^ IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) m/. C <;» fe t,^ ■s? v; ^ LO II 1.25 li^lllM 112.5 112 2.2 £ 1^ ill 2.0 mil 6' 1.8 M. mil 1.6 7 Province of Canada, in the year 1843, panseii a series of resolutions expressing a strong remonstrance, and nearly all tlia other legislatures in North America fol- lowed. The Legislature of Nova Scotia, in 1845, memorialized Her Majesty for a modifieation of the Act. They stated tliat the high price of English books, and the monopoly of London publishers, which were felt to be serious grievances in the United Kingdom, but mitigated there by the periodical sales by some of the publishers and by t!ie wide establishment of circulating libraries, clubs and readii\g societies, were inten- sified in the colony, where the inii>ortation of English editions of new books was confined to a few copies for the use of libraries and wealthy individuals, that the readers of the colony were usually supplied by Americaii reprints of English books, and that any law of copyright to prevent the import- ation of such reprints could not be enforced and would be ineffectual even to extend the sale of English copies beyond the previously existing demand. The Legislature of Nova Scotia at that time pressed upon Her Majesty's Government, not only a consideration of the general advantages of literature upon the minds of tlie people, but the evil tendency of the literature of a foreign, and often hostile, country, like the United States, in forming the political opinions and the tastes of the people in the provinces. On the 'llth November, 1845, Lord Stanley, Her Majesty's I'rincipal Secretary for the Colonies, replied to this memorial from Nova Scotia, intimatuig that the attention of Her Ma- jesty's Government was being directed to the state of the copy- right law, in order to discover if there were any particulars in which the law might be so amended, as to atlbrd any relief to the colonies, " without promising that I'ariiament would be " recommended to alter its determination to aftbrd protection " to the authors and publishers of Great Britain of their right " of property in their own productions." On the 13th March, 184G, the Legislature of Nova Scotia again adopted a report which was transmitted to the Rt. Honourable Secretary of State for the Colonies. That report stated that attention had been given by the Committee to the despatch of Lord Stanley, dated the 27th November, 1845, and that they were convinced " that the prac- tical etfccts of the Copyright Act were to dei)rive the people of the colonies of literature, whose means rendered them unable to purchase costly books issued from English publish- ing houses, to diminish the revenue and to encourage smug- gling, without producing any corresponding benefit to the author." These remonstrances drew from the Rt. Honourable Mr. Gladstone, the Secretary of State for the Colonies, a represen- tation to the publishing trade in England that "they must be induced to moility any exclusive view which might still pre- vail with regard to this important subject." i« At length, on the 19th October, 1846, Sir StatFord H. Northcote, by direction of the Lorda of the Privy Oouucil for Trade, reviewing the contentions, which had been thus pressed upon the Home Government by the legislatures of the colo- nies, made the following recommendation to the Colonial Office : " Under these circumstances, my Lords see no course so likely to be successful as that of inviting the Colonial Legislatures tliemselves to undertake the task of framing such regulations as they may deem proper for securing at oiice the rights of authors and the interests of the public. My Lords feel confi- dent that they may rely upon the colonies being animated by a sense of justice whicii will lead them to co-operate with this country in endeavouring to protect the p.utlior from the fraud- ulent appropriation of the fruits of labours upon which ho is often entirely dependent, while they entertain a sanguine hope that methods may thus be discovered of accomplishing this important object with the least possible inconvenience to the community. "I am accordingly directed to request that you will suggest, for Lord Grey's consideration, whether it might not be desir- able to obtain from Parliament an Act authorizing the Queen in Council to confirm, and finally enact, any colonial law or ordinance respecting copyright, notwithstanding any repug- nancy of any such law or ordinance to the copyright law of this country, it being provided by the propo.',ed Act of Par- liament that no such colonial law or ordinance should be of any force or effect imtil so confirmed and finally enacted by the Queen in Council, but that, from the confirmation and final enactment thereof, the copyright law of this country should cease to be of any force or effect ^vithin the colony in which any such colonial law or ordinance had been made, in so far as it might be repugnant to, or inconsistent with, the operation of any such colonial law or ordinance. " I am, &c., [Signed] " Stafford II. Noutucote." The following is the reply of the Colonial Office to the Board of Trade, dated 20th October, 184C. " Colonial Office to Board of Trade. " Downing Street, 30th October, 1840. " Siu,— I have laid before