The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-06-24
The Reciprocity Bubble-Our Colonial Neigh
bOrS.

and grain commanded as high as Cd. per bushcl.
The Reciprocity Bubblc--Our Colonial Neigh
bOrs.
Our neighbors in the colonies are becoming
unduly excited about the treaty which Lord Ell
gin and the President have recently signed.
From Upper Canada to Halifax, loud cries Of
joy are being raised, and the newspapers TEEN
with congratulations and thanksgivings at the
suspicious attainment of Reciprocity. We re-
commend our neighbors to take things coolly.
We would have them bear in mind that the re-
cprocity treaty is not ratified yet, and that re-
jocings at the result of Lord Elgin's diplomacy
are premature and may possibly prove falla
cious We wish them to recollect that our
Secretary of State is by no means identical with
the Senate of the United States; that the former
is often weak silly old man, easily cajoled by
a skilful foreigner, while the latter, though con-
tanning numberless eyphers, is as a whole ra-
Their difficult body to deceive: in word, that,
whatever Marcy may have promised or Pierce
asseverated with an oath, the final settlement OF
the reciprocity question rests with o body of
men who understand their obligations, and will
not recklessly abandon the best interests of the
country. At all events, the colonies may rest
assured that the reciprocity question will be de-
cided on its merits. Neither personal nor col
lateral considerations will be allowed any
weight or influence in the matter. If reciprocity
would be the best thing for this country, the
treaty projected by the executive will be rati-
fed; if it would not, or if the sort of reciprocity
contemplated by the high contracting partiesis
not the sort of reciprocity that would suit the
United States, that treaty will assuredly he
thrown into the waste paper basket OF the Sc
nate. What has been done means nothing,
amounts to nothing. It will be we'll for the
legislatures of Canada, Nova Scotia, and New
Brunswick to lay up this truth in their minds
The main question involved in the intrinsic
merits of the treaty remains yet to be ex-
amined. 1t amounts simply to this Is it to the
interest of the United States to encourage set
tlement and agriculture in the British Provinces
by admitting their produce free !? This is in
reality the whole question, for the articles
which we are permitted to send into Canada
free of duty are articles which we do not ex-
port thither, and never could. The reciprocity
proposed is no reciprocity whatever, for there
being no change in the rates of duties levied on
our staple exports to the Provinces, the benefit
If any there be-of the treaty accrues entirely
to our neighbors, and is by no means recipro-
cal. Looking therefore to the question as it
really stands, we must be able to discover some
benefit which we should derive from the settle
ment and development of the resources of the
Provinces, before we can conscientiously APP
prove the ratification of the treaty. For our
part we are at a loss to see anything of the
kind. We see no advantage to be derived by us
in consequence of the diversion of immigration
from the Western States to Upper Canada We
should lose the most valuable Of our imports of
raw material-mars and in return, our wheat,
rye and oats would come into competition with
colonial produce. If we had no wild lands
to settle, it would be benefit to us to
see immigrants thronging Canada. If we
consumed more -four than we produced, it
would be benefit to procure supply of it
from the other side of the line free of duty. If
we grew no breadstuffs it would be benefit to
buy them cheaply, as we then should. If we
sent them to Canada, it would be benefit to
have our exporters relieved from the onus Of
q Soiohiui ttillls bub W. We nave LllllOuS Vi
acres Of wild lands to settle, as we are the
largest grain exporters in the world, our con-
sumption being mere fractional part of our
production, and as We send little or no grain to
Canada, none of these benefits can be expected
to flow from the reciprocity treaty In one
word, that measure would be fraught with much
unnecessary inconvenience and no possible good
to this country.
That it would be boon to the colonies, as
they naively remark, there can hardly be q
doubt 1t is not to be questioned that, were il
law, Upper Canada would send all her pro-
duce to New York for shipment, and that her
farmers would obtain much more remunerative
prices than they can now expect. The British
colonies would in fact enjoy all the commercial
advantages Of union with us, without any of
the commercial or political disadvantages of
the partnership. They would not raise cent
for our customs revenue, and their grain-pro-
ducers, who would be admitted 10 our markets
On the same terms as our own. would pay on
their purchases Of manufacture sn average duty
Of twelve and ahaliper cent 70 the Queen, while
ours paid an average of twenty or twenty-five
to the federal government The taxes in Up
per Canada are SO trifing as to be hardly
worth Mentioning in many Of our wheat grow
ing districts, the State taxes are onerous. This
difference would give the Canadians o very
notable advantage over our countrymen in our
markets. Then again, politically speaking, the
treaty is bad. We Of New ork enjoy recipro-
city with Virginia, and there is no doubt but
that both commonwealth benefit by the mu-
tual interchange Of products, But debto