Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-09-26
CANADA BOUND DOWN
In Foreign Trade Relations by Treat
les of Great Britain.
SHE WANTS COMMERCIAL FREEDOM
England Asked to Renounce Treaties With
Germany and Belgium.
A BROADER MARKET is SORELY NEEDED

ESPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE DysPATCH.l
OTTAWA, Sept. 25-In the Senate to-day
Premier Abbott moved an address to the
Government asking that the British Gov
ernment take steps to renounce and termin-
ate the effect of certain provisions in the
treaties with the German Zollverein and
with the Kingdom of Belgium. Since 1882
the British Government has consulted the
interests of Canada in making new treaties,
but the two herein referred to place Canada
in position which precludes the possibility
of her negotiating any trade arrangement
with any foreign country in which there is
discrimination against either Germany or
Belgium.
The object of the resolutions is to draw
attention to certain stipulations IN the ex-
listing treaties with Belgium and with the
German Zollverein, ordinarily referred to
as the ''most favored nation" clauses, which
are extended 20 other countries whose
commercial treaties with Great Britain con-
tain ''most favored nation" clause, and
which apply to British colonies.
CANADA BOUND DOWN.
By article is of the treaty with Belgium,
entered into in 1862, Canada is compelled
to admit all articles, the produce or manu-
facture of Belgium, at the same or at no
higher rate of duty than is imposed upon
similar articles of British origin; and In the
treaty with the German Zollverein, entered
into in 1865, it is stipulated that the produce
of those States shall not be subject to any
higher or other import duties than the
produce of the United Kingdom, or any
other country, of the like kind, and that the
exports to those States shall not be sub
iected to any higher duties than exports to
the United Kingdom.
1t is contended that these provisions in
foreign treaties are incompatible with the
rights and powers subsequently conferred
bv the British North American act upon
the Parliament of Canada for the regula-
ton of the trade and commerce of the
Dominion, and that their continuance IN
force tends to produce complications and
embarrassment
MORE MARKETS NEEDED.
The address iurther says: Your me-
morialists desire also to point out that the
immense resources of the Dominion in its
facility for the growth of food and material,
its minerals, its fisheries and its lumber, re-
quire for their profitable development the
large practicable extension of its markets,
more especially in countries whose native
supply of such production is limited, while
its rapidly developing manufacturing in
dustries demand large and increasing sup
plies of raw material.
1t is pointed out that among the countries
with which an interchange of traffic takes
place the British Empire holds the highest
rank in amount, while the trade of the
Dominion with the United States is second
only to that with the British Empire, and
its development and extension of
great importance. In view of these
facts. Premier Abbott trusted the
British Government would abrogate the ap-
plication of these treaties to Canada As
Canada now stood she could not extend her
commercial relations with the rest of the
world, because by the treaty Great Britain
had entered into with Germany and Bel
gium she had promised that none of her
colonies would discriminate against those
countries.
NO INDUCEMENTS TO oFFE2.
The fact is Canada was deprived of offer
ing any inducement to the West Indies,
Brazil or any other country to enter into
reciprocal trade arrangements. Mr.. Abbott
thought the scheme of the Federation Trade
League of the British Empire a very pretty
theory, but he would require some more
substantial proof of its practicability before
he would accept it as within the range of
probabilities or even possibilities.
He gave emphatic denial to the statement
cabled out from London to-day that before
he had framed his resolution regarding the
abrogation of the application of these
treaties to Canada and her exemption from
their operations, he had consulted Lord
Salisbury 1t was the desire of the
Canadian people to secure the removal of
the restrictions which these treaties i'm
posed on the trade of the Dominion.
The discussion will be carried into the
House of Commons, where, it is understood,
an amendment will be moved to give
Canada the right to make her own CONNER