If what has been stated by your Committee | leads them to expect some diminution of the export of the American colonies, from a change in the scale of existing duties, they have also reason to believe that it is only by a temporary restraint of that export that the character of the wood is likely to be improved, and its value eventually increased; such ai a diminution, therefore, is in itself by no means in the contemplation of your Committee, a sufficient ground of objection on the part of the colonies to any alteration that may ay be proposed, unless it be such an alteration as shall be calculated extensively to exclude from consumption the timber of the North American colonies, and transfer the trade to foreigners. Within certain limits, the trade of the colonies of Great Britain have a just claim to encouragement and support from the mother country; and to such claim your Committee are anxious to give full weight, It is not, however, a question whether this encouragement and support should be given or withholden; but admitting it to be due, to what extent it should be carried, in justice to other interests, which have also their peculiar claims to attention, and which are, in the opinion of your Committee, also deeply in volved in this discussion. On the fair regard shown to foreign countries, the extent of our commerce with them may depend, and in providing with too much partiality for the interests connected with the trade to and from our American colonies, we may put in hazard all those still more extensive interests that are engaged in the export to those countries which are directly concerned in the timber trade (if not of our foreign trade generally), by such a proof of deliberate preference of a principle of restriction, as the rule of our commercial policy.

posed to sanction. At this rate of difference, it appears to your Committee, a fairer competition will be given to foreign produce, and a freedom of choice (which, under the present relative prices can hardly be said to exist) will be secured to the consumers, between the descriptions of wood brought from the respective points of supply, while a certain and large proportion of the consumption of the united kingdom will be assured to the American colonies, in the applications of their timber to those uses for which its qualities and comparative price must give it a preference.

However the tendency of the evidence generally may be, to recommend an alteration in the duties, to such an amount as may prove a corrective to the trade, without impairing materially the consumption of the American timber; a considerable variety of opinion was expressed by the witnesses examined, as to the extent to which an alteration of the existing duty might be carried, without danger to the fair demand for the produce of our American colonies. Amidst the different opinions given, it was difficult for your Committee to determine the precise amount by which the relative difference between the colonial timber, and that from the northern states should be reduced, and in fixing upon 20s. they have not only taken that sum as a point between the extremes, but have been influenced by a reference to the accounts of the market in several years, and particularly in 1816, 1817, 1818, and 1819, as it is given in a paper added in the appendix, and in the evidence of two of the witnesses; when it appears to have been, according to the remarks of one of them, in a natural and healthy state; when a fair competition existed, when the prejudice entertained against American timber seemed to be on the decline, and the demand for it augmenting. The relative price was, at this period, about or nearly three to four, which has recently been reduced to one-half, owing to the unnatural situation into which the market has been brought by excessive importations, produced by the various circumstances which, at the present moment, have contributed to disturb the channels, and change the character of the trade.

In maintaining the original duty imposed expressly for the purpose of encouragement to the North American trade, it cannot be contended that every claim on public faith is not fully satisfied. In point of expediency, however, and in consideration of the interests, involved, your Committee are disposed to think it may be allowed to go even something further in favour of the colonies. The difference created by duty on timber amounts at present to 31. 5s. per load; if, by the effect of the alteration, that should be reduced to Your Committee next proceeded to consi21. 5s. which would leave a protection, after der, in what mode that alteration of duty providing for the ordinary difference in should be effected, whether by reduction of freight, in the actual selling price of the re- duty on Baltic timber, by an imposition of spective descriptions of timber, of 17. 10s. per duty on American, or by a combination of load in favour of the imports from our North both; and the result of their consideration American provinces, your Committee cannot has been, a preference of the last mode of but think, in recommending such a difference, producing the relative approximation they they shall at least be free from the charge of have recommended, in the prices of the renot having sufficiently listened to the preten, spective descriptions of timber, by the imposions of the parties whose interests are in-sition of 10s. on the American timber, and a volved in the colonial trade, and tendered as great sacrifice on the part of the country, both to the shipping and the colonies, as they can persuade themselves the House will be dis

corresponding reduction from the duty on that imported from the north of Europe; this they conceive to be most effectual to produce the advantages they have in contemplation; by

removing the excessive inequality of the present system, facilitating our intercourse with foreign nations, and marking our desire, as far as circumstances will permit, to adopt more liberal principles than those by which our cominerce with them has been hitherto governed.

