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<)l5SEllVATI0N>^>''i:

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ON Tlil

PROPOSKD ALTRIMTION

Ol'- TIIU

fwy

r I .^i ij i<: ii - 1> u T 1 15 «.

^\■\^\\ ur.M Allies on riii. i'AMI'Hi.f.t of

vS 1 J{ HO W A R I ) I ) () U Ci L A S,

BY JOHN HEVANS.

LONDON

.< M. lUClIARDSON, 2.^ ("OHNIIIM-

j.8;u,

VV. MARCHANT, PRINTER, ISGRAM-COURT, FENCIHIRCM-STREET.

\i)vi:NTisi:>ri:M

Till, writer of the annexed })ag'es has been
many years eonneeted, l)y trade, with tlie Canadas,
and lias liad the assistanee of a brother long
resident in those countries. Ilis brother lias
travelled tliroiig-li the greater portion of these
Colonies, with the express object of collecting facts
relative to iheir productions, the habits of the
people, &c. for the purposes of private tradings
The writer, moreover, has received assistance from
several friends, who have resided in the Canadas,
and have been personally engaged in agriculturCv

CH'STREET.

OnSEUVATIONS,

t^c. tjr.

SECTION I.

The Ministers have at length proposed an alteration
of the timber-duties ; and, as was to be expected, the same
interests that have so hing maintained the present mis-
chievous system have now, when that system is about to
l)e departed from, raised a long loud shout of disapprobation.
The following observations will be an attempt to estimate the
real worth of the proposed measure, and of the objections by
which it has been so vehemently assailed.

13y the existing law, what is called a protecting duty is
levied on Baltic timber. Baltic timber is better in quality,
and is cheaper, than colonial timber; but, in order to
force the people of this country to buy the bad and
dear commodity furnished by the North American Colonies,
Parliament in its wisdom levies so high a duty on the im-
portation of good and cheap timber from the ]5altic, that the
latter has, to a great extent, been excluded from the English
market.* This proceeding is termed protecting the colonial
timber-trade: and the consequence of the law, as regards the
trade, has been to direct the capital of our colonies in North
America to the preparing of timber for sale in the mother
country. In other words, a timber-trade with the colonies

* Table of Duties. — The following is sufliciont for the present purpose:

II. p. A. I''o reign.

Timber, per load I'O 10 0 1'2 15 0

IMank. ditto 0 15 0.... 4 0 0

Pipe Staves, i)er TOO 0 H 0 1 4 0

Deals, jxT 100, of (i to 10 feet long, and 'i^

inchcti thick 2 0 0.... 11> 0 0

Ci

has b( CM orcatt'tl, which, without assisunco, woiiM novof

have

<X|x

ted.

'I'lie present Ministers propose to take away lliis assistance.
They have determined to ah(!r the relative jjioporlion of the
duties levied on t'orei;j,n and e()h)nial tiinhtr: in other words,
thoy have dt'terniiipd to aUow th(» ooninuniily to hny, it" they
think lit, thi; <;o(kI tiiulxr Iroru the IJallie, at ilw same price
they now give tor tlie had tind)er ot" Anierioa.

The etl'ect of this change, as regards the course ol" trade,
will be, it is asserted, a total annihilati<m of tlie eoloni.il
tirnber-tra(h\ Willi some little restriction, this may bo con ■
j^edetl. ^\ ith some exceptions, the whole ui' the liml)er pur-
chased by (ir<!at Britain will be obtained from the IJaltic.

'I'hc grand point in (h;bate betwecMi the supporters and
opponents of the present jnojioscd plan is, n'lulhtr Ilw bc/itjif
iv/iich will be conferred on the connnunid/ at lar^c bi/ the tin-
jdojirmnt oj a chvap and cxcclliat coinmodifif. In ctnuttctha-
i<nucd by am/ cri/s (■rising!; J rom i/n iHcu^mr ir/tich coii/crs the
benijit: ivhilher the alteration of the trade be attended In/ mis-
vhiejs rrrvater than the good, which bi/ all it is allowed to
product .

The most simple and straight-forward course of discussing
this (juestion v/otdtl evidently l)e, to place before the reader
at once, and distinctly, the extent of benefit derived from the
proposed change, and th»;n to (compare it with whatever evil
may be proved to arise from the sam«» sourc(\ I5ut as the
good will appear to be enormous, I uiight be accused of using
iin imj)roper artiiice, and of endeavouring to bias the mind ol
the English reader, if I pursued this obvious method ; since,
by possessing him with a strong conc( ption of the benefit he
was about iu enjoy, ho might be uniittcd for the fair aj^prccia-
lion of whatever evidence may be adduced to prov(.' mischief
accruing to other portions of the whole comniunity. In order,
then, to avoid this charge of unfairness, 1 jjropose to reserve
the statement of the advantages arising from the measure in
<piestion to the people of this country, till 1 have examined
its cHects on the other parties supposed to be affected by it.

SECTION II.

For the purposes of the present discussion, the community
as a whole may b(^ divided into three distinct j)arties.
J. The colonists. 2. The ship-owners. JJ. The people
of (ireat Britain, taken generally. 1 intend to in«piirc
in the above order into the conse([Ucnces of the proposed
change to the various interests of these separate parties.

DIlM ilOVCf

assistaiu'o.

Iter won Is,
«>, if liny
■sariic price

0 of tiadc!,
<? <'(»loinal
y 1)0 01)11
ini)()r |)ur-
IJallic.
DiiiMs and

1 he be in Jit
'// Ihc cm-
vouiitn/ui-
'oufcrs the
id hi/ mis-
itlnivid io

isciissmir

il

the reader

i'rom tlic

tevei evil

iul as the

1 ol ijsiti<r

0 iiiiiid ot

<l ; sinc(^,

xnelit he

npprccia-

mischief

In order,

) reserve

•as lire in

xamified

by it.

tn 111 unity

parties,

people

incpiiro

roi)ost'i!

(;s.

1. i;ili:( TS ON Tllli (OLONIKS.

It has already Ixeii stattd, that the tn'\v plan of diiii(«*<
>vom1<1 icuiiliilalv tlw lindxr-liale : that I In u I and, in i'act,
would not hnv had linditr. The necissary rests It of \vhi«di
>void<l l)c, thai the colonies would not pre[iare it ; in otln i
words, the capital now miployt'd hy (In; tuilonii <i, in tin pr*;-
paralion ol linihi r, wonld no lonj;er be so finpl(»yed. 'Vwo
<puslioiis arise on ihis point: Ist. Is tlicicany iiindf in whieli
this eajiiial ol the colonics can he employed with r(pial ail-
vanlauc? and '2, Can (he raj»ital ho easily transferred (o (In;
new application f 1 1 it can he shewn that there arc other
advania;^('<)iis modes otCinployin^ (■a|)ital in the colonies, and
that wiilioiil loss it can he transferred, lln.Mi, as r(.'t;ar«ls (he
colonies, (Iw; measure will he |)roved to he in no way injurious;
and if, as L think, itcan he made manifest, that the new modes
of enijdoyiny" <'a[jilal are much more advantageous than the
old one, tlun the measure, so t'.ir from h(Mii^ injurious, will he
oiKi of ahsidnte benefit. That it will be so beiielieial, and
that to an almost incalculable extent, 1 believe 1 shall be able
satistactoiily to prove.

To those who are acrpiaintetl with the colonies of North
7\mericii, it is \\«11 known that the chitd' business of the inha-
bitants is agriculture. They have a fertile soil, a clim;ite well
fitted to the proilnclion of agricultural produce, an<l their
superiority, as compared with the countries of Europe, lies in
their capability of furnishing this produce.

The Canadas, which are the great object of interest in this
matter, have, it is well known, already employed a portion of
their capital in the production of wheat for this country. 'Ibis
wheat has, even with a live-shilling duty, paid the producer;
— it has, in other words, sold at a remunerating price; and
I can assert, without fear of refutation, that the capital of
the colonies can be employed in the production of wheat, not
merely with advantage e(jual to that derived from its applica-
tion to the production of timber, but with advantage, far
surpassing any which that mischievous trade can possibly
confer ; that, speaking with reference merely to the riches of
the country, the business of agriculture would be far more
beneficial than lumbering, while, considering the happiness of
the people as dependant on their health and habits of morality,
no greater boon can be conferred on the colonies than the
utter annihilation of the timber-trade.

The following observations of a person, who was, for many
years, a resident in Canada, deserve particular attention : —

•' Tor benefit to arise to the community at large, all tin;
capital employed in any trade should be replaced, and some-

lliiii«j; ()V(?r ami aliovo shoiild net riiu in iIk^ s)i:(|i(^ oI luolit.
INI ur« over, tliis prolit should Uv ><> iu'(|tiit( d hy tlic (':i|iitiilist,
thiU, his |>i iidriil and ( conoiiiicul liahits should not Ix d( stroyi'd ;
and (ho lahoiitcr also ( inploycd l>y him should iiol, hy thai
cinployniont, Ix; rtMidcn d a s|)( ndtiirit't and a vagabond.

" 'i'hough •;r( at profits may ariso tu certain individual ad-
venturers in a partienlar tradi!, ithy no means follows thatth(>
whole (;a|)ital employed in (hat (rade has been re[ilaced, ami
profits ol)(aiued upon it. If vve suppose (he nioney e\p(.'nd«;d
in the |.nri!hase of lottery-tiidvcts to bo innnrdiately destroyed,
and (he anjonnt of the pri/e-lickets oidy to b(.' reoovcrisd, it
inif^ht, and always would happen, that while certain buyers
ul)tained iaru,(! r(>turns for their money, an immense (piat'tity
of money would be irrecoverably destroyed. The lu)pe of
this extraordinary gain would be sutlicient to entice thou-
sands to venture, but a great loss would infallibly bo sus-
tained by the society at large.

