The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1852-09-25

W QUKBBc, Sept. 81, 1861.

S"y"s""s cssssssstSvs W. SM CuHd0idn fdr!tdfn<nL-
Rsfahat@y PoiicyoftN Government scith Reference
10 R'e,procuy-Iscreassd Tolls on american PES
sds, a~d DtGerential D,ties ,cith Reference to Ms
Unrtd Statts-IniWfoxs. EGec;sas Rssre-.s o.
uego and Ogde,sb,ng.
Lat evening very important discussion tsok
place in the House Of Assembly, in relation to the
altered policy which the Canadian government in
tends to pursue with reference to its commercial in
tereourse with the United States. m
Boon after the House met, Mr.. Young rose, aud
alter stating the that induced him to accept
the Office of Commissioner Of Public Works, said diff
ference Of opinion had taken place between his col
leagues and himself with reference to the CONNER
eal policy Of the country, which had been defined
in a me nofandum submitted by the Inspector Gen.
eral, that had met with the approval of the Cover
nor General on Saturday last, and which had in
duced him to tender his resignation it being the in
tention of the government to demand higher tolls
from American vessels passing through the WellRnd
Canal than on British, and TO impose higher duties
on certain articles when imported from the United
States, than when introduced by the route of the ST.
Lawrence, the effect of which would be to divert the
trade from Ogdensbuyg and Oswego, and the rail.
roads in that direction, This, he said was retail
iatory policy which ne was not prepared to adopt,
and which ne considered would be injurious TO the
best interests Of the province, without producing
the effect that was intended 1t vas proposed TO
pursue this COURSE owing to the action OF the ner
can Congress as respects reciprocity, the advantage
OF which to the province, he was satisfied, had been
0yerrated, where graf misapprehonsion exists
on the subiect--tbe price OF American flour ana
wheat being the same in the United States as Ca
madam, with The exception Of the dsty and one or
two cents Tor storage, which the Americans muss
pay when these articles sold for home co asunp-
tion or manufactures md he quoted from a New
York paper 70 prove the correctness of his preposi
ion as 10 prices
Ho then adverted to the amount of exports to the
United States during the year ending the FIRST Of
January, 1852, which was 81 OIL J6i, one half OF
which consisted Of wheat and -four, white the val
ne Of lmLorss, during ibe same period for thai
country, Was $S 3b5 1Gl To thought the presera.
bio course would be 20 give up cprocity altogeth
er, as q great mistake nad been made during the
ast four years in endeayoring to obtain It, He ex-
pressed himself IN favor of abolishng the duties on
agricultural produce altogether, throwing open the
st. Lawrence to American vessels, aad establishing
reciprocity with the British West India Islands He
would also remove the duties on all articles used in
manufactures BY opening the St. Lawrence in
the manner proposed, he conteIded, an impulse
would be given TO trade which would not be real.
jzed until that measure was effected.
The public works be estimated to have cost the
province $iS,000, 000-the interest paid on which
Ii 81 ,O2O 600, while the rece, pts do not exceed
500 COO; and, instead of yielding large return, the
people are taxed to meet the deficiency. Were d
canal opened from the St. Lawrence to Lake Cham.
plying the New England States and Now York TO
greater advantage than was possible through the
Erie Canal, and which the government should take
to effect.
General, who said he did not rise to make any OBJ
lection to the statement that had been made, but
to explain the policy of the government. He diff
fcred from his honorable FRIEND to reciprocity with
the United States having been overrated, which he
as being of the utmost Importance TO the
province, particularly to Upper Canada II had
been stated that the price OF American and Cana
dian flour and wheat was the same but he held in
his hand paper which quoted foreign wheat as
selling at Buffalo for seventy seven cents, while
American wheat was ninety. one at the same time.
But wheat and flour, he said, not the only arti-
cles that are exported to the United States, which
oter the best market for great quantity of farming
produce and live stock; and the lumber exported
last year, which the Americans must have, amount
cd TO $500, 000-the duty on which, he commended,
extraordinary as 1T may appear, came out Of the
pockets Of the Canadian agricuturists and he went
on to state, that were the duty withdrawn to-mor-
row It would not effect the price. Last year. he
stated, this province paid $500 900 in duties ex
ports which was exacted on the frontier, exclusive
Of wheat and flour, the duty on which was no. ex-
acted when these articles were to be exported from
he United States.
The question to be considered was. would the
course IL was intended to pursue obtain reciprocity!
lie perfectly agreed with his honorable friend upon
he subject # free trade; but he considered il an
aimed; and he believed that If before the corn laws
were repealed in England, Sir Robert Peel had pro-
posed that reciprocity should be extended by the
United States to Canada, it would have been con.
,eded; or, bad the same proposal been made by this
province, previous to repeating the dferental du-
duties, that reciprocity might then have been OBJ
tanned.
Had the government, no said, come down with a
simple proposition to reduce the duties, not one
word would have been said against it, but the OBJ
lection is because it is proposed to give advan-
tage in favor of the route by the st. Lawrence.
Now the principal articles which it is proposed to
divert in that direction are sugar and molasses;
and he commended that these can be introduced as
cheaply by that route rs by any other. 1t was the
intention of the government be said, to reduce the
duty on sugar nom nine to seven shilings per cwt,
and to impose a duty of twelve and half per cent
when imported via the United States, and five per
cent when brought in by the ST. Lawrence; to fix
It ON tea at one penny per pound, and on salt and
molasses at twelve and half per cent. in the one
case, and five in the other; and he thought the
course the government was about to pursue was the
true Canadian policy.
He entirely dissented from the opinion that the
,ourse proposed is hostile to the opening of the
S. Lawrence to American vessels the constructing
of canal between that river and Lake Champlain;
md he wished tie policy of the government to be
perfectly understood. At present the Americans
pay toll only on one canal, while the Canadians
pay on two What is proposed is, to make American
vessels pay toll on the Welland Canal which would
ucluuc IHdL oI Tue Ct lItNTence CunalS, also, anu
which would be about tenpence farthing upon each
barrel of -four; and he did not believe the trade
would be stopped by so trihing an advance, which
must be met by reduction Of freights, which at
present vary from threepence and oarpencc to ten
pence.
He attributed the failure to obtain reciprocity with
he United States, to Canada having nothing to give
n exchange. She allows the Americans to use her
canals, but they will not permit Canadian vessel
% pass theirs He was prepared, he said, to hear
great deal Of clustering, was the case with re-
ercrce to the fishery question; but the Americans
,ould DO nothing by way of retaliation; they could
not build other canals for il was as much as they
could do TO finish those they had begun and what
aver they might say in the first instance, the in
tended policy VIII be successful, and all he wanted
was that support which American statesmen always
receive.
He denied that The people of Upper Canada would
1e worse oil than they are at present Mercantile
iouses tina, are in the habit Of purchasing IN New
| ofk might be compelled to buy in Montreal; bat
hey wculd get West India produce on az cheap
erms, as two.thirda Of the sugar aud molosses hat
ire now imported eonae b. The st Lawrence route.
md il any Inconvenience il eyperiencod II shauli