"The operation of the treaty from 1854 to 1866 may now be considered.
"The Report of the Revenue Commissioners shows that the trade under it
increased from 20,000,000 dollars, to 68,000,000 dollars in 1864, and
that this trade was larger than the trade of the United States with any
country in the world except Great Britain. It was 31/2 times more than
with China; 31/2 times more than with Brazil; above 3 times more than
with even Mexico; 21/4 times more than with Hamburg and Bremen,
notwithstanding the direct line of steamers to and from New York; 21/4
times more than with France, with all its wines, silks, and fashions;
and one-third more than with Cuba and the Spanish West Indies.
"Then, on the whole, 'the balance of trade,' as it is called, was in
favour of the States during the whole period of the treaty by a sum of
56,000,000 dollars.
"As regards coal, the quantity taken in 1865-6 from Pennsylvania and
other States to Upper Canada was about 180,000 tons; while the quantity
of Nova Scotian coal taken to Boston and the Eastern States was about
200,000 tons. Thus the supply of districts 1,000 miles apart had nearly
balanced itself under the treaty. As regards fishing rights, the United
States appeared largely to have the advantage, for they had, by the
treaty, access to excellent fishing grounds and passage through the Gut
of Canso, while the provincial fishermen rarely troubled the coasts of
Maine or Massachusetts - 'bare pastures' for fish. As an example, the
boats employed by the United States in the mackerel fishery in 1852
were 250, the tonnage 18,150 tons, and the value 750,000 dollars, while
the catch of fish was 850,000 dollars; while in 1864 it showed 600
vessels, 54,000 tons, 9,000 men, and a catch worth 4,567,500 dollars.
"Upon the general question, Mr. Derby says in his report: -
"'If the Maritime Provinces would join us spontaneously to-day - sterile
as they may be in the soil under a sky of steel - still with their hardy
population, their harbours, fisheries, and seamen, they would greatly
strengthen and improve our position, and aid us in our struggle for
equality upon the ocean. If we would succeed upon the deep, we must
either maintain our fisheries, or absorb the Provinces.'
"'No negociations' and 'no papers' - say our Government. This may be
true. Or it may be true that the Foreign Office have had papers, and
the Colonial not. Or that the Board of Trade have had papers, and the
Foreign and Colonial people have not; but, however that may be, Canada
has made, in good time, very serious representations. It is believed
that her Government had long before made personal appeals to both the
Colonial and the Foreign Offices, but the following document (19th
February, 1865), will speak for itself; and the Government at home
cannot deny that they had it, but which of the three departments will
admit its receipt is yet to be seen; always let it be remembered that
in May, 1865, there were 'no papers:' -
"'Copy of a Report of a Committee of the Honorable the Executive
Council, approved by his Excellency the Governor-General on the
19th February, 1865.
"'The Committee of the Executive Council deem it to be their duty to
represent to Your Excellency that the recent proceedings in the
Congress of the United States, respecting the Reciprocity Treaty, have
excited the deepest concern in the minds of the people of this
Province.
"'Those proceedings have had for their avowed object the abrogation of
the treaty at the earliest moment consistent with the stipulations of
the instrument itself.
"'Although no formal action indicative of the strength of the party
hostile to the continuance of the treaty has yet taken place,
information, of an authentic character, as to the opinions and purposes
of influential public men in the United States has forced upon the
Committee the conviction that there is imminent danger of its
abrogation, unless prompt and vigorous steps be taken by Her Majesty's
Imperial advisers to avert what would be generally regarded by the
people of Canada as a great calamity.
"'The Committee would specially bring under Your Excellency's notice
the importance of instituting negociations for the renewal of the
treaty, with such modifications as may be mutually assented to, before
the year's notice required to terminate it shall be given by the
American Government; for they fear that the notice, if once given,
would not be revoked; and they clearly foresee that, owing to the
variety and possibly the conflicting nature of the interests involved
on our own side, a new treaty could not be concluded, and the requisite
legislation to give effect to it obtained before the year would have
expired, and with it the treaty. Under such circumstances - even with
the certain prospect of an early renewal of the treaty - considerable
loss and much inconvenience would inevitably ensue.
"'It would be impossible to express in figures, with any approach to
accuracy, the extent to which the facilities of commercial intercourse
created by the Reciprocity Treaty have contributed to the wealth and
prosperity of this Province; and it would be difficult to exaggerate
the importance which the people of Canada attach to the continued
enjoyment of these facilities.
"'Nor is the subject entirely devoid of political significance.
"'Under the beneficent operation of the system of self-government,
which the later policy of the Mother Country has accorded to Canada, in
common with the other Colonies possessing representative institutions,
combined with the advantages secured by the Reciprocity Treaty of an
unrestricted commerce with our nearest neighbours in the natural
productions of the two countries, all agitation for organic changes has
ceased - all dissatisfaction with the existing political relations of
the Province has wholly disappeared.