Earl Grey your letter of the 19th instant respecting the operation of the Imperial law of copy- right in the British North American colonies. " His Lordship directs me to acquaint you for the information of the Lords of the Committee of the Privy Council for Trade, that ho concurs in the views expressed in your letter on this subject, and that it is in his opinion preferable, after the repeated remonstrances which have been received from the North American colonies on the subject of the circulation there of the literary works of this Itingiloiu, to leave to the colonial legi-slutnres the duty and responaibility of enacting the h.ws which they shall deem proper for securing the rights of authors ai d the interests of the public. "Lord Grey, therefore, directs me to request that you would move the Lords of Committee of Privy Council for Trade to take such measures as may be expedient for sabmittuig to the considerotion of Parliament in the ensuing sersion a Bill authorizing the Queen in Coiiucil to confirm and finally enact any col.mial law or ordinance which may be passed respecting copyright, notwithstanding the repugnancy of any such law or ordinance to the copyright law of this country, and contaimng also the provisions mentioned in your letter in respect to the period at which such c.lonial law should come into operation. " I am, &c., " [Signed] B, Hawes." Thereupon, the following circular despatch was sent by Earl Grey to all the governors of the North American colo- nies : — " Earl Grey to the Governors of the North American Colonies. (Circular.) " Downing Strect, November, 1846. « Sib,— Her Majesty's Government having had under their consideration, the ' representations which have been received from the governors of some of the British North American provinces, Complaining of the eiiect in those colonies of the Imperial Copyright Law, have decided oa proposing measures to Parliament in the ensuing session, which, if sanctioned by the legislature, will, they hope, tend to remove the dissatis. faction which has been expressed on this subject, and place the literature of this country within the reach of the colonies on easier terms than it is at present. With this view, relying upon the disposition of the colonies to protect the authors ot this country from the fraudulent appropriation of the fruits of labours upon whic-h they are often entirely dependent, Her Maiesty's Government propose to leave to the Local Legisla- tures the duty and responsibility of passing such enactment as they may deem proper for securing both the rights of authors and the interests of the public. Her Majesty's Govern- ment will accordingly submit to Parhament a bill authorizing the Queen in Council to contirm and finally enact any colonial law or ordinance respecting copyright, notwithstanding any repugnancy of any such law or ordinance to the Copyright law of this country, it being provided by the proposed Act of Parliament that no such law or ordinance shall be of any force or effect until so confirmed and finally enacted by the Queen in Council, but that from the confirmation and final enactment thereof, the copyright law of this country shall cease to be of any force or effect within the colony in which any such colo- 6 nial law or ordinance has been maae, in so far as it may be repugnant to or iiiooiisistent with, the operation of any such colonial law or ordinance. " I have, &c., " [Signed] Grey." After a lapse of more than forty yeart , I am charged with the duty of rimioding Your Lordsliip that the promise con- tained in that despatch of Earl Grey has never been fulfilled, and respectfully to ask its fultilmcnt at the hands of your govenmient. The lapse of time which has intervened has strengthened tenfold every one of the .-easons which induced it to be made. At the date of that despatch, responsible government had hardly been estaMishcd in the J^^orth Amer- ican colonies, now those colonies have had forty years' expe- rience of self-government and liave a united parliament, unaor a most liberu'. conslitution, a parliament possessing greac powers and responsibilities, among which is expressly men- tioned the subject of copyright. The experience which has been gained of colonial legis- lation has, I hope, not lessened theconfidenceof Her Majesty's Government in the dinposition of that parliament io deal justly with the interests which have been entrusted to its care, and to carry out the views of Her Majesty's G r>vernment in matters of imperial policy as far as possible. Again, the inconveniences whicii were pressed on the con- sidei-ation of Her Majesty's Governiacnt forty-seven years ago by the Colonial Legiblaturen have increased, notwithstanding tiie partial measure of relief which was accorded rhroe years after Earl Grey's despatch, and which poimitted the importa- tion of foreign reprints of Tiritish cM.pyright works. The price or British publications still exceeds six- or seven-fold, tliat for whicii reprints are purchased in .Ani.'iica. The system of f.irculatino- libraries and periodical sales, whicii gives to the British reader the benefit of British literature, has found no place in the colonics, while in Canada the moans of reprinting British publications is now, though it was not then, entirely adequate lo the wants of the reading public, if it be permitted to carry on operations, with a reasonable regard for the inte- rosts of British Copyright holders. In part fulfilment of the promise of Her Majesty's Govern- ment, niadt> known through Earl Crey in the despatch above (pn)t.'d, lh.