The state of the duty on deals will not, in the opinion of your Committee, allow the same degree of relative reduction to be applied to it, which has been recommended for that on timber:

"

of your Committee's examination; and although the reduction of them all to their curbical contents in assessing the duty, seems, on the first view of it, the most easy as well as the most equitable principle that could be adopted, your Committee have found reasons in support of continuing the existing mode (both as a matter of convenience and as pro ducing a degree of equality between the conntries by which our importations of wood are furnished), sufficient to prevent their proposing to the Ilouse to relinquish it; in preThe rate of duty on long deals at present serving the mode, however, they are of opifalls considerably below that on timber, nion, that an improvement may be introduced whilst on those of short lengths, it rather into the scale now in use, by admitting a exceeds it. In what principle this distinction gradation of duty, between the deal ends and in favour of deals, as compared with timber deals of the largest class, which, it appears to in the log, originated, your Committee are at your Committee, would attain more effec a loss to discover, and are averse to recom-tually that advantage by which the existing mend a continuance of it, at least to its pre- mode of levying the duty is chiefly recom • Dinow 28 vtől se siLT sent extent. They feel, however, considera-mended. Your Committee have abstained from enble difficulty in proposing to equalize the duty on timber and deals, which, if effected by a tering, in this report, into details upon the reduction of the duty on timber, must be at- subject of battens, oak-plank, staves, decktended with a large sacrifice of revenue, and plank, paling-boards, masts, spars, and the if by an addition to that on deals, might tend other various denominations under which in some measure rather to impair than assist timber is imported, to which their attention the foreign effect it would have of the kingdom, by the has beeen directed. The duties on these will on exports of wood be influenced by those on the more important from those states, of which deals form the articles, and will make a necessary part of greatest proportion. This, in the opinion of any measure that may hereafter be submitted your Committee, precludes the application of to the House. a rule of strict equality to deals and to timber; but it appears to them, that while the amount of duty on timber is reduced in the degree proposed, a small increase on deals of large dimensions, will in some measure lessen the distinction, at least as far as that class of deals is concerned. On the shorter deals, they recommend some reduction of duty, less with reference to the manner in which the duty at present bears upon this description of deals in comparison with timber, than in consideration of the difference in the quantity of wood contained in a given number of deals of the larger and smaller dimensions, which scems to call, in respect of the latter, for a more favourable assessment. Another alteration which has suggested itself to your Com. mittee, is one that has reference to deal ends, on which a comparative low duty has been hitherto levied, in order to accommodate the ship-owner in broken stowage; this indulgeuce has been found to lead to great abuse in covering the introduction of timber of this description as cargo practice never contemplated) to an extent most injurious to the revenue They therefore submit the propriety of confining the length of this class of deals to six feet, and making a moderate reduction in duty to which they are at present liable..

consequence of t the report referred to them, the mode of levying the duty on deals and wood of the other denominations, under wluch uch it is imported into this country, according to the cubic measure, has been an object

The policy of a legislative preference being given to the importation of timber in the log, and the discouragement of the importation of deals, seems to your Committee very doubtful, both because they are of opinion that any advantage to be expected from the conversion of timber into deals in this country, will not be sufficient to compensate for the corresponding disadvantage to the general consumer (to whom the deals would come with a considerable increase of cost), and because it is founded on a principle of exclusion, which they are most averse to see brought into operation in any new instance, without the warrant of some evident and great polis tical expediency,med silduq set to stude

Your Committee have discovered in the ack counts before them, that the protective duty in favour of British shipping, has been made to operate in different degrees on the impor tation of wood of different descriptions, vary ing from 24 to 5 per cent, and in some unim portant instances falling below, as in otherst considerably exceeding these rates, on the value of the particular article imported; for this inequality, which introduces much përplexity into the collection of the duty, there does not appear to be any sufficient reason, and they therefore submit to the considera tion of the House, the propriety of making the same duty attach on all importations of wood in foreign ships alike, and that the amount of difference between the importa tion in the foreign ship and that in the British ship, should be fixed for the future at 5, per

cent.

suggested itself to your Committee, which, incurred to them in the course of their inquiry

FOREIGN TRADE OF THE COUNTRY.-SECOND REPORT of the Select Com mittee of the House of Commons appointed to consider of the means of Improving and Maintaining the FOREIGN TRADE of the Country: Ordered to be printed 18th 11.May 1821.

ports within the limits of the East India Company's charter (except the dominions of the emperor of China) and any port or ports beyond the limits of the said charter, belong

ing to any state or countries in amity with his majesty.

