The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-07-01
Canadian Tories Snubbed in England.

The advocates OF imperial union have
been holding this week In London their
second Congress Of the Chambers Of Com
mcrce OF the empire. 70 this meeting the
Tory Government at Ottawa sent deputn-
lions from various Canadian commercial
bodies. under the leadership OF Sir CHARLES
UPPER. for the purpose Of urging the i'm
position Of duties on American food staples
while admitting the corresponding products
Of Canada. duty free. Even had Sir CHARLES
UPPER and his colleagues succeeded in
persuading this Congress to approve OF
their fiscal programme. 1t would have been
repudiated. as we know from tho declara-
tons OF Lord SALISBURY and Mr.. GLAD
STONE. by both OF the political parties in
Great Britain. AS it turned out however.
Sir CHARLES TUPPER's proposal was deci-
sively rejectad even by the friends OF Pan
Anglican Federation who profess them
selves willing to make any reasonable con-
cession for the sake Of knitting the colonies
moro closely to the parent State.
At the outset Of the proceedings. the c.
madam Tories thought they caught n ray Of
encouragement In resolution offered by
Lord BRAssEY that in tho opinion OF the
Congress 1t was expedien. that practical
arrangements should be devised to secure
closer commercial relations between tho
mother country and her colonies and de-
Tendencies. 1t was presently discovered.
however. that the only practical measures
which Lord BRAsSEY would cOuntonance
wore tho bestowal OF liberal subsidies upon
steamship lines and the maintenance OF fis-
col arrangements upon precisely their pres
emit footing. The imposition Of diffcrential
duties upon food staples In favor OF the
colonies would not. he said. be approved OF
in Great Britain: and he assured tho Ca
nadians that their best hope OF increasing
their trade with Great Britain lay in n
gradual reduction OF their own import
duties on British goods.
This was q sud rebuff for tho Canadians.
but as Lord BRAssEY's resolution was
equivocal. while his explanation OF 1t might
he thought to represent only his own opin-
ion. they voted with tho rest Of the assem-
bly,. and tho resolution was unanimously
adopted. They were forced soon afterward.
however. to hear from tho Congress u per-
| cmptory refusal to acquiesce in their policy
| Of difrerentia. duties levelled against the
United States. A Mr.. MEDLEY took the bull
by the horns and moved resolution aver
ring that fiscal union between Great Brit
ain and her colonies. brought about by pref
ercntial duties based upon the protection OF
colonial products. would BIO politically dis
astrous. Which. indeed. OF the great polit-
| icai parties In Great Britain could venture
| to tell tho millions OF worlingmcn that they
must pay moro for food In order that Cana
dian farmers and shippers might pocket
tho excess? That would be. OF course. the
practical outcome OF lcvylng difrerential
duty upon American food staples imported
into tho United Kingdom. This fact was
brought out plainly by tho President OF the
Liverpool Chamber OF Commerce.
In vain was Mr.. MEDLEY's resolution OPP
posed by Sir CHARLES UPPER and the del
egates from Canadian commercial bodies.
who had been carefully selected with an eye
to their commercial proclivitics. In vain
they drew pathetic picture OF Canadian
industries stranglcd by tho MCKINLEY act.
and OF Canadian Loyatists driven by star
walton Into political union with tho detest-
cd United States. Equally fruitlcss was
the prophecy that tho American octopus
would not be satisfied with dcvouring Can
ada. but would presently throw its tentaclcs
| over tho West indies also. To the annoy
ance OF Sir CHARLES TUPPER. the delegate
from tho Trinidad Chamber OF Commerce
declared that the sooner the tcntaclcs TO.
ferred to reached the West Indies tho bet
ter. inasmuch as the general feeling in that
quarter was that every reasonable effort
should be made to retain the United States
market for sugar which Is tho chief
stapls of the British Antilles. Scarcely
had this West Indian battery been turned
upon the flank Of Canada, than their whols