HL Deb 22 May 1821 vol 5 cc884-90

The following Protest was entered on the Journals, by the earl of Lauderdale: Dissentient, 1st, Because, whilst the speeches in this House and the reports of our committees dis- play to the public an enthusiastic admiration of the most sound and liberal principles of commercial legislation, it is with feelings of the deepest regret that I have seen this House agree to the commitment of a bill which, instead of showing any disposition to liberality in our future commercial intercourse with foreign nations, will, if recorded in our statute-books, exhibit a specimen of our predilection for that illiberal, artificial, and restrictive system of regulation, which has long disgraced our commercial codes; under all the circumstances of the case, more disgusting than the arrangement it is intended to correct.—It is true the duties on timber and deals, as arranged by the 49th Geo. 3, cap. 98; 51 Geo. 3, cap. 43; 51 Geo. 3, cap. 93, and the 53 Geo. 3, cap. 33, had become highly oppressive; but it is equally true that the hardship arising from an alteration in the circumstances of the country could not be apparent to the legislature at the time of passing these acts.—In this situation the timber trade, which is stated in the Commons' report 'to be open to any modification in respect of the rate of duty or mode of levying it that parliament might deem prudent,' naturally attracted the attention of the committees of both Houses of Parliament, appointed to consider of the means of improving foreign trade; and in proportion as the merchants and manufacturers of this country must have read with satisfaction the reports of these committees, stating it to be 'the duty of the legislature to mark their desire to foreign nations of adopting more liberal principles of commercial intercourse,' their disappointment must have been great, when they saw the provisions of this bill openly sanction the hardship to which time and inadvertency had given rise.—Under the arrangements of these acts, consolidated by the 59th of the late king, American timber was admitted duty free, whilst Baltic timber was subjected to a duty of 3l. 5s. per load. But in the year 1812, when this system was adopted, 3l. 5s. did not compensate the difference of freight betwixt an American and Baltic voyage, which then amounted to 3l 10s.; and yet by this bill, introduced for the avowed purpose of marking our desire to adopt, more liberal principles, the relative state of the American and Baltic timber trade will be arranged as follows:—

Proposed duty on Baltic timber per load of 50 cubic feet £ 2 15 0
Deduct dirty to be imposed upon 0 10 0
Remains 2 5 0
Freight from Quebec per load 2 10 0
Freight from Memel per load 1 5 0
Difference 1 5 0
Deduct difference of freight on American timber 1 5 0
Remains the bounty which, under the purposed regulations, our colonies will enjoy 1 0 0
Thus, instead of imposing a duty, as in 1812, amounting to 5s. per load less than the difference of freight, the legislature is called upon to prove its liberality to foreign nations by giving a bounty to our colonies, over and above full compensation for the difference of freight, of no less than 1l. per load. Neither is this all; for the following calculations will show—1st, That the duties imposed on deals from our colonies, when compared with the duties on that article from Russia and Prussia, must be ruinous to the trade of the latter. 2dly, That on a comparison of the duties imposed on deals from our colonies with the duties that will fall to be paid on Norway deals, the difference must effect a complete prohibition of that article from Norway. 3dly, That our love of regulation and restriction has even extended to our imposing duties on Norway deals, which, when compared with the duties on deals from Russia and Prussia, must he ruinous to the Norwegian trade. 4thly, That, contrary to principle, and to all former practice, a bounty is given to the foreign manufacturer of deals, which must annihilate that branch of industry in this country. 1st.—Comparative amount of duties on deal from our colonies, and from Russia and Prussia, converting the deals into loads of timber of 50 cubic feet, and showing the advantage our colonies will have on each load of timber under the present arrangement.
