An export-duty 
     
     Will be beneficial. 
     
    
   
   
    
     Shipbuilding — of 
     
     great economic 
     
     importance. 
     
    
   
   
    
     Juniper vessels 
     
     are rated 
     
     first class. 
     
    
   
   
    
     ’Juniper’ needed 
     
     for shipbuilding. 
     
    
   
   
    
     ’Juniper’ moves 
     
     in ternal/y on 
     
     the island. 
     
    
   
   
    
     Even spruce 
     
     knees exported. 
     
    
   
   
    
     The prices paid 
     
     for juniper knees. 
     
    
   
   
    
     it down, and sell it to the Yankees, or to whomsoever also will give them the best 
     
     price for it—to export it, if they like, to Yankee-Land, as long as they have any . 
     
     juniper is only necessary in ship-building, . I have no wish whatever to injure our 
     
     ship-builders, but my good will towards them will not induce me to consent that a 
     
     most arbitrary act of injustice shall be done for their especial benefit. 
     
    
   
   
    
     Hon. Mr. [Joseph] POPE. He maintained that the imposition of an export-duty on 
     
     juniper-knees, amounting to prohibition would be the conferring of a general benefit 
     
     upon the Colony. The carrying on of ship-building did not concern those only who 
     
     were immediately engaged in it. It was of the greatest importance to the general 
     
     interests of the country. It was true that not many of those who were engaged in 
     
     ship-building made fortunes by it, yet it could not be denied that very great advantages 
     
     to the country at large resulted from it. It was therefore, the duty of the Legislature, 
     
     to encourage and protect the trade by every allowable means; and nothing seemed 
     
     more likely to procure its successful prosecution than the protection of juniper trees 
     
     and the preservation of that species of timber for the use of our own ship-builders. It 
     
     was well known that Island vessels, if built of juniper, would class with the first rate 
     
     vessels of any country, as was the case of those of New Brunswick which were built 
     
     with juniper; those vessels commanded the highest price in Liverpool. In fact if the 
     
     Island vessels were built of juniper, they would not be surpassed by those of any 
     
     country and the very highest prices would be obtained for them in England. He was 
     
     indeed surprised that anyone at all acquainted with the state and progress of this 
     
     Colony and consequently aware how much its general improvement had been 
     
     promoted by ship-building, should not at once perceive, and acquiesce in the propriety 
     
     and wisdom of providing as far as possible, for the protection and retention, for home 
     
     uses in ship—building, of the only species of timber in the Island, which could supply 
     
     suitable materials for its successful prosecution. The hon. gentleman then alluded to 
     
     the large ship which Messrs. Duncan have upon the stocks, and stated that a large 
     
     schooner had been employed in carrying juniper timber for the building of that vessel, 
     
     principally from about Egmont Bay. He said the juniper so employed was multiplied in 
     
     value ten-fold, and that this vessel would most probably sell for at least £15,000 
     
     Island Currency, whereas, the timber employed in her construction would scarcely, if 
     
     exported in an unmanufactured state, have sold for one tenth of that sum. The 
     
     difference in value, arising from the timber’s being kept at home, and converted into 
     
     a ship, he looked upon as a positive gain to the country. The hon. gentlemen 
     
     concluded by saying that he was not personally interested in the question; 
     
     but—convinced as he was how necessary juniper was for the building of good vessels, 
     
     and how much the general interest of the Colony would be promoted by the 
     
     encouragement of ship-building, as long as it could be successfully carried on—he 
     
     would give his vote for the present increase of the export-duty on juniper knees, and 
     
     recommend that it should be imposed with a view to its being, in the end, so much 
     
     augmented as to amount to a prohibition. 
     
    
   
   
    
     Mr. [Joseph] WIGHTMAN said, the free exportation of juniper would benefit, not the 
     
     Island, but Yankee speculators, who if no restrictions should be imposed, would take 
     
     away all the largest knees, and deprive us of our best and largest timber. They were 
     
     carrying away even spruce knees; and if they were allowed to prosecute their 
     
     speculations, ship-building would soon cease in the Island. 
     
    
   
   
    
     Hon. Mr. [George] COLES. It is well known that the price paid by the Americans 
     
     for juniper—knees, are 4s. to 55. a knee; whilst at the ship-yards in the Island, not more 
     
    
   
   
    
     than 9d. or ls. can be obtained; and that perhaps paid in tea at 63. a pound. 
     
    
   
   
    
     Mr. [Benjamin] DAVIES. . if it be admitted that juniper is the most valuable timber 
     
     which the Island affords for ship-building purposes—that, in fact, good vessels cannot 
     
    
   
   
    
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