, 1864-12-21
Chicago Qril)nne,
WEDNESDAY. DECEMBER 81 1854,


WEDNESDAY. DECEMBER 81 1854.
THE RECIPROCITY TREATY.
We are known to be among the most car
nest Of those who have been and still arc de.
s!Eous that commerce between the United
States and the British Provinces should be
thrown open according to the faircst priuci-
pies Of reciprocity. So fur as the present re-
cirrocity treaty can be seen by Its practical
operation to contribute to that end 1t has
friends among the merchants Of Chicago and
the people Of the Northwest. We nre per-
hars more favorably situated to estimate its
advantages Than most other points, as con-
siderable share Of the trade it was designed to
encourage passes through this port. The ad-
xuntages which we certainly do realize from
1t a1c that Canada purchases largely
Of our becf. pork and wheat, which
VIC would Otherwise be obliged to
sell In the Eastern States ut a some
what lower figure, and rites Of freight to
New York are kept lower By the fact that the
free navigation Of the st. Lawrence isheld in
tt77pyrm over the railroads ana canals con-
Meeting the lakes and lake cities with New
York. Thus the reciprocity treaty benefits us
Of the Northwest, In degree by Furnishing
one additional market for our staples, and by
giving us lower 1reiehts to the other. Wheth-
CT, On The appeal Of the reciprocity treaty, the
Canadians would deem 1t polite to impose
tariff on the importation from the United
States, on wheat, beef and pork, which their
oWn consumers would have to pay, or
whether they would impose tolls on the navi-
cation Of the St. Lawrence, are, perhaps, open
questions II they would do neither Of these
things, II LEFT to lcsislatc with exclusive re-
gard to their OWL interests then these SEEM
ing advantages Of ours are not due to
the reciprocity treaty, but to our posi-
tion and to the wants Of the
Canadian peep1e. Then they are at our mer-
CT and nc can have their trnde In the staples |
above mentioned without paying anything
for it, simply because they must have them
and can neither raise them nor get them !
elsewhere. This re hold to be true of the
Drcf and pork. On the other hand the treaty
trables Canada to compete with our own
people In tic lumber trade to Ercat disadvan-
tagc Of our Northwestern lumber districts, |
and In the coarse grains-oats, barley, &C., it !
enables Canada to compete with our West |
cru farmers and dealers in the Eastern mar
kct. Thus much for our export trade. Our
import trade under the treaty Is incousidcr-
able. The whole amount Of merchnndlze re.
cciycd at the port Of Chicago under the treaty
in 1867, was but S45. .763, Of which S10,G ,G40 was
brought in foreign vessels, In 1868 the trade
was s5s, ,23S, OF which ST SIT was brought in
foreign vessels.
When We enlarge our inquiry into the
effects OF this treaty, to The whole country. II
Is undcnlablc 1nat IN some respects 1t Is very
lar from pelng fccaploeal' anu tnat II has
vastly nenehteo tahaaa al Inc expense Of the
United States. Canadian statesmen and tbs
Canadian press freely admit that it thas so built
up the Canadian people Us to put an end to
the former disposition OF many Of them for
annexation, and as one Of tue members OF
Parliament, Hon. Isaac Buchannan, expresses
II, has left y the Canadian farmer nothing to
envy in tue condition Of the American FAR
mcr." He further says, 'and but for the
most obvious providcnccs among which Is the
obtaining our reciprocity treaty with the
United States, the disruption Of the empire
would have been endangered before now"
The Inference is TINT repea1 Of the treaty
would induce return to their former feeling
Of dependence upon us und desire for annex
alton. We might cite the Waole Can
adian press In proof OF the TACT
that the treaty has built up Canada,
but We prefer the dryer but more In
controycrtible statistics which prove that the
profits Which result tron the treaty ore al on
the Canadian s'ae' hsc 1ne 1acks oelore Inc
lion : aen, Ill gong u, none eomlng CUT. IN
1ne 1our !ea's loin tooo 70 toeS' inclusive,
1ue .hpo1 ,a.1one 'lee VI ausy ~ tluan 1 canaaa 10
tne on1ieo 9'ates' were ss'A"'o NJ Hane 'ne
lmloT'a''oos Fasine auts "ese s4o'"1'oo5, or
hear'E loor 'i1nes g1eases- oa1 toe lmporta-
eaoae ltce VI auts aasea LUG ua'y 'ooA eueet
N 1onf years afoA 1ooo 10 1eo' inclusive, were
s9.'4U's9' aho 1hose SUBJECT 10 auty NAG
1allen OIL IN the same nme 70 =, ,1oo.ae, or
only ono IN t"enty-clsnI. ms Is not rcci-
proci'y, oot c,sa. esan 70 tae G"nadas. In
1sas' ~hen en- sne r. oni'ea e'a.es eoilee'eo ouues
only on s'la''oa u 'a!ue VI .suaa'aa pfoaue-
lions 1hose o1 american laoor upon WHICH
duties were pa1o IN Saaaa1' anoontea ~
S7,o@7,ooo. Duf!hg 4ooo-'-o' LIZ auAoaut "
American anousssy taxed N tahaoa was 80,
:@3 :ssss5 more than Ihat o. ' eanhoian pfoone1on
taxed in this country. 1Ae1F trade has almost
ceased to DC source o. revenue 10 US WINE
from our trade 1ney ofa~ tae1 aecnstomeo
contributions.
In 1850 We imported from Canada, tree,
Sl1, ,6lo, Gs4 In merchandise. lad 1t been sub
jet to tue usual revenue It would have paid
us sumc four millions. In the first four years
after the treaty came into operation We re-
cciyed Of the list Of articles na1ned In the
treaty s,771, ,G91 In value more than Canada
received from us-paying for them, Of course,
in gold, exchange or duty paying products.
1hesc figures all go to show that the treaty
makes Canadn the seller and we the buyer,
whilc what We have to sell she does
not buy. This causes q drain Of
coin. OF which We paid tem in 1s02
s2,530,00o aud In 1868 S3 3,50s, 1s0. Indeed
il is estimated that in gold or its cquivnlent
we export, as the effects of the treaty, 6to,-
oo0, eco annually, to pay Tor agricultural pro-
dncttons, all Of which the Northwest conld
far more probably supply
1t Will be remembered that the treaty re-
1ers to 1aw material and natural products
alone. the very articles for Which Canada and
the Western States need market, while
manufactured goods which might restore the
balance Il allowed to be exported from the
Eastern States. are not covered By the treaty.
On lhc contrary, since the treaty was passed
the Canadians have shut these out ly 1evying
cd ,u!o,e7n duties on all imports, which. 50
long as English manufacturers can produce
IN urticle at less cost than the American, cx-
c,udcs the latter.
These and similar arguments are having
: their effect In the minds of the majority Of
the pcople of the country. It Is argued that
while there is possible cnin to one ortwo