1st. 120 deals, 16 feet long, 3 inches thick, and 11 inches broad, contain 8 loads, 40 feet cubic measure; and as 120 deals, 16 feet in length, are taxed at 191., this will amount per load to a duty of £. 2 3 2
120 American deals of the same dimensions are taxed at 2l.; this will amount per load to a duty of 0 4 0½
Difference of duty per load 1 18 7½
Deduct difference of freight as above betwixt America and the 1 5 0
Remains the real bounty given per load to our colonies on deals of those dimensions 0 13 7½
2dly—120 deals, 21 feet long, 3 inches thick, and 11 inches broad, contain 11 loads and 27 feet, cubical measure; and as 120, 21 feet in length, are taxed at 22l., this will amount to a duty per load of 1 18 1
120 American deals of the same dimensions are taxed at 2l. 10s. this will amount per load to a duty
of 0 4 2¼
Difference of duty, per load which forms bounty in favour of our colonies. 1 13 10¾
Deduct difference of freight betwixt America and the Baltic 1 5 0
Remains the real bounty given per load to our colonies on deals 0 8 10¾
2dly,—Comparative amount of duties on deals from our colonies and from Norway, converting the deals into loads of timber of 50 pubic feet, and showing the advantage our colonies will have on each load of timber,: under the present arrangement:—
1st.—120 Norway deals, 12 feet long, 3 inches thick, and 9 inches broad, contain 5 loads, 20 feet cubical measure; and as 120 12 feet deals are taxed at 19l., this will amount per load to a duty of 3 10 4
120 American deals of the same dimensions are taxed at 2l.: this will amount per load to a duty of 0 7 4¾
Difference per load 3 2 11¼
Deduct difference of freight betwixt an American and Norway 1 10 0
Remains the real bounty given to our colonies on deals of these dimensions 1 12 11½
2nd.—120 Norway deals, 8 feet long, 3 inches thick, and 9 inches broad, contain 3 loads and 3 feet cubical measure; and as 120 deals, 8 feet in length, are taxed at 19l., this will amount per load to a duty of 5 5 6¼
120 American deals of the same dimensions are taxed at 2l.: this will amount per load to 0 11 1¼
Difference of duty per load 4 14 5¼
Deduct difference of freight betwixt an American and Norway voyage 1 10 0
Remains the real bounty given to our colonies on deals of these dimensions 3 4 5¼
3dly. Comparative amount of duties imposed by this bill on deals from Norway and from Russia, resulting from the circumstance that Norway deals cannot be had so as on an average to exceed 12 feet in length, and 9 inches in breadth; whilst Russia deals are always 11 inches broad, and may easily be had 16, or even 21 feet long.
1st.—120 Norway deals, 12 feet long, 3 inches think, and 9 inches broad, contain 6 loads and 20 feet cubical measure; and as 120 such deals are taxed at 19l., this will amount per load to a duty of 3 10 4
120 Russian deals, 16 feet long, 3
inches thick, and 11 inches broad, contain 8 loads, and 40 feet cubical measure; and as 120 such deals are taxed at 19l., this will amount per load to a duty of 2 3 2
Advantage, per load, which the Russian deals will enjoy under this bill over the Norwegian deals of these dimensions. 1 7 2
2dly. —120 Norway deals as above per load: 3 10 4
120 Russian deals 21 feet long, 3 inches thick; and 11 inches broad, contain 11 loads and 27 feet cubical measure; and as 120:such deals' are taxed at 22l., this will amount to a duty per load 1 18 1
Advantage pet load which the Russian deals will enjoy under this bill over the Norwegian deals of these dimensions 1 12 3
3dly.—120 Norway deals, 8 feet long, 3 inches thick, and 9 inches broad as above, pay per load 5 5 6
120 Russian, 16 foot deals, pay per load as above 2 3 2
Advantage, per load, which the Russian deals will enjoy under this bill, over the Norwegian deals of these dimensions 3 2 4
120 Norway 8-footdeals,as above, pay per load 5 5 6
120 Russia 21-foot deals pay per load 1 18 1
Advantage, per load, which the Russian deals of these dimensions will, under this bill, enjoy over the Norwegian deals of 8-foot dimensions 3 7 5
4thly. —Statement showing that the bounty given to Russian deals by the present bill, must destroy the manufacture of that article in this country.
