New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-05-10
CANADA AND ENGLAND.
Mr.. CHAMBERLAIN's ZOLLvEREIN AND
THE LAURIER PREFERENTIAL TAR
1FF-TREATY OBLIGATIoNs-RECI-
PROC1TY IMPRACTICABLE
UNDER FREE TRADE.

fifteth anniversary of the repeal of the Corn
laws was ceebra ted. the three principal speak,
ers-Mr. Courtney. Lord Playfar and Lord KIM
beriey-unted In repelling Mr. Chamberlain's
assault upon English Free Trade The Secretary
for the Colonies had discussed tentatively at
the Canada Club dinner what he seemed 10 re-
gard as a practical basis for Imperial Fedora
ton, This was Zollverein for uniting England
and her colonies by the bonds of Free Trade, and
for excluding the remainder OF the world from
the benefits OF what Mr.. Golden had described
as a benign and millennia policy Of universal
brotherhood. Mr.. Courtney denounced it as a
double-faced, dishonest Zollverein. with Free
Trade one side and Protection the other.
and triumphantly declared that it had been
demned by the greatest English Chambers of
Commerce and repudIated by Canada and the
Antipodcs.
The Canadian elections had been held that
week, and the pious fetch worshippers at the
shrine Of Free Trade seemed to regard the result
as a special Providence designed to enable Mr..
Courtney at the Jubilee dinner TO extract sun
beams from cucumbers. Sir Charles Upper had
inspired the Ottawa Conference and had offered
to teach Mr.. Chamberlain how easy it would be
TO unite the Empire by abandoning Free Trade.
But Canada had shown that very week. az Mr..
Courtney exclaimed in his highest treble. what
il thought of Sir Charles Tuppers economics and
Mr.. Chamberlain's Zoverein. The result of the
elections has been an uprising in favor of Free
Trade end a Reputation of the monstrous Tup-
per Chamberlain heresy.
What the orators Of the Golden Club will say
this year l shall not venture TO forecast but
they will be constrained to admit that the I'm
perial Zollverein policy, which every one had
supposed was dead and buried out Of sight and
remembrance. has been revived by Canadian
tariff makers Mr.. Chamberlain's speeches
were explained away long ago by the Duke of
Devonshire. and his Imperial zoverein was
dismissed as vagary OF an otherwise sane
statesman: and suddenly the same Canada,
which had cast out Sir Charles Upper and all
his works, raises the signal for commercial union
with the mother country, on the basis Of prefer
entail duties, with a high tariff against the
United States and all other protectionst coun-
tries.
A POPULAR POLICY.
The new Canadian policy differs in one
spect from Mr.. Chamberlain's scheme. If offers
freer trade with the mother country. without
requiring in return compensating advantages
In the form Of duties to be levied in England
against countries competing with Canada. NJ.
Chamberlain considered 1t impracticable to ar
range a Zollveren on other than give and-take
principles. The Laurier plan is to develop trade
with Great Britain by opening the Canadian
market on preferential terms to British manu-
MISUNDERSTANDING with seven-eighths and
ending with three fourths. This is policy
which naturally commends itself to the English
merchant. 1t involves no abandonment Of the
Golden system in the United Kingdom and
lowers the tariff barriers against English manu-
facturers 1t is hailed at victory for
Free Trade principles, and the example OF Can
ada is commended to other colonies as inspired
by loyalty and good sense. But IT Is not Mr. Cob
denis Free Trade 1t implies preferential treat
ment for English goods and hostile tariffs
against the United States and Germany. 1t Is
the Introduction Of a new policy, which may
open the way for a Zollverein into which other
colonies may be drawn. provided their tariff
can be directed on retaliatory principles against
other countries outside the Empire. 1t provides
basis for commercial union which can be
discussed when Mr. Chamberlain calls the roll
of Colonial Premiers in Jubilee week
While the abstract Free Trader is under obl-'
cations TO reject the Laurier tariff as compro-
mise of Cobdenism the mercantile community
heartily approves of It. the Fair Trader vel
comes 1t as an embodiment of his own econom-
les and Imperialists of the Chamberlain
school describe it as the first step toward the
commercial federation Of the Empire With so
many elements of popularity, the new Canadian
fiscal policy commands much attention in Eng
land and Mr. Laurier will be the most conspcu-
Gus Premier when he comes TO London for the
Jubilee parade. The debates in the Ottawa
Parliament. are carefully followed, and the ten
denotes Of the new system eagerly discussed
in tho press The first discovery which has been
made is the fact that the English con-
struction of the characterization principle
| will have TO be modified. If the Canadian policy
| Is successfully enforced.
GRATUITIEs AND EQUIVALENTS.
Germany has a treaty which secures for her
| equality of treatment with the most-faVored
nation throughout the British Empire. If Can
| ada establishes trade relations with the mother
| country on a preferential basis. there will be
| a reputation of treaty obligations as these have
| ordinarily been construed In England under the
| most ia vored nation clause. Either the treaty
| will have TO go or the method of constituting IL
| will have 20 be changed. Some English journals
| are willing to sacrifice the treaty outright but
| the Canadian Ministry offers them alterna-
tive course This is TO justify preferential trea.-
| ment on the ground that equality of commercial
rights implies equality of conditions. That is to
| saw Germany can have the same treatment for
| her merchandise whenever she opens her ports
| TO Canadian produce as freely as England does.
| This Is the American Interpretation of the
| "most- favored nation" clause, which first
| advanced by John Quincy Adams when Secre-
| tary of State. He held that it embraced only
| gratuitous favors and not those granted for
| Consideration 1t has been with this interpreta-
| ton Of the principle that the United States
| Government has been able to negotiate reel
| procity treaties with various countries from
| time to time. A reciprocity convention mas peen
| regarded In America as compact oased upon
! mutual concessions and consequently as lying
| outside Of the range Of the most-1avored-natio
| oIansas ~ treaty law This construction has
| never been conceded by Great Britain, and FOR
an obvious reason. Under the Free Trade sys,
tenn England opened its markets to all the Wori1
| on equal terms It's favors were gratuitous and