St. Cloud Democrat. [volume] (Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1858-1866, 1865-02-09

tariff was s2,1ls7O6. The average
taxation being twenty per cent the Ca
nadia" consumers paid S423, ,74l into
thefrcasury Of the province. The inn
portatious from. Canada during 1868
were s20,O50,4 1872, or an aggregate Of
trade with the United States of S43,-
1j9.7o4. 5.~+.a. -~. 4
will not extend these statistical
statements They coLcur with my for.
mer impressions, as a citizen cf the
Northwest that the treaty is mutual
and beneficial 10 repeat the language
Of Il memorial from the St. Paul Cham
ber OF Commerce, presented TO the Sem
ate January u, 1862:
"All parties TO the treaty have observed
its siipual ions in good faith. The Ameri-
cans possess a:'d enjoy their enlarged rights
III The British fisheries on the northeastern
coast, and the free navigation of the St.
Lawrence: neither Cove, nment has inter-
rup'el the exchanges of the free list pre-
scribed hy the third article; while upon
subject properly excluded from the provis-
i'.ns Of the trcaty-namely, the tariffs Of
i.e Uni. ed Stai es and the adjacent provin-
ces in respect 10 articles of manufacture
and foreign production-il,ere Is no legiti-
mat: ground of complaint in any quarter.
Prior to 1861 the duties by the Canadian
tariff were considerably enlarged after 1854,
(from sixt. en- per cent. To twenty per cent.
average;l but recently the American scale
Of duties las been advanced in stin great
er pr"por,ion. In both cases the chsDges
have been enforced by financial necessity
n.l Il" not conflict with the spirit or terms
"f the treaty of 1851" -~.:-z-
With these views it seems to me that
d recent Recommendation of the Detroit
Board Of Trade. that the treaty should
not he disturbed at this time, but that
the 4eoartmcnt of State, or a joint
commissions Of the Governments inter-
e,tcd, shon!d proceed with revision
Of existing stipulatious, is worthy Of
our consideration -
!, appreciate fully, Mr President, our
financial! necessities, but l doubt wbeth-
I,er We shall lars ely increase the revenue
on the nor; hcrn frontier by subs6itu-
ting a duty "t thirty per cent. ad ralo-
rem, or whatever may be the average
Of the present tariff. Suppose We sub
s;it"te a duty VI 6.e per cent upon
the free list Of the treaty, (or eny rate
which will not materially restrict pres
ent commercial intercourse,) as might
be readily stipulated by supplement
| tary treaty, and observe its effect upon
the lcvc'ues during period Of FIVE
years. / have all impression that We
-; should receive far more revenue from
such a minimum. duty than We would
u" under a duty six times greater.
Nor can I agree with the opinion so
confidently advanced that the British
provinces are entirely at our mercy IL
tic matter of their communication t
advantageous markets. We may ex
cludc them by restrictive Legislation
from our cities and thoroughfares, We
may subject their people to temporary
Inconvenience, but under the federal
union now proposed to British Amer
ica,. and which is certain to be accom-
plisled, such a policy on our part will
f"r:c the speedy construction Of a rail-
road to Halifax, and other measures of
| commercial and industrial indepen-
dence.
The State of Minnesota has repeated
ly urged the revision of the reciprocity
treaty, but always in the interest of
further freedom, not additional restric-
tio"s, Of commercial intercourse. Such
if mistake not, will be the public SEN
timent Of .our Pacific States. AS a.
ready stated, the present treaty is in
operative west of the great lakes Since
its date the provinces Of Vancouver ISL
and aud british Columbia haverbeen
organized on the Pacific coast, and are
valuable extensions Of the trade Of Cal
ifornia and Oregon. All these commu-
mites should be recognized IS parties
to any commercial arrangement between
the United States and the English
provinces Of North America. East of
the mountains the immense and fertile
basin Of the Saskatchewan river, whose
sources are now ascertained to flow
from gold-beariny region as prvduc-
tive as British Columbia or the Ada
cent American territories of Idaho and
Montana, is soon to be the scene Of a
systematic colonization from Canada
aud Ensl.nd. This region, which,
with the Red river, settlement, is be-
coming we'll known, and is designated
as, Genital British ,America, will be
closely related to Minnesota. The year
1866 will witness The construction of q
telegraph from St. Paul through Sel
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