St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-08-26
THE TOLL IMBROCLIO.
Continued From, First Page.

Continued From First Page.
canal pays Y per cent of the tolls, could
not fail to give the president unmiXed
satisfaction. l lament that
Grave Difficulties
present themselves to an alteration of
the tariff of tolls during the present ses
sion, but beg to remind you that the
government of the United States is not
responsible in any degree for these diff
culties. and its citizens shall not be re-
CURED to suffer on that account For
several years past the attention of the
Canadian government has been called
to its violation of article % of the treaty
of 1871, and earnest circumstances on
the subject have been addressed to the
British legation by MY predecessor"
Mr.. Foster then cites several instances
in which the matter was brought to the
attention OF the Canadian government
without giving satisfaction. adding
that if the Canadian government
has seen fit, in the face of the
earnest remOnStranceS of the United
States to pursue the unneighborly course
indicated, it should find some way to
satisfy the claims OF unfulfilled con-
tracts and breach of faith, if any such
ale we'll founded, without an appeal to
the fOrbearance of the United States.
Immediately after the conclusion of the
treaty of 1871, whose beneficent effects
in promoting peace between the two ma
tons have been so conspicuous, the
United States took steps to carry out
the
Stfpulati ons of Article 27.
and, without unreasonable delay, both
the canals of the national aud state gov
efnmeEtS, representing a vast system
constructed at very great expense, were
thrown open to the use of Canadian
commerce without any charge what
ever. On the other hand, heavy
tolls have continued to be eX-
acted On American commerce pass
Ing through the Welland and st. Law
renee canals. and although the absence
of reciprocity of treatment was marked
paint under that really SO long as the
tolls were uniformly eXacted from all
commerce.
Not uutil the discrimination against
American ports and lines of transpOrta-
ton became so oppressive as to call for
the earnest protest flOm the carriers
associations and boards of trade Of the
cities of Milwaukee, Chicago, Detroit,
Cleveland. Buffalo, Oswego. Ogdens-
burg and other lake ports did the gov
eminent of the United States take az
had passed uuheard by the Canadian
government was the congress of the
United States appealed TO by the presi-
dent. az
+ Minimum Powers Exercised.
The upanimity with which congress
clothed the president with power to
, correct the unjust discrimination must
have convinced the Canadian authOri-
ties that the complaints of the govern
ment of the United States were re-
garded by the people of this country as
serious and we'll founded. When 1t be-,
came known that desired action was
postponed till another season and the
president was thereby constrained to
put the law into operation, his spirit of
Cancellation led him to exercise the
minimum powers conferred upon him
by congress, AND merely to establish in
one of the canals of the United States
the same tolls as are enforced in the
canals of Canada; and he has coupled
with this lenient action the assurance
that the tolls in this one canal will be
suspended concurrently with the re-
moval of the unjust determinations
maintained by Canada.
MIR. Foster concludes as follows: I
have taken pains to set forth at some
length the causes which have compelled
order that the Canadian people may
know that there is every disposition on
the part of the government of the United
States to maintain and extend the most
intimate and friendly commercial rela-
tions with our northern neighbors,
bound to us by so many ties Of race and
community Of interests, and l yet
cherish the hope, which have already
verbally expressed to you, that before
the presidents proclamation goes into
effect the Canadian government will
take such action in the direction of
treaty observance as will make the en-
forcement of the proclamation neces.
Sary. ~z>
l am happy to reciprocate. in the
name of the president, the desire ex-
pressed in your note. to remove any
ground which has a tendency to dis
turb the friendly interchange of trade
between the two countries but l beg to
suggest that persistent violation of
treaty stipulations which were framed
with an express view to the promotion
OF friendly interchange Of trade be-
tween the two cOuntrieS,' does not tend
to that result. Until the Canadian gov
ernment Is prepared to resume its obli-
cations under the treaty there can be
found no safe basis of friendly cCm-
mercial intercourse"