The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1865-01-12
CONGRE SSIONAL.
WASHINGTON, ID. c., ia

WASHINGTON, ID. c., Jan. ~
SENATE -Nice-President Hamlin in
the chair
Petitions for an increase of pay of army
officers We're presented by Messrs Wilson,
Trumbull and Haines, and were referred
to the Military committee
Mr. DOolittle presented memorial
from the Chamber of Commerce Of Mil
wankie on the subject of canal ua,iga-
ton around the Falls of Niagara Re
ferred to the committee on Military At
fairs.
Mr. Clarke presented petition of citi-
zens that territorial government be
substituted for the present State govern
ment. Referred 10 the committee on
Territories. e.
Mr.. Foster, from the committee OH Pen
sions, reported bill providing that no
person shall be allowed to draw apension
who is on the pay roll of the Invalid
corps. Passed
Mr.. Wilson, from the Military commit
tee, reported a bill to authorize the ap-
pointment of u second Assistant SeCre-
tary of War.
Mr.. Grimes called up the House bill to
advance line officers of the navy, fifty III
number, 10 rank for special merit.
Passed
Mr.. -, of Ohio, called up the bill
to remunerate the Adams Express Co.
for the losses sustained by the sinking of
a steamer at New Orleans, having aboard
a safe containing Government treasury
notes After some discussion it was re-
ferred to the committee on Claims
The resolution to repeal the reciprocity
treaty was then taken up.
Mr. Hale was sorry the Senate contem-
plated the repeal of the treaty He re-
garded it as step III the wrong direction
The treaty had been productive of good
to both parties and to recall it could do
no good If the object in repeating II
was to benefit our commercial interest,
he would not object, but ii had come
from the committee on Foreign Relations,
and no report had been made as to why
action should not he taken The reason
assigned by those who argued its repeal
were untrue and unsatisfactory He had
all interest i'll the commercial prosperity
of the country and he had taken the
trouble to look at the operation OF the
treaty.
Mr. Hale read a statement from let
ter of the Secretary of the Treasury 10
show by the operations of the treaty the
exports to Canada had been increased in a
few years from $4,000, 900 TO go, 100000
The rates had not been more than two
per cent aud III the last year they had
decreased Imports had increased from
s490, 900 to $4,000 900
Mr. Hale was sorry the Senate was
about to act SO soon upon this matter -
The Chamber of Commerce of New York
had taken the matter under considera
tiOn and would soon report. He under
stood the Chamber of Commerce of New
York was adverse to the repeal of the
treaty In conclusion Mr.. Hale said the
repeal of the treaty would be regarded
i'll Canada aud in England as a retalia-
tion for the wrongs which the people of
the United States rightly imagined they
had sustained, andhe was sure the people
of Canada were willing to do anything
they could to repair the wrongs that
had been committed lately, and to pre-
vent their repetition He thought 1t
would strengthen the Rebels and weak
Ell the Union cause to repeal the treaty
Suppose il to be true that the repeal Of
the treaty would impoverish Canada, he
did not believe it would be wise to do
so We ought TO wish our neighbors
riches, prosperity and enterprise In re-
ducing them to poverty we would lnjure
ourselves but he had no hope OF prevent
ing the passage of the resolution
Mr. Sumner said it the treaty. could
be seen under four heads 1t concerns
the fisheries, the navigation Of the st
Lawrence, the commerce between the
United States and British provinces on
the lakes, and the revenue of the United
States; aud the name itself suggests
equality, equsnimity and honest dealing
between us and our neighbors. There
are also railroads that furnish prompt
and constant means of inter-communlca-
tiOn, which have gone into successful op-
Grafton since the treaty. In the three
years Immediately preceding the treaty
the total exports TO Canada and other
British provinces were siS,2l6,ol6, and
the total imports weTe s2,JoS,5O In
the ten years Of treaty, the total exports
TO Canada and the British provinces were
S256. $50 ,93l; the total imports were s2i3,
997 SOS.
In the view which take on the present
occasion it is not necessary to consider the
much debated inquiry as TO the effect and
difference between the amount Of exports
and imports, involving, as il does, the
whole perilous question of the balance
Of trade. The reciprocity treaty cannot
he maintained or overturned on any con
tested principle of political economy
come in the last place 10 the influence OF
the treaty on the revenues of ouI cOun-
try, and here the Custom House IS our
principal witness -z,.,-z