1831.] Ships, Colonies, and Commerce. 415 



This is putting money into the colonial treasuries with a vengeance ! ! 

 With regard to another point of this important question, namely, the 

 best mode of obtaining a cheap supply of timber for home use. The 

 merchants, and others concerned in the trade, forcibly state in their 

 application to the legislature, that the interest of the consumer in this 

 country is directly concerned in the maintenance of the present state of 

 things. There is now an abundant supply of timber from two sources : 

 the consumer purchases that which suits him best, while the respective 

 prices of each serve to shew the rates at which they can be sustained in 

 the market relatively to each other it being manifest that any circum- 

 stance which should, from whatever cause, enable the importer of either 

 description of timber to sell it cheaper than he now does, would lead to 

 an increased demand for that description, in preference to the other, on 

 the part of the consumer. There can be no pretence, on the part of the 

 consumer, for requiring any reduction in price both kinds being abun- 

 dant and cheap. On the other hand, it is evident that, by cutting off 

 one source of supply which must happen if the proposed measure be 

 passed the consumer will, in a few years, find himself dependent on 

 the Baltic producer alone, and must deal with him under all the disad- 

 vantciges which that want of competition must produce. 



Although ministers have been beaten on this point for the present, 

 there is no doubt they will again attempt similar measures; and it there- 

 fore becomes necessary that all the friends of " Ships, Colonies, and 

 Commerce," should be vigilant and ready to defend their own interests 

 from similar measures. 



To turn to another quarter of the world, namely, Southern Africa. 

 The Cape of Good Hope may be considered, and in fact is, the only 

 possession of the British crown producing wine in any considerable 

 quantity. For our supplies of that article we were formerly entirely at 

 the mercy of foreign states. Had the late Emperor of the French been 

 able to complete his continental system, we should have been entirely 

 deprived of that invigorating and medicinal beverage : or, at least, we 

 could only occasionally have obtained a few pipes from Madeira, and 

 other small islands. In fact, at the period of exclusion alluded to, the 

 price of wine had risen in this country enormously, but, to render us 

 less dependant upon the wine countries of Europe, government, on our 

 acquiring possession of the Cape, and for some years after that event, 

 held out by public proclamations and otherwise, the greatest encourage- 

 ment to enter upon the cultivation of the vine in that settlement, as " a con- 

 sideration above all others of the highest importance to its opulence and 

 character," and promised " the most constant support and patronage on the 

 part of the government, and that no means of assistance should be left 

 unattempted to improve the cultivation, and every encouragement given 

 to honest industry and adventure to establish the success of the Cape 

 commerce in this her great and native superiority." Premiums were 

 offered to those who planted most largely, and for the production of the 

 best wines ; and in 1813, Cape wines were admitted to the British mar- 

 ket at one third of the duty of port and sherry. This afforded a protec- 

 tion of about 28 the cask of 1 10 gallons. In consequence of this pledge 

 of support and encouragement, much capital was embarked in vineyards,, 

 &c. ; and although the cultivation and best mode of management, so as 

 to produce good wines, depends upon many peculiarities of soil and 

 niceties of adaptation, which can only be discovered by close attention 



