National Republican., 1886-12-11
THE DOMINION OF CANADA.
Its Present and Future Commercial
Relations TO the United states,

IN Ohnaulan railways, delivered at the pan
quet given the delegates to the convention
for the promotion Of the Permanent Exposi-
tion Of the Three Americas, to be held in
1892, in honor Of Columbus
To say that am IN the fullest sympathy
with whatever there is In the object and aims
of this convention--to cultivate and per-
petuate intimate friendly relations between
the people Of the United States and the
sister countries OF the western hemisphere
would be but a feeble expression OF the
interest take In this great movement.
Differing mainly In language, we are
bound together by natural ties Of the
strongest character, and the progressive
spirit Of the nineteenth century and the en-
nghtened age in which we are living invite
us to closer, more intimate, and moro last
ing relations.
Instead Of seeking more worlds TO con-
quer by the enginery Of war, the arts OF
peace and all the appliances Of modern
civilization contribute TO the measures
which are now provided TO unite us in last
ing bonds Of peace.
Aside from the natural aud geographi-
cal conditions which unite us, the wheels Of
commerce, the locomotive, the steamship,
and ocean cable Join us by indlssoluble ties.
In 1854 treaty OF reciprocity was made
between the United States and Canada,
which, by Its terms, was TO run for period
OF ten years or longer, unless terminated by
either party upon a years. notice being
given. The articles embraced In the
schedule attached to this treaty were the
products of the farm, forest, mines, and
the sea. The operation OF this treaty
greatly stimulated the trade Of both coun-
tries, whose present volume is largely due
to the impetus given at that time or during
that period.
During four years Of the operation of
this treaty, while we were engaged In u
great civil war, Canada to some extent
afforded a place OF refuge for certain
parties in arms against the United States
The bitterness felt by many Of the people
OF the United States against all countries
not In sympathy with us during our strug-
gle was the real cause OF our government
availing itself OF the terms OF that treaty,
and terminating IL at the first day It was
possible for her to do 80. 1t was little
moro or less than a retaliatory measure on
our part, and no fault OF the favorable op-
erations Of this treaty toward the United
States.
Aud now as then Canada affords safe
retreat for refugees from justice from the
United States, owing to the imperfect ma
chinery and unfavorable operations of inter
national law.
SO much for the origin and termination
of this treaty.
From the date that this treaty was term
mated up to the present time, Canada has
made constant efforts to have it renewed,
either In whole or In part, and indeed has
offered to greatly multiply the advantages
which would accrue to the United States.
In fact, she has gone SO far that when she
adopted her present tariff system, which is
alike operative TO oil countries, England
not excepted, she carefully placed upon her
statute books law providing that when
eyer the United States admitted any OF the
articles formerly embIBced in the schedule
of the abrogated treaty, aud many others
not so embraced, being the products OF
Canada, into the United States duty free, the
Dominion Of Canada would admit like arti-
cles or their equivalents, being the products
of the United States, into Canada duty free.
That law remains upon her statute books
to-day, and is to all intents and purposes q
part OF her tariff.
No further legislation on the part Of Cau-
ada is necessary to carry this provision into
effect, and it only requires that proclama-
tion should be Issued by the governor In
council.
Thus for twenty one years Canada has
been asking us to renew our former friendly
and reciprocal trade relations with her. To
all this we have turned deaf ear, and In
none OF the provisions now before Congress
providing for extended and free reciprocal
trade relations with all other countries on
Jnlb hemisphere, ID tDeTe Single provision
made for those OF Canada.
Considerations OF international etiquette
may be urged against extending such q
provision to country which has nominal
colonial existence. But when she has ar
rived at period OF her history, when she
makes her own tariff and unmakes It, inde-
pendent Of and without reference to the
imperial government, she is entitled to full
recognition In the great sisterhood Of states
in all euph commercial relations
Shall we commit any offense against Eng
land in extending this offer to Canada?
Let us see what some OF her people say.
No longer ago than last May Joseph
Chamberlain said In the British house of
commons that the legislature Of Canada
was free to pass an act declaring her inde-
pendence and sovereignty, and no man in
that house would raise a voice or hand
against it, while John Bright declared to an
eminent Canadian statesman that Canada
should consult her real interests by cult
waiting close relations with the great people
on the south Of her, as nature seemed to
have one destiny for both countries.
The Dominion of Canada has larger
area than the whole of the United States
II we exclude Alaska, reaching from the
Atlantic TO the Pacific, and with no thought
of magnifying the importance of our great
neighbor Of the north over those countries
on the south, permit me to invite your at
tention to few statistics, which show how
intimately we are bound by great arteries
of trade TO the Dominion OF Canada.
To make our figures intelliglble and fully
understood shall have to place In contrast
our trade relations between the countries
north and south OF us as shown by the sta
tistics Of those countries
In 1886 the amount of goods imported
into the Dominion Of Canada from Great
Britain and the United States were as fol-
lows: From Great Britain, $l3,4lS,000;
from the United States, $50, ,492, ,S32. While
ports Of all the Central ana South Ameri-
can States were 1928, 100000, of which
amount the United States contributed $27,-
5s9, ,429, and to all the countries south of
the Rio Grande we sold $6i, 200, about
20 per cent. more than was sold to our
neighbor, Canada. Thus to all this vast
territory on the south, containing n popu-
but about 90 per cent. more than to the
Dominion OF Canada, containing popula.
tion of but 100000 Of people.
To Illustrate further, the relative i'm
portance of these commercial relations, the
statistics show that the exports of Canada
per capita were greater than those OF the
United States, and her per capita imports
are also greater than our own. Her per
capita railway mileage Is about the same as
those Of the United States. Her growth
of population from the date of our decla-
ration of independence up to the present
day has been equal TO our own, ours at that
date being about 100000, and hers being
less than 100000.
The records of her criminal courts show
that she has smaller percentage OF crime
than we have. She is the only country in
the world whose national debt is not war
debt, with the exception Of two or three
millions expended In putting down the re-
cent Riel rebellion. The whole of her debt
has been incurred In the development of
her internal improvements. In addition to
her line of railway extending from the At
lantic to the Pacific, her government is sub
sidizing fast line Of steamships to ply be-
tween Halifax and Liverpool, and the i'm