Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1865-01-27
Asrosa,ion of,he II. Reciprocity Treaty
krNAnKs or Hos. JACOB CoLLANks,
IL rHf SENATE, jar. II, 1855.

Mr.. President; 1 do not desire TO occupy tn,
tune OF the Senate It much length I have, how
ever, some views about thu treaty. which, per.
haps, do not exactly hli with the rsmarhs Of AMI
gentleman who hts spoken upoo H. q have beer
somewhat converant with the history Of th,
treaty. hsd occasion to Be. -Iknsw that many
efforts were made by the Canadian people 70 se-
cure this treaty from the Unised States which
were unsuccessful know Why they were IN.
successful. l know thst this treaty wse finally
made, and think I know why it was made.
In the hrst place, wish tohSve Il understood
that for myself xm utterly opposed 70 the reg
ulsting Of duties on imports by treaty in any
case Whatever. Think itat war with the theory
OF our Government When the Constitution pro-
videe that bills for raising revenue shall origin
ate in the House Of Representatives. no measure
regulating revenues should originste any
where else; and all treaties made with a
view to shape that revenue, to my mind, are
contrary to that provision Of the Constitution.
do not mean ODE understood n saying thst II
. treaty is made which provides that it shall be
adopted by law to go into effect, and that law is
made agreeably to the treaty making the duties.
that that law is not constitutional; but object
to that mode Of initiating such measures. I do
object utterly TO the House of Representatives
ever being INVITED by the trestynaking power to
throw out of their control and out Of their reach
the shaping Of their tariff duties rs the circum-
stancs fthe country may require them. They
should be held in the hands Of Congress The
eixgencies Of times demand il. 1t should al
ways be there. If We make treaty proving for
duties and determinations, snd even If the
House and Senate pass law pursuant to II, do
you not perceive that the House have their hands
tied up while that treaty lasts They cannot
hat froaf ~ nd 10 ~
er may be the exigencies of the country.
The honorable Senator from Ohio hiss very
well remarked how we are embarrassed now in
relation to our internal duties which the exigeD-
cies Ct the time require, by the operation of ths
very treaty. Ii 10 TO me matter Of sstonish-
ment, and always has been, that any House OF
Representatives ever could be found that would
sgree to tie up their hands In that way; but
they have done it by this treaty, and think the
sooner we get rid Of Il the better: and hope
that by the lesson this teaches US, we ebsll be
sure to guard against its repetition.
twas that reason which governed my mind
when | had the honor to be in the Cabinet Of the
country, IN rejecting altogether any proposition
Of 3 treaty Of this character; and | believe the
sentiment of the Cabinet at that time was unan-
imous on the subject. ! know that when II was
talked Of then in conversation with southern
friends tLey were entirely unwilling on policy to
make such q treaty. on the ground that they
did not wish the Canadian productions to COM
pete with their own in our market They had
sense enough, as We all have. apprehend, to
see tnst you could nc; 60 and make an sdEan-
tsgeous or reciprocal bargain with Canada by
sgreeing to give them the market Of this country
OF thirty million people for the purpose of our
getting their market o. three million Of people
for the same productions; for they produce the
came things we do with the exception Of cotton,
l believe. Those articles enumerated in the
treaty that are to be passed free Of duty are the
common productions Of the two countries We
open to them a market of thirty million people,
and they give US a market of three million.
What sort of reciprocity rs that
| have said that southern gentlemen with
whom talked on the subject understood that
a. well as he did. But how came ii about that
they ever agreed 10 it aferwsrd when they
were in power think l understood the res
son. There had been great deal Of restless
ness and uneasiness in the people Of Canada for
long number Of years. There sre some eie-
ments Of that to be found in the French populs-
ton there at all times but it had been increas-
ing and had led to open outbreaks in most Of
them. Much Of that was to be sscribed TO this
feeling 1--WE are crippled we have no
market for Onr products; they are taxed in
going into the United States 30 much that We
cannot compete there they do not mean TO
have foreigners compete in their own market
against their own people, and therefore we can
not make q market there and as 10 England,
since she got rd Of her navigation acts and
entered upon the system OF free trade, we get
no advantage from being colonies Of England at
all her markets are open to all the world, and
We have no advantage in being colonies. We
are cut of and competed with there by the
United States productions, and yet we cannot
compete in the United States We'll might
they complain, for they were penned up IN that
way. That wss their condition. They were
restless under it and very extensive feeling
Of desire of annexation 10 the United States
prevailed in Canada. Ii Is very well known.
Was it not the policy Of England 70 quiet that
feeling if she could Was II not to the sdyan-
tsge of Canada to get market OF thirty million
of people here without paying any duties?
Certainly. If you could give to Canada treaty
Of that kind by which the people of that country
might have all the advantage Of our market, |
and not pay anything to our government, would |
they not be content then with their situstionif |
Of course they would. And, sir, from the date |
of this treaty you have never hea- Of whisper |
of discomfort in Canada. They can have the |
whole sweep of our markets, all the advantages
Of this government. without contributing cent
for its support. That is their condition.
remember well that on occasion here,
after the making of the treaty, and soon after | |
had the honor Of a seat in this body, when this
question came up collaterally, plainly stated
that that was the motive with which that treaty |
had been made; that It had been made with
view to quiet tine people o. Cansds and prevent
their annexation 10 the North, which might dis
turb the :" balance Of power" Of our southern
trends, and Mr. Toomhs. then sitting on the
'ther side of this chamber, bowed very low 70 me
and said: '' We have got the treaty; they have
1een queted.''
These remarks will show what YVES the his
ory oft; how it came to be made, in my
'pinion; why u was made by those who
we're then in power. 1t was made for the
motives and purposes which | have thus ex-
'lsined, and which they never thought Of deny
ng. Indeed they thought the ingenuity with
Shich they had concocted it was rather feath-
in their cap. -. ii's 'i .'r'-1ra
| acknowledge that ] have some prejudice
gsinst this treaty | an little situated as my
Id neighbor Judge Chapman was when he was
allied upon to testify whether a certain witness
Ias man OF truth. He said he was not He
'as then asked. Sir, are you not conscious that
on labor under prejudice against that man 30
lie snswered,''1 think il likely that am L
ave detected him stealing two or three tines
Lsughter.) l am much in that condition
bent this treaty.
As to the operation Of the treaty itself, ] do /,
,t think that man living in State contigu- :
Is TO the border, and having Intercourse with !
as have had, can be mistaken or need any :
bles about it He does not need any of these I.
stistics We know-fhe tables 80 state--thst :
,der this reciprocity treaty they have taken :
ON US in eight years about sc, 900 900, while :
: have taken Of those very same articles from :,
at three million people to the amount of Sll4,-
% 900. l wish to be exact in my statement
lie amount received by them ander the treaty !,
e of duty since it went into operation was :
Z, zoe 900, and the amount resolved by US !,
I'M them s114, DOC, 900, and yet We had thir- =
million people 20 produce and they bad but u
rec million. 1f1-b y = Z g. --.--- ~ --s = =
Sir. the treaty has beep an embarrassment of :.
ngs hare at al times, il every respect Take !, I
illustration of this kind, for instance; very y
&c tax is collected tn England to- a. heavy u 20
cunt on hops; We are nov compelled 10 look =
everything Ne can lay our hands upon IN the y
y Of taxation IN our present necessities, rby :.
We not lay tduty upou hofs,- They rsiss s. s.
cry heavy amount In excise IN England in 10