The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-02-12

mics Tor the supply Of an extremely valuable kind q
timber FOR ship building. which has now become 81
OF the most important branches OF manufacture
The larch or haokmatack, which s preferred beiofu
all other woods for the knees, beams, and top tin
bers Of ships, Is found most sbundantly in Now
Brunswick From the abundance Of this timber
considered at Lloyd's but little II any. inferior 70
old English oak-it is asserted that ships can 30
built at ST. John, NJ b. wholly Of hackmatack. quite
equal TO New York ships, at a cost not exceeding
three fourths of the price of the latter.
With the increasing demand for wood and lumber.
we cannot shut our eyes to the rapid diminution Of
our resources.
MI Emerson, in his admirable report upon the
forest trees OF Massachusetts,. made To the LegSia
ture OF that State. says
"Ihe effects Of the wasteful destruction Of tho
forest trees are already visible. very large per
ton oil the materials for ship-buidng, household
ing, and manufactures In the towns along the coast.
are now brought from other States. Every year We
York. and some Of the Southern States not only for
ship timber and lumber for house building. but for
materials for tanning and dying, for carriage max
ing, basket making, plane making last making. aud
for furniture, and the implements Of husbandry
Even these foreign resources are fast failing us.
Within the last quarter of century the forests q
Maine and New York. from which we draw our
largest supplies, have disappeared more rapidly than
those of Massachusetts, ever did. In o quarter Of
century more, at this rate, the supply in many
places will be entirely cut OIL. nmany parts OF both
these States, which recently furnished the most
abundant supplies agriculture Is already taking
the place Of the lumber trade, and the dsforesedre
gon changing into beautiful farms will never -
allowed to resume its original wildness." Speaking
OF the white pine and its numerous and important
uses, he continues: "In consequence Of these nurne
rous tses, 1t is every year becoming moro scarce.
The expectation from Che growth OF this State has
almost ceased, and from New Hampshire and the
southern parts of Maine it has much diminished, and
the lumber has become Of inferior quality. From the
PenObscot and other great rivers in the northern
parts OF the State the expectation is still immense;
but the lumbermen have to 60 every year to .
greater distance from the great water courses and
ascend smaller streams and more remote lakes
The some thing is happening in New York. and the
day is evidently not far distant when the inhabitants
OF New England even will have to depend on Canada
for this wood" II is evident that the products our
forests rapidly diminishing that not only New
England but other large districts along the Atlantic
sesboard must hereafter look for the principal supply
to those vast northern wids, through which flow the
magnificent waters OF the Ottawa, Saguenay and s..
John The products of the immense forests OF pine
timber which now line the OTTAWA, as well as the
other rivers which flow into the St. Lawrence, win
be borne with comparative cheapness to New York
and other Atlantic Cities either coastwise through
the water communications of the interior In this
connection it must be noticed that the State of Maine
will derive an important if not full equivalent for the
effects offree competition of provincial lumber by
measure which Is included in the proposed arrange
Ment. Some of the most valuable timber lands bo-
longing 10 Maine and Massachusetts are upon the
river st. John. through whose waters timber may DO
ygation of this river, which i is intended to seodN
by this measure, will be important advantage to
the citizens Of Maine. To meet the changes Of the
management of the public lands, New Bruins
lumber, shipped from British as well as Americas
waters down the st. John for by the terms Of the
treaty of Washington, American lumber 6osted T.
the ocean through waters under British jurisdiction.
was to be dealt with as if it were the produce Il
said province" To avoid the payment Of this ex-
port duty, the lumbermen Of Maine have constructed
dams at great expense on the upper waters Of tho
st. John, 80 that lumber, which would have run
through the latter river is actually foated up stream
into lakes connected by artificial canals with the
waters Of the Pen0bss0t. Numerous petitions have
been presented to Congress, from Maine for the re-
dress Of this grievance, which, doubtless. will be
effected il the proposed commercial arrangements
are adopted.
Another very important advantage to our lumber
ecproca ade IN umBeap At % present hehy
discriminating duty is charged in the ports Of Great
Britain upon American as well as all foreign timber
and lumber in favor Of the provincial trade This
bears heavily upon our exports Of deals and other
valuable lumber. just and fair reciprocity in this
branch of trade demands that while we open to the
provincial lumber market Of vast extent rapidly
expanding and easy Of access; our trade in this
article should not be subjected to burdensome resrc-
lions in the home market Of Great Britain. II il
confidently believed that condition of the proposed
reciprocal arrangement, so just in itself, and affect
article OF consumption OF the very nrSt noCe6
1T. in every civilized country, will be readily &C.
cepted by government which has adopted the wise
policy Of sheapenng the food of her operatives and
The raw material Of manufacture, by free trade.
FREE NAVIGATION or THE ct. LAWRENCE.
by reference to the correspondence of Mr. Clayton
and Sir Henry l.. Bulwer, which ia annexed to this
report, it will be that her Majesty representa-
tive was authorized to government that in
the event OF bill providing for reciprocal free trade
between Canada and the United States should be-
come q law, the British government would at once
consent to open the navigation of the st. Lawrence
and OF the canals connected Herewith to the ship
ping and citizens Of the United States.
The committee do not deem it necessary to enlarge
upon the value of the free navigation of the st. Law
renee, as this subject has been fully discussed in an
able report from the Committee on Foreign Affairs,
presented by Hon. A. W. Buel to the last Congress.
The committee referred to recommended the adop-
ton Of the following resolution
Resolved by the Senate and House Of Representative,
Of the United States in Congress assembled That the
fee navigation OF the St. Lawrence river for
purposes demands the earnest attention of American
government and that Is highly desirable that
cured to American commerce at early day.
This concession or right, az our abest statesmen
have maintained has been earnestly desired since the
American Revolution. In 1896 ii was the subject OF
an animated diplomatic correspondence between the
United States and Great Britain. 1t is privilege in
which eight States have direct interest. 1t seems
the natural outetto the principal portion of the great
wheat producing region of the United States. There
can be but little doubt from the numerous petitions
presented 10 congress IRON citizens OF states ada
cent to the northern chain OF lakes, praying that
measures may be taken to procure for our citizens
the right to the free navigation of the ST. Lawrence
that this concession would be regarded by the great
wheat producing population of the Northwest
az full equivalent for the supposed disad-
vantages OF Canadian competition. At present
no American vessel can pass Montreal without per.
mission. Repeated applications have been made
TO the Canadian government by parties In
Buffalo. Cleveland. and Chicago. for permission to
pass vessels through the St Lawrence which it has
been constrained under existing circumstances to
refuse The Canadians can at any moment exclude
our vessels from the ship canals constructed around
the Falls OF Niagara, and the rapids above Montreal;
which are now 40 extensively used by our commerce.
and through which vessels of three hundred tons,
carrying three thousand barrels of flour, can pass 70
the ocean. The free navigation OF this river which
Is IN fact but an extension Of the great lakes would