** I'/iis aupposid vase in, in nnini/ poinls^ ajialo^ons to Ifuit
of tuliunluns in I he timlnr-tradc.*"

The same writer enters into a minute description of (he
causes of the precarious nature of the trade, and its jieini-
cious eti'ects on the habits and health of the labourer. His
conclusions, founded, as I know, upon a long experience,
are thus expressed: —

•* IS'o estimates have ever yet been made of tin; exact
(piantity (i. e. of timber) that is annually lost; all that wo
can do, therefore, is, to take the general opinion of the peo-
ple of the country as evidence; and this opinion we can state
to be that somcv.hat more than one-third of the (iinl)tr
annually rafted is annually wrecked on its j)assage to (Quebec.
This must, assuredly., diminish the benclit derived by the
community from this trade." (p. \'6[).)

Speaking of the eiVtcts of the business on the habits of
those employed in lumbering, he says, " these are just the
circumstances to transform an honest, industrious, and thiifty
citizen into a dishonest, lazy spendthrift, and the latter com-
pound of (jualitics is almost invariably found in a rajlsiiuni.^'
(p. 1 11.) In another passage he observes that one conso-
tpience of the \)usiness " is an almost invariable loss of
health; no ouv ever yet saw an aged raftsman." (p. 140.)
These are matters worthy the most serious consideration —
matters which every one who ventures to guide the opinions
«)f the legislature on this subject would do well to imjuire into
and understand. We hear persons assuming a high tone,
aildressing the' government in a language of threatening and
vd" v\arning, pretending to speak in a spirit of a far-sighted

* W '.stiDinblof Kcvii.\v^ N(», 13.

<)f prorit.
':i|)italisl,
t stt«>}('<l ;
:, l)y tluil

idiiiil a<l
s tliut llu?
.C(j(J, aiitl
i'\|)(.>iiiI(mI
cstioyt((l,
>V(r<!(l, it
II Ijiiyt rs
<juai'lity

ll()|HJ of

ICO thou-
i be sus-

Ms to that

m of flu;
its ju riii-
tr. J lis
j)t'iit'iic(;,

li(! exact
that wo

till jtOD-

caii statu

o tiiiibor

Qiiobcc.

I)y the

labits of
just tho
il thrifty
tor coiii-

flSHKm.'"
o COIISO-

loss of
|). 140.)
ration —
upiiiioiis
uirc into
;;h tono,
liii!^ and
-lighted

.'inti considerate let;ishiti<>n, but U(.< never hrar these persons
biinuiii;; fttruard and esliniiitiiit; the necessary <'ons((jiieMers
(>r (he |)i(ipiised ehan^e Upon ihi; \\eahh, the h( alth, and Ihi
iiieials of the people. A vaij;iie and general di clainalion is
indnljied in, sueepini; nsst rtioiis respectin«; coininercial «)p»'-
rations aio eonstantly ha/ar(h(l, but ihoTo is no dtladed
inipiiry into the actual worlviii<;s of iho existing; law as to the
points which I heie have bron>j,ht forward. To all who know
• he t'onnliy, that is, who kimw more than th«' in» re ontside
of tilings, who have lived ainoni; the people, who have beiMi
made ac(piainted with (heir habits and manners by constant
and familiar intercourse to theso men I fearlessly appeal for
siipp(Mt to my assertion win n I <leclare that (he liiml)er-(iade
is curried *<ii by ihc most vicious portion «)f the pt)|)iilati()ii ;
iMudo i\nd k«'pt vicious by lln; very trade by which they live;
and I am < (pially conlidi at ot tin ir support when I say that
tho cajiital lliiis einployid mii;ht, for the welfare of the
C(dony, \h\ far more advantai;eotisly employed in the; busi-
ness of a^ricidliiie. A fVii-nd has forwnrdc d to mo a
bitter, which In; has jnst receive«l from a Canadian sii|^nenr,
on th<' subjcK't of the proposed dnties. a para<;raph from
which 1 am permitted to co[»y. " I never pi/litically blamed
yonr opinion on the tind)er-trade of Canada. I kn< w it to l)e
correct, and am ( crtain that the present nK.asnre will tend to
increase tho int(>rnal prosperity of tho country ; but, spoukiiiii
us a merchiint, I tliink it will injure commerce, and ;;roa(ly
diminish tin; capital invested in that parliiadar trad(>, from
which, since no sale can bi; found for timber, \n> benefit can
b(> <lerived. 'I"!iat has nothinj^ to <b>, ht!W«.'ver, with the inte-
rior of the country. Wheat must ultimately be tin; staple
articio, and all t^riat landed proprietors mu.^t rejoice at tin?
[ireseiit measure.''

in coiirornuitlon of t!iis <^p:nion, resDiutiu:; the powi'r of
growing;- wlicat, the followinij- account may bo [)roperly hero
broui\ht forward.

)Vh(;tl of an excellent (pialiiycun bo sold at a rcmunoratiiig
price in the (Canadian market, at one dollar per bushel, which
the merchant cm sell in (jlreat Britain, paying a duty of livt;
shillinL;s per (jnarter, at about iifty-si.\ sliillings. This price
would be i^iveii in tho IJritish market, s<'oini>' that wheat of
an e(|ua! (piality usually sells lor soim.'thiiis; more.

ijesidi's wheal, the Xorlh-Ainerican Colouies ar(> <'apable
of produciuti, at a romuneratiiii; price, the inipoitant urtieles
of hemp and llax.^ Some y».ars since, an ex|)iriment v.. is
made, by persons employed by others, (the (jloveriiineiit,

* l-'lux-octd has 1)1 on aii article of i\pi)rt tor .soiiu' years. \vm\ tlicre are
(i> lif luiuri 111 C.uiiul.i sixtii'ii (Ic^t ii|Miuiis ol' iicitivc h<;ii)|».

lo

I believe) to j;iow h(>in|), and, as all (xpcctcd, it laiUnl.
Jiiit rvL'iv oiif wlio lias travcllod in Canada knows that this
I'ailnrc Vta« w'ui-!!}' attributaMo to the iunorance of those
tryiii;^ thi; oMjxiiriUNiJ, and not to any inc;ij>ai)ility in th(! soil
or cliniato. In Upper Canada, honip, s(;H'-so\vn, may be
seen growing- around the barns and farnj-yards, ten and
twelve i'eet iii height, growing in spite, and not in conse-
rpienee, of care. And, in st>rne late experuuents, made by
persons of agricultural skill, tlie success has been complete;.

Added to I'.eiiip, Ihix, and v heat, is every sort of juoducc
needed by the West indie.s ; and of tliis it may bo re-niarked
that the lumber which now goes to the West Indies, and, also,
the agricultural product; needed, would be sold ;!t a ninch
lower nrnuner:;ti!ig jnice. 'i'hc price of coni.iitidities, as far
as jjrice dejjijuds on cost of profinction, is deteuidned I)y the
sum expeiKled to produce the last portion needed. In the
case of timber, it is well known that, if only a sriiail (piautity
Wijro needed, the expendirure to obtain it would be diminished ;
that is, tiie cost of eaeli individual stave, for example, or log
of stpjare timber, or hundred of deaks would be less than
now, and, consequeutiy, tlie price would be less, [lut, with
respect to agricultural produce, the case is ditierent. A
greater demand woidd not induce a necessity to use iid'erior
soils, the best soils being yet uncultivated ; and, so long as
this is the case, the more that is produced the greater is the
ease with ^vhieh the separate articles are produced, because
the various articl(;s of farm-produce aid each other ; that is,
it is not mucii more expensive often to produce two than one.
A man who has one or two cows, can, without much expense,
rear a pig; he who has corn to thresh, can, witb.out expense,
rear jjoullry, and so on. And, moreover, greater skill would
soon be accpiired, in consequence of undivided attention, and
a steady market ; and the a[)plication of capital in larger
masses than is now practised would serve greatly to increase
the facility of production. Thus, agricultural produce and
lumber would both, with a profit as large as at present derived,
be sold at a lower price.

From \]u"-'e various data, 1 think, then, that it may be
safely asserted, that there is a new mode in which the capital
of the colonies may be employed with advantage equal to
that derived from applying it to the timber-irade : going even
still farther, that, looking at the new mode, with the view of
an enlightened statesman, no doubt can be entertained but
that great and lasting benefit will be conferred on the colony
by a measure which shall direct all its capital to agricultural
pursuits.

To this statement a g(;neral contradiction has been given,
in a late [)amphlet, publlohcd by Isir Howard Douglas, late

li

it iiiilod.
s tluit lliis

of tlioso

ill tlu' soil

, may be

ten and

ill conso-

matie by
oiiijdeto.
t' prod lice

r«;i)i;ukod
and, also,
I, a [Illicit
its, as tar
icd by the
In the
I (}uaiitity
ininislied ;
»lo, or lo<^
less than
15 lit, \vitli
rciu:. A
;e interior
) long as
tcr is the
, because

; that is,
than one.

expense,

expense,
Lill would
ition, and

in larger

increase
luce and
t derived,

t; may be
le capital
equal to
oiiig even
3 view of
lined but
le colony
riculturai

L'U given,
;las, lute

(jovernor ot New l»rnns\viek : whiclj conliadirtion, as is:
coiui s from a person once lii!;h in otllco.is li!;ely to have tmicb
weit.,lit \-. ilh sucli porlioM of the j^ublic as takes an interest
ilk the present subjcet.

r»et<^re pioet'i'diiij; to discuss some of tiie por^itijns oi' Sir
Howard Douglas, I nmst lake leave to hazard a feu* Dbservji-
tions on his supposed capability of jiulgiiig respecting the
etft>cis of iht proposed Icgi'-lative alteialioi..

