Los Angeles herald., 1891-06-24
TRADE WITH CANADA
History Of the Negotiations
for Reciprocity.
Correspondence Laid Before
the Canadian Senate.
Mr.. Blaine's Urgent Demands for
Secrecy in the Matter.
He Wants it Understood That the Pro-
posals all Came From Canada and
Not From Uncle Sam
Associated Press Dispatches.

OTTAWA, June 23.-Just before the
senate adjourned last night, a message
was received from the general
transmitting further papers relating to
the extension and development of trade
between the United States and Canada,
including Newfoundland. The CORE
spondence consists OF dispatches which
passed between Lord Salisbury, the
British minister in Washington, and
Lord Knutsford. After negotiations had
been going on for some time, draft of
the proposed convention between New
foundland and the United States, which
had been privately communicated by
Pauncefote to Blaine, for the arrange
ment of the fisheries question and trade
relations, was transmitted to the Cana
dian GovernorG General Stanley.
The next dispatch is Lord Stanley's
cable message to Knutsford, in which he
demonstrates in the strongest terms
against the signature of the proposed
convention at Washington, as it would
place fish and other products of Canada
at disadvantage in the United States
market.
Knutsford then, in dispatch to the
governor-general, says I'm the present
urgent condition of Newfoundland, an
unfortunate feeling would be excited by
the opposition of Canada to the efforts
of Newfoundland TO relieve its distress.
Any reciprocity between Canada and the
United States should, as previously, be
framed SO as not to place the imports
from this country at disadvantage, and
it is presumed Canada would wish to
retain control over her tariff with a view
to the possible extension of her trade
with the colonies and England"
In the next dispatch Stanley re-
plies, saying the Canadian minis
ters were prepared to open ne
gotiations Immediately on the lines
already laid down, provided the
representatives at Washington could be
commissioners, associated with the
British minister and empowered to
negotiate directly, instead of being mere
delegates.
Pauncefote on November 2Sth receiv-
ed a dispatch from Stanley, in which
the latter announced that the Canadian
government was prepared to arrange for
commercial relations with the United
States, and wishing that the government
| might D6 50 lulOTucu.
A Joint commission, such as that of
1871, was proposed by Lord Stanley to
deal with the questions at issue and pre-
pare treaty respecting the renewal OF
the reciprocity treaty of 1854, with mod
ifcations; the reconstruction OF the
treaty of 1888, with respect to the At
lantic fisheries, with the aim of secur-
ing the free admission into the United
States markets of Canadian fishery pro-
ducts, in return for facilities to be
granted United States fishermen to buy
bait and supplies, and to transship their
cargoes in Canada; all such privileges
to be for the mutual protection OF mack
erel and other fisheries on the Atlantic
ocean and inland waters also the relax
alton of the seaboard coasting laws OF
the two countries, and of the coasting
laws of inland waters dividing Canada
from the United States mutual salvage
and the saving OF wrecked vessels, and
arrangements for settling the bound
aries between Canada and Alaska.
Blaine replied that to endeavor to OBJ
tain the appointment of formal COM
mission to arrive at reciprocity treaty
would be useless, but that the United
States government was willing to discuss
the question in private with Paunce-
fote and one or more delegates from Can
ada and to consider every subject as to
which there was hope of an agreement
on the ground of mutual interests, and
not to risk SO grave a step until by
private discussion he had salts
fed himself that good ground
existed for expecting an agreement
by means of commission. He added
that he would be prepared to enter into
private negotiations at any time after
March 4th.
The next dispatch is from Pauncefote
to Lord Stanley, under date January
13, 1891, and encloses draft OF con-
vention between the governments Of the
United States and Newfoundland, which
was submitted to him by Blaine. The
provisions of this proposed treaty have
been made public since, and have been
discussed in the newspapers.
A new aspect was put upon the situa-
tion by the decision OF the late premier
to dissolve parliament and test the
country on the question. On March
10th, after the elections were over, and
John Macdonald had been sustained, the
governor general wrote the British
minister at Washington asking him to
ascertain when it would be convenient
for Blaine to receive representatives of
the Canadian government and discuss
the whole question OF reciprocity.
The next letter is perhaps the most