> lnn>erial S'.atute of 1847 was passed, authorizing Her Miiio.lv, by Order in Council to suspend that portion of tlie Act of l«4-2 which prohibited the importation of foreign reprints of British copyright works, as to any colony in which the proper legislative authority should be disjiosed to make due prevision for scouring and protecting the rights of British authors in such i)ossesBioi.. In the years 1848-5U Ifcr Majesty in Council made Orders in Coun.'il suspending the prohibition contained in the Act of 1842 against the importation of such foreign reprints, the ■rr r legislatures of the North American colonics having, in the meantime, provided for the collection of an impost on such foreign reprints, in favour of the author or copyright holder. This partial measure, although not a fultilmcnt of the promise of Earl Grey, met the principal grievance felt at that time in the North American colonies, namely, tht; grievance of being deprived of British literature, which could practically only he supplied to the colonies by American reprnits, the publishing business ot thd colonies being then in its infancy. For a time, the complaints of the colonics against the Act of 184-2 ceased, in conseqnence of this remedial measure, but for the last twenty years and upwards the operation of the Act of 1842 even with the remedial ]irovision8 of 1847, has been seriously felt and has formed the subject of almost con- tant complaint. In the quarter of a century which followed the Act of 1842, new conditions of trade and commerce deve- loped. The people of the North American provinces had not only become used to pelf-government, by the liberal policy of Her Majesty's Government in giving them free legislative con- stitutions, but they had become more independent of American industries. The necessity for encouraging native industries, instead of relying on those of the United States had also become very apparent. The tbllowing are instances o'the serions inconvenience ex- perienced by the operation of the imperial copyright laws in North America. The reading public of what is now the Dominion of Canada has been principally supplied with British literature by Ame- rican reprints. Tiio high prices of British editions has made this unavoidable. In spite of the pointed and repeated warnings to British publishers given by the Colonial OlHce for forty years, very little has been done to change this state of things by providii^g cheap editions ol British works. Kven to this day the English editions cost from four- to ten-fold the price of American reprints. The result is that the business of publish- ing British liteniturr fov the C'anadian reading public is done almost exclusively in the United States. The American publisher, unrestraineil liy any International Copyright Law or Treaty, is free to re|irint any British work and to supply it, not only to the reading pnblic of the United States, but to the reading public of (-anada, wbile .,he Canadian publisher is not free to reprint any such work on any terms, unless he can ontain the permission of the holder of the copyright in Great Britain. In some noted instances, this has actually led to the transfar of printing establishments from Canaihi to the United States. In other cases, English publishing bouses have set up branches in New York, or other American cities, with the view of reprinting for the "^Juited States and Canada the copy- riglit w<> many consideriitionw of imperial policy to render it poasi- hle to comply with the (U'sire expressed by the address of the Ser:ate, that legislation hould be obtained during the then present Session of Parluiv. nt. It was further stated o be most desivnble that the Cana- dian qi-.cstion should be considered in connection with any negotiations with the United States with regard to copyright. The letter contained the following paragraph which stated in 8ubs^ance the disposal of the question at that time : " My Lords, however, fully admit that the anomalous posi- tion of Canadian publishers with respect to their rivals in the United 8tates of America, is a matter which calls for careful inquiry; but they feel that such an inquiry cannot be satis- factorily undertaken without at the same time taking into consideration various other questions connected with the Im- perial Laws of Copyright, and the policy oi' International Copy- right Treaties, and they are, therefore, of opinion that the subject should be treated as a whole, and that an endeavour should be made to place the general law of copyriglit, espe- ciallv that part of it which concerns the whole continent of North America, on a more satisfactory footing." The Duke of Buckingham and Chandos on the Slst July, 18ti8, sent the Gov.