, 1869-06-14
CONDITION OF NOVA SCOTIA.
. despatch from OTTAWA. Csnadn, states

a despatch from Ottawa, cannda, states
that
~ &. halliburton publishes a letter addressed
70 Hon. John Ross, headed Annexation or
sta!vauon-' TIM. be believed . % ;he United
states policy, and II should be met By the IN
position Of duty on American coal"
Halliburton is from Nova 8cotia, the peo.
pie Of which province are greatly distressed
by the abrogaion OF the reciprocity"
treaty, and greatly incenssd by thek forci-
ble annexation to Canada. The products
Of Eorn Scotia are salt, fish, bituminous
coal, lumber, gypsum, gEindstones, and
limited surplus Of butter, cheese, poultry,
mutton, wool, potatoes, peas, beans, barley,
oats, fruit, &c. The market for all these
things is in Boston and other New England
ports. It is only 400 miles from Halifax to
Boston, which the steamers make in forty
hours and the schoone1s in two or three
days. While the reciprocity lasted all these
products could be sold free Of tar in Bos-
ton OK any other American port; but since
then duty, averaging twenty-five percent,
IS levied thereon. And, to add to their
troubles, the Canadians forced them into
the Dominion Confederation against
their Will and consent, and
then proceeded to double tho
tariff on them and compel them to support
their local government by direct taxation.
Previous to this coerced union with the
Canadas, the Nova 6cotian tariff was about
ten per cent ad rakorem, from the proceeds
Of which tho local government was naain-
Ansr In r%u
twenty to twenty five per cent, and the Do
minion Government takes the money. The
Gove1nor-GenerM is absorbing $4,000
year in gold for his salary. The ''Blue-
Noses" now find themselves in an unpleas-
ant condition tho selling price Of their
surplus products has fa]l:m one-third below
the Boston and New York markets by reason
of the termination Of the reciprocity treaty,
and the price Of goods has Increased about
fifteen per cent by reason Of the Canadian
tariff. In consequence Of this state Of
things nearly the whole population clarnor
to be relieved from the connection with
Canada, whlle a strong party go further and
demand annexation to the American Union.
1t is this state Of things which Halliburton
calls s'anne1atiou or starvation" in his let
ter to Hon. John Ross, aud he thinks TINT
tax On American coal is the way to meet
the crisis! At the instance Of the coal in
terests Of Pennsylvania q duty of @l.50
per ton in gold was levied on
Nova Scotia bituminous coal, which
has damaged that trade very ssri-
ously, while increasing the cost Of coal on
the New England consumers. But Penn
sylvania also sends considerable soft coal
to Canada, from Erie. It is this coal that
Halliburton proposes to tax, in the hopa Of
making market in the Canadas for Nova
Scotia coal, if the p1ico can be raised high
enough to bear tho long and roundabout
transportation. We doubt whether the
Canadians are patriotic enough to pay
three Or four dollars per ton extra for the
"black diamonds" for the purpose Of fur
nishing market for a few cargoes Of coal
from the Pictou mines But these devices
Of the Dominion politicians to escape the
inevitable only prove their futity. We
all desire reciprocity with our northern
neighbors but it must not be one-sided
reci ip1ocity, like the Last one. It must
be reciprocity Of burdens as well
Us Of benefits on their part. We are aware
Of no obligation the Americans are under to
"Her NInjestyFs loyal subjects in the Do
miniou, to give them the free, untaxed range
Of our markets on better terms than our own
people enjoy. And if tho alternative is
"anne1ation or starvation" as Halliburton
says, the decision is for them to make: II
they prefer poor prices, hard times and dis
content, with '' British connection" to free
markets, good prices, prosperity and Amerii-
can citizenship, our people are not likely to
interfere with their choice, But Haibur-
toms prescription, # tried, will prove to be
q quAcl's remedy. Doubling the cost Of
Erie coal to Canadian consumers is most
absurd remedy for the hard times reiguing
in the provinces.