, 1866-02-14
WEDNESDAY. FEBRUARY "A. 1856.


The memoranda published elsewhere, pur-
porting TO be the papers exchanged between
the Canadian Commissioners and the Com.
mittec Of Ways and Means will create psIn-
full impression In the West, not SO much by
reason Of the abrupt termination OF the ne
gotiations as the total inability Of the ueso-
tiato1s on our side to Sec any national inter
est involved In tho question, except cod fish
Ing. Not less than twenty conventions Of
Western farmers and merchants have heen
held this winter On the subject of new and
c1laged outlct for our products to the
ocean, in which the Welland, Niagara and
st. Lawrence canals have been adverted to rs
the natural highway Of Western commerce,
and Congress memorialized to shape their
legislation In such manner as to secure to us
tie use and improvement Of that highway.
In discussing the Reciprocity Treaty, we have
always contcnded that a real and not ticti-
tious reciprocity should exist; that
American manufactures should be nd
nnitted into the Britikh Provinces on the same
terms as Canadian produce is admitted into
! om ports l.; and that, by the WY, was The
basis of the treaty submitted to Congress By
the Secretary Of the Treasury. But to ou1
surprise, We find that this was not even eng
gested by the Committee Of Ways and Neans
AL they were striving for, apparently, was II
gel the right to catch Goldfish. The only
things they propose, that We shall exchange
with the Cnnadas, free OF duty, are mill
stones. arcwood, gypsum and grinastones!
The Canadians, It appears, offered to givt
guarantees Tor the enlargement Of their canals
and tie free navigation Of the same, On cond1
ton tlat VIC should not prohibit or restrain
the commerce Of the West from seeking thai
(, channel, by legislation. This proposition wa:
not even noticed. On the contrary, 1t seem!
to have been the aim Of the Committee Il
build Chinese wall around the Northwest
and to a1nuse us with prohibItory tariff OF
Cauadiau corn, barley and butter. Ever,
) child knows that such q tariff will merel,
send the Canadian surplus to Europe withou
creating any new market for roursurplus-tha
thme is . certain fxed demand for bresdstufi
In this country and foreign countries, and tha,
II makes no difference, except in the difficulty
Of reaching those countries, whether We takt
the Canadian surplus and sand ours abroad
OF eat our own and let theIrs 20 abroad
1t may be q triae more difficult for the Cam
0ians to get to market when the PROPOSED
tadfgocs into effect, bnt the difference vii
not b perceptlble In this vast grain growing
country, while the Chinese vail will becom,
year 4y year mora intolerable, until tn.
people break It down. -,
We cannot avoid the conviction that tht
Eastern majority Of the Committee Of Way
and Aesns deaire md intend that the West
shall continue to raise corn ut ten cents q
buslel. They do not intend to adopt any
legislation which will raise the price OF bread
stuIs on themselves, as the enlargement o.
wates-communication with the seaboard
would do. New York, like the. dog In the
maugcr, will neither enlarge her own canals
:. nor allow anybody else TO do SO, nor permit
any steps to be taken to enlarge those Of Can
: ada. She sits 1T the recslpt Of custom, 8
gigantic robber Of the people who have built
her great metropolis, insisting. that crerg
busial OF grain produced in the country shal
not only pay toll 10 her, but pay such rs sh,
chooses to Impose. This condition Of thing,
may continue for \ time, but the West IL nj
Infant, She knows both what is dus To other
and what is due 10 herself, md she has til
power to de1nand as we'll as to copcede-
Meanwhile the trade between the Canads
and the United States will continue to be ca
ried on by smu9glers, aud millions will be lol
to the revenue, and millions more to the ho,
est merchants and manufacturers Of our ON
country.