Evening journal., 1892-08-22
CANADIAN RETALIATION.
The President Brings the Canal
Tolls Fight to Climax.
HE REFUSES THE DoMIEIoEs OFFER

rails canal aud Imposing "a Toll Of 20
Cents Ton on Canadian Freight.
WASHINGTON, Aug. %. By authority OF
President Harrison the state department
has made public the important action
taken by the president under the Canadian
retaliation act Of last session in partially
suspending by proclamation the free navi-
cation Of the st. Mary's Falls canal and i'm
| posing toll OF twenty cents q ton upon all
freight passing through that canal from
Canadian ports The presidents proclama-
tion' though constructively executed in
Washingtonsciiy, was signed at Loon Lake
and forwarded hero for PRONUNCIATION.
Accompanying the proclamation is the
correspondence on the subject which passed
! between the state department and Mr.
Herbert, Of the British legation. The cor
respondence shows that the president re.
fused TO accept the Canadian offer to abol-
ish the rebate tolls at the end Of the season
and wanted them abolished at once. The
proclamation recites the provisions Of the
act Of congress passed July 20 last en-
titled Gan Act to Enforce Reciprocal Com
mercial Relations Between the United
States and Canada and for Other Pur-
poses,' and continues as follows:
The Proclamation.
Whereas, The government Of tho Dominion OF
| Canada imposes a toll amounting 10 about
| twenty cents per ton on freight passing through
! he Welland canal and also a further toll on
| an vessels Of the United States and on an pas
| songers in transit TO "a port OF the United
States, all Of which tolls are without rebate;
! and
Whereas, The government Of the Dominion
! OF Canada, in accordance with an order in
council Of April 4, 1892, refunds eighteen cents
| per ton or the twenty cent toll at the Weliand
canal on wheat Indian corn peas, barley, rye.
oats, faxseed and buckwheat, upon condition
| that they are originally shipped for and carried
/ 20 Montreal or some port enst of Montreal for
! export, and that II transshpped at an inter
mediate point, such transshpment 10 made
within the Dominion of Canada, but allows no
! such nor any other rebate ON said products
when shipped to port of he United states.
or when carried 10 Montreal for export. II
! transshipped within the United States: and
Whereas, The government of the Dominion
! OF Canada, by snid system OF rebate and other.
wise, dscriminates against the citizens OF the
| United States In the use of said Welland canal
| IN violation of the provisions OF Article s7 Of
the treaty Of Washington, concluded May g.,
| lSsl; and
Whereas, Said welland canal Is connected
with the navigation OF the great lakes and /
am satisfied that the passage through IL Of car
! goes in transit 10 ports OF the Un ted States Is
made difficult and burdensome by said dis
eliminating system of rebate and otherwise,
and ia reciprocally unjust and unreasonable:
Now, therefore, J. Benjamin Harrison presi-
dent Of the United States AZ America, by virtue
OF tho power 10 that end conferred upon me by
said act OF congress approved July % lSa2 do
hereby direct that from and after Sept l. 1892
until further notice, toll Of twenty cents per
/ ton be levied, collected and paid on an freight
| Of whatever kind or description passing
through the st. Marys Falls canal IN transit
to any port Of the Dominion of Canada,
| whether carried In vessels of the United States
or of other nations; and TO that extent ] do
hereby suspend from and after said date the
| right OF free passage through SAID ST. Mai-v's
/ Falls canal Of any and all cargoes or portions
OF cargoes in transit TO Canadian ports.
Canada Must Give In.
Included in the aftermath of the procla-
nation is a statement that this course has
been under careful advisement since before
the adjournment Of congress. After the act
of July 20 authorizing retaliation, had gone
through both houses without opposition il
was stated that the members OF the foreign
affairs committees who had reported the
bill had done so at the personal request of
the president, The information " now al
lowed TO leak out that the precise shape
which retaliation should take, so us TO
produce the most telling effect on Canadian
commerce and precipitate solution OF the
difficulty, was arrived at after repeated
consultations with leading business men on
our Canadian frontier, who We're called
into consultation by the state department
from northern New York and other parts
of the country so quietly that the fact of
/ 4.
now made known after their departure and
the completion Of the act
IL is said in administration circles that the
ground was so carefully gone over before.
hand that Canada is not left a leg to stand
on, and must give in to the American de.
mands and Immediately revoke the order in
council on April last authorizing the dis.
eliminating rebate Of eighteen cents a ton
ON grain products shipped to Canadian
ports and refused 20 all American merchan.
disc Equality Of tolls in the Welland ca
nal was one of tho distinct pledges made by
Article % Of the treaty of Washington of
1871, under which treaty Canada has profited
so largely.
May BE Eebuked by Gladstone.
Another fact much commented on here i.
the humiliating position in which Governor
General Lord Stanley and the Canadian
ministers bave placed the British Legation
in Washington. Mr. Herbert, the British
charge of affairs, twice asked of the United
States government an extension Of time
stating that he did so at the request of th,
Canadian governments, and on the last occa
sion-Aug. Shedding out, ON the same au
thority, promise of satisfactory action
Yet the first news Of the decision Of tn,
Canadian government TO continue the ob
noxious rebate until the end Of the naviea
ton season-that is until period when ne
taliation would be harmless-came TO tn,
state department, not from the British le
CATION, which had been led TO promise earl,
, and satisfactory Information, but from tn,
United States consul in Ottawa
When Mr.. Herbert journeyed post hast,
from Newport 10 Washington, and wa
asked by Secretary Foster whether the in
I formation conveyed by the United State
I consul general was true, he was obliged {,
( confess that the Canadian government IA,
left him absolutely in the dark; that he Ia,
no official communication to make, although
he did not question the truth Of the consu
r generals dispatch. It is surmised that Mr.
= Gladstone's government and the new colo
@ NAL secretary win not let this apparent,
gross discourtesy on the part OF the Cam
tIf