GROWING GOLD. 127 



arrangements of mankind are subject to. 

 England, if she value her own existence, 

 must keep a watchful eye upon her shipping ! 



The amount of duty paid on the importa- 

 tion of foreign timber, for the year ending 

 fifth of January, 1837, was one million, five 

 hundred and thirty-seven thousand, four hun- 

 dred and sixty-eight pounds. If this is upon 

 an average twenty-five per cent, of the actual 

 cost to the consumers, the sum of six million, 

 one hundred and forty-nine thousand, eight 

 hundred and seventy-two pounds, in that 

 year, was drawn out of the pockets of the 

 inhabitants of these islands for this article, 

 and lost to the landowners. The actual per 

 centage of the duty cannot be stated, because 

 consumers living in or near seaports, buy 

 of importers : timber consumed inland has 

 additional charges for carriage, merchants' 

 profits, &c. which reduce the per centage of 

 the duty upon the cost of it. Taking the 

 duty on oak and fir, from the colonies, at 

 about eight per cent, and on that from the 



K 