^rnor General of Canada the following fomial reply : — " Your Lordship will perceive that any immediate legisla- tion on the matter was impossible, but that the anomalous position of the question in North America is not denied, and that it is admitted that the law of copyright generally may be a very fit subject for future consideration." On the 9th April, 1869, the Government of Canada again moved in the matter, transmitting to the Colonial Office a memorandum by the Minister of Finance in reply to the com- munication from the Board of Trade above referred to, and on the 27th July, 1869, the Board of Trade made an extended reply, to which I beg to refer Your Lordship, as showing that the request which had been made from Canada in 1868, and which is still being pressed, was not controverted on its merits, but was deferred in the hope that presently some international arrangement might be made with the United States and under the impression that it would be unwise to deal with the Cana- dian (luestion while the probability of such an arrangement was in view. The following passage from that communication bears this out, and sets forth a summary of the conclusions, at whicli the Lords of Trade had arrived : " Under these circumstances the balance of argument is, in the opinion of the Lords of Trade, against any immediate adoption of the Canadian proposal. The truth is that it is impossible to make any complete or satisfactory arrangement with Canada unless the United States are also parties to it. Whatever protection is to be given to authors on one side of the St. Lawrence must, in order to be elfectual, bo extended IP^J 12 to the other ; and it is t'im8e(iueiitly impossiMe to consider this ([ueation without also considering the prospects of an ar- rangement between (Jreat }3rii.uin and the United Htatos, There are symptoms of the possibility of such an arrangement. In 1853-54, an International Copyright {Convention was signed between the two governments, btit waa allowed to drop. In the last session of the United States Congress a bill was intro- duced providing for intirnational copyright in the United States. It requirefl republication and reprinting in the United States as a condition of copyright there, and was in this res- pect objectionable. But tl>e correspondence showed that tliere was a considerable interest in the question, and it was evident that the Americans were teeling the want of an international arrangement on the subject." Accordingly on tlie 20th October, 1869, Earl Granville in- formed the Governor General ot Canada that the matter was one of some (iifliculty, and that ITer Majesty's Guvenimeut felt it necessary to obtain further information before deciding on the proposal of the Canadian Government, but that, in the meantime, action might be taken as to a portion of the Imper- ial Law whicli was not atfec*ed by the ditHonlties surrounding the present question, namely, that while, by the present law, publication in the United Kingdom giivc copyright thioughout the Knipirc, publication in a colony could not give rights out- aide the limits of the colony ; and he stated that Her Majesty's Goverument were prepared to take steps, during the next Bession, to amend the law in that particular. On the 20tli December, 1869, the Governor General of Canada transmitted a number (jf documents, one of which was an address which he bail received from the Typogiapiiical Union of Montreal, setting out in strong terms the prejudicial effects of the Imiierial Copyright Acts in Canada. II is Ex- cellency had promised, in reply, that lie would not fail to draw the attention of the Privy Council to the point thus raised. a His Excellency also transmitted at the same time, a report from the Minister of Finance on the first communication from the Board ol Trade above mentioned. The Minister remonstrated against the Canadian request being delayed for the action ot the United States. He said : " In reference to the second objection ui'gcd against the desired change in the law, the undersigned ie ready to admit that Canada ought not ta ask for and should not expect to receive any privilege which could reasonably be held to prejudice, or postpone the satisfactory adjustment of the great question of international copyright between England and the United States. But he is unable to see how the change in the law asked for could have anj jucli effect, especially if it were pro- vided that the privilege accorded to Canadian publishers should be provisional and temporary, to deiermine on the con- clusion of any international treaty of copyriglit between the two countries." " Under such limitations would not the granting of the priv- ilege aflked for on behalf of Canadian publishers operate rather i- -S 13 to bring about the eoiicluBior. of an Internafional Copyriglit Treaty, than to postpone or prevent it? If Canadian pubhsliera wore placed on tlie same footing as their American rivals, the latter would be, to a v>..