not but think, in recommending such a difference, they shall at least be free from the charge of not having sufficiently listened to the pretensions of the parties whose interests are involved in the colonial trade, and tendered as great sacrifice on the part of the country, both to the shipping and the colonies, as they can persuade themselves the House will be disposed to sanction. At this rate of difference, it appears to your Committee, a fairer competition will be given to foreign produce, and a freedom of choice, (which, under the present relative prices, can hardly be said to exist), will be secured to the consumers, between the descriptions of wood brought from the respective points of supply, while a certain and large proportion of the consumption of the united kingdom will be assured to the American colonies, in the applications of their timber to those uses for which its qualities and comparative price must give it a preference.

However the tendency of the evidence generally may be, to recommend an alteration in the duties, to such an amount as may prove a corrective to the trade, without impairing materially the consumption of the American timber; a considerable variety of opinion was expressed by the witnesses examined, as to the extent to which an alteration of the existing duty may be carried, without danger to the fair demand for the produce of our American colonies. Amidst the different opinions given, it was difficult for your Committee to determine the precise amount by which the relative difference between the colonial timber, and that from the north ern states, should be reduced; and in fixing upon 20s., they have not only taken that sum as a point between the extremes, but have been influenced by a reference to the accounts of the mar ket in several years, and particularly in 1816, 1817, 1818, and 1819, as it

is given in a paper added in the Appendix, and in the evidence of two of the witnesses; when it appears to have been, according to the remarks of one of them, in a natural and healthy state; when a fair competition existed, when the prejudice entertained against American timber seemed to be on the decline, and the demand for it augmenting. The relative price was, at this period, about or nearly three to four, which has recently been reduced to one-half, owing to the unnatural situation into which the market has been brought by excessive importations, produced by the various circumstances which, at the present moment, have contributed to disturb the channels, and change the character of the trade.

Your Committee next proceeded to consider, in what mode that alteration of duty should be effected, whether by reduction of duty on Baltic timber, by an imposition of duty on American, or by a combination of both; and the result of their consideration has been, a preference of the last mode of producing the relative approximation they have recommended, in the prices of the respective descriptions of timber, by the imposition of 10s. on the Ameri can timber, and a corresponding reduction from the duty on that imported from the north of Europe. This they conceive to be most effectual to produce the advantages they have in contemplation; by removing the exces sive inequality of the present system, facilitating our intercourse with foreign nations, and marking our desire, as far as circumstances will permit, to adopt more liberal principles than those by which our commerce with them has been hitherto governed.

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

The rate of duty on long deals at

not but think, in recommending such a difference, they shall at least be free from the charge of not having sufficiently listened to the pretensions of the parties whose interests are involved in the colonial trade, and tendered as great sacrifice on the part of the country, both to the shipping and the colonies, as they can persuade themselves the House will be disposed to sanction. At this rate of difference, it appears to your Committee, a fairer competition will be given to foreign produce, and a freedom of choice, (which, under the present relative prices, can hardly be said to exist), will be secured to the consumers, between the descriptions of wood brought from the respective points of supply, while a certain and large proportion of the consumption of the united kingdom will be assured to the American colonies, in the applications of their timber to those uses for which its qualities and comparative price must give it a preference.

However the tendency of the evidence generally may be, to recommend an alteration in the duties, to such an amount as may prove a corrective to the trade, without impairing materially the consumption of the American timber; a considerable variety of opinion was expressed by the witnesses examined, as to the extent to which an alteration of the existing duty may be carried, without danger to the fair demand for the produce of our American colonies. Amidst the different opinions given, it was difficult for your Committee to determine the precise amount by which the relative difference between the colonial timber, and that from the north ern states, should be reduced; and in fixing upon 20s., they have not only taken that sum as a point between the extremes, but have been influenced by a reference to the accounts of the market in several years, and particularly in 1816, 1817, 1818, and 1819, as it

is given in a paper added in the Appendix, and in the evidence of two of the witnesses; when it appears to have been, according to the remarks of one of them, in a natural and healthy state; when a fair competition existed, when the prejudice entertained against American timber seemed to be on the decline, and the demand for it augmenting. The relative price was, at this period, about or nearly three to four, which has recently been reduced to one-half, owing to the unnatural situation into which the market has been brought by excessive importations, produced by the various circumstances which, at the present moment, have contributed to disturb the channels, and change the character of the trade.

Your Committee next proceeded to consider, in what mode that alteration of duty should be effected, whether by reduction of duty on Baltic timber, by an imposition of duty on American, or by a combination of both; and the result of their consideration has been, a preference of the last mode of producing the relative approximation they have recommended, in the prices of the respective descriptions of timber, by the imposition of 10s. on the American timber, and a corresponding reduction from the duty on that imported from the north of Europe. This they conceive to be most effectual to produce the advantages they have in contemplation; by removing the excessive inequality of the present system, facilitating our intercourse with foreign nations, and marking our desire, as far as circumstances will permit, to adopt more liberal principles than those by which our commerce with them has been hitherto governed.

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

The rate of duty on long deals at

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 referred, 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 measure being founded upon it, and receiving 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 privileges far more extensive than those which are enjoyed by his Majesty's subjects generally, and greater, as to many branches of circuitous and foreign 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 continuance 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 submit to the House:

Resolved, "That it is expedient to permit his Majesty's subjects to carry on trade and traffic, directly and circuitously, 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.

EAST INDIA Trade.

Report relative to the Trade with the East Indies and China, from the Select Committee of the House of Lords, appointed to inquire into the means of extending and securing the Foreign Trade of the Country, and to report to the House :- -Ordered to be Printed 11th April, 1821.

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

ORDERED TO REPORT,

That the Committee have met, and have proceeded in the inquiry, which had been entered upon by the said Committee appointed in the last session 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 necessary to direct their attention to the commercial concerns of the East India Company, as administered by the Court of Directors, with a view to the interests, both political and financial, of that corporate body, 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 territorial possessions of the Company being carried on by licence only from the Company; that to other parts of Southern Asia, (China excepted,) and to the islands of the Indian ocean, by licence from the Board of Control; that to China being entirely prohibited to all British vessels but those in the actual employment of the East India Company; and the whole trade confined to ships of a certain fixed amount of tonnage.

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 individuals 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, indeed, 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.

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 Com pany have already collectors of the customs established, who might effec