The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-05-30
NORTH AMERICAS QUESTION.

NORTH AMERICAN QUESTION.
RELATIONS BETWEEN THE GOV sRNMENrs OF ENG
LAND AND TIE UNITED STATES on THE ANADIAN
RECIPRooITY-PREcAUTIoN WITH REGARD TO
THE FISHERIES
In the b euse of Commons ON the 18th OF NAV in
reply TO Mr.. Watkin, DIR. Layar6, Unuer Secretary
Of state said his honorable friend seemed to be in
some doubt when he was on the point of sitting
down, whether he had made a charge against her
Majesty g Government. He confessed that he had
never heard an indictment of greater severity
brought against any Government he honorable
member had accused them OF al kinds OF t1ches.
According to his statement they had exhibited a
great amount of negligence, they had shown them
selves indifferent to the great interests of the
try and, going sep further, he declared tuat their
anaRement had been cUlpaole.
Not satisfied with having attacked the Government
generally, he singled out the noble Earl the head
ness ana bad management that this question of the
reciprocity treaty was not brought to satisfactory
conc usiOn But with strange inconsistency, he
went on to say that matter of the greatest difficulty
and oehcacy, the negotiation OF the slave trade
treaty, had teen carried out by Earl Russell appa-
renly without any hlndrance on the score Of those
very qualities which before he stigmatized defects
tHear.l Ii II had been the object OF the honorable
gent man TO make speech rendering ii difficult for
this country to come to an understanding with the
United states he could not have delivered one OF
more mischeyous character, or one tier calculated
to rouse in the United States feelings of irritation
against this country, precludng the possibility OF
any fresh Reciprocity treaty being entered into.
(Hear hear.l Her Maesty's Government were as
much alve as the honorable member could possibly
looked upon 1t a. most benefcent measure, and be.
lleYed that II had conferred equal benefits both
countries Hear hear In support of his argu.
ment his honorable friend quoted statistics. In
order to show The House the satisiac ory IN
which the treaty had worked, he would quote the
following stas1stcal returns:-
The Secretary the Treasury OF the United States re-
ports that the total import into the British provinces
pors from these provinces to the United states 81 63o
tTade IT & S Or It S stated by by the Select
that the whole value exports and mpors between the
in iSIs Sc and bad grown slowly uD to that
Spor hpS S5sSs stated Nn ss9 2 same T 1
to The United States $500 O02. In ls55-ImpOrts
S23 lO9,s62; exports, s25 5Sl U74.
Those figures showed increase of trade not ex-
countries IN the world. Al the meeting rererred to
by his honorable frend-the one held IN Detroit
Mr. Howe made speech IN which there was this
statement -
Looking the Industrial results of the treaty any
fair minded and dspassionate man must admit that they
have far surpassed in utility and yaue all that could
have been hoped by the most sangune advocate or the
the provinces ieebe restricted ana SLOW OF growth aud
vexauOus before, had been annually swesd by mutual
by grand total of S456 $50 s9l in about nine
can hazard estma the figures by whn this trade
VIII be expressed ten twenty hence 1t this
there be any adyanage in balance trade the
to the extent Of S55 95l, las
But great as had been the commercial ADVANTAGE
OF he tIeaY ITS political advantages had not been
less comlderable. For period OF forty years
tons OF most irritating nature mad constantly
arisen IN reference to the fishing, and had 1t no
been ior the prudence of the TIVE Governments and
that Of the officers who sent to the fishing
grounds, Observation-Disclosures of very grave nature
must have ensued. But for the eleven years durin
which the treaty IN existence not sing e irri
taung question nor cause OF misunde standing
on those questions. (Hear.) Ii was evident rhere
fore, hat the strongest inducements existed tle
side OF her Majestys Government to have the treaty
prolonged.
Aaiesty's Government had the power of negotiation
put they had nothing to negotiate the urea was in
existence, and they did not wish 1t to be brought to
an end All they wanted was that It should be al
lowed TO remain International law between the two
States TO put end to If they thought proper to DO
so, and they did think proper to do so.
His honorable friend seemed to forget
| that there no power OF negOdation on
the subject vested IN the Government OF the United
| States. Mr. Seward and the Government OF the
United States had no power 10 negotiate with her
Maesty's Government, and therefore tn whole of
ms honorable friends argument on that point came
The question OF bringing the treaty to an end did
not lie with the Executive, but with Congress. If
his honorable friend turned 10 the papers he would
find that the notice to abrOgate the treaty was not
PiYen by Mr.. seward as Secretary of state 10 Mr.
| Lincoln the President, but was given by Mr. seward
| as the organ Of Congress The notice was in pursu-
| ance of this resolution:
Resoved BY the Senate aud the House of Representa-
tyes of the United States OF America In Congress
sem6led, That notice be given Of the termination OF the
Contained % ea s tsnaon Of the sams onS 1nGr9 @
President OF the United States Is hereby ohsrgel with
Of the United Kingdom Of Great Britain and iSeaad
| That being the state of the case the question
arose whether hor Majesty's Government could
| have brought about such change of opinion among
| the members OF Congress as would have induced
that booy to alter their policy with respect to the
| Reciprocity treaty. On that point he was entirely
at issue with his honorable Trend. As 70 his sug-
| geshOn that resolution OF the House of Commons
IN favor OF continuing the trea tY might have been
| obtained by the Government, he would ask his
| honorable tr end to reverse the case and TO sup
| pose that the House or Commons had resolved to
| put an en- d TO the treaty What would have been
| The effect of a resolution of Congress asking the
House Of Commons to renew tIeatY which 1t had
| determined to put an end tOg (Hear, hear) His
| honorable friend had used one of the most extra
ordinary argume q he had ever heard.
he SAID there was strong party in the United
StaJes who were very anxious for the annexation
OF our North American colonies to that country, ,
and tnat they looked upon the Reciprocity treaty as
an obstacle TO their designs Did not he Mr. Wat
klll see that he cOHld not have quoted weighler
expression of opinion as influencing Congress tnan
he had done when he mentioned that fact2 Hear,
hear.l There was q great difference of opinion as
between the Eastern States and the Western; and
while II was true that large meetings In favor OF the
continuance of the treaty had been held in the
United States 10 equally true that quite as large
meetings had been held In favor Of putting an
end 10 It.
number Of influential Chambers of Commerce
has agreed TO resolutions In favor of the Tetenton of
the RECIPROCITY treaty; and at the Detroit ConVen-
( ECE I've buEdTeG delegates rom ..e LEtsd S.ates