, 1891-02-21
S g u o x a Y $

which it is impossibletat present to forecast.
The third section OF the Mckinley Tariff
Act, provides, that on AMI after tie date above
mentioned, whenever it shall appear to the
President Of the United States, that any coun-
try producing and exporting certain specified
articles (amongst which are sugar and molas-
ses), imposes duties or other e~xactions upon
the agricultural or other products of the
United States, which III view of the free in
PRODUCTION OF such articles into the United
States he may deem it to be reciprocally I'M
equal and unreasonable he is empowered,
and 1T shall be his duty, to suspend by pro-
clamation the provisions relating to the free
Introduction of such articles, the produce Of
that country for such :i&le as he shall deem
just; whereupon the duties prescribed in the
section shall be levied upon the specified
articles coming from the country in ques-
ton.
No such power as this. 90 far as I am aware,
has ever before been entrusted to the Head
OF a Constitutional State aud while we are
not to assume that it will be used cap.lcicus-
ly, or without Ieason, 1t would be equally
futile, either to predict in what manner and
for what purposes it will be employed, or to
rest satisfied that it will not be employed at
all.
In this Colony, a substani ial portion of the
revenue is derived from duties imposed upon
toodstuts, lumber. and other commodities
produced IN and exported from the United
States and we have at present no means
even OF guessing whether the duties so impos.
ed are in danger of being pronounced to be
''reciprocally unequal and unreasonable
III view OF the free introduction into the
United States OF sugar ana molasses produced
in Barbados.
l have ventured, III addressing the Secreta.
ry-ot-State upon this subject, to suggest that
a copy OF orr customs Tariff should he for
warded to Her Majesty's Minister at Wash.
in9t0u, with the view of ellciting, if possible,
some information as to whether it is likely to
bring us within the scope Of the penal provi-
slQnS Of the sections referred to. There has
not as yet been time for q reply to this com.
nSunication, nor do | at all know whether my
suggestion is one that could be acted on.
All therefore that we can at present say of
this remarkable enactment, ia that it contains
a menace OF possibilities, which should they
ever be realized, would upset all our ~calcuia-
tions ana introduce confusion and embarrass-
lnent into both our and our
revenue.
Just at the time that our attention is being
thus arrested by the course Of legislation in
America we are called upon to consider an
important proposal which comes to us from
the Government of the Dominion of Canada,
A letter will be laid before you which has
been addressed 10 me by the Hon. Mr.. Foster,
the Canadian Minister OF Finance, offering in
the lame OF his Government to submit to the
Dominion Parliament proposals for the estab-
lishnent of reciprocal trade relations between
British North America aud those colonies of
the British West Indies which produce and
export sugar for refining purposes.
The terms of the agreement proposed by
M. Foster are, an abatement in favour of the
contracting colonies OF twenty FIVE per cent.
from existing tariff rates upon sugar, molas-
ses, and other West Indian products upon
which a duty is at present levied in Canada
and a corresponding diferential reduction in
favour Of Canada in all duties upon such
natural products as are now or may hereafter
be exported from Canada to the countries III
question.
The imposition Of differential duties in
favour Of q particular country is a measure
which cannot be adopted in this Colony with
out the concurrence of Her Majesty's Govern
ment, to whom Mr.. Fosters proposals have
accordingly been referred. From the Imperial
standpoint, such proposals must necessarily
be considered in connection with the treaty
engagements subsisting between Great Brit
ain and other Powers.
Regarded, however, as Q measure Of COM
merciaf policy, the question is one which we
are at liberty to consider and discuss upon its
merits. 1t is one. moreover. with which you
are already. more or less familiar through the