The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-11-30

that this state Of thongs has gone on for three
or four years, but you must understand that
it cannot continue. The time may soon come
when we may require to have national policy
of our own; when the exceptional interests to
which have alluded, and which are now suf
fering with special severity, will have to be
considered in this House. But l do not think
that the time to do this is when we may be on
the eve OF opening up negotiations on the whole
question" These remarks were made in de-
probation of the attempts by members of the
House to impose duties on American products
Again, as regards the fisheries, return has
just been published by the Dominion Gov.
the House of Commons-and which
is to be laid before that body
in February next containing reports of
the Minister of Marine and Fisheries, which
embody several strong declarations as to the
temporary character Of the fishery license
system, and urge the Government to yield to
the prayers of the NovaScotia fishing interests
by abandoning the license system, and thus
excluding American fishermen from their
waters. The Privy Council of Canada fully
endorsed the Minister'S views, saying that the
license system twas adopted on the distinct
understanding that, unless some satisfactory
arrangement between the two countries be
made during the course of the year, this
privilege will cease, and all concessions made
in the treaty of 1854 will be liable to be with
drawn" And they continue:-"The Privy
Council cannot refrain from respectfully i'm
pressing upon his Excellency (the Governor
GeneraD the urgency of communicating
without further delay to the American Govern
feel, should this not be done, advantage may
be taken to continue the present system for
still another year.
ALREADY has decisive action been deferred,
in the hope that certain indications Of a re-
turning disposition towards renewed CONNER
cial intercourse, which were perceptible in
the United States, would lead to proposals
obviating the necessity for any special policy
on the fisheries question. These, however,
have not as yet led to anything definite, and
the subject being in this instance more
urgent than when two years ago it was
pressed on the decision of the Canadian Gov
ernment by Secretary Cardwell (the British
Colonial Secretary, it is of the highest inn
portance that no further time should be lost. "
The entire pamphlet, in fact, is full of ex-
pressions of similar character, including the
following from Mr.. Mitchell, the Minister of
Marine and Fisheries: -"Under all of these
circumstances it is respectfully but earnestly
submitted whether the system of licensing
United States fishing vessels, avowedly pro-
visional one, and implying no principle,
that it shall, in the future, give place to
definite policy of exclusion, agreeable to
colonial interests and consistent with national
dignity and rights"
We give these extracts not only to
strengthen our original statements, but to
show American readers what the real senti-
ment of faction in Canada is regarding the
renewal of reciprocal relations Nor can any
fair-minded person, we think, take exception
l.. - Al
nadians would rejoice at the passage of a
liberal treaty of reciprocity, they are not all
disposed to prolong indefinitely the present
arrangement under which the Americans reap
all the solid advantages while certain Cana
dian industries suffer severely. Thus the
Canadians are quite willing to cede certain
fishery-rights to the Americans if the latter
will meet them half way and grant certain
privileges in return. Again, they are not un-
willing to admit into their territory American
products free of charge, if the United States
Government will grant them similar privi-
lege and not place a prohibitory duty on Ca
madam coal, potatoes, and other produce.
But if the latter are determined not to
grant these concessions, but to keep
up the present discrimination against Cana
dian goods, the Dominion government may
possibly, although we think otherwise, be
compelled, by the force of public opinion, to
adopt similar policy byretracting the fishery
license and imposing duties on American
breadstuffs and other products. Whether this
is termed retaliation or not, it is certainly
very natural that the Canadians should be un-
willing to oppress their own industries simply
to aid those of the United States without re-
ceiving anything in return for the concession.
We trust that Congress and the people of the
United States will view this subject in the
light of justice, and be willing to arrange the
commercial relations of the two countries on
such equitable grounds of reciprocity as will
tend to their mutual benefit and make them
not so much rivals as colaborers in the great
work of civilizing the yet unoccupied portions
of this great continent.