Now, if this
were true, it opened up a very large question. Merchants in England who
had run the blockade had been most properly censured for the practice.
Their having done so was naturally matter of diplomatic complaint; but
here were the seal and the signature of the President of the United
States himself made use of to send supplies to the enemy on the one
hand, and to give cotton to the manufacturers of the Northern States on
the other. He thought that letter ought not to have been printed
without some comment. If explanations had been given by Mr. Adams and
were not printed, the omission was a slight; and he thought a good
understanding with the United States, desired so sincerely by, he
hoped, the House at large, would not be promoted by its publication."
The "Observer," referring to this speech, made the following remarks: -
"There is a great disadvantage in bringing any important question
before the House of Commons at a late hour of the night, because in
such a case it is impossible, arising from the exigencies of the
morning papers, that full justice can be done by the parliamentary
reporters to the speech of the speaker. An illustration, of this
occurred on Friday evening. Mr. Watkin, in moving for papers respecting
the Reciprocity Treaty between the United States and the British North
American Provinces, entered at considerable length and with great
ability into that important subject. His speech will be found in
another part of our impression. It would not be easy to overrate the
importance of the interests to this country involved in the question
which Mr. Watkin so lucidly brought before the House. He showed that
under the operation of the existing treaty British trading interests to
the extent of 10,000,000l. per annum were involved. This is no
inconsiderable sum. Assuredly it is much too large to be heedlessly
sacrificed if means can be found consistent with the honour of the
country to prevent it. And yet, notwithstanding the great and manifest
importance of the subject, and though the United States have given
notice of their intention to terminate the treaty in twelve months from
the present time, it would appear that no steps have yet been taken on
the part of the Imperial Government to avert the evils of which the
termination of that treaty would be productive to the British North
American Provinces, and through them to the Mother Country; for, apart
from the stoppage that would ensue to the international trade now
existing between the States and Canada and her sister provinces, the
old vexed question as to the right of Americans to participate in the
fisheries in the Gulf of the St. Lawrence, along a shore upwards of
1,500 miles in length, is again raised. To call attention to these
facts was the main object of Mr. Watkin's speech. He had no wish to
embarass the Government in any way, but was simply desirous of
impressing on it the importance of early action in the matter, with the
view to the preservation or modification of the Reciprocity Treaty.
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