-v great extent, deprived of the pecu- niary bonetits resulting to them, in the aosence of any Inter- national Copyright Treaty from their piracy of the works of English authors." On the general question whicii I have already discussed, the Minister made use of the following expressions, whicli I cite for the purpose of showing that they are not now advanced for the first time to Her Majesty's ( Jovernment, and that these are not newly discovered grievances: " At present the Canadian public are mainly dependent on the supply, even of foreign litciature for which a copyright may be obtained in England, on the reprinto from the United States. "It may be argued in answer to tliese objections that tho Canadian publisher may n.ake arrangements with the author for permission to publish ; but as the law now stands there is no motive (ir inducement either for the autlK)r to concede, or the publislier to obtain this sanction ; the author has already made, or can make his arrangements with the foreign pub- lisher, who knows that cirv-unwtances will give him a large cir- culation in the Canadian inariicts, and that even the alight pro- portion of duty collected will be paid by the Canadian reader, because lepublication is there forbidden. " At present the foreign piiblisher, having a larger market of his own, and knoA ing the advantages of access ti) the Canadian market, can hold out greater inducements to the author than the colonial jiublishcr, and can afford to indemnify th.e author for agreeing to forego taking out any copyright and to abstain from printing in Canada." The Minister concluded bis report, which had the approval of His Excellency in Council, as follows : — " Having consideretl tlie arguments adva-iced against the modification ofthecopy right law asked for in the address of the Senate, the undersigned would recommend that the attention of the Imperial authorities bi' once more invited to the subject, and that they may be earnestly rctiuestcd to accede to tho application of ihc Senate, upon the understanding, if thought proper, that "ihe cbangt> in the law. if made, should l)e tempo- rary, to be determined upot> tlie conclusion of any Interna- tional Copyright Treaty between England and the United States. " In conclusion the undersigned may be permitted to note the faot, that during the last few months, the present subject has bci'ii largely discussed in the leading jii.irnals of Canada as well as at public meetings. The public sentiment throughout the country is, that the privilege asked for is fair and reason- able in itself, and that tlie granting of it would not only pro- mote the interests of the English authors, but give an impetus to the publishing and prii>ting trade, and other cognate branches of Canadian industry, and would bo calculated to uicrease i 14 the cireulation in Canada of the hest British works, and to foster the literary tastes, and develop the literary talents of the Canadian people." At this stage, the British publishing interest intervened, and pressed upon the Lords of Trade, who in their turn pi'issed upon the Colonial Orti'je the propriety of compelling the colo- nies to accept the modification of the Imperial Copyright Laws which had just been offered to them without any dcmaiid for concession in return, and which was obviously required by the commonest principles of justice (namely) the concession of publication in the colony should be cfiuivalent of publication in Great Britain, on condition, only, that the colonies sliould give up their right, accorded under the Act of 1847, to import foreign reprints. When so little was being conceded, in a\i8wer to the repeated requests oi' Canada for the right to supply our people with reprints, it would have been doubtful whether the Canadian Government would have expressed its acquiescence in a measure 80 comparatively unimportant, l)ut when that concession became coupled with a condition which would have made the Imperial Copyright Acts absolutely unbearable and unenfor- ceable, only one reply was possible, and that reply was the one which was transmitted from Canada on the Ist July, 1870, stating that while there could be no objection to the proposed Bill, iiiaking publication in the colony equivalent to publi- cation in the United Kingdom, taking into conslleration the suggested repeal of the Imperial Copyright Act of 1847, it was highly inexpedient that legislation should take place at that time. Lord Kimberley requested the Gove'-uor General of Canada on the 29th July, 1870, to forward to him a full statement of the views of the Caiuulian Government on tlie question, in order that it might be considered before the next session. Accordingly, on the 80th November, 1870, a joint report of the Ministers of Finance and Agriculture was adopted by His Excellency in Council, the substance of which is contained in what here follows :- - " \\ hat the undersigiu»d would venture to suggest is, that the duty on the reprints of books first published either in Great Britain or its dependencies, when imported from forci'jrn (!0un(ric8, should be materially increased ; and that it should bo levied in all cases for the benefit of the author or owner of the copyright, should sueii exist ; and that to prevent evasion of the law a declaration should be required from importers, that any works which they nuiy claim to import free of such duty have never been published either in Great Britain or in British dependencies ; that foreign reprints of works publish"(l in Canada should be wholly prohibited ; that any author pub- lisliing in Canada should be, as at present, protected in his copyright, but that unless Ihitish copyright works should be published concurrently in Canada, licensed ('aiuidian publisliers shoiihl be allowed to publish, puyiug, for the benefit of the author or owner of the English