The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1853-03-10
lieve | may safely leave this matter, and pro-
coed to speak of the lumber interest,".


ible supplies Of pine lumber. This is greatly
needed for building purposes in most of the
Western cities and through the prairie coun-
try of the West immense quantities would be
used, could it be freely imported. Ii is needed
also in the Eastern States, by those Of our
manufacturers whose wares are made wholly
or in part of this material and in all the
Eastern cities it is AS absolutely needed "a in
the West, for building purposes-in fact, it is
there necessary of life house and home,
which cannot be built without lumber, are
just AZ necessary as food and fire.
Maine and North Carolina have pine lumber
for expectation The lumber from those States,
aud particularly that from North Carolina,
finds market in our Atlantic cities, and also
an the British West India Islands where it is
received without any discrimination being made
III favor Of Canadian lumber. This West India
market is so valuable, that North Carolina
makes little or no objection to the free adnis-
sion of Canadian lumber into those sections OF
the Union that could not from their geographl-
cal position and the want of water communl-
cation, be supplied from that State, the West
India market being an equivalent for and bet
ter than that of the Western States. But
Maine from which large share OF the best
timber is already cut wants to exclude the
| lumber of the Canadas, and to force her spruce
and inferior pine on the market at high prices
| 1t is asserted that unless competition from the
Provinces is prevented, and the absolute mo-
nopoly of the trade be secured to Maine her
| hardy lumbermen cannot make fair wages be-
cause, a. they express it, "stumpage is 40 high"
This stumpage is the price paid by the lumber
men TO the landed proprietors for the privilege
Of cutting the timber, and varies, am told, ac-
cording to the quality and location, from two
dollars up to eight dollars Thousand feet. it
is the monopoly Of the trade excluding foreign
lumber that enables the Name landholders to
| charge 80 much for stumpage. Increase the
duty on imported lumber, and stumpage will
rise still higher reduce the duties, and then
stumpage will be lower Prices regulate stump
| age. and the umbermen will not be affected,
whether stumpage be high or low. The hardy
lumbermcn, over whom tears are almost shed,
are not benefited in the least, but rather in-
jured by those high duties; and all this hum
bug Of protection is not designed for their ben
eft but for the benefit of the wealthy few,
The Provinces are ready to concede to the
United States the free navigation of the st.
Johns but with this bonus Maine is not salts
fed She demands in addition not only the
West India market, which 10 already granted,
but also that all the ports of the British islands
shell De open to her lumber. OF course, we
do not object to the opening of the ports of
Great Britain. We Do not in the least object
to Maine getting good bargain. On the
contrary, we would be glad to see it but we
protest against loading down this bill with
provisions which are probably designed, and
certainly calculated, to defeat the whole meas
ure, by making it impossible for the Provinces
t0 agree. Shall the st. Lawrence remain
closed TO our commerce, and the interests OF
the whole North be sacrificed! Shall the
whole country be taxed, and its progress ar
rested, for the sake of this monopoly, when the
whole value of the entire lumber trade of
Maine bears such an insignificant proportion
to the interests to be promoted by liberal re-
ciprocity? Assuredly not. And now word
or two ia reference to manufactures
MANUFACTURING INTEREST.
am happy to sec that but little opposition
to this measure comes from the representatives
of the manufacturing interest The manufac-
lures of Canada are not in condition to com
pete with ours, and of course ours do not need
to be protected against them. On the other
hand, many of our wares will find in Canada
an excellent market and Eastern manufac-
tnrers are, some of them, already becoming
convinced that the Canadian market is worth
more to them than any protective duty they
will be likely to obtain Our manufacturers
will also be benefited by the free introduction
of various kinds of raw material. To cheaper
these is to increase the man uiacturers profits
or, what il the same thing it enables him to
enter into competition more successfully with
the foreign article. And further, by establishing
an extensive free list of Canadian unmanufac.
tured articles the more tariff must be raised
from those articles which come more into com
Petition with our own. The MANUFACTURER,
interest, in fact loses nothing by reciprocit
with Canada but gains much Having SAT-
thus much in reply to some OF the objections /
this measure let us now consider some Of it
advantages.
TRADE WITH CANADA
Some idea of the beneficial character of on
Canadian trade, and the still greater benefit
to be derived from liberal reciprocity, ma,
be obtained by view of the extent to which
this trade has already reached in spite of al
obstacles and restrictions | will not consume
the time of the House by reading tabular state
ments, but content myself with giving amount
10 round numbers, securing, hOseyer, substan
tial accuracy. Our registered exports to tn
British North American Provinces for the las
year exceed Sl2 100000, and the Registered
imports from that quarter exceed $4,000, OOO
But inasmuch as it is impossible to watcl
thoroughly by Government officials border O
two thousand miles in extent, it il certain tina
the actual trade il much greater. We ma,
safely set down the aggregate al. 500, 900 600
This trade has all sprung up within few
years. 1t is now rapidly increasing, and wonl,
continue to Increase beyond any previous ratio
were it not for the obstacles interposed by un
wise legislation Tho average rate Of dutie
levied by Canada on goods imported from tn
United States is twelve and half per cent
while the average of duties levied by tho Uni
ted States on goods imported from the Canada
IL twenty. three per cent. This inequality q
duties accounts in part for the difference be
tween our exports and imports, which in
great measure destroys tho mutual adyantag
of the trade. But the worst effect of such hig
duties is to stop trade in many articles alto
gether Our merchants cannot now impor
an article however much it may be needed
unless it will pay sufficient profit over an,
above the tweuty-threo per cent; nor can the
carry there the productions of our skill an
industry, unless they can make on them livln
profit over and above the twelve per cent. dut
charged in Canada; and consequently the ~
change of many articles is entirely prevented
which else might bo exchanged with grca
mutual benefit These restrictions on our trad
are of course highly injurious tn our shipping
interest Freights have to be increased as tn
certainty OF return oargoos 10 lessened Bu
let trade be free, and the number of article
Of exchange increased and freights might b
greatly reduced, and yet larger profits b
made.
And when these restrictions are removed
other sections Of the Union will share with til
Lake country in the benefits Of the CANADIAN
trade. Kentucky will find new market 10
her tobacco and hemp. Louisiana secures
market for her raw sugar. South Carolin
gains admission for her rice; and in addition
to these products from opposite sides of tn
Union, our manufacturing States will find
navy and protitahle ma RI at f,r THAR waras