The Portland daily press., 1876-05-16
RECIPROCITY.
Special Meeting of the Board of Trade.

A special meeting of the Board of Trade was
held yesterday afternoon to consider a recproc-
ity treaty with the Dominion of Canada There
was fair attendance, and President Wood
man presided.
I. G. Hersey, Esq, stated the object of the
meeting, and said that he had been requested
by the President and officers of the Board to
prepare preamble and resolutions suitable for
the Board to adopt, and he had accordingly pre-
pared the following:
Whereas, This Board at an early day after the
abrogation of the old treaty OF reciprocal trade with
Canada, placed themselves on record, favoring the
negotiation of new one, and have since often re-
affirmed the same, and
Whereas, The National Board of Trade at their
meeting last year unanimously adopted resolution
to memorabilia Congress to pass an act authorizing
the President of the United States to APP
point a commission of not less than five
the subject, to confer with a like commission on
the part OF the Dominion of Canada the subject of
a treaty for reciprocal trade and commercial rela-
lions, said commission to be authorized on the part
of their respective governments, to suggest and
recommend the details of provisions for such treaty,
subject to the concurrence of the respective gover
ments of the United States, the Dominion of Canada
and of Great Britain" which resolution met the
approval OF this Board, and
from the Committee on Commerce in the National
House of Representatives, resolution in substan-
tlal acc0rQ>Wlth the recommendation Of the National
Board; therefore,
Resolved, That in the opinion of this Board the
best interests of the whole community would be pro-
NOTED by the negotiation OF broad liberal and just
treaty of reciprocal trade with the Dominion Govern
ment, and that it fully approves of the adoption by
Congress Of the resolution offered by Mr.. Wood In
the United States House of Representatives for the
appointment of a commission by the President of
the United States, to confer with other commissions
to be appointed by or in behalf of, the government
OF Great Britain to ascertain on what basis treaty
can be negotiated for the mutual benefit of the
United States and the Dominion of Canada.
After reading the above resolutions Mr.. Hus-
sey spoke in favor of them. He explained the
probable cause of the failure of the last treaty
by saying it covered too much ground. The
old treaty he said, was better than none, but
still it had several Objectionable features. A
reciprocal treaty will only be successful when
both parties interested are content to let it re-
main reciprocal as the name implies, and not
try to each overreach the other. Our consum-
ers as we'll as our manufacturers are interested
il a liberal trade between here and Canada and
it should not be restricted. Mr.. Hersey was of
the opinion that as the Board was unanimously
in favor of reciprocity, lengthy remarks were
not necessary.
Messrs W. S. Dana, NJ. N. Rich, A. K.
Shurtleff, Capt. Coyle and others followed Mr..
Hersey, all of them speaking strongly in favor
of tire adoption of the resolutions. At the
close of the remarks the following vote was
unanimously passed:
Voted, That the preamble and resolution be
forwarded to our representatives in Congress
with request that it receive their earnest at
tention.