : it is always too small : indeed, I beg 4, add., that
'Government coefine themselves principally to the Timber' of
.Dantzic and. Riga. •
llave they any from Archangel ?—Nn.
By the name of Riga, you understand all Russia Timber?
—Yes. . .-
Are you aware whether any contracts have recently, been
inatle.for Timber the produce of the North American Colonies,
for his Majesty's dock yards?—bone, excepting for 'masts,
and a certain proportion of Red Pine to be cut into Deals for
,partitions, and other purposes of that kind.-• • • •
Can you easily distinguish, upon inspection, the Oak and
Fir of Canada, from the Oak and Fir of the North of FM-ripe?
—The Oak is easily distinguished, and also the Yellow Pine ;
the Red Pine with more difficulty. •
You have stated that the Canada Timber is peculiarly sub-
ject to the Dry Rot, and the Dry Rot is' known to have pre-
vailed lately to .a great degree in the Navy; has that prevail-
ed principally since the application of Canada-Timber to the
uses of the Navy ?—I belies e the Nary has soffered eery con-
siderably, from the introduction of the Canada Tinnier, or
Timber of the growth of North America ; and in consequence,
from experience, we have entirely discootinttedt he use of it,
except as before stated, for Deals and Masts. We have dig-
continued using it for the fabric of Ships. • • •
• State any particulars that may come within yout knowledge
'as to the peculiar- liability of Alllerintl, Timber to the Dry
Rot ?--It is the general observation of professional men; as
well as myself, that in most instances where a piece of Ame-
rican Timber is brought in contact with Timber of t his •Coun-
try, iii'intleCd"of any ottier,lt has caused the growth of Fungi,
and 'thereby 'destroyed that 'which was in union with it. I
have known instances Of this, particularly in the late Repairs
othis•Majesty's ship Devonshire. of 74 guns, the bottom of
which was planked with the Oak Timber of Cairada, and in
many places the material neat the Timber, to within half an
inch of the outer surface, was completely decomposed, and
reduced to snuff...
Are the Duties on Timber charged•and paid on that'im-
pOtted fot the use of his Majesty's Dock Yards ?--,-:l'hey arc.
State s•Our opinion of the comparative quality and thira•
bility of 'Fir Timber still'used in the Navy, the growth of Ca-
4tacla,: or imported from the Baltic ? Speaking of Masts, the
best jndgmentlcan. form' is, that it is in the same proportion
as that I have stated, When employed in the fabric of 'ship-
ping, about half the durability.
,Do you impute the want of durability in Canada Timber
exclusively to its liability to -the dry rot, or to other concur-
rent causes ?=--To its liability tie dry rot exclusi'vely.
.Do you know whether American-built ships are equally lia-
ble to dry rot with thoie built in'F,urop,e of •American
tut-
?—When the same description of Timber has been used, 1
have seen' them-equally liable to the dry rot. •• .
• Do you knoWel any instances in which,the Canada Tim-
ber has prematurely decayed without the ordinary
_symptoms
_of the dry rot ?—I have made such observatiens from time to
time; but never saw it to such an extent as io the iiistance.of
the Devonshire. • 'Clue
What part of the mastof a ship is made of Ameriean
her, and what part of Timber of the North of RurOpe ?—The
bowsprits arid wizen-masts; and in some casestbelore-masts,
of stuall.ships, are made .of single sticks of North American
Fir; but when masts are Made of many parts,. the North
American Timber is principallyconfined to what is called the
e_ spindle and cheeks. •
If Canada Timber be so flinch less durable than Timber
imported from the Baltic, and so liable to communicate its
decay to' all other Timber when it comes into contact, even
When. used for the limited purposes to _which it is at
_present •
applied, namely, to the purposes of masts and bowsprits,
what circumstances induce the-Navy to make use of it .at all ?
• —Trees of the dimensions necessary for.masts and bowsprits
- are not to he procured, I believe, in any other part of the
world that we are aware
,of; and although the American
' Thither -may be very injurious, if introduced''' the fabric
pf a ship, it-would not be the case if-,applied to a mast:
The reduction or diminntion of the Duties then upon TiM-
. her friim the Baltic, would have no effect upon the demand
•• • in his Majesty's Dock-yards, Orelsewhereilor QattaOtailubC.r.
for the purposes of making Masts ?—Certainly nut. .
Do you consider your last answer as equally appiyiag to