Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1888-05-21
CANADIAN POLICY.
How Dominion Authorities Treat the
United States Fragrant Violation OF
Treaty and other Obligations

How Dominion Authorities Treat the
United States fragrant Violation of
Treaty and other Obligations.
Mr.. Joseph Nimmo, Jr., Ex-Secretary of
the Bureau of Statistics, contributes TO the
Tribune an elaborate review of the rrla-
tions of Canada to Great Britain and the
United States and of various violations of
treaty, law and coyenanted reciprocity.
Mr.. Nilnno says the Dominion of Cana
da consists of four blocks of territory
with wide intervening, irreclaimablr
spaces. They have no commercial rcla-
tons to each other. but have close rcla-
tons geographically and commercially to
this country. Before the Dominion gov
eminent was organized, the several
provinces were socially, commercially and
politically strangers 10 each other, and the
material connection is now maintained
chiefly through the agency of two rail
roads, the lntercolonial and the Canadian
Pacific, which snbsrrve political rather
than commercial ends.
II has been supposed that the adoption
by Canada of q tariff policy 50 different
from that which prevails in Great Britain
would tend to the disruption of the British
The political party now in power in Cana
da has adopted, aud is strcnuouslv main
tanning the policy of protection, and is
also |oudcst in IT, professions of loyalty to
Great britain. II is also a~sduou-ly en-
gagged IN the promotion of the scheme of
British Imperial confederation, a scheme
which challenged the attention of the
United States.
The Canadian union in it, structural
features is greatly inferior to that union
which constitutes Us u nation. The Con
,stitution of Canada is merely the statrl-
tory enactment of Great Britain, a euuu-
try of which she il practically indcpcnd-
ent, and patterned after the British
Government hut without traditional safe
guards. The Dominion Government /.
essentially a party government. The
party in power absolutely controls the
legislative and executive branches of the
government. The leader of that party
who's elected Prime Minister by the Com
mons Is for the time being autocrat of the
country. Virtually legislative power is
lodged exclusively in the House of Com
mons, which alone il elective. This char
npt hnfb Ia ;,tn -
and the Provincial Governments. As the
Prime Minister is the leader of the Com
mons, the executive dominates the lcgis-
lativc in important particulars. The
Canadians declare that their Government
is more pliable than that of the United
states, which is undoubtedly true.
After the Canadian Pacific Railway WAS
completed in 1856 the Dominion Govern
ment refused To allow grain produced in
Manitoba to be transported over American
railroads sin bond to Montreal. This is
hagrant violation of the privilege of the
"transit trade, under which reciprocal
arrangements the railroads OF Canada
have proiited ten times rs much as rail
roads of the | nitcd States. The refusal
has not been openly announced. but il
has been carried out surrcptitiouslv. The
Ottawa authorities declare that no in
structions have been issued to the officials
in Manitoba To prevent the traffic, and
the customs officials in Manitoba declare
that no instructions have been issued To
them whereby they eau issue the necessary
ccrtihcates. such conduct is disCredtahle
to the Dominion Government. and it
ought TO he met by Il proper retaliation
on the part of the Government of the
Government of the United States. ON
the 9Th of February. ISIS. the Hon. New
ton W. Nutting of New York, brought to
the attention of the House of Representa-
tiyes the fact that the Dominion Govern
ment still refuses to accept the offer made
by the United States by act of June 10.
1878, to allow Canadian wrecking vessels
and machinery to assist Canadian vessels
wrecked in American waters. provided
like privilege is extended to American
wrcekiug vessels and machinery in Cana
dian waters.
4 fragrant and most absurd violation of
Il treaty stipulation between the United
States and Great Britain was brought to
the attention of the House of Representa-
tives on the 4th of january. 1883, in the
form of resolution submitted by Hon
Nelson Dingley, ,Ir., of Maine. During
the last three years, through the advice OF
an "order in council a rebate of Is cents
per ton has been allowed out of the total
toll of 20 cents perton on grain of all sorts
passing through the Welland and st. Law
renee Canals if shipped to Montreal. The
long and short of this is a premium of Is
cents ton offered by the Canadian Gov
eminent in favor of the diversion of Amer
lean commerce from American ports and
American transportation lines. This, as
explained by Mr.. Dingley. is an open vio-
lation of art. q of the treaty of Washing
ton. 1t was hoped that the Canadian Gov
eminent would have acknowledged the ex-
pediency, il not the Justice, of reeeding
from this manifest breach of treaty obli-
cation, but this has not been done.
On the I'd of April, lSSS, Hon. Charles
3. Baker, of Rochester, brought to the at
tention of the House of Representatives
perhaps the most fragrant of all the recent
breaches of good faith toward the United