^^ he:i a man has spent the chief onrt of his life iii a military
career, there is reai^uui to believe that the greater part of his
knowledLV will be co;)tined to tlie military pMofession. !t
may be presumed, milil the contrary l)e shown, that he knows
little ot" eonimerce, or of siicli portion of [)olitical science as
is conversant about the national we;dth ; he may be [ircsumed
ignorant of the Circiiins5iinc(,'s whieh determine t!i(i aj)plica-
tion of eaj.ital, and (-(jusidered ;is incapable of jiid<»in<; of the
(itiects of a legislative measure on that, matter, as he would
be of tracing out the consequences of the new law respecting
Do'vver. The law is a science ot which we may [jresnnu! a sol-
ili«M' iu,nora'.it; so are t!ieprinei[)les of tra;!e: until some positive
knowledge be [)roved, there is no reason to consider a soldii;r-
governor a i)ectdiarly good authority on matters of legislation.
1 mean no disrespect to Sir 11. J)ouglas when I say that
governors of our <;olonies are not chosen with reference to
their ;ibilities tor governing; nor do I inleiid to cast blame on
him, when 1 assert that, generally, tlu.y are exceedingly
iintittcd for the ofiicc : all that 1 d<;sir(.' is, that the piildic
should \w\. attach undue importiince to t!ie situation whieh tliis
ollic(!r held. Alter having comniondcMl, a ceit;;in niinib(;r of
years, a body of troops, an otiic( r is despatched across the
/Vthititie, and suddenly coiiverleil into a governor, lie lives
at his government, suirouiuled by ignorant and interested per-
sons, who impose upon and mislead him. Not titt<'d b\^
previous education for the task he has undertaken, he takes
his opinions on trust, and is usually deceiveil, both as to his
facts and the (;onclusions ho drav/s from them, lie returns
home, and, by foolish people, is deemed an oracle. He
may, ]K)ssibly, under such circumstances, publish a pam-
phlet, torgetting that the matters he is discussing are but
particular cases under some general rule of a science, of
which he is ignorant, and that, by crossing the sea, and living
a few years abroad, he has not become a legislator.

Sir Howard Douglas has, it appears, a profound contempt
for ail political economists ; and, because some persons,
deemed belonging to that much-abused class of pliiloso|)hers,
have ileclared colonies to be unnecessary, thinks it recpiisite
to c»)iiiiect the (juestion of the timber-trade' with tin; exisU iiec
of the colonies, so that he may have an op()ortuiiity of mani-

12

lrslii»i> his opinion icspcctiuii, ii sciniice ol which he Lvi«U}ntly
is (iitiii'ly iniioiaiit. \\ htthci pohticul oconoiny Uv or be not
oomposed of ill-digcstcd hypotheses, — whether the ct)lonies
ought or ouglit not to hv retained, however, has nothing to
do with the present matter, (i ranting both tliese assumptions,
the questions still recur- is tlie timber-trade beneficial to the
colonies, and is Sir Howard capable of answering that (jues-
tion ? It may be presumed that what he has advanced by
way of argument and fact must determine the ex-governor's
capacity — it is not his opinion of political economy, his feeling
respecting tiic advantage of colonial possessions, that is to
seiile the question. If this be granted, some important con-
seipiences follow, of which not the least remarkable is, that
nearly two-thirds of his pamphlet must be put aside, since
<iuite two-thirds are occupied in the manifestation of these
two opinions.

I'he main argument in favour of the timber-trade adduced
by Sir Howard Douglas rests upon two assumptions : — 1st.
That, without the timber-trade tlic colonists would be unable
to i)urchase our commodities ; 2d. Tiiat the operation of lum-
bering is a necessary accompaniment to the labours of the
farmer. It unfortunately happens for the reputation of Sir
Howard, as respects his capability of judging of the interests
of the colony he governed, that both these assumptions are
glaringly erroneous.

Again, the gallant general has mixed together questions
which are totally unconnected. It is absolutely requisite to
point out this confusion; otherwise, we could not possibly
arrive at any satisfactory conclusion. The trade in timber
with the mother-country has no connexion with that carried on
between the \Vest Indies and our North-American colonies ;
yet Sir H. Douglas, for no purpose that I can perceive, ex-
ce[)ting that of perplexing the reader, has juml)!ed together
the consideration of both these distinct channels of commerce.
The ministers, by altering the ratio of duties on American
and Baltic timber, have declared no hostility to tlie trade
maintained with the West Indies. They have done that trade
no injury by this measure. Why, then, when professedly
discussing the timber-trade, drag in the matter respecting the
West Indies ? Sinq)ly, to create confusion, and thereby to
generate a vague feeling of alarm.

Sir Howard Douglas has, moreover, mingled together sepa-
rate distinct j)ortions of the (question which he intended to treat.
It is one thing to inquire wliat injury will be done to the colo-
nies ; it is another to inquire what will accrue to the mother-
country. L'nhijppily, Sir Howard Douglas cannot keep these
inipiiries se[)arati' ; he Hies from one |)art of the subject to the
other^" iiowiKlvaiicingan assertion respecting the colonies, now

Ui

tvidciitly
3 or be not
c colonics
iioUiiiic, to
sumptions,
mil to the
that (jiios-
/anced by
governor's
liis feeling
that is to
rtaiit con-
tie is, that
lide, since
1 of these

I adduced
»ns : — 1st.
be unal)le
in of luni-
irs of the
on of Sir
J interests
ptious are

questions
r[uisite to
possibly
in timber
carried on
colonies ;
:eive, ex-
together
ommerce.
American
tb.c trade
that trade
ofessedly
^ctin^' the
hereby to

her sepa-
d to treat,
the colo-
: mother-
eep these
Lct to the
nicSjUow

respectiuii (ireat Hritaiii ; and, when \vc hope that In is about
to throw light upon the ai)pli<:ation of ca[»ital in America, he
eunjiuenees an oration respecting British seamen. This eon-
dncl is eith(.r very disingenuous or very weak. If tln' gallant
oilicer did not want to mystify the subject, he has been ex-
ceedingly unfortunate in his endeavours. However, 1 will
attempt to bring his arguments and his facts into something
like order. Premising, nevertheless, that, |:ossil)ly, some
mistake may arise as to the meaning of the gallant ollieer,
for, led away by a drsire to manifest line writing, he has
indulged in a cloud of wortls ; has used an involved, vicious,
and, in many places, a totally unintelligible style.

" The permanency," he says, " of the colojiial connexion
between Great Britain and the Xorth-American provinces
rests entirt ly on th(i manner in which their interests are dealt
with by the British l*arliament ; it is, thert^fore, of the greatest
importance to consider what eiVects are likely to be produced
upon the interests of those colonies by the proposed alteration
in the duties on foreign atul North- American timbers." (p. 4.)
This is allowed.

Next, he asserts *' that no alteration could be made in the
ratio of duties, whether by raising those on British timber, or
by lowering those on the foreign article, or in any way
destroying the present scale without injuring or totally ruining
the British North- American timber-trade, (p. «>.) This, for
the present purpose, is also allowed.

After a long parade of reasoning, to prove the importance
of the colonies, which importance is not in dispute, he
asserts, at p. 13, that " to abandon our present policy would be
to lose our hold of the colonies altogether." We are to lose
our hold on the colonies because their interests are injured,
and their interests are to be injured by the change in the
trade. When we expect proof of this assertion, he proceeds
from this page 13 to the end of his pamphlet to prove that
the loss of the colonies would be injurious to Great Britain.
He asserts, at various points, that the colonies will be
injured, never attempting, however, the slightest particle of
proof; and then enters into long discussions to show, what
no one called in question, viz. the injurious eft'ects of a
separation. I have gone carefully through his work, with the
most sincere desire to find something which woidd bear upon
the capability of the colonies to furnish other produce than
timber : in other words, to learn from him how the colonists
would be injured, but 1 must own, that I have found nothing
beyond bare assertion, except the following passage, which
is the assumption mentionetl above, viz., that the operation
of lumbering is a necessary accompaniment to the labours
of the farmer. The passage is as follows: — "The pursuits

\A

«/t' tlio (irjuraiit arr, a is (rue, essontiuHy agiicuitinal ; l)u(
let it not l)e overlooked tliiit agiiniltiiral operations, in a
country covoroi] v. illj lorcsls, mnst cominonco unil In; iicconi-
j)aiii(;il !)y the r^jMrulions ot the lumh(;rer. The jiooi emigrant
bogins his hibotir uith tho axe, and his greatest, iiis cliiet"
resource in earning money, wherewith (o buy what he wants,
is in manufacturing shingles,* or stav(!S, or telling timber."

This |)assag(j, the only one containing a statement con-
nected with the operations ot' tiie supposed change; on the
welfare of the colonists, struck me as containing an egregious
blund(;r. I'o satisfy myself, I applied to a friend who lias
resided many years in Canada, and the following are the
observations he sent me on the passage : —

" You know full well that I resided many years in Canada
— that I was occupied while there in farming operations, and
that few persons, from the various situations in which 1 was
placed, liad so many opportunities of judging of the people's
pursuits, habits, and manners as myself, 1 have handled
the axe and the plough ; 1 have been initiated in the
mysteries of lumbering, of sepiaring' timber, s[)litting- staves
and shiiigles; — !iav(; dwelled in a shanty, and floated down
the St. Lavfrence on a raft; in short, 1 know something of
these things and can fairly place my opinion, reaped from
actual experience, against that of !Sir H. Douglas. Now,
I assert, and that boldly, that the man who v/rotc the
passage you sent me, knows nothing of the matter about
which he pretentledto give an opinion. — 1 can make this clear
to you. We will suppose an emigrasit to be settled in his
location of, sav, one hundred acres. It is ten chances to
one tliat these one hundred acres contain not one stick of timber
fit for sale. Supposing, however, that they do contain some
half dozen, and then imagine the aid the emigrant will
receive in clearing his land by cutting down half a dozen
trees out of some thousu;;ds. Besides, cutting down the
timber is but a small part of the labom- required. It must
be squared, or split into staves, must be carried to the
rivers, and floated dovvji to the market. All this takes time,
and, Avhen the emigrant returns to his farm, he has not
forwarded one step the clearing of his land. The truth is,
the lumberer is a person totally distinct from a settler. The
hmiberer wanders over millions of acres in search of timber,
and so far from aiding the real clearer, he seriously obstructs
his operations. IJe leaves brushwood, tops of trees, ^c.

