Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1866-03-20
freem q Il,
IONTP ELIEk. VI
Tuesday Morning., March go, 1866.
RECIPROCITY.
.Sseech of Hon. J. S. Morrill, on bill TO regulate
traed tcith Canada.

may House, and after speeches on the
general subject it shall be considered as under The
rule
Mr.. srALDIsG. object.
MIR. MORRILL,. Then move TO suspend the rules ana
WA Maois' 'e' House resolve '''' INTO 'A' ''''''' ~
The House accordingly resolved itself into the Committee
of The Whole on the state OF the un'on, f Ray % oau @ "a
No. 337, regulating trade with The British North American
Mr. MORRILL,. Mr.. Chairman, the presen- bill
concerning the trade with the BRUSH North
American Provinces has become necessary ID con-
sequence of th- termination OF the rec piocily
treaty, which takes place on tie lIth OF the pres
ent month. Ine treaty wes an lli-omeneo one
from the start, having been first extorted irom US
by the armed raid upon our fisherman, IN 1897,
made by the combined arfnameuts OF the Prov
inces, and led on by the imperial Government
anu, second won from US by me deluslon that ia
vors would beset fraternity. We are TOO old to
be again deluded, and, being quite able TO with
! stand bite, We shall be unlikely TO yield to
growl For eleven long Years the United States,
overdowng with generosity, having granted to
these Provinces what their own mother country
has long siuce weaned them from, tnat Is TO say,
privileges not granted TO others. Henceforth We
shall treat them friends, unless they entIt!e
themselves to be treated 5 fAvoTites, or provoke
| that treatment awarded to enemies. BY the pres
ent Dill grant certain privileges provided ample
equivalents obtained. In the main, however,
increased revinue has been our object
This House, after this recent unfortunate ex-
perence, will not at least DUNN the present gen.
Grafton, rehnqulsh lis constitutional preroguve 10
originate all revenue 0l..s. 10 the extent q our
trade with the Provinces our legitimate prerogA-
! live has been curtalled and denied. Ii such COM
mercIa treaties to oe Tolerated 1t Is easy 10
/ be that they might III due Time embrace ali
countries whom have comm Iclal rela-
tons, and thus the proper functions OF the House
Ia het
aud superseded. Ii IL Is important tlat We 10 not
transcend just power, /. i equa.ly Important
that We do asdIc4te anu surrender tnat which
preemnently called upon no. only 10 eH-
erclse but TO guard,
( nat this treaty arrangement was not TO our
advantage We not olIy h4v- IN t7'-.n1 1Ij u he
hsht rmen OF Maine: the IumbeTmen OF New
YORK, Pennsy vania, Michigan, and Maine; the
wool-growers OF ONO, lilLols, Penusy wanna, New
York, and Nermout; the gram growers OF ali The
western States, and the manufacturers Who're
business with the Canadas has notably decreased,
but even the provincial officials t4cltN confess 10
the prosperous gale they have enjoyed oy the
OF Oaerous - Us, Il noi less Iucra-
i've 10 them, Inan those VI tue teatt. Inc! lee.
that they can afford 10 treat better.
though We nave ascert4lned Ia our recent
struggle with the late sAvenoldtpS drstocracy, lar
more powerful than any other OF the siJoe, taat
the Governments of the word 90 not i've us utr
our hCpuO4tC, II 70 a. iOASiSh ~ hAACA4Sa4 4Gtas
TO base legislative action upon hatred as upon
tear. We slnpN locking alter me interest
and honor OF our own people, aud propose that
they shall not be made unhappy o4 tue contrast
OF their Condition Win that oI tne neIshbola N
respect 10 taxation or markets.
/ am aware that some very good people, ENJOY
ing possibly present trade which may Oe 10 i'm
ger OF being oi It's profits. look omnousIy
aud snake their heads, saying, = Are You not
afraid that our seamen--sGon tuTDu en-, reckless
dogs-wlI disregard The tnree-mie hofe IiAe
aud invo,ve Us a. las III "ar with England
Well, th.y may but this story has " al Anclent and
fisn-ike smell, and may Is wei not mug / 10
CLOSELY Ii is true that il England desires d
hict with pretext may BE- easily Obtained
through collisions among eager aul exasperated
fishermen tOuchDg her aosurd ht Aa!ahQ luterfO-
laIion, but there .AoA Oi nerolc preteAts else
where, t. whenever the couhict comes, whatever
alleged provocaton may be, OF 10y wh5msoeve,
precipltated, knows better tnau England
herself that the PEUviuces Viii d gone forever,
- hook and line, bob ALO sinker. Not mat We
desire thls but, to escape tno bows, tLeJ would
nearer to us,
but the terms offered IN this bi in relation to
the fisheries do MT invite repu.se. On the
contrary, 1t Is believed, especially from The ir4nk
and friendly exchange OF views between the
Committee OF WaNs and Nj cans anu the mui>ters
representing the PUSincess no weEe recently here
that they will ne Te.dny accepted o. moss / not
ali oi the Provlnces-cer tanIy oy those most III
teTested IN the trade.
Ii there Is any doubt on this point Il really |
whether the this bili too indifferent
toward our hsne1 man. 4n1 puunc believes, |
and 50 believe the people OF tue Prosiuces, That
mutually III The rioII 10 Their shore hsherles 40
of great value, and hence We have mad 10 coucede
some equivalent, though conscious that the rlSnt I
accuireu, rather restored, Is vastly oSerrated.
ne rates duty whIch The Comnllttee u Nays /
AMI NJ have urDu1seu n DliI
II is believed vii! attJrd revenue, and viii
any Case prove pIohIoItory. In other words, We
expect lake much OF their lumber, coal, and
barley heretofore but before sail can be al
lowed alongside OF ...crican products, the priv
llege must be bought with pnce equal al least TO
our taxes, and oilea much greater; Even with
these terms, commission sent TO Cnina or peIn
Will disclose no Other market 30 valuable. W nen
abandoned ali duties on lumber under the
treaty, the effect not to reduce the price in
American markets, but the value OF lumber IL
crease0 10 the Provinces. Reversing our action,
II is not impossible that revenue may be IL
creased without much additional cost 10 lhe con-
summer. Lumber ing al article OF Universal
necessity and incap pabe OF any increase l. Quantity,
only moderate duties have been proposed. AT The
pre-, ent time We seek ia her TO diminish than
multiply objects of taxAtion; and while lumber
DUNG tbs war might easily have contributed d
liberal revenue 1t Is not now proposed to levy any
internal duties upon 1t ; therefore Ge have only
offered scale OF moderate duties. 1t is souna
policy to make building materials cheap. Wood
as building material Is used TO some extent oy
all, and exclusively used by men OF moderate
means, and the lower qualities tor fencing pur
poses Indispensable to land owners. lhe
tor exempling it from the burdens of taxa
ton appear to the ample. Articles that were em-
braoeG 10 the reciprocity Treaty have Tor The most
part been treated in all tariffs last yeaIs
with neglect and tie present bill Is therefore the
more nee0ful.
Thatpart of the hlil which gives up the bount,
hi,aersU paid TO our fishermen may be looked upon
with more dIstrust than anything eise proposed.
The piLtsnce was small. not much more than the
duty PAID BY them on the salt used IN curing their
isi and yet ne determination 10 some quarters
to regard this as New Engand question, and
not u national one, has constrained even New 1
England men to repudiate the measure-obnox
ious because It has been mlsrepresented-and to
sever at once all guardianship OF the Government /,
over our school tCr seamen-a school which de
hes,f haa nd IL, NJ