1st. —Russian timber pays per load 2 3 2
Russian deals, 16 feet long and 3 inches thick, and 11 inches broad, &c, pay per load 2 3 2
Direct bounty on deals 0 11 10
Further, as the duty on the waste, and on the extra measure, with the low duty on slabs, amounts to 25 per cent, on the duty on the deal, this gives an advantage of 0 10 9
Total bounty in favour of the foreign deal manufacturer per load 1 2 7
2dty. —Russian timber, as above, per load 2 15 7
Russian deals, 21 feet long, 3 inches thick, and 11 inches broad, &c. pay per load 1 13 1
Direct bounty 0 16 11
Further duty on waste, above 0 9 6
Total bounty in favour of the foreign deal manufacture per load 1 6 5
2nd. Because it appears to me that this House will treat with undeserved contempt the decision of their own committee—that it is expedient only to compensate to the Canadian importer of timber, the difference of freight and transport,' as well as the desire expressed by the committee of the Commons House of Parliament 'of adopting, in our intercourse with foreign nations, more liberal principles than those which have hitherto guided us,' if they sanction a bounty in favour of our colonies of nearly 100 per cent, on the value of the raw material, which will be the case if 1l. per load of timber is given in the shape of bounty, over and above compensation for the difference of freight. Besides, I must be of opinion that it is a measure highly injurious to the interests of the people of this country; for,, whilst it is undoubtedly proved that American timber is far less durable than that of the Baltic, and that this trade is of little or no advantage, except to what is called the shipping interest, I cannot forget that timber used in building, if it perishes, inflicts upon the people of this country the loss of the materials with which it is worked up, amounting at least to four times its own value; and that the committee of the House of Commons have, in their Report, stated, with great' truth, 'that the policy most advantageous for this country, is to obtain timber of the best quality, and at the lowest price, without reference to the quarter from which it is derived.' 3d. Because, whilst I applaud the wish expressed by the committee of the House of Commons "of marking to foreign nations our desire, in the arrangement of the timber duties, to adopt more liberal principles than 'those by which our commerce with them has been hitherto governed," I must reprobate that unprecedented and unprincipled love of regulation and restriction exhibited in this bill to such an extent, that duties are laid on deals from Norway—a country that always admitted our manufactures at comparatively low duties—which, when compared with the more moderate duties imposed on deals from Itussia—a country which has recently increased its extravagant duties on our manufactures—can leave no doubt that a bounty of nearly 100 per cent on the value of the commodity is given to the latter. 4th. Because though I agree in the prevalent opinion that our commercial code displays too much jealousy of foreign industry, and too great a desire to secure by prohibitory duties, to our own industry a monopoly of the home-market; yet I was not aware that the policy of a contrary system, viz., that of securing to foreign industry a monopoly of the home-market, had ever been maintained, even by the wildest theorist; far less could. I have imagined that such a system would ever have been acted upon by the legislature of any country; yet, by the unprincipled and extraordinary arrangements of this bill, it is impossible not to admit that a bounty is substantially given to the Russian and Prussian manufacturers of deals, in no instance legs than 1l. 2s. 1d. per load, a sum which must annihilate all attempts on the part of the home-manufacturer to compete in that article. 5th. Because, injurious to the country as it must be, to force into use, at an advanced price, timber of an inferior quality subject to premature decay, it appears to me that this is far from being the most serious calamity with which the proposed arrangement threatens this mercantile country.—Since the restoration of peace the tables of this and the other House of Parliament have been crowded with petitions from our merchants and manufacturers; in which, convinced of the great truth, that commerce is an exchange of equal value for equal value, and that it is impossible for goods to be imported into this country, without an equal value of our commodities being exported, they have strenuously enforced the necessity of doing away that restrictive, protective, and prohibitory system which has disgraced our commercial arrangements; anxiously urging, that by gradually adopting this line of conduct, we should not only afford relief to a suffering people, but secure to them important benefits, from the example this alteration of system would hold out to foreign nations. To me, therefore, it appears the greatest of all calamities to see this House adopt a bill which, in regulating that branch of commerce that has first come under the consideration of parliament, not only prejudices the interest of foreign nations without any material benefit to our colonies, by forcing into use an article of colonial produce they could furnish cheaper and of a superior quality; but, by a partial arrangement of duty, regulates the comparative degree of intercourse We shall enjoy with other countries—thus, at once, unjustly sacrificing to the proprietors of shipping, who can alone derive advantage from it, the interest of the British consumers, and annihilating the reasonable expectations of benefit which our merchants hoped to derive from unrestrained commerce, by setting the example of illiberal preferences that will render it impossible for us to negotiate with foreign countries, with any chance of approximating to that freedom of intercourse which, if it could be established, must redound equally to the advantage of all. (Signed) "LAUDERDALE.