* Sluii;',li'.s assuredly ntoil not have bciii ineutioaed, oiiid; llioy cannot
Iji! adoclt'd by the timber-dutift;, seeing thul they iievci aic c\i)orlcU t*»
Great liritain.

\'

Itmal ; lui(
tioiis, ill ;i

i)ij Jicconi-
)v oinigiant
:, Ills cliict

lie wants,
ig timber."

mcnt con-
i2,(i on the;
I egregious
d who lias
the

are

in Canada

tions, and

lich J was

le people's

e handled

d in the

ng' staves

I ted down

nothing of

|3ed tVoni

Now,

,vrotc t!ie

ter about

this clear

led in his

ances to

of timber

ain some

rant will

a dozen
Howl! the

It must
d to the
ies time,

has not

truth is,
01. The
r timber,
obstructs
ees, d'C.

ey ciinnot
poiicU to

l}iiig about in disordi red heaps, and, by niaUing small gaps
in the woods, permits l)rand)les and undtrwood to spring up.
The fanner never wishes to see the lumberer in his v. oods.
And when Sir Jl. Douglas asserls that i\\v oper.nion.s of tlnj
lumberer must aeeoninany iho^e ot thu fariui r, he luovts at
once, to my complete satisfaction, that his stay in Xcw
Uruuswick has taught him httle of the aii'airs of that
c(»uutiy.

•' Jle may, perhaps, say that tlie poor emigrant liaviiig
lio capital ciaiuot ^o on his farm to commence clearing it ; he
must live while he is preparing the land for the reception of
the crops, and that to get this money he turns lumberer, liCt
it be observed, hovvi;ver. that this does not clear his land, and
that if it enables him aft(r wards to clear it, it is by jiuttiiiii
him in possession of a small capital, not by performing the
work. l>ut the truth is, that many, most of the poor emi-
grants become agricultural labourers to the persons already
settled, earning wherewith to enable them afterwards to settle
for tlu-'Uiselves ; and if the capital now expended in paying
the wages of lumbering men were directed to farming opera-
rations, the emigrant would derive a much greater benefit
from that capital than he now does. The truth being, that an
L'.uro{)ean emigrant is a very bad lund»eror though a very uood
farm-servant. Chop[)ing and scjuariug timber, clc. is an art which
these ()oor men do not know, and they^ are, therefore, much
less usefid than the people of tlie country in such operations.
One American is worth ti dozen Irish labourers, and, con-
so(piently, a very small portion of the emigrants are (;ver
employed as lumbereis, asid never to their own atlvantago.
They are ruined in healsh. atid hal)its by this abominable trade.
If, however, yon ask them to plough, to dig, to reap, to sow,
thresh, and mow, you ask ihem to do thiiius with which
they are conversant, and for the doing of which they^ will be
well rewarded. This is felt and acted on at present, the
chief employment of the newly arrived emigrant being to act
as i'arm-hervants to the tanners of the country. 1 think 1
riecil say no mon^. in answer to this nonsense of Sir Howard
Douglas."

Into the (juestion of the agricultural capabilities of the
North- American colonies. Sir Howard has not thought lit to
enter ; he, therefore, cannot be considered an authority
respecting the mode in which capital may be employed. In
one part of his panii)hlet he makes an admission, however,
which, had he given it serious attention, might have led him
to doiiljt of the ruin of the colonies in consequence of the
amiiiiilatioti of the limber-trade. " The lands and waters of
British North America contain inexhaustible supplies, just
such as our AVest-lndia colonies recpure." — (p. 24.) At pre-

i;

sent (lie West Imlics uic chit lly ^iipplitnl l>y iIk- I nilcd
Stales, either directly or thr()ii<;h the Ciiiiadas. 'i'hese iieees-
stuies might, it' the capital of tlie country were applied to
agriculture, be I'urnished hy our colonies ; and thus a new
and advantageous application of capital is manifestly within
the power of the colonists. Wheat, hemp, flax, and the sup-
plies for the West-India market, might and would bcnclicially
take the place of timber.

But it may be said, supposing this to be perfectly true, still
there may be a ruinous loss in diverting capital from the one
employment to the other, and thus the proposed measure will
be a serious evil to the colonies. Whether this be true will
depend upon the nature of the capital em[)loyed.

The capital employed in the timber-trade is eith(;r tloating
or fixed. The lloating capital is composed of what is expend-
ed in the wages of labour, and axes, wedges, chains, and stjcli
instruments as are quickly destroyed. The iixed capital is
composed of mills.'' The iirst forms, by far, the largest por-
tion of the whole. 'J'imber consists of s([uare limber, staves,
and planks, boards, and deals. Planks, boards, and deals
are alone connected with niills, and planks are never, boards
seldom, imported into (ireat Britain. Ail s(|uare timber and
staves are entirely produced by the hand ; and a great ])art
of the expense attendant on making planks and deals arises
from the labour expended in getting the saw-logs out of the
woods, conveying the logs to the mills, and the planks and
deals, when cut, to the ships — all this is done by floating capi-
tal. But this floating capital is all ready at a moment's warn-
ing to be applied to agricultural pursuits. The stores that feed
the lumberer are just as well fitted to feed the clearer and the
farmer. The few simple instruments of the lumberer are all
needed by the clearer, and the cattle and the horses used by
the one are requisite for the other. The skill, too, of the
lumberer would serve for the cleaver. — A skill, be it observed,
possessed by almost every native, and by no means lost or
depreciated in value when applied to the operations requisite
to prepare waste lands for the purposes of agriculture. As

* A large portion of the capital employed, it must be rcinonibcred, is
American capital. The limhor from the American shore is either smuj;-
jjjled in, or pays a small duty to the colonial custom-houses at Coteau du
Lac and St John's, and is llien confounded with that of the colonies.
A very large <iuantity is thus annually sent to Great liritain. Thus
those who lament the loss of liritish capital, and of a pvolitable means
of applying it, should speak with some reservation, and honestly state
the facts I have here pointed out. Unluckily, the persons who speak on
the side opposed to the new measure, are not peculiarly scrupulous
either to collect information or to state it correctly when they have it.
To tell the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, would seem a canon of
morality not acknowledged by them.

1

tlio I II i led
lioso nocos-
' applied to
thus a now
ostly witliin
111(1 tlio siip-
bcnclicially

ly true, still
oiii tlu; OIK!
loasuro will
ic true will

hor (loafing-

I; is expoiifl-

s, and sncli

J capital is

largest por-

)cr, staves,

, and deals

^cr, boards

timber and

u,rcat part

leals arises

out of the

blanks and

ating capi-

nt's warn-

s that feed

or and the

cr are all

s used by

oo, of the

observed,

IS lost or

i requisite

ture. As

ouiljcred, is
itlier smu<;-
t Coteau du
e t'oloiiies.

tin. Thus
able means
lestly state
o speak on
scrupulous
ey have it.

a canon of

t'.ii, tiien, ns ic!iar<ls the lloatiu;; » aj)itai tio loss woiild ■^\^^.■^^.•
v\ e()ii-.(<pien(;e of liiis new upplicatinii <i! it. I'he relative
proportion bclweiMi the value of the fixed and tloaliu;:: capital
empl(»\t!(l 111 the lia«le may In; galhereil iVoin the note
lielow.'

^\s respects the lixed capital, it may bo allowei!, thatiionu,
though a very small loss, would be sustained. V Viic extent
of this loss woidd, by no means, bo so larj;e as is iisualiy
imneiiied, 'i'lu; miil^ n«)-,v etiipioyeil in cntlii'.;^ djuls, ii is
geiH.'raliy supposed, would Ijc totally ruiueil, and the wliole
capital totally lost. This is iin error. 'I'lie intreased agri-
<'ulluial produce, that vvouhl necessarily arise from the in-
creast! of tin; capital (h;votcd to agriculture, would e;ive
employment to a laii;er number of lluur-miilb than now exist.
'Che mills tiiat hilliLrti) cut tieals would bo converted into
floui-mills, and that at an exceediUj>ly small I'xpense and
little loss. The increased a;;riculture would call ibr a lar;;er
(piantity of boards an<l scantlin;i,s for an extension of farm
buildiiii^s, and of boauls for liniuj^ vessels, and for other

* ^ alue ot'exjiort.i iVom Cai)<i(ia and tlu- inwoi i)oi Id.

Oak, 2<),0()() loadn, at TjUs ,i,'(»r»,7."i(t

I'iiie. :i:il,<.'Oi) '' . I.").', 2.)(),iiUlt

OtlKT sqiMi-i- wodils, lO.OUO, .»! l/JO,; :,{i,i)W>

Staves, sd. 2(),(MI0 -t. hd. at t'.'J^ per TiiUU (it. (ton

Ditto, West India, 30,000 gt. Jul. at t'lO p^'r 1200 :;i),;;0'j

f J.i'.>,750

Deals, 18,000 gt. hd. .it £7 per 120 fl 2(;-,0()0

Ifw*' take from tiie vnlao of the (!p;ds the value <>f tiie mere labour
expended in bringing the logs to tlie mill, and tlie deals, when cut, to
Mie sliips, the value would be I'ud l\vo-tiiird,-i U'ris. So that, tiie reJaliv*;
])roi)ortiiin ol'llic tixed and lloatiiig ea})ilal would stand thus : —

Oak, pine, .staves, \c ■t:4r)<),7.'iO

Two-thirds the value of deals 8 1,000

i'loating capital fr* 13,7.>0

Annual product of tixed Ciip'tal in deals 12,000

t To consider coves lived capital is incorrect. Money may have been
given for then) ; but that does not convert them into capital. They are
plnees naturally tilted lor the puriiosi-s of keeping and ianding tim' r ;
and b> the timber-trade a value has been eonferrt-d on tliem. i>ut by th(>
new agricultural eniploymotit of cijiital, a value will be given to lands
now valueless ; thus, the worth of the coves will be amply comiiensated.
The amount of capital in the country will neither bu increase.l nor
lessened, by the (kstrection of tiie utility of liie eove:^. U lii'ther the
owners of the coves ought to receive compensation for their lo.^s is ■<>
<|uestion <leser\ing cousider.dion. lint it must be borne m mind, that
tlie capital of the count i;^' i:: not (li'.niiiished by th.'iv : ain "r lo.>.- in ihi.-j
particular.

