The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1858-12-02
THE WORKING OF RECIPROCITY.

Our contemporary, the Montreal Herald has
information that the representations made
through the British Minister at Washington, In
reference to the working of the Reciprocity
Treaty, have not been well received by Mr.. Blu
chanans Cabinet. As our readers are aware,
there are several points on which Canadians have
had reason to complain of the Interpretation
put upon the treaty by the American Govern
ment. That which forbids the importation into
the United States of Canadian flour, partly
ground from American wheat, is one of the
most important. By this regulation, the Cana
dian miller is almost shut out from the adyan-
tages of the American market. The American
miller mixes Canadian white wheat with West
ern red and is able to supply fair article at a
lower rate than our millers can do, inasmuch
as the latter are compelled to confine them
selves to expensive grain of Canadian growth
The number of persons who would be affected
in this matter by more liberal Interpretation
of the treaty is very small and we do not be-
lieve that, if the Canadian Government had
shown itself willing TO carry out the Reciprocity
Treaty in its largest and most extended sense,
there would have been much difficulty in secu-
ring the full advantages of its provisions. The
Herald states, however, that President Buchan-
an has referred to the fact that the Canadian
tariff passed last session was not one calculated
two countries, and so far from giving wider
Interpretation, he is said to have threatened re-
taliation for the recent legislation on the part
of Canada. Taking all the circumstances into
account, we can hardly wonder at this course of
proceeding.
The Reciprocity Treaty has certainly been
beneficial to the Americans az well as to our
selves in the extension of the trade between the
two countries The United States have been
greatly advantaged by the large amount of its
manufactures which we have lately consumed
IT, however, while our raw products-our only
articles OF eXport-continue to be received free
of duty into the United States, We proceed to
levy upon their manufactured articles a pro-
tectlve tariff, 1t Is quite evident that the Amer-
cans will have good reason to complain. So
long as the tariff was merely a revenue one little
could be said, although even then it acted as
protection to our manufactures. When. how
ever, our statesmen broadly announce that they
| intend the tariff to be directly protective. it Is
impossible to see how the Reciprocity Treaty
can be preserves. 1t is very true as our pro-
tectionists say, that the American duty upon
| our manufactures is a protective one but. as
we have few articles which we could export To
| advantage, the protection is not against us, but
against the manufacturing nations of Europe.
1t Is evident that should the policy of the pres
en| UoFeihhenI ne persisted IN, we Will become
involved IN war of protection with the Ameri-
can people, and not improbably be deprived of
all the advantages which we have hitherto de-
rived from the Reciprocity Treaty The con
vention between the two countries may be ter
minated at years notice, and it would not
surprise us to hear speedily that that notice had
been gwen The folly and absurdity of the
policy of the present Government is evident
| when we consider that all the purposes of our
manufacturers would be answered by the extern
sion of Reciprocity to manufactures, which
would be readily granted by the United States