Star.
London, England, 1821-05-23 00:00:00

P.A RLIA MEN TARY PROCEEDINGS.

HOUSE OF LORDS, MAY ec

WzvatuusLt. was heard in part in support of the claim of
the sun rif the late Earl of Strathmore to the Peerage.—Further '
argument postponed to Thursday next.
The Irish Jail Fees Bill was read a third time and passed;
_also the Irish Law Courts Bill.
The Steam Engine Smoke Removal Bill was committed.
The Earl of SHAFTESBURY presented a Petition from
Prince Edward's Island againat any alteration in the Timber
'Duties.
The Marquis of LANSDOWN presented a Petition from
several denominations of Protestant Dissenters in London and
Westminster, prating for an alteration in the Criminal Cude:
and another from the same parties,' praying for a mitigation in

DIU RANCHISEMENT OF GRAMPOUND EILL.
On the Report of this Bill being brought up by
Lord SHAFTESBURY,
The Earl of LAUDERDALE wished to know
why it had been thought fit to transfer the right of
.voting to the County of York ?
The LORD C HANCELLOR said he.would wait to
•see whether the County of York liked this Bill or not.
Earl FITZWILLIAM made some few remarks,
and sail that he was willing to receive the Report.
The Earl of WESTMORELAND thought it
would be only decent and respectful to the County
of York to wait and see if they consented to this new
provision.
The Earl of LIVERPOOL said this Amendment
would be a subject of discussion on the third reading.
But he wished to know how the sense of the County
of York was to he obtained ? If the Borough of
Grampound was to be disfranchised, there must be
some other place to which the franchise must be prof-
fered. All chat was done here was to cause two
additional Members to be returned for the County of
York ; and so far from that being likely to produce
any inconvenience, he thought it would have a con-
•trary effect in that County.
The Earl of DARNLEY thought it would be bet-
ter to divide the County so as to return two Mem-
bers for each part, or to adhere to the plan recom-
mended by the House of Commons.
• Lord ELLENBOROUGH conceived that the
House would have acted more wisely if one Member
was given to Lancashire and the other to Yorkshire.
The Earl of LIVERPOOL said, that one of the!
grounds for moving this Amendment was that of
there being no competition for any place of transfer.
If Yorkshire was to be divided, that would produce
great inconvenience, because it could not be done
without burthening two Counties with separate
County Courts. •
The Earl of LAUDERDALE said this Bill would
go to the destruction of Representation in the County
of Cornwall.—The Amendments were then agreed
to, the Report received, and the Bill ordered to be
read a third time.

TIMBER DUTIES BILL.
On the Order of the Day for the House to resolve
itself into a Committee on this Bill,
Earl BATHURST entered into an explanation of
the circumstances which induced his Majesty's Mi-
nisters to bring forward this measure in its present
shape. It would be recollected, that in the year.
1809 we were altogether excluded from any trade
with the Baltic. At that time, in consequence of
such exclusion, it was thought necessary to give en-
couragement to our own Colonies to furnish us with
Timber, and for that purpose, additional Duties
were laid on Timber imported from the Continent
of Europe. Those Duties expired in 1820 ; before
that time it became necessary to give notice, that
'new arrangements should be made. The effect of
the notice was, that very large quantities of Timber
were imported from the North of Europe and from
North America. The notice had• been given about
the end of the year 1817 ; and in the course of
the year 1818, the quantity of Timber imported
amounted to 333,000 loads; whereas the quantity
imported during the preceding year, amounted to
no more than 77,900 loads. In the year 1819, a
still greater importation took place, not only from
the Baltic, but from North America; and yet after
all these importations there was no increase of de-
mand. The consequence was, that great embarrass-
ments took place in the trade, which embarrassments
could not be considered as arising out of increase of
Duties. here the Noble Earl entered into a variety
of explanations and details, with a view of shewing
the policy of encouraging the importation of Timber
from the Colonies, as well as from the North of Eu-
rope. The most material part of this subject was
that which related to the imperative Duties on Tim-
ber imported from the Colonies and the Baltic ; and
it was on all hands admitted, that some protection
ought to be given to the Colonies, on account of the
exertions that had been made to import Timber from
them during our exclusion from the European Con-
tinent. But it was not understood that this was to
be a permanent arrangement; it might be proper to
revive the question again at the expiration of three
or four years. He could not agree to the doctrine,
that persons were to be allowed to go and get their
goods at the cheapest rate; for such a principle
might be very hostile to our interests. The principle
was not adopted with regard to linens or corn; for
laws were made which gave a preference in these
articles to those of our own country. Our whole
Colonial system was at variance with that general
principle, and it was fit that every possible degree
of encouragement should be given tb our Colonies
in regard to the Timber Trade. although that trade
brought in only a comparatively small amount of
income. This was the more necessary on account
of many persons being now employed in carrying on
that trade in the Colonies, who could not be em-
•ployed in any other way. Besides, their Lordships
should consider the great advantage arising from this
trade in the encouragement given to our own ship-
ping, which were wholly employed in the Colonial
trade, whereas many foreign ships were employed in
the Baltic trade.
The Earl of LAUDERDALE said, he was
ashamed to see so thin all attendance on the discus-
sion of a subject of such vast importance as this;
and in so thin a House, he would not trespass long
on their Lordships time. It had, he said, been a
subject of universal complaint, that the people of
this country had a bad article forced on them at a
low price, in consequence of the discouragement
held out to the trade from the Baltic. The effect of
this discouragement was, that our exports to the
Baltic had been diminishing every year, in propor-
tion to the encouragement that had been held out to