J'.

X

/

,. pnipos^s cyfuiootpc' .vitli tlio oxpoit of uraiii. And thus it
l)t'C«»»nc^^'ry tloiiinicjl, wlullur the pr()|)('rty wonltl at all bo
t!<terii*fat(,'<l. J am iticliiiod to bclievo that, iti a tcnv ycnus,
^ . _,ji«^ girat iiiipruvemoiit that wouhl iiit'alhhiy tak«' place in the
c()h)iii(;s, were they to become wholly aj>iiciiltural, would
jL;reatly enhauc*! the vabie of mill-propeity ; and that the
persons who, at pr(;sent, make such doUlid outcries on the
prospective loss, would, eventually, receive an enormous
benefit.

The rpmntity of capital now invested in mills, cutting; deals,
(and it must Ix; remembered, that these alone will be alfectcd,)
is, also, usually overrated. The followin;; appears to me to
be a tolerably correct mode of estimating the <[uantity actually
employed : —

The averajie cpiantity of deals, for the last four years, im-
ported from Canada into (ireat Britain (as by Custom-house
account; was l,l.i5$,00() pieces. Of this, the mill of a lar«ie
proprietor is said to have cut IU),0()0 pieces. But, lest this
should be deemed an over-estimate, (the estimate, h )vvcver,
was made by the owner,) say, that the mill cut only 50.000.
This mill cost £5,000; and, I believe, is considered to have
been built at an exceedingly expensive rate, the proprietor
being well known to be an expensive builder. But this num-
ber is the twenty-third part of the whole quantity imported
from Canada ; so that, supposing the other mills quite as
expensively built, and cutting at the same rate, the whole
sum of the capital employed in Canada in mills may be
estimated at £115,000, that being equal to 5,000 multiplied
by 23.

The lower ports, as they are termed, export altogether not
quite half the quantity exported from Canada ; however, to
prevent cavilling, say half. The total of capital employed, in
our North American colonies, in mills, cutting for exporta-
tion to Great Britain, would be thus : —

Canada £115,000

Lower ports 57,500

Total £ 172,500

I shall hereafter shew Ihat this capital does not much ex-
ceed the tenth part of the ANNUAL loss sustahicd by Great
Britain, in consequence of the present trade. But, as I have
already stated, this capital would, in no case, be lost — it may
be deteriorated, though I am inclined to b'llieve that, iu a
very few years, it will actually be increased in value.

Now then, if we put aside this probable loss, small under
any supposition, the measure proposed by His Majesty's
Ministers, appears, as regards the colonies, one of unmixed

V

o
n

(!)

kiid thus it
111 at ill! ho

tVnv yoais,
luce ill the
ral, wuuhl
il that the
lies on the

enormous

ttiijfif iloals,
e allected,)
s to me to
ity actually

years, im-
stom-house

of a larjie
it, lest this
, h )vvcver,
Illy 5().0()().
rctl to have

proprietor
t this num-
Y imported
s quite as

the whole
Is may be

multiplied

g(!ther not

)vvever, to

ployed, ill

exporta-

5,000
7,500

2,500

much €x-
hy Great
as I have
it may
hat, iu a

It

lall under

Majes^ty's

unmixed

good. If, in the afl'octed langnage of Sir Howard Douglas,
we view " this as a luatttr of policy of a very high order, and
one which cannot be safely lowered to any ccjiisideratioii of a
mere mercantih; nature," as respects the culoni(;s, it possesses
every quality which is requisite in a legislative measure of the
kind. It increases the productive power of the colonies at
once, and prospectively ; it allows their wealth to be increased
in a manner which, by insuring thrifty and moral habits, will
insure further production ; and it directs the application of
capital at once to the great object of clearing and settling the
country. I may, without vaunt, safely challenge Sir Howard
Douglas, or any other advocate of his cause, to falsify any
one of these propositions.

2. EFFECT OF THB PROPOSKI) MEASURE ON THE SHIP-
OWNERS.

Passing from the consideration of the measure as respects
the colonics, the next point that comes for examination is, its
effects on the shipping interest of this country.

To determine these effects, two points require to be settled ;
1st. what is the number of ships employed? — 2d. what is
the number that will be thrown out of employment by this
measure — we shall thus be enabled to determine the value of the
shipping likely to be injured; and, also, afterwards to calcu-
late, with tolerable correctness, the amount of mischief that
will actually fall upon such portion as is absolutely excluded.

The average of the tonnage from Canada, for the United
Kingdom, in the years 1828, 1829, 1830, was 202,902 tons ;
this, added to that of the lower ports, which is somewhat less
than that from Canada, makes, altogether, 405,804. But it
must be remembered that a ship makes two voyages, so that
this tonnage must be divided by two, which makes, of tonnage
employed, 202,902 tons. The average tonnage of the ships
employed in this trade is 350 tons ; this makes the number of
ships about 580, and the crews, each ship having about
twelve men, would amount to about 0960.

This calculation nearly coincides with the Custom-house
returns of Canada, considering Canada one-half the trade.
J have not those returns complete for 1830, but for the
years 1828 and 1829 I have. In those years the quantity of
tonnage, as will be seen by the note below,* gives an average
equal to 1830.

• The tooiiage in 1828 was 176,589—1829, was 225,717, and, iu 1830,
200,152.

B 2

20

N cars.

\ I'SSrls t Iciilfd

Olll t'llf (ill'llt

ISritiiiii.

('l(.'\V.S.

hi):*

III 2 ^ tills.

Crews.

571

7712

r,»ir>

Ijnt ti!)i|)s, u\nt\\ au uvornjio, niaK*; two voyu'^os, ;o tlmf
tlio ships and tlie ctrws uctually omployod arc, ships 2M7,
and crews •1422, and add a liko nntnbrr for th(> lower parts, |-
it will make, ships ;'>{).">, crows HIMT).

In spit(! ot" thoso data, opcii \o (!Vory ono, and capable of
no dispute, Sir Howard Dou^la'. boldly asserts that " tlie
I3ritish tonnage trailiniuf to the British N^orth- American pro-
vinces in the year 1}52U, was lOO.Hll tons, navi<;ated by ;it
least 25, ()()() seamen, which is nearly ono-(ifth of the whole
foreign trade of the country." (j). {{.)

This is a specimen of the care usually employed by Sir
Howard Douglas, and a good instance on which to ground
our respect for his i)pinions. Surely he knew (ccrtaiidy he
ought to have known) that ships make two voyages a year,
and that, consequently, the number of ships can only be
gained by dividing the numbers of those clearing innards or
outwards by two: And he ought to have been careful, when
mentioning the tonnage, entering and clearing out froni the
various ports of those countries, to hav(; se|)arate(l such as
are employed in trading to and from the \\'est Indies, and to
and from the country ports, from those trading with Great
Britain.

Our next inquiry is, what of this (juantity will be thrown
out of employment, supposing the tind)er trade annihilated?

Ships are employed in carrying ashes, corn, and timber,
We must, however, subtract those employed in carrying
ashes and corn, from the whole number, before we can learn
what will be the consecpiences of the loss of the timber
trade.

The average quantity of ashes per year is 45,000 barrels,

* This (liiTerence in tiu; relative rmmbers of the crews is a curious cir-
cumstance, for which 1 am unable to account. Probably from an error
at the Custom-house.

t By a Parlianienlary return of 1827, which shews the quantity of
timber, i*cc. imported into Great Britain from the lower ports, it would
appear that the amount of sliippinj; employed l)etween the lower ports
of North America ;ind Great Britain does not exceed two-thirds of that
employed between Canada and Great Britain. My estimate for the lower
pttrts is, therefore, excessive.

21

2 N liii'S.
Crews.

LS^cs, so that
\ ships !>}?7,
owcr parts, f

fl capable of
s tluit " the
mcricari pio-
ifiuted by at
»t' thu uholr.

Dyed by Sir
h to ground
^certainly lir
ages a year,
:an only bo
'■ inwards or
tioftd, wljen
)ut tVorij the
ed such as
dies, a 11(1 to
with (jJreat

bo thrown
lihilated?
and timber
in carryinp;
e can learn
the timber

)00 barrels.

I curious cir-
I'rom an error

' quantity of
rts, it would
c lower ports
liirds of that
for the lower

and a ship nsualiy carries 1000 barrels, so that twenty- three
ships, niakinpr two voyaucs, would be riMpii^ite to carry on
till tradt in ashes with Caiiathi

IJiit corn and Hour, and sundiy small ai tides, employ
about titty ships ; anil it* we consider the lower ports about
twenty-live vessels lor otlur purposes than timber, one
hundred ships may be safely suppos(Ml to be oceupi«'d in
trade uneoiMiected with tindicr. Theret'orts \\\v employment
of tour himdred and nmety ships has now to be determined.

It must now be re-mendjired that, to crmvey the timixr
fron» the Baltic, three-fourths of the ships now eui[doyt?d
will be retpiisite, and those three-fourths, for i\u' ri;asons
f sludl advance immediatily, I assert will be furnished by
(»reat lirilain. If this be correct, the employment of one
hundred and twenty-two ships will alone now have to be ac-
counted for.

