Washington sentinel. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1855, 1854-07-30

tato CROP has thrown much uncertainty upon
the final tendency Of this important change in
our relations with the mother country; and, as
necessary consequence, the ancient system
of ships, colonies, and commerce has fallen
to the ground. In l847 the control of our
customs was abandoned by the imperial legis.
latare, and the last and most important meas
ure, which has relieved us from the baneful
effects of the British navigation laws, came
into operation on the LIST of January 1850"
1t will thus be seen that previous to 1916
the colonial policy of the British government,
although vacillating and contradictory, en-
couraged the sea-trade Of Canada by aifording
market for her productions and discouraged
exports inland to the United States. Likewise,
by imperial control over the colonial tariff, the
mother country established differential duties
against importations inland, thus throwing-the
supply of Western Canada into the ports of
Montreal and Quebec and the contraband
dealers on the western frontier.
Nearly the whole revenue from customs
being collected in Lower Canada, although an
equal and even greater consumption was
claimed for the upper province, controversy
respecting the division of this revenue became
annually more and more severe, with the in
creased population and demands of Canada
west, and was the subject of frequent appeal to,
and of adjustment by the mother country The
instruction of the French population, and
consequent suspension of the constitution of
Lower Canada, was taken advantage of to
bring about legislative union of the two pro-
vinces, which accordingly took place in l84l,
and put an end to the dispute about the divi.
sion of the revenue. Perhaps the remem-
brance of this alteration had some influence
upon the subsequent action of the Canadian
legislature upon the subject of differential du-
ties. The imperial government formerly aban-
doned. all control over the Canadian tariff in
lS47, and, in their next session, the colonial
legislature abolished the differential and pro-
hibitory duties on imports inland thus plac-
ing the mother country in the same relative
position as foreigners. The commercial in
terest of the lower province yielded to this
policy from sympathy with the free.trade
movements in England while it is probable
that the western province supported the meas
ure as means of emancipation from the
monopoly of their imports by Montreal and
Quebec.
The repeal (by the abolition of the British
corn laws) Of all privileges in favor of Cada-
dian breadstuffs in the British markets, the
hostile tariff of the United States, and the
trammelled condition of the st. Lawrence navi-
cation, (yet unfreed from the restrictions of
the British navigation laws,) fell heavily upon
the Canadians. The scanty supply of vessels in
the St. Lawrence, hitherto close borough"
for British shipping only,) and the abundant
supply of outward freights afforded by the
timber coves of Quebec, had so enhanced all
other freight outward, that nothing but the
premium offered by the British corn laws
made the route through the St. Lawrence more
favorable than by New York, even with the
burden of the United States tariff. When,
therefore, this premium was Withdrawn, and
the English market was no longer the most
profitable, the exports of Canada west 1.-THE
surplus-producing section of the province)
turned toward New York. The proximity of
this city to the wheatexporting districts of
Canada and the facilities Of exporting and i'm
porting in bond, by New York canal and other
internal artificial avenues, produced such
diversion of Canadian exports of -four and
wheat that the quantity so sent to New York ir.
1850 exceeded, largely, that exported by sea
through the st. Lawrence.
The following statement will show the rela-
tive export of Canadian -four and wheat inland
and by sea:
Flour and aoheat exported from Canada in
1850 and 1851.