The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1888-08-30

luo uOmluluu VI Sdududt III dOui'ASh "
the general allegations already mad
which appear to be 10 such marked con
trast to the liberal and friendly DISPOSE
tion of our country as in my opinion Il
cal. for such legislation as will, upo'
the principles already stated, properl!
sup plement the power to lnaugurat
retaliation already vested In the execu
tive.
Actusted by the generous aud neigh
borly spirit which has characterized GU
legislation, our tariff laws have since 1866
been so far waived in favor of Canada a
to allow free of booty the transit across
the territory of the United States of prop
erty arriving at our ports and destined tt
Canada or exported from Canada to othel
countries.
When the treaty of Washington wa;
negotiated, in 1871, between the United
States and Great Britain, having for it:
objtcs very largely the modification Of
THE TREATY OF 1918,
the privileges above referred to were made
reciprocal and given in return by Canada
to the United States in the following Ian
guage, contained in the twenty-ninth
article of said treaty:
at is agreed that, for the term of years
mentioned in article SO of this treaty
goods, wares or merchandise arriving at
the ports of New York Boston and Port
land, and any other ports in the United
States which have been or may from time
to time be specially designated by the
president of the United States, and des-
tined for her Britannia majesty's posses
sions in North America, may be entered
at the proper custom house and conveyed
in transit, without the payment of duties,
through the territory of the United
States under such rules and regulations
and conditions for the pro-
lection of the revenue as the government
of the United States may from time to
time prescribe. and under like rules, regu-
lations and conditions, goods, wares or
merchandise may be conveyed in transit
without the payment of duties from such
possessions through the territory of the
United States for export from the said
ports of the United States. 1t is further
agreed that for the like period goods,
wares or merchandise arriving at any of
the ports of her Brittanic majesty's pos
sessions In North America and destined
for the United States may be entered at
the proper custom house, and conveyed
in transit without the payment of duties
through the said possessions, under such
rules and regulations and conditions for
the protection of the revenue as the
governments of the said possessions
may from time to time prescribe,
and, under like rules and regu-
lations and conditions, goods, wares or
merchandise may be conveyed in transit
without payment of duties from the
United States through the said posses
sions to other places in the United States,
or for export from ports in the said pos
SEE s;ons."
In the year 1885 notice was received by
the representatives of our government
that our fishermen would no longer be al
lowed to ship their fish in bond and free
of duty through Canadian territory to
this country, and ever since that time
such shipments have been denied. The
privilege of such shipments which had
been extended to our fishermen was q
most important one, allowing them tc
SPEND the time upon the fishing grounds
which would otherwise be devoted to g
voyage home with their catch, and doub.
ling their opportunities for probably
prosecuting their vocation.
In forbidding the transit of the catch
of our fishermen over their territory in
bond and free of duty, the Canadian
authorities deprived US of the only IA
cility dependent upon the concession and
for which we could supply no substitute
The value to the dominion of Can
ada of the privilege of transit for
their exports and imports across our
territory and to and from our ports
though great In every respect, will be
better appreciated when it is remembered
that for considerable portion of the
year the st. Lawrence river, which con
stitutes
THE DIRECT AVENUE OF FOREIGN COMMERCE.
leading to Canada, is closed by ice.
During the last six years the import:
and exports of British Canadian prov
ince5 carried across our territory under
the privileges granted by our laws
amounted in value to about $270000,000
nearly all of which were goods dutiable
under our tariff laws. By far the larger
part of this traffic consisted of exchanges
of goods between Great Britain and heI
American provinces, brought to and car
ried from our ports in their own vessels
The treaty stipulation entered into by oul
government was in harmony with the laws
which were then on our statute books and
are still in force.
I recommend immediate Legislative
action comforting upon the executive the
power to suspend by PRONUNCIATION the
operation of all laws and regulations per
mitting the transit of goods, wares and
merchandise in bond across or over the
territory of the United States to or from
Canada. There need be no hesitation in
suspending these laws arising from the
supposition that their continuance is Sc
cured by treaty obligations, for it seems
plain that article 80 of the treaty of 1871
which was the only article incorporating
such laws, terminated July l, 1885.
The article itself declares that its pro-
visions shall be in force "for the term OF
years mentioned in article 80 of this
treaty." Turning to article SO we find nc
mention of the 29th article, but only g
provision that articles Is to % inclusive
and article 30 shall take effect as soon a;
the laws required to carry them into
operation shall be passed by the legis-
lative bodies of the different countrie;
concerned, and that "they shall remain il
force for ten years from the date at which
they may come into operation and fur
ther, until the expiration of two years
after either of