New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1859-03-21
CANADA.
THE TARIFF QUESTION.


usual amount Of opposition both in and oas Of the
Leei.lature. The journals which usually support
the Government, are most pers,,en, in a,sailiDg II
with hostile criticism. Ia the Legislative Assem-
bly, four or FIVE supporters Of the Government h,ve
declared against il. The objections brought against
il are numerous; out tie leading one IL that II Is
Lower Canada Tariff. 1t adopts, almost e1cln-
siyely 'ad rOlOrem duties w5lsky Is tue only ara
Gle on which a specific duty is to remain Inc
objection is not 10 an ad rai0Tcm duty, IN ITSELF but
TO the discriminating effects it val produce under
our Law Of charging imports for duty on Their value
in the country they were last brought FROM excePtin
the cases where they come in bond through the
limited States. Under this law, 1t is contend
ed. the effect of the general adoption OF al
raIorem duties will be 10 discriminate IN favor o
the 81. Lawrence route. Montreal, being In con-
pecton with the sea by the aid of the st. Law
renee can send ships direct to China Tor Tea, or
via England, whittier they will take cargo, and
oct another there for the Chinese market. The
Montreal merchant can also get sugar direct from
Cuba, and coffee from Brszil but the Upper Can
ada merchant shut out from this direct trade h0ds
il to his advantage to purchase tea, sugar, conee
and moasses in the New Work market The
greater part of all tlese articles COM dmed IN Gan
ada are now imported from the United states
Being subject 10 specific duties, they pay the
same rates Of duty, 10 matter where they are im
ported from. That New-YOrk is the natural
course Of the Canadian trade with Cuba Jamaica,
Brazil, and China, is clear from glance at the
map Of the world. To take the coffee OF Brazil,
the sugar Of Cuba, the mOlasses OF JAMAICA the
tea of China, past New-Yorh, Massachusetts,
Maine, NOya-ScOtia, the Peninsula OF Oaspe,
and back again, up the st. Lawrence, to arrive AT
Inner Canada is 10 90 some 500 miles out OF the
way Then the fact thst the trade in these art-
cles is chiefly with the United States Is proof tnat
New-York IL the natural market OF Upper Cana
da for them. The people of Montreal have for
Years been attempting to divert this trade ny aru
fetal means, into the ST. Lawrence, and 1t seems
as if they were about to succeed IN their object
1t il true there is no legal obstacle to prevent
Upper Canada merchants importing ties, coffee,
sugar and mOlasses from the countries that produce
them. and bringing them IN bond through the
United States But il is not convenient for them
10 do so. They have not as rule, the capital
necessary for such an enterprise. But II the
Tariff be passed without any alteration Of the Law
respecting Invoices, there is little doubt that the
Montreal interest will find that it has been little
too sharp. Large importing houses Will spring up
in Upper Canada--cOnnections, in many cases,
perhaps, of New-York houses-and the trade in
these leading articles will fpd It's way through
the United States to Canada, direct from
the place of production. There is reason
10 believe that this viii be the case,
because New-YOrk and not Montreal is the natural
port for this trade. These views, in substance
EXCEPT the prediction about the course Of trade IN
the event of the proposed tariff being enacted
have been over aud again pressed upon the
Inspector General; but that funchonary Is mex
orable His home is in Lower Canada; and he has
certain fixed notions about developing the trade OF
the st. Lawrence, and going out of our way 10 use
ale sirnulv hpPausp have built them, winch
it seems impossible 20 remove.
In the adoption of nd uGiOrem instead OF specific
duties the Inspector General takes care TO secure
an increase of revenue; but if his calculations rest
on a corr .ct basis, he will only Obtain an increase
of $500, 900 year. But the basis OF the c7icula-
tons is disputed. There are members who con-
tend. IL opposition to Mr.. Gait, that his scheme
raises the duty on tea and sugar. In nearly all
cases the proposed duties are lower than those
levied in the United States. To this rule spirits,
on which it is proposed to place 100 per cent DUTY
form an exception. At first the lnspector-Geheral
proposed to make the duty on spirits 90 per cent
but the opposition of the teet0taers In the House
changed his determination without changing his
opinion that in the interest of the revenue, 30 per
cent is safer duty than 100. The member to
conciliate whom this change was particularly
made, has shown his gratitude for the con-
cesson by opposing the tariff generally. In
spite of the serious defections which the
proposed tarlH mas crehleu III tho hlhIst0iiat
ranks, there is no doubt that the Government will
carry the measure. But measure carried IN spite
of the oppositon of an unprecedented number OF
Upper Canada Members, and against the Iemon-
strances Ofalmost the entire commercial class, can
hardly be otherwise than a fatal success. The
Ministry may survive it, and drag out an existence
70 the end Of the session; but u blow which makes
such fearful CULTS in the Ministerial ranks must be
mortal.
1t has been officially announced that the con-
structiOn of the Government buildings at Ottawa,
the future Capital Of the Province will be pro-
ceeded with as possible. In the mean time,
the Government will remove TO Quebec.
A scheme of approximation allowances to pub
lie servants will shortly be brought before the
Legislature by the Government. There being 40
pension system public servants have TO be retained
at full pay after they have fallen into dOtsge and
become unfit 10 discharge the duties required of
them. The proposed approximation allowances
Will be paid out of fund to be created by deduct
ing a small percentage from the pay of all public
Officers-sn arrangement which will be In the ma
ture of forced insurance against the casualties of
old age.
Authority has been received from the Imperial
Government to change the investment of $40 coo
of the Sinking Fund applicable to the repayment
Of loan of T. ,50O,0 600 sterlng, borrowed under
the Imperial guarantee, from consols To the new
India loan. This change is expected to produce an
increase of one per cent on the Investment. The
loan would have had 20 be reDsld 10 lc63 but the
Imperial Government has agreed to extend its
guarantee for longer period; so that IN the mean
time the annual contribution of the Province TO the
Sinking Fund viii be less.
The French Government has appointed, with the
sanction of that of Queen Victoria, consul al Que
bee; thus, in this way revving a connection with
the Province which, by the fortune of war passed