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much less in 1853, and the stock on hand (12,632,929 feet) at the close of the 

 season greatly reduced. But from the great demand these were years of great 

 prosperity to the producing interest, and consequently an impetus was giv-jn to the 

 supply produced in 1854, which was very great ; but the export was also greatly 

 increased and the stock in hand at the close of the season (13,465,602 feet) though 

 large, yet with the more limited production for 1855 was not at all such as seri- 

 ously to embarrass the trade had the usual demand existed. From whatever 

 cause, however, the demand had greatly diminished, for at the time the subject 

 was most strongly pressed upon the government, say 2nd July, 1855, the tonnage 

 arrived in Quebec, from sea, was 121,778 tons against 240,021 tons to the same 

 period of the previous year ; and at the close of the year 346,449 tons against 

 580.323 tons the previous year ; and in like manner, the quantity of square timber 

 exported in 1855 was 15,389,774 feet against 25,346,800 feet in 1854. There is 

 a defect in the present law which prevents the statistics being got so correctly in 

 respect of deals. There is also a large quantity of timber usually absorbed in 

 ship-building and exported in that shape, in which there had also been a falling 

 off. The result of a full investigation of the subject, however, was to show that 

 the trade was on the whole in a healthy condition, and that the depression at 

 that period was only temporary, for although there had been no excessive 

 production for some years previous, as compared with the export, the export 

 itself had been great, having been gradually increasing till it produced a tempor- 

 ary glut, not in the Quebec market but in the English markets, which had precisely 

 the same effect, and which was in some degree aggravated no doubt by a 

 diminished consumption resulting from the war and the tightness of money mat- 

 ters consequent thereon. 



" The prayer of the memorialists, therefore, to be authorized to suspend their 

 operations for three years without incurring the penalty of increased rent, as 

 provided by the regulations for non-occupation, was refused, for if even such an 

 extreme case could arise, there did not then appear to be any cause operating to 

 produce such permanent embarrassment as would have warranted the government 

 in interfering with the integrity of a system which had, so far, been found to 

 give stability to the trade and satisfaction to the public. 



" The result has justified the course pursued ; the export in 1856 having been 

 nearly up to the average, or 3,919,378 feet, (equal to forty-six million inch board 

 measure) in excess of the previous year. The season was in fact, upon the whole 

 a very fair one, both for the producer and the shipper, and this without any such 

 extreme measure on the one side or the other as the government had been asked 

 the year before, to adopt for the safety of the trade. 



"The only change adopted was one which had not an immediate effect; it 

 consisted, as already stated, in making the ground rent on unoccupied berths 

 cease to increase when it had reached the extreme amount which ground rent 

 and the dues accruing on timber cut would both amount to upon a berth which 

 Avas occupied. The public could scarcely ask more, as a protection against 

 monopolizing timber berths, than that the parties who do so should be made to 

 pay for the timber when they don't cut it the same as when they do cut and 

 carry it to market. 



" In former years more stringent laws were made against holding timber 

 berths unoccupied, but the result was, as has already been seen, that when the 

 crisis came, the government always gave way, thus proving that extreme measures 

 are always the least effective, while they lead in matters of trade to uncertainty 

 and fluctuation. 



" I have entered thus at length into the circumstances attending the appeal of 

 the opposing interests to the government in 1855, because there was then undoubt- 



