Star.
London, England, 1813-02-20 00:00:00

COPPER EXPORTATION.

Mr. WHARTON brought up the Report of the
Copper Exportation Bill.
Mr. P. GRENFELL objected to the Bill, as ten-
ding to create manufactories in America, to the in-
jury of our own.
Mr. ROSE said he could not see the force of the
objection, as the Americans had already means of
getting copper.
Mr. A. BARING was averse to Legislative inter-
ference of this nature with manufactures and com-
merce. He could see no positive objection even to
supplying America with muskets. He noticed the
inefficacy of the prohibition of saltpetre to France,
and asked if a single gun the less was fired by the
enemy on that account ?
Mr. F. ROBINSON said it was not intended to
make the prohibition absolute and unconditional ;
but to leave the modification of it with the Privy
Council, according to the exigencies of circumstances,
for the purpose of preventing the supply of naval
stores to an enemy, which was done on a still greater
extent with respect to all other naval stores. He was
not prepared to go the length of the Hon. Member's
general principles, and provide an enemy with im-
plements of war; nor could he see the fairness of
allowing so great a benefit to the copper manufac-
turers, which was not allowed-to the other manufac-
turers. Tar, flax, turpentine, &c. were under closer
restrictions than were proposed in the exportation of
copper. The discretion was to be in the Privy Coun-
cil, and the object was to prevent exporting what
might be converted into naval stores ; and not a
mere question about exporting kettles and articles of
domestic use. He could not agree to forego pressing
the Bill.

Mr. WHITBREAD felt inclined to go the whole
length of what had been stated by Mr. Baring, as
more commercially useful, and not politically injuri-
ous. Experience ought w €oAviuce cyery body that

IWatcit:

the scheme of crippling the enemy by sneVmesnsws4
futile. Once we had a project of keeping corn from
France, and starving that country; but what did we
make of it We had the same experience of the
saltpetre prohibition ; for the French found out some.
how to make saltpetre within themselves. Then we
had recourse to the miserable measure of prohibiting
Jesuit's bark. America, by such a system as this.
would be set upon doing that for herself which we
had been in the habit of doing for her; and the great
misfortune would be, that, conclude a peace as woe
as we may, we should not only have interposed e
check on our manufactures, but that the ecpectatiost
of many would never recur. The professed object
was to check the growth of the American navy; bit
did any man conceive that one frigate the less would
go to sea through the operation of this Bill ? Sup.
pose they were left without copper : did not Lord
Hawke fight his battles without copper The qiies•
tion was not whether the ships would swim without
copper ? sheathing was the particular article ; but
iron could be used in many respects. As for the
Privy Council judging, they would just arrest the
trade when America was pinched and wanted to buy
the' copper ; it would then be stopped, and stopped
probably for ever. Leave the matter alone, and the
trade would continue; stop it for a few months, and
the enemy would soon fill up the void that had been
created. We should, in fact, hurt ourselves, and
confer ultimately a benefit on America.
Mr. W. DUNDAS said, that if the Americans
had the rolling-mills themselves, they would hardly
apply to us for copper sheathing. Why should we
furnish America with that which would be of almost
immediate use to her in warlike objects against us ?
In June and July our exports might put their vessels
in readiness. It was as well to wait for what they
could do for themselves, as to do it so very liberally
for them. This sort of candour exceeded all he had
ever hear,lof. Had any nation ever thought it wise
to send arms to their enemies ? After furnishing them
with arms, we might as well send them ships, and
every thing else of a warlike nature which they
might want—( Hear.)
The Bill, with the amendments, was ordered to be
engrossed, and read a third time on Monday.