§ On the Question that the House resolve itself into a Committee of Supply.
Mr. Alderman Thompsonwished to take that opportunity of correcting several statements which had been made by the right hon. Gentleman (Mr. P. Thomson) the President of the Board of Trade, with respect to what he had stated at a public meeting upon the subject of the Timber Duties. The right hon. Gentleman had stated during his absence, that he should have wished to put a question to him had he been present—namely, whether a report he the President of the Board of Trade, had read in the newspapers of a speech which he (Mr. Alderman Thompson) was supposed to have made at a 948 meeting of the Ship Owners' Society of London were correct or not; it being stated in that speech that he (Mr. Alderman Thompson) had charged the right hon. Gentleman with the intention of surreptitiously passing the Bill through the House for the purpose of changing the duties on timber. What he (Mr. Alderman Thompson) stated on that point was this:—that the shipping interest, the colonial interest, and the other interests of the country connected with the timber trade, were placed in a most disadvantageous position from the circumstance of a noble Lord, the President of the Council, having stated in another place, that it was not at present the intention of the Government to propose any alteration in the timber-duties, whilst his right hon. Friend (Mr. Poulett Thomson) stated on the same evening in that House, that it was the intention of the Government to make certain changes in the duties, which at the proper time it would be his duty officially to announce. Now, what he (Mr. Alderman Thompson) slated was this, that he considered the practice which of late years had been adopted, of introducing measures at a late period of the Session greatly affecting the commercial interests of the country, as regarded the reduction or alteration of duties on articles of merchandize—a very dangerous and unwise practice. And he further stated, that if such a practice were adopted with regard to the timber-duties, he thought it would not be a fair course of proceeding towards those great and important interests which were concerned in the timber trade. But he begged distinctly to state, that he never said, nor ever intended to say, anything that could by possibility give pain to the feelings of his right hon. Friend, for whom, in spite of some strong political differences, he had a very sincere personal regard.
§ Mr. Poulett Thomsonwas glad to hear from his hon. Friend, that he had not, at the meeting referred to, made use of any language calculated to impair that friendship which he was proud existed between them. His hon. Friend being now present, he would shortly restate what he had stated last evening, namely, that there was no discrepancy whatever between what had been stated by his noble Friend in another place, and what he himself had stated in his place in that House—that it was not the intention of Government to 949 introduce any measure on the subject of these duties at so early a period of the Session. Any Bill upon the subject must be founded upon the Report of the Committee, and the Report of the Committee it would be impossible to act upon until 1837. He could assure his hon. Friend, that whenever the Bill was prepared, ample time should be given for considering it in the House.