18th May, 1821.

EAST INDIA TRADE-REPORT relative to the TRADE with the East Indies and CHINA, from the Select Committee of the House of Lords, appointed to inquire into the means of extending and securing the FOREIGN TRADE of the Country, to report to the House: Ordered to be printed 11th April 1821.

By the LORDS COMMITTEES appointed a SELECT COMMITTEE to inquire into the ... means of extending and securing the Foreign Trade of the country, and to report to the House; and to whom were referred the Minutes of the Evidence taken before the Select Committee appointed in the last Session of Parliament for the like purpose; and also the several Petitions, Papers, and Accounts which had been referred to that Committee; and also the several Petitions presented in the present Session of Parliament on the subject of Foreign Trade :

ORDERED TO REPORT,

jury to individuals are stated to have arisen
where circumstances have made it desirable
of these ports to another, after their arrival in
to change the destination of vessels from one
the East, in consequence of the delay at
tendant
from the local government. This, indeed,
upon obtaining a permission to do so
may be obviated by obtaining licences in
which have been sometimes applied for, and
cluding the above-named ports generally,
do not appear to have been refused. But the
to be attended with any public benefit; and
system of requiring licences does not appear
a fee is charged for each of them.

A more material advantage might probably accrue to the free trader from being permitted That the Committee have met, and have to trade with other smaller ports on the coasts proceeded in the inquiry, which had been en- of Coromandel and Malabar, where the Comtered upon by the said Committee appointed pany have already collectors of the customs in the last session of parliament, into the established, who might effectually counteract state of British commerce with Asia, in- an illicit trade; whereby a wider field of adcluding as well that which is carried on with venture may be opened, and an additional the territorial possessions of the honourable stimulus to commercial intercourse afforded East India Company, as that with the Inde- to the native inhabitants. It would, however, pendent States in the same part of the globe. be necessary in this case to provide by regu In the conduct of this inquiry, the Com-lations, which it could not be difficult to mittee have not thought it necessary to direct their attention to the commercial concerns of the East India Company, as administered by the Court of Directors with a view to the interests both political and financial of that corporate body, further than was necessary to elucidate the present state and future prospects of free trade, as affected by existing regulations.

This subject therefore naturally divides itself according to the various restrictions to which different descriptions of commerce in these regions are now subjected by law: that to the territorial possessions of the Company being carried on by licence only from the Company; that to other parts of Southern Asia (China excepted), and to the islands of the Indian ocean, by licence from the board of control; that to China being entirely prohibited to all British vessels but those in the actual employment of the East India Company, and the whole trade confined to ships of a certain fixed amount of tonnage.

establish, against any abuse of this extension of privilege by British vessels carrying on the coasting trade, in which there is every reason to believe they might successfully compete with the native ships, which have hitherto been considered as enjoying a monopoly of that trade, of which the East India Company could not reasonably be expected to deprive their subjects as long as they are precluded from carrying on the direct trade to Europe in India-built vessels. It must be observed, however, that the coasting trade is now open to vessels of other nations, those of the United States not being excluded from it, and instances having been stated to the Committee in which the Portuguese flag has been allowed to pass from one port to another carrying on trade, from which British European ships are excluded.

The Committee cannot dismiss this branch of the subject without observing, that al though it is difficult from the great fluctuation which the free trade to the Peninsula of The trade which is carried on by licence India has experienced since it has been adwith the territories of the East India Committed upon the terms of the renewed charter pany is confined to the presidencies of granted to the East India company in 1813, Bombay, Madras, and Calcutta, and the port to estimate fairly the precise amount of its of Penang. Some inconveniencies and in-increase, it must be admitted that its gro