The greater |)art of these will tind employment: — first,
in (Nirryinj^ the increased agricultural produce of tluM'oIonies ;
and, secondly, in the increased timber-trade Irom the IJaltic ;
and, owing to the late decrease in the coal-duty in the in-
creased coal-trade, it has been asserted that tlM> timber ves-
sels were too large for the eoal-tra<le ; tlmse who make the
assertion should take the trouhl'' of looking at the tonnage
of the vessels leaviniv Canada with timber, and they will titid
that a great many of them <lo not exceed two hundred and
titty tons ; — that tonnage; is ecrtaiidy not too large for a col-
lier; but it is notorious that ;i large portion of the timber
vessels are e(]u;illv colliers, and the vessels carrying timber
are fretjuently owned by the coal factors and merchants of
I'Ondon.

'J'he tvid<'nce tor these various propositions is as follows : —

1. The shij)ping iiMpiiriid lor the tradt-- in the Kaltic will
be furnished by Mnulaml.

It, is usually asserted that we cannot compete now with the
ship|)ing of the Baltic trad(!r ; and from this assertion it is
conclude<l, at once, that we shall be unable to do so when the
new measure comes into operation. The truth of the matter
is, however, that the assertion is itself unfoundetl, and the
conclusion from it fallacious.

livery one engaued in the trade will at once allow that, in
every portion of the carrying trade, excepting that of timber,
at present existing from those ports of the Baltic in w hieh
competition is allowed, that (he l^ritish v»!ssels have almost
entirely exiduded foreigners : IJritish vessels almost wholly
carrying the wheat and other grain, hemp, tallow, and such
<lamageable commodities as are exported frt)in the Hallii^;
these ailieles, re([uiring a sup* rior <dass of ships, whuii we
can easily affosd. uiul ai a luwci ial( tlJUii llio jii ojdi ol ihi

•)')

Haltic. As loganls tliis portion ot* tlio carrying triule, I bc-
liove thoro is no ilispulc. It is, liowovor, upnerally assrrti'il,
and soMictimcs hcliovcil, that tlit! Haltic UuiUr excludes us
fr(»iM tlie husincss of carryinj; timber. The following; tabb;
will at once show the talsity of the asset lion, by .iMkint;
manifest the gradual relative decrease of foreign shipping, and
the gradual actual and relative increase of our own in that
very trade.

LOADS OF TIMUKU IMPORTED

FROM THi: BALTIC*

In liritish

In FurcigD

Vi'cir.

Ships.

Ships.

iai6

48,7(iG

145,737

una

30,176

43,709

1»17

51>,y7J)

20,730

1H18

82,950

58,920

1819

58,510

00,721

1B20

43,453

22,388

l«2l

00,714

38,463

1822

70,118

01,130

1823

04,139

97,333

1824

77,183

118,711

1825

130,035

150,230

1820

90,014

05,404

1827

107,818

05,564

By this table it is apparent that, as soon as the war ended,
wc began to carry more of our own timber than was carried
by foreigners, and that we maintained the same position until
those years of enormous speculation 1823, 4, and 5, when,
our shipping being otherwise employed, the ships of foreigners
were again called upon to carry our timber. Their bad ships
were capable of being used in this service, while our own
were drawn into another channel. So soon as this rage for
over-speculation was over, and things came again into their
usual train, our ships again excluded those of the foreigners.
How, after this experience, can any one say that we cannot
compete with the Baltic trader ? Yet, in spite of the docu-
ment given above, Sir H. Douglas has the following passage.

* Parliamentary Pap(>i-, lH2b.

•j;{

[rinU\ 1 be-
lly JiMsrrtt'il,
excludes us
owinu, tabli!
by iiMikin^;
liipping, tiii(l
own in tbat

war ended,

vas carried

:)sitiun until

d 5, when,

foreigners

r bad ships

le our own

lis rage for

into their

foreigners.
; we cannot

the docu-
g passage.

" l'oioit;iins, paiticulail) in llic Italtic, build and >ad
their vcsxIm va>lly «'lua|in lliaii that al wliicli hiilish v« ssils
can b«> built and navi^;atcd. 'I'lu^ uvfra|;(i voyage from the
M()itli-( a>t« in parts ot i'.n^lall)l and St olland to Norway, the
Hallic, and back a^airi, is from twenty-four to thirty days :
whereas, the voyaj^e to the North Aniirieaii ('ohmie.s and
home a^ain may be calculated at a hundred days, landing
and discharyiny carrots nicluded/ The former are chielly
i)erformed by forei^-ners in foreijin ships, the latter tiilireiy
by IJiilish subjects in ]{riti>h vessels; and if any alteration
be made in tlu' duties on foreign timber, eompared with those
on Hrilish timber — that is, if tlu' modiiicatious do not main-
tain the ratio of the present scale, the greater part of the
timber-trade will |iass into the hands of fore'i<;ners. " (p. 15).

'I'JM' last asserlit)u rests entirely on that which he has before
advanced, vi/., that the chief part of the voyages to the
Hallic arc; performed by for( imiers- -and this last assertion is
made in deiiau(;e of the pa|)< is furnished to l*arlianicnt on
tlu! subject. 1 must, in courtesy, suppose Sir Howard
Douglas to have been ignorant ot thos<' papers ; but being so,
was It not, to say the least, excee<liiigly ill-judged of the
gallant oilicer to ha/ard, U|)on imperfeet evidence, so im-
portant a propi>sition I 'I'Ih; whole evidence was open to him,
as to every body elst;, so that his ignorance agues a temerity
in asse'rtion, which uecessaiily destroys any little authority
which might otherwise bi; givi^ii to his conclusions.

At the commencement of the peace, the Northern Nations
had a large number of vessels, which had been called into
exist(!nce by the wants of this country- -the carrying trade
was almost entirely in their hands. I'or some years these
vessels allowed the people of the Haltic to continue partially
to compete with us. As the vessels, however, gradually
jl^'cayed, the lialtic traders have gradually been obliged to
yield to our superior skill in the building and the navigation
of vessels. 'I'hus, even in the present course of atVairs, we
shouhl eventually have usurpiul the trade. Under tin; new
anaiigement, however, the same result will be more rapidly
attained.

When the new act comes into operation, a large number
of our vessels being ik. longer used in the American trade
will s( ek for new employment. A grc.at demand for shipping
ill tlu> IJaltic trade will simullaiieonsly arise. The peoph; of
the Baltic have no ships to supply thib new demand, so that

• 111 Sir Howjinl Dnupliis's opinion a lon^ voyaj^^n seems a bem li(.
M'oiiM it not l)f a(lvisiil)le for tlu; shipping interest to pctititMi I'arliiinn ,.i,
that all tiinher-pliips t omin;.; tVoni Noilli America sIkhiM, helore Iteiii;.
a<iniitlt»i into tlie Britibh portrf, be compelled to ;iail round the island of
»St. Helena ?

24

ours will mcissarily hv required. 'V\w greiit demand oS
ships ill tlio Baltic trade, were there none but 15altic ships
(that is, the present number of Baltic ships) to answer the
demand, would cause a rise in freight. Tiiis of itself would
at once bring the British shipping into the trade. The people
of the Baltic arc not rich, and, therefore, they can make no
immediate and extensive application of capital to the build-
ing of ships ; in other words, they will be unable to supply
the new demand. But we can at once supply it, and to any
reasonable man there will ap[)ear no doubt but that we shall
supply it — that is, our ships will at once be employed in
carrying- timber from the 13altic. That the people of the
Baltic have not, and cannot (piickly erect, a new and large
timber marine is certain — that we shall have at our disposal
more than sullicient ships is also certain, and is usually
bewailed. That we shall re({uire a large quantity of timber
from the Baltic is also assured ; that, consequently, a larger
number of ships will be required to carry it cannot be
denied. Since, then, we have the means of carrying it, and
the people of the Baltic have not, is it not beyond the shadow
of a doubt that we shall be employed in carrying the timber ?
The assertion rests almost upon demonstration.

This refers to the immediate employment of such shipping
as is thrown out of the American trade. If we look to the
iuture, tho prospect is still more certain. Even under our
present disadvantages, we have been able, successfully, to
compete with the foreigner. But now our situation will be
materially altered, — we shall still retain all our skill, but wc
shall have cheaper and bettor titnber, — the less outlay neces-
sary then for a ship, and the longer contiiuance of the ship,
when built, will allow the English ship-o^^ ner to sail for less
treight than before. Thus, for the future, our success will be
certain.

Our skill now has permitted us to compete, in all cases,
with the foreigner : we shall, hereafter, at once have a host of
old ships to compete with him ; and, iu future, we shall have
cheap timber to build new ones. This again will enable us to
get cordage, turpentine, tar, cVc. cheaper, (freight being a very
large component part of the price of these articles); and thus,
being placed upon an equality witii tlio foreigner in every
thing iu which he has hitherto had a superiority, — and, be-
sides, retaining oar superior skill, there can be no fear but
that we shall not only, at once, have the carrying trade, but
certainly v/e shall also retain it.

Tinil)er-ships arc the old ships which have ceased to be of
use in tho various other trades, and the 500, usually em-
plt,ye(l. a!\' ?iaiu,!if i)ut ih^ \iiu^c of about •iiJOOO sail of
vt '.,;ri '.'. Tit price oi llusr old vessels hiis iiitherto beei*

yni.

