TIMBER

In Carpentry, a word used to denote those pieces of wood that admit of being squared, or are capable of being employed in house and ship-building. A considerable portion of the timber (oak) used in ship-building, and in the construction of machinery, is of home growth; but the greater portion of the timber (fir) used in house carpentry, and in the making of furniture, ., is imported either from our colonial po e ions or from foreign countries. The trade in timber is one of great extent and importance. In fact, if there be one article more than another with which it is of paramount importance that a great marithneand manufacturing nation like England should be abundantly supplied on the lowest po ible terms, that article is timber. But of late years, this sound principle has been most materially interfered with, partly for the sake of revenue, and partly to force a trade with our North American colonies. This forcing system has been carried to such an extreme extent, that from 1S21 down to the present year (184'2), a duty of 55*. a load has been laid on foreign timber, or timber from the N. of Europe, whereas timber from British America has been admitted at a duty of 10*. a load, making a discriminating or diff"erential duty of no le than 45s. a load in favour of the latter! Such a preference would, under any circumstances, be most injurious; but it has been especially so from the fact of the timber of our North American po e ions being, speaking generally, of very inferior quality; so that the practical operation of the system has been to compel the British public to pay a comparatively high price for a comparatively worthle article. We are glad, however, to be able to state that this pernicious system has recently been very materially modified; and that under the tariff introduced by Sir Robert Peel the duty on foreign timber is to be immediately reduced to 30*. a load, and that in 1843, it is to be reduced to 25s., while the duty on timber from British America is to be reduced to Is. the load. This reduces the differential duty or bounty in favour of Canadian timber from 45s. to 24s., and is, in so far, a material improvement. But there neither is nor can be any good reason why the differential duty should not be still farther reduced, or rather why it should not be altogether abolished. The better plan would have been to have made the reduction only in foreign timber, and to have kept the duty on Canadian timber at its old level. Had this been done, the lo to the revenue would not have been nearly so great as it will be, at the same time that the differential duty in favour of colonial' timber would have been reduced to 15s. a load, which, though an unpolitic, could not have been called an oppre ive duty. The consequence of this forcing system has been that of from 350 to 450 cargoes of timber annually imported into the United Kingdom, not more 'than from (JO to 100 are from the north of Europe. But under the new system, the proportions will be materially varied, and the balance of importation will be greatly in favour of the north of Europe. We subjoin, — An Account of the Quantities of Timber Imported in 1838 and 1839; and of the Quantities retained for Home Consumption, and the Nett Amount of Duty derived therefrom in the same Two Years. Timber. i Quantities Imported. Quantities Exl.orted. Quantities relumed for Consumption. Net Revenue. 1838. 1839. 1838. 1839. 1838. 1839. 1838. 1839. Batten and batten ends - - great hhds. Deals and deal ends - - - ditto Masts above R, and under 8 Ins. in diameter numb. _ 8 _ 12 — - ditto — 1 '2 inches and upwards - ditto Oak planks.... ditto Staves.... great hhds. Fir, 8 ins. square and upwards - loads Oak - - - - - ditto Une numerated.... ditto Wainscot logs.... ditto 18,020 72,7.V 11,210 3,943 4,339 3,996 78,181 647,0R1 34,890 4.3,115 5,737 20,118 80,647 17,188 5,263 9,.308 3,568 81,020 623,265.50,752 51.676 2,644 95 1,306 303 121 75 " 1,876 545 43 168 1,072 209 320 50 " 1,57'9 '310 1 68 17,610 70,878 10,969 3,69u 4,593 3,889 75,461 633,899 36, IW 43,523 4,518 19,405 77.536 15,374 4:723 8,018.3,489 83,070 629,251 49.664 51,3.36 4.072 L. 161,112 622,261 3.331 2,635 6,494 15,552 58.738 672,595 46,766 10,976 12,353 L. 174,819 631,8.39 4,781 3,304 6,859 13.S63 54.566 550.999 75,147 12,961 11,862 [s. 1252]