New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-03-23
CANADA ~ SEARCH or 7EADE.

Acting rs the representative Of Canada, SIR
Charles Upper, Canadian High Commissioner
at London, has negotiated in ASSOCIATION with
Lord Duncrin, the British Ambassador at
Paris. commercial treaty between Canada and
France. The circumstances under which the
convention was framed are not altogether clear,
and Sir Charles shows som" indispqsitlon -
remit them u come out. Tho treaty * not
satisfactory t. Canada and tho Dominion Gov
,rnmcmt arc III something like distress 70 know
what 70 DO about it. Sir Charles is their repro
sentative and thinks himself their farremoycd
Superior. The statesmen who compose tho
present ruling body al Ottawa arr, from Sir
Charlcss point Of view, young people who
leaned all they knew of polite. at the feet Of
Sir John Macdonald and himself II have
them criticisinc his performances Is in the high
est degree distastcful t. him. and this he is
cndelvCrng with r, suits as satisfactory 10 tho
Liberal opposition at Ottawa a. t. himself u
make them understand.
The French are great treaty makers. They
may be emotional when they get into parlN
mcntary wrangles. when they discuss n public
scandal, when they fight ducls or mako love ;
but when they sit down t. make a trade they
adroit They laid the way for a treaty with
Canada, a. with ether countries, by cnactng
a very high tariff and by fixing for such coun-
lIics aS would agree 10 give them preferential
rates what they call minimum tariff, still. in
most cases, higher than the old rate. So that
in tho bargain with Canada, while that country
has made reductions which will enable tho
French to sell to il under a tariff lower than
that 10 which they have been accustomed, it
will sell t. them, even with the advantage Of
this t!caiy, under rate higher than that here
toforc charged. IL appears, too, that most OF
tho concessions which France has made are in
respect TO articles that Canada does not cx
port while the concessions required Of Canada
are with certainty and regularity upon articles
that France has always exported to Canadian
markets. 1t is discovered also that Sir Charles
has committed the Canadians t. an arrange
mcnt which requires them in order to reap the
benefit Of any Of these concessions, ~ export
their goods from Canadian port directly to
French port, which means, Of course, in prac-
ticc by a French line of steamers To ship by
way of New-IOrk or English ports will sub
icct Canadian goods 10 the maximum rate of
duty. And yet, with these extraordinary con-
tracts in his treaty, Sir Charles Upper has de-
cared in public interview that he feels him
self insuted by the announcement Of the
Canadian Minister of Customs and Acting
Premier that he will NOT ask the Ottawa Parlia-
mcnt to ratify the treaty Immediately
In coming to this decision Minister Foster
has acted dscrcctly, for il has been made clear
that the treaty could not be confirmed without
struggle that would endanger the Govern
mont's existence Canada is in need of trade,
no doubt, and would like to get . return for
what she gives; but the country she needs TO
conciliate is not France. She can have markets
that will be Of real advantage to her il she is