2:>

inand ot
til! slii|)s
»swor the
If would
ic people
make no
le biiild-

0 supply
id to any

we shall
loyed in
13 of the
nd large

disposal

usually

>f timber

a larger
LiHiot be
g it, and
; shadow

timber ?

shipping
)k to the
idtr our
fully, to

I will be
, but we
y neces-
thc ship,

for less
3 will be

II cases,
L host of
all have
)le us to
!? a verv
nd thus,

1 every
md, be-
fear but
de, but

to be of

lly em-

fiuil of

to been*

rogulaU'ti by Uu; rate of iVeights in the timber-lrade ; and
wlien it is found that these freights must fall, if such should
be the ease, the sum given will be less, and the Uritish ships
will even, in this v.ay, be enabled to compete with the Baltic
traihir. This, however, will do no injury to the possessors of
such ships as eventually arc sold for timber-ships. The mode
in which the matter will hi settled may be thus explained.
A >Vest-ln<lia trader, for example, having built a ship worth,
say i'l (),()()(), when calculating his freights to learn what will
pay him for the outlay of his ca|)ital, is aceuslomed to take
into eonsidcnitiou the sum he may eventually get for his ship,
when useless as a West-India ship, from persons who will
purchase hei to carry timber. The rate of freights now ob-
tained in this last trade enables the buyer usually to give
b( tween £l,'){)i) and i,:3()00 for a vessel, and to repay him he
detnands this freight. 8up[)ose, however, that it is now dis-
covered that freights in timber must fall, the i)riee of these old
ships must also fall, (and it must be remembered, that a large
portion beconu; useliss and are supplied (.very year,) the
person building the 'iVest-lndia ship will not calculate on the
sum usually given, and will regulate his freights accordingly.
'I'he etrcct, however, upon West-India and other freights, will
be scarcely perceived, since the diiierence of the siun now
given, and that which will be given for old shi[»s, will be so
small, Avhen compared with the prime cost of the vessel, that
it will hardly be noticed. Besides, the West- India builder
now building with a cheaper and superior comjuodity, will be
enabled still to charge otdy the usual freight, and may yet
atford to gain less by eventually selling his vessel tor the
timl)er-trade. Those shij)s which have some years to run,
and have yet to be repaired, will be repaired at >o much
smaller a cost, in couse([uence of the timber being cheaper
and better, and the other articles also required, such as tar,
hernp, Ovc. being also cheaper, in conseijueuce of the lowering
of tiic' expenses, that the owners will be able, without loss, to
sell tiiem for less ; and thu, again our old ships will be
allowed, even should the fieigliis be lower than at present, to
compete with foreigners.

'i'hus, 1 thiidv, it may be fi iriy concluded that the timber-
siiips re(|uired in the increased IJaltic trade will be supplied
by (ireat Britain.

There yet remain, however, 122 ships still to be accounted
f.jr.

As hath already appeared, the colonies must, necessarily,

produce more agricultural produce than they now produce.

There can be little doubt that tiie capital of the country, when

uppiieil to till' jiurposes ol agncultin'e, will pioduct: a.^ nuich

<>! more than thev new lurni&h, L-at what thev n» 'v liunish

26

has been shown to employ seventy live vessels ; so that,
under this supposition, forty-seven vessels now alone remain
unemployed. These forty-seven will be the worst ; they will
not be worth more than £00,000 : and, were they at once de-
stroyed, no great harm would arise. But such will not be
the result. There will, in consequence of the lowering the
duties on coals, be an increased demand for ships in that
trade, which will at least occupy the small number of forty-
seven. But the number will, in fact, be much smaller, for
the capital of the colonies now applied to furnish agricultural
produce for exportation to the United Kingdom, is not equal
to that employed in the timber-trade. This every one allows ;
and one of the great outcries, as regards the colonies, is,
that by far the largest portion of their capital will be unem-
ployed if no longer useful in getting out timber. By this it is
evident that more than seventy-five ships will be employed in
the new trade ; in truth, above a hundred will be required, so
that no loss whatever would accrue, even supposing no in-
creased demand for the coal-trade.

If, however, we were to consider that the greater number
of the old ships now employed in the timber-trade were at
once destroyed or thrown out of employment, the consequence
would be utterly insignificant when the whole shipping of
Great Britain, and its value, are taken into consideration.
From the outcry raised about the timber-trade, people usually
conceive tha- a very large portion of the British commercial
shipping is employed therein. The following statement will
show the relative importance of this branch of trade : —

The Number of ShipSy and Tonnage thereof, belonging to the
several Ports of the British Empire.

Years.

Ships.

Tonnage.

1024
1025
102G

1027*

24,770
24,200
24,(J>5
23,19y

2,559,507
2,553,002
2,035,044

2,400,500

With Canada, in 1029, the whoie number of ships em-
ployed to and from Great Britain was only 207, and the ton-
nage 100,275. Multiply this by 2, and the amount will bo
the number employed in the colonies under consideration.

But it is said, let us not look at this measure merely as one

• The apparent falling oil' arose from ii new rpt^istry in 1827, by \vhich
it was found that many vessels, previously reckoned, had long teased to
exist.

■.r^-

27

so that,
ic ruiiuiiii

they will

once de-
ll not be
'eriiig- the
s ill that

of forty-
uller, for
ricultural
not equal
e allows ;
oiiies, is,
be uiiein-

tiiis it is
ployed ill
uired, so
g no in-

r number
were at
sequence
ipping of
deration,
e usually
niiuercial
ment will

fi^ to the

of money — what will become of our seamen ; and on this Sir
Howard Douglas advances the following astounding asser-
tion.

" Even were l^ritish ships to become the carriers of timber
from those countries, (i. e. of the 13altic,) that trade would
not be found so good a nursery for seamen for the British
navy as those formed in the North- American trade, the hardy
and healthy character of which, and the duration of its voy-
ages, are known to form the best seamen in the world."
(p. 10.)

Every sailor will at once acknowledge this to be a most
preposterous statement. The best sailors of Great Britain
are formed in the coal-trade — ^a collier is proverbially a first-
rate seaman. The voyages to the Baltic require skill, cou-
rage, and hardihood equal to any trade in the world. The
navigation is intricate, the weather often stormy, and those
incidents which exercise a seaman's skill and put his courage
and coolness to the test are constantly recurring. This one
respecting seamen is another of those assertions which, to
unbiassed minds, at once prove Sir Howard Douglas either to
be speaking of what he is totally ignorant or to be acting the
part of a somewhat disingenuous advocate.

Thus, then, as regards the shipping-interest of this country,
the proposed measure will, while it produces no immediate
evil, confer a great and lasting benefit for the future ; it will in-
jure no present interest, but, by giving the British builder and
the British ship-owner a superiority which they have not
hitherto enjoyed, allow us, hereafter, to compete with every
rival, under advantages that will defy all opposition.

»ij)s em-
the ton-
will bo

lion.

y as one

, by which
ccubcd tu

3. EFFECTS OF THE MEASURE AS REGARDS GREAT BRITAIN.

Hitherto our inquiries have been impeded by doubts re-
sulting from narrow interests, supposed to be at variance with
the general welfare; and the conclusions to which those
inquiries have led will, doubtless, meet with opposition, no
matter how correct the arguments, — how cogent the state-
ments,- -upon which they have been founded. Now, how-
ever, a portion of the subject comes to be considered which
almost entirely precludes a doubt. And the results of our
investigations on this important branch of the question ought
to silence all hostility to the proposed measure, so enormous,
so indisputable is the benefit to be derived from it.

The benefit to this country will accrue in two different
shapes, — ^one connected with the saving of expense in the
article of timber,— the other with the new channels that will
be opened to our luauufuctures.

2S

The expense will be saved in the price aiul the (jualily of
the timber; and the following- table will show, to a certain
degree, the amount annually saved.

Amount of Dnti/ paid on Timber, Dcnh, and other Articles of
Wood from British North America*

Sums tliat would have

l)e('ti paid liad tlio Tim-

Years.

Sums paid.

ber bet.'n iiiiptn ted Iroin
the lialtic.

£

£

1»->1

2in,n7

1,444,140

ia2.3

244,808

l,Gor>,l)47

ia2G

241,043

1,519,G3G

1827

213,741)

l,2u 1,1)22

The loss, as here supposed, would, upon an average,
amount to a million and a half annually. But this is too
great, since that supposes the price of the article to be raised.
If, however, we supj)ose the price to remain the same, and
the timber to be imported Irom the Baltic, the less cost of
that timber would allow the country to levy a much larger
duty than at present ; in fact, it would permit us to levy a
duty exactly equal to the diflerence between the price of
American and Baltic timber.

This saving, added to the saving that would also arise from
the superior quality of the IJaltic wood, would give the whole
amount gained by the country. This ditierence of quality
has been proved, asid is now allowed to be one-third in
favour of the Baltic timber; and the following statement,
made in the Westminster Uoview, upon an average of the
years 1824 and 2'), is true at the present time, the im[)ortation
prices and quality remaining nearly the same.

Loss 071 Account of the inferior Qualiti/ oj the Colonial Timber y
and greater Price of the same.

Oak.

Average amount of oak imported into (ircat Britain
from the American colonies, in the years 1824,
182J: —

* P.uliauitniiuy i^api i inr it^ib.

Loads, 1 1,002, at \\\c avorag*- price of £{\ : 10 pcM-

load, exclusive ol' duty, inakiug tlic sum ot •• <!!'?(),( )(»7

Onc-f liiid ol" wiiich is 1*2,'22'^

'I'hc avoragci price of Dantxic plank, for tlio same
years, was £1, exclusive of duty ; takiii^j, the
load «if plank to be cpial in value to a load of
tind^er, a jireat admission on our part, the coni-
inuiiity lost on e'vcrv loLid lionghtof t!ie eoIonit'H,
£1: 10; making on the whole of the oak im-
ported a loss of 2'2,;)">2

This, added to the above loss, on account of quali-
ty, makes a loss on the oak alone, of ••••••• • (>4,r>7''>

Pine.

