present falls considerably below that on timber, whilst on those of short lengths it rather exceeds it. In what principle this distinction in favour of deals, as compared with timber in the log, originated, your Committee are at a loss to discover, and are averse to recommend a continuance of it, at least to its present extent. They feel, how ever, considerable difficulty in proposing to equalize the duty on timber and deals, which, if effected by a reduction of the duty on timber, must be attended with a large sacrifice of revenue, and if by an addition to that on deals, might tend in some measure rather to impair than assist the foreign trade of the kingdom, by the effect it would have on the exports of wood from those states, of which deals form the greatest proportion. This, in the opinion of your Committee, precludes the application of 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 seems to call, in respect of the latter, for a more favourable assessment. Another alteration which has suggested itself to your Committee, 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 indulgence has been found to lead to great abuse in cover

ing the introduction of timber of this description as cargo, (a 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.

In consequence of the report refer. red to them, the mode of levying the duty on deals and wood of the other denominations, under which it is im ported into this country, according to the cubic measure, has been an object of your Committee's examination; and although the reduction of them all to their cubical 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 producing a degree of equality between the countries by which our importations of wood are furnished,) sufficient to prevent their proposing to the House to relinquish it. In preserving the mode, how. ever, they are of opinion, that an improvement may be introduced into the scale now in use, by admitting a gra dation of duty between the deal ends and deals of the largest class, which, it appears to your Committee, would attain more effectually that advantage by which the existing mode of levying the duty is chiefly recommended.

Your Committee have abstained from entering, in this report, into de« tails upon the subject of battens, oakplank, staves, deck-plank, palingboards, masts, spars, and the other various denominations under which timber is imported, to which their at tention has been directed. The duties on these will be influenced by those on the more important articles, and will make a necessary part of any measure

that may hereafter be submitted to the House.

The policy of a legislative preference being given to the importation of tim ber 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 political expediency.

Your Committee have discovered, in the accounts before them, that the protective duty in favour of British shipping has been made to operate in different degrees on the importation of wood of different descriptions, varying from two and a half to five per cent, and in some unimportant instances fall ing below, as in others considerably exceeding these rates, on the value of the particular article imported; for this inequality, which introduces much perplexity into the collection of the duty, there does not appear to be any sufficient reason, and they therefore submit to the consideration 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 importation in the foreign ship, and that in the British ship, should be fix ed for the future at five per cent.

One only farther recommendation has suggested itself to your Committee, which, in concluding their report, they are desirous of offering to the

House. It has appeared in the evidence, that a great proportion of the timber which is imported from the province of Canada, is the growth of the United States, and has been permitted to be received into that province free from duty, and has from thence been exported to the united kingdom, with all the benefits and immunities conceded to the produce of the British territory. To obviate the objection to which this practice appears to your Committee to be liable, they are of opinion, that with every exportation of timber from the British provinces in North America, a certificate of its being the produce of those provinces should be required, and that timber imported without such certificate should be hereafter charged with the same rate of duty as would be payable on it, if imported directly from a foreign state.

In submitting the result of what has occurred to them in the course of their inquiry into this important subject, your Committee have only to add, that in the recommendations which they have tendered, it has been their endeavour, to the utmost of their power, to conciliate the claims of adverse interests, and the contending considerations of policy that demanded their attention. If what they propose falls short of a recurrence to those sound principles by which all commerce ought to be regulated, they trust it will appear to the House, that they have proceeded as far as, under present circumstances, is consistent with an equitable regard to the protection due to extensive interests that have grown up under an established system, and which must be deeply affected by any material and sudden change to which that system is subjected.

9th March, 1821.

SECOND REPORT, ORDERED TO BE PRINTED 18TH May, 1821.

..The Select Committee appointed to consider of the means of maintaining and improving the Foreign Trade of the country, and to report their opinion and observations thereupon from time to time to the House;-have, pursuant to the order of the House, considered the matters to them refer red, and have agreed to the following Report:→→→→

From the period of their submitting to the House their last report, the attention of your Committee has been directed to the commerce of the united kingdom with India and China, and the trade between those countries and other parts of the world. The advanced state of the public business, and the additional evidence yet to be received, before they can consider themselves as having completed their investigation into that branch of their inquiry, afford them no expectation of being able to produce a report, embracing a general view of the subject, in sufficient time to admit of any mea sure being founded upon it, and receis ving the approbation of Parliament previously to the close of the session.

It has, however, occurred to your Committee, in the course of their inquiry, that there are some branches of the trade, in reference to which farther facilities may be afforded, with great advantage to the interests of British commerce and navigation; and that such facilities cannot be delayed to a future year, without the risk of losing much of the beneficial results which, at the present time, may be expected from them. This impression is founded rather upon general principles, and circumstances of general notoriety, than upon any particular evidence ad

duced before your Committee, how ever the tendency of that evidence may have been farther to establish the expediency of the measures about to be proposed.

In adverting to the peculiar system of laws by which the trade of the East Indies is regulated, the House cannot but observe, that the subjects of foreign nations, whether European or American, are in possession of privi leges far more extensive than those which are enjoyed by his Majesty's subjects generally, and greater, as to many branches of circuitous and fo reign trade, than have been accorded to the East India Company itself. To relieve the commerce and shipping of this country from a situation of such comparative disadvantage, (for the con tinuance of which your Committee can discover no sufficient reason,) they feel the expediency of some measure, the principle of which may be, to allow British subjects, as well private traders as the East India Company, to carry on every sort of traffic between India and foreign countries, (with the exception of the trade in tea, and that with the united kingdom and the British colonies, with which they do not propose any interference,) which foreigners are now capable of carrying/ on; and have, therefore, come to the following resolution, which they sub mit to the House:→→→→

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Resolved, "That it is expedient to permit his Majesty's subjects to carry on trade and traffic, directly and cir cuitously, between any 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, belonging to any state or countries in amity with his Majesty.

18th May, 1821.

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, and to report to the House :-Ordered - to be Printed 11th April, 1821.

By the Lords Committees appoint ed 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 Evi dence 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 Ses sion of Parliament on the subject of Foreign Trade :mi

1. ORDERED To Report, 1

That the Committee have met, and have proceeded in the inquiry, which had been entered upon by the said Committee appointed in the last ses sion of Parliament, into the state of British commerce with Asia, including as well that which is carried on with the territorial possessions of the honourable East India Company, as that with the independent: States in the same part of the globe.

In the conduct of this inquiry, the Committee have not thought it neces sary 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, farther 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 ter ritorial 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 prohibit ed to all British vessels but those in the actual employment of the East India Company; and the whole trade con fined to ships of a certain fixed amount of tonnage.

The trade which is carried on by: licence with the territories of the East India Company, is confined to the presidencies of Bombay, Madras, and... Calcutta, and the port of Penang.Some inconveniences and injury to in dividuals are stated to have arisen where circumstances have made it desirable to change the destination of vessels from one of these ports to another, after their arrival in the East, in consequence of the delay attendant upon obtaining a permission to do so from the local government. This, in deed, may be obviated by obtaining licences including the above-named ports generally, which have been sometimes applied for, and do not appear to have been refused. But the system of requiring licences does not appear to be attended with and public benefit; and a fee is charged for each of them.

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A more material advantage might probably accrue to the free trader from being permitted to, trade with other smaller ports on the coasts of Coromandel and Malabar, where the Company have already collectors of the customs established, who might effec