Star.
London, England, 1821-02-27 00:00:00

TIMBER Tit.% DE.

Mr. G. ANSON presented a Petition from the'
Ship Owners of Great Yarmouth, against any alter-
ation in the Duties on Timber.—lLeferred to the Com-
mittee on Foreign Trade.
Mr. MARRYAT presented a similar Petition from
the Ship Owners of the Port of Greenock.
Mr. H. G. BENNETT observed, that the Ship
Owners objected to any alteration in the Duties on
Timber, not upon any great principle of political
economy, but because any alteration of that kind
would affect their own private interests. But the
question here was, how the timber could be obtained
at the cheapest rate for the consumer? and he trusted
that the House would not be diverted from that
object by the objections of individuals upon such
narrow grounds.
Sir MI-W. RIDLEY assured the House that the
Petitioners were all men of the greatest respect-
ability, and it could not be doubted-but they had a
right to state their objections to any measure by
which their interests might suffer. For his own part,
he would 'not express any decided opinion on the
subject, until he should see the results of the inqui-
ries which the Committee above stairs were pursuing.
Mr. ANSON expressed his hope that the subject
would be fully discussed before any remedy should
be proposed. He could not, however, but think that
the effects of any remedy would be extremely doubt-
ful, where so large a body as the ship-owners of
England felt that any change in the duties would be
destructive to them.—The Petition was referred to
the Committee on Foreign Trade..
. Mr. ELLISON presented a Petition from the
Merchants and Ship-owners of New..attle=on-Tyne,
against any alteration in the Duties on Timber,
Sir M. W. lUDLEY said, that after the accusation
which had been made against the Shipowners in ge-
neral, by his Honourable. Friend, he could not but
observe, that that body had ventured large capitals
in their trade. He was afraid that many persons
looked with too sanguine a hope to the Committee
on Foreign Trade, as if their labours were likely to
produce any alleviation of that distress which, he was.

T-

;tort/ to say, was but too general and severe. 11.41.
ever, he trusted that the interests of the gteet 614.
concerned would not be overlooked in the Comm;
Mr. 11. G. BENNETT denied that he had duo":
out reflections against the respeCtability of the
sons from whom these Petitions proceeded, Het
it for granted that they. were all. vet y respect Ale:
and pursued. their own interests a very reAnlia
manner. But it was to be recollected that no •neat
measure had ever yet .been brought into Omni.,"
,which did not clash in some respects with the .
rests of individuals; and when that was the
Members were found in this lione to come t..L.""t
and say that those individuals so ag4l-2ieved ;4:1
persons of the highest respectability. But hiboea:
that the House would not attend to yach detaasSi
it would take the general question into its comet**.
tion, and do its duty to the country at large—mop;
hear). He recollected that when turnpike-toads weie.
about to be established, several Petitions were
sented from the City of London, who complain
that such a measure would injure their interests
facilitating the conveyance of provisions fmta the
North, and thus lowering their pi ires in bake.
But the House turned its back upon those p •••
and he hoped that it would treat in the sarne
tier the Petitions which no.v came, from sitailatig,
terested motives, from the Ship-o'vners—(mw4o
The Petition was referred to the Committee mt.
Foreign Trade.