Average of the two years 18*2!, 1U25, of the amount
of pine timber import(Ml into Great Britain, from
the American colonies : —

Loads t]">»,4.">0. One-third of which would have
been used for the purposes above-mentioned,
and, therefore, no loss is to be calculated on
that third : the tw'o-thirds remaining will be
23U,n:34 loads, at the average price of £4, duty
excluded, nmking the sum of J)54,53{>

One-third of which is ;nH,l7»

'I'he average price of Memel fir, duty excluded, was
£2 : 15, thus the community lost on every load
of timber bought of the colonies, the sum of
£1:5, making upon two-thirds of the whole
quantity bought, the sum of » 2fM?,292

Which, added to the above loss, on account of in-
ferior (juality, makes a loss to the community
of G10,4V0

Stavf.s.
The average importation of staves from the colonies,
of the years HV14, 1825, was about equal to
2,000,000 of pipe-staves, the average price per
1000, duty excluded, was £81, making, upon
the whole importation, the sum of 1G2,0()0

One-third of which is

The average price of IVIemcl staves, duty excluded,
was per 1000, £(58. Thus we lost on every
1000 staves purchased from the colonies, £i:i;

54,000

30

making, upon tlin whole quantity purchased,

the sum of 26,000

Which, added to tlie above loss by inferior quality,

makes a loss by staves, of* 00,000

Deals.
The average quantity of colonial deals imported
into Great Britain of the years 18*24, 1825, was
12J4G, on which duty was paid as three inches
thick. The average price for the best sort of
Quebec deals was, per 100, £25, duty ex-
cluded, making, on the above ([uantity, the
sum of 303,050

One-third of which is 101,210

The average price of Christiana dcals,t per 100,
was £18, making a loss upon every 100 bought
of the colonies, the sum of £7, which, upon
the whole importation, makes a sum of 85,022

This, added to the above loss, on account of quali-
ty, makes 180,238

The several losses are as follow : —

Loss by oak • 04,575

by pine 010,470

by staves 80,000

by deals 180,230

Making a total loss, per annum, by the timber-
trade with the colonies, of J • 947,283

This, assuredly, is a benefit which to forego requires some
inducement beyond the fear of a trifling loss to a Canadian
ship-owner, or the paltry possible injury to a few useless rot-
ten ships.

* Jt ought to be remarked that the price of staves and oak here inen-
ticuf'ii io somewhat higher than at present. But the quantity, of late
years, has exceeded the importations of 1824-5 ; so that the over-state-
ment in price will be balanced by the under-statenient in quantity.

t It must be remembered that Christiana deals are superior to any
that come into the market, and, consequently, bear a higher price ; had
wechoseuany other country's deals, our loss would have appeared still
greater.

X When it is recollected that battens, heading, and every sort of
timber, except pine and oak, have been omitted, it will be perceived
that a million falls short of the actual loss.

:n

-3

On tlio subject of tlio now cliannols of commoroo, the re-
sults will appear ccpially satisfactory.

At present, the countries in the J3altic which coiild supply
timber, furnish, in place of that timber, no other article to
this CKiintry. There is, as regards them, to the extent i)f the
(capital euiployi'd in timber, no market for our commodities.
If, however, wo enable them to sell us timber, if we thus
give them a purchasing power, we, to the exact amount of
capital expended in timber, create a new market for our manu-
factured goods. The countries which will mutually furnish
this timber, it must be borne in mind, do not, at present, buy
our manufactured produce, and for this very obvious reason,
they have nothing to ofter in return. Jf, by the new
act, we give theni this power, we call into existence a new
market.

On the other hand, as I have already shewn, the purchasing
power of the American colonies will not be diminished. That
it will be diminished is usually assumed, but never proved;
here, as elsewhere, the opponents of a free timber-trade deal
in bold, general, and unsupported assertions. In order
to controvert my position, however, a position grounded on
the experience of men long conversant with the country,
something more is required than these sweeping and hardy
statements ; and I solicit, openly and fearlessly, refutation
as to the various particulars 1 have adduced. Until this refu-
tation arrive, I feel justified in asserting that the purchasing-
power of our colonies will remain the same in spite of the
prophetic declamation of the opponents of the proposed
measure.

But, says Sir Howard Douglas, " The amount of British
manufactures consumed in the timber countries of the north
of Europe is trifling, when compared with those consumed in
the British provinces, and for which they have little else to
pay than timber. If even the people in those countries had
the means, and they probably never will have, of consuming
as much of British manufactured articles as the people of the
British colonies do, their own habits, as well as the policy of
their respective governments, forbid the hope that they would
consume British goods to an extent which would warrant a
preference being given to the foreign trade. Their timber will
be chiefly paid for in money." (p. 17.)

Now the reason why the northern countries have not bought
our goods is, as before stated, that they could not do so ;
and, assuredly, it is strange to draw a conclusion respecting
their future purchases from the past time, when they were
totally unable to purchase. We are about to give them a
means — we urc going to create a purchasing power, and then

3*^

wo aro told that no inirohfisos will follow, bpcau^o, wlioii
flu>V wore im.'iblc, they 'li 1 not |Mncl)asi .

But lli( 10 is u slill more drt inUnI evil yet hohiiuL 'VUv
|)oo})lc of Ihc B.'iUio will take nolhins.'; hut, money. The j)eopl«;
of the Hallic. It is to bo suj)j)osod, use money as other people
do, — to purehase commodities; I ))rosnmo they <lo not eat it,
or wear it, or sleep in it; but, if they btiy commodities, is it
not notorious that we criii compote with every i)eoplo on iho
face of the i\lobo i:i th<! mnnufaclure of almost all commodi-
ties,— or, rather, rcvcrsin;; the expression, no ])eopIe on earth
can compete with ns? This, then, is an iruliicem«nt for thi»
Baltic trader to buy of us. AVhere will he get his linens,
cottons, woolliMJs, and hardware, so cheap and so ^ood as
from the Enalish market? Is it, then, probable that Ik; will
go to any other? Will he not, as the Xorth- American colo-
nists have done, purchase our goods with the timl)er he has
manufactured, atul thus olitain, at a cheap rate, goods that
he could not otherv.'ise accpiire?

But it may be asked, how comes it tiiat, though the Baltic
trader gains a jiurchasing power, wliich he had not before, the
-American colonist loses none ? ^V'hy is rtot the colonist to bo
placed in the situation of the Baltic trader previous to the
new act? Simply, because the capabilities of the countries
are different ; and it is to be hoped that our conduct with
respect to tliem will be diiiVnent also. The countries of the
Baltic from which the timber conies are poor in agricultural
capability ; and, even were they the most caj)able in the
world, we have excluded their produce. But this is not the
case with our colonies; they are fertile above most other
countries, and their produce has been wisely admitted.* 'I'hus,
we do not destroy their purchasing power, while we create
one for the Baltic.

What is the meaning of the assertion, which states that the
people of the northern countries will never have the means of
purchasing as much manufactured goods as the colonies ? It
is asserted that they will furnish the whole of the timber re-
quired, and is not this the power to purchase? How can it
be stated that the trade with tlie colonies will be annihilated
because the northern countries will furnish all the timber;
and, at the next moment, asserted that they will have no
power to purchase ? Here, as so often before, it appears

* The landlords of F.ngland need not be alainnMl at the prospect of
receiving colonial wheat. 'I'iie colonics have not yet been abu to Imnisli,
annually, more than the consumption of three days for this countrj ;
and, in future, they Avill hardly be able to double "this (niantity ; and of
this the wiiole will not be ian)orted iiere, since iinuh will be sent to the
M'^est Indies and other parts.

^i

.J

33

tliat Sir IToward Douglas liatl extremely confused ami incor-
rect notions respecting conimerce, or that he was desirous ol
inistifying his readers. It' the latter were his real object, he
deserves congratulation on his success.

* s to the lamentations respecting the hindrance to emigra-
tion, it need only be stated that the siiips still required will
be able to carry out annually 50,000 persons, a number tar
exceeding any that have hitherto emigrated.

I cannot close my observations on this matter without two
suggestions to the ministers, as to their proposed measure.
The one is, that the duty bo lowered on Baltic timber to
thirty instead of tifty shillings. Through this, there will,
in consequence of the great lowering of price, be a great
increased consumption, a greatly increased demand for ship-
j>ing, an increased revenue, and a great improvement in
many of the comforts of the people. The other is, that the
alteration of the duty be not carried into execution until all
the ships, leaving the colonies this year, have arrived, and
discharged their cargoes. If the bill were made to come
into operation on the 1st of March next, — this would be
effected. By this means no injury will be done to those
j)ersons who have made engagements for the coming year, and
a fair warning will be given for the future. Justice absolutely
requires that this suggestion should be adopted.

Thus, after having carefully gone through the various
points connected with this subject, to me it appears that the
following statements may safely be hazarded.

J. — That little loss in any shape will be suffered by in-
dividuals in the colonies, while much actual and perspective
benetit will be conferred on them as a body by the present
measure.

2. — That the shippisig interest will receive no injury, as an
interest, even should it be allowed that the possessors of a
few, and nearly useless, ships should suffer. That great and
lasting service will be rendered to the shipping of the country
generally, in consequence of the superior quality, and lower
price of the wood to be hereafter employed in their construc-
tion.

3. — And that the good about to be derived from the mea-
sure, by the community, is so large that it ought to bear
down all opposition, and render it almost criminal for some
small particular consideration to oppose the progress of the
bill.

I have abstained throughout from entertaining the general
(juestion of the propriety or justice of placing the interest
of the ship-owner in opposition to that of the public, and
making paramount that of the former. It might have been
shewn that cheap productions are beneficial to the com-

C

34

inunity, aiul tlint ii trade which crcatos a dear coiiiniodity
is an evil, that the increase of ships, in cojisequenco not of
increased demand for conimodilies, but from increased car-
riage, is an injury and not a good; and thus, that the very
arguments which are adduced to support tlje propositions of
the ship-owners are the strongest that coukl be adduced
against them. But this line of argument was not necossary.
It is evident that the shipping of this country will not bo
diminished, — that it will be maintained, not by any artificial
and injurious supports, but through the increased demand of
an advantageous trade. And thus that no injury will be
suffered by them, while an enormous good will accrue to the
community.

THE END.

WAKCliANT, Vra>TtJ!, INliRAM-COL'RT,

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