The Portland daily press., 1897-08-14

1t is just about twelve years ago that
khartoum was captured, and Gen. Cor
don fell, owing to the failure of the relief
expedition to reach Khartoum in time.
The Gordon relief expedition was within
tive nty six miles of Abu Hamed when it
was recalled by Mr.. Gladstone, who never
looked with favorable eye upon this
scheme of African conquest. The road to
Ahartoum is now open by the capture OF
Abu Hamed, but there is likely to be
some hard fighting ahead, for it looks
very much as if the English were on the
Nile this time to stay-but, in the Ii ght
OF past events not disposed to take any too
risky chances. AS matter of measure
ment Abu Haned is farther from Khar-
ooum. than Dongola, and is not such a
victory over the Khalifa as was the fall of
Dongola, but it practically makes the fall
OF Berber and Khartoum appear to be
only question of time.
The extent of the decision of the A ttor-
ney General under Section 90 of the new
tariff law has been somewhat misunder-
stood. So far he has decided only that
goods imported into Canada from a coun-
try not contiguous to the United States
and afterward imported from Canada in
TO this country are subject to discrimi-
mating duty of ten per cent He has We
to decide whether goods coming from
q country not contiguous to the United
States through Canada into the United
States under consular seal are subject to
such discriminating duty. The two
questions are not precisely similar,
though they have points of likeness. In
the first case the goods come from coun-
try not contiguous to the United States to
Canada as regular importation into the
latter country and are afterwards export
ed from Canada into this country. In
the second case they come not, as an i'm
portation into Canada, but as an impor-
tation through Canada into the United
States, their intended final destination
never having been Canada. Literally, of
course, they come from a non-contiguous
country to contiguous country, and
from this contiguous country into the
United States. Yet in the former case
it would be accurate to say that the goods
were imported into the United States
from Canada, or "came in from Canada, ;
while in the latter the accurate express
sion would be that they were imported
from Japan or China, or some other non
contiguous country, and came in through
Canada, and not from it.
While, therefore, the Attorney General
could hardly hold otherwise than that the
goods of the first class came under Sec
ing to the contrary concerning goods of
the second class.
The decision Of the Attorney General as
far as it has gone is comparatively unim
portant though it will hurt the Canadian
railroads to some extent and benefit some
of our trunk lines. But if it should be
followed by decision that the clause
also applies to goods imported under con-
sular seal through Canada to the United
States it will prove a very serious blow
to the Canadian roads, and will proba-
| bly, be followed by legislation on the part
| VI OdIltuet, lldk1uS d Sllulldf ulSCrllulud'
ton against goods coming into Canada
from foreign country through the
United States. A great many goods des-
tined for Canada are brought to Ameri-
can ports, and sent in bonded cars into
Canada, and New England enjoys great
deal of this traffic.
1t should be said, perhaps, that the
clause of the tariff law in question is not
! applicable in any event to Canadian
goods sent through this country in bond
| for foreign export, though a Canadian
| law imposing ten per cent. discrimina-
ton on goods going into Canada from
the United States, even though
bonded, might seriously affect the export
| business from New England ports mas
much as it would prevent the ships get
ting return cargoes, since most of the
freight they bring back is destined for
Canada