copyright, an excise duty, 16 which could be collected by means of stamps as easily as other duties of ii similar kind. The undersigned have no doubt that such a sdieme as that which they have suggested could be carried into practical effect witli great advantage to the Eng- lish authors, who, as a rule, would sell their copyrights for Canada to Canadian publishers. It is ti'ue that British pub- lishers wo'Ud not gain that colonial circulation which they have long tried to obtain without success ; but it is vain for them to expect that the expensive editions published in Eng- land can meet a sale in any part of the American continent. " The undersigned theretore, recommend, that Your Excel- lency shotdd acquaint Her Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for the Colonies, that there is no probability of the Domi- nion Parliament consenting to any measure for entbicing British copyright in Canada, unless it provides for local publi- cation ; and that while the Canadian government will be ready to introt'nce a measure that will be of great advantage to British authors, they must, in reference to foreign reprints, have regard to the interests of Canadian as well copyright in the United Kingdom." " 188. The principle of this Act, commonly known as the ' Foreign Reprints Act,' is to enable the colonies to take advantage of reprints of English co[>yright books made in foreign states, and at the same time to protect the interests of Uritish authoiu" The result of the " Foreign Reprints Ajt " is thus stated in sections 198 and 194 : — "193. So far as British authors and ownora of copyright are concerned, the Act has proved a complete failure. Foreign reprints of copyright works have been largely introduced into 19 the colonies, and notably Ameri<,-an reprints into the Dominion of Canada, but no returns, or retarnB of an abBurdly small amount huv(! been made to the authori* and owners. It appears from olfi, that the Act then passed, to give effect to what liad so often been asked for, to what had never been refused, ami to I \W- I 21 what hatl been recoinmeuded by the bigliest authorities in Great Britain, after most mature deliberation should receive a favourable consideration at the hands of Her Majesty's Gov- ernment, when the Government of Canada asked for the assent of Her Majesty's Government to the issue of a proclamation to bring it into force. I respectfully lefraln from discussing here the legal difficuUies by which your Lordshij) has been impresseil, as to the power of the Parliament of Canada to pass such an Act, because, I understand, that I have your Lordship's, permission, to discuss that subject separately, and because it in no way relates to the principle under discussion on this occasion. Hitherto it has always been ei .xer assumed on the part of Canada and Great Britain, or distinctly asserted on the part of Great Britain, that Canada had not the power to pass such an Act, but hope has always been held nut that Canada should obtain the power, and i therefore submit, that if your Lord- ship should continue to be of the opinion that the power does iKjt exist, you will promote legislation to sot that question finally at rest, by conferring the power, and that, if you should be ot the opinion that the power may exist, you will advise iler Majesty to consent to the issue of a proclamation to bring the Act of 1889 into force, under the assurances which have been, offered, that a most respectful onsideration will h( given to any suggestion for the improvment of the measure which your Lordship may think proper to make, alter hearing all that may be advanced on both sides. In the despatch of the 25th March, Your Lordship suggested that the Government of Canada would doubtless fully consider whether it would not be well, and be desirable, to leave the law as it now stands, until it should be seen what action would be taken ii\ the United States on the subject of copyright. The action of the United iStates has since been announced. It is the action which has followed every attempt to establish a copyright arrangement with the United States during the last twenty-tive years. The only measure which has ever been offered in the United States Congress, lonking to international arrangement, or Ibrniing, in any way, the Imsis for interna- tional arnuigement, has exacted, as an indispensable condition to American copyright (whether treaty or statutory) reprint- ing in the United States. Those who are most intimately acquainted with the state of fiublic opinion in that country, are confident that that condition will never be dispensed with. Wo have seen tluit every measure looking to an international arrangement, even with that condition included, and even the measure which was pending when Your Lordship's despatch was written, has been rejected by Congress. It is not too nmch then, I hope, to aak that a tiind decision of the ease of Canada, should no longer be postponed to await the action of the United States. Permit me to add, in tliis regard, a repetition of two points, which I have already hinted at. ■ipA y 1 I 3 22 First, that the present pohcy of making Canada a inarlvct for American reprinta, ami dosing tlie Canadian press, for the benefit of the American press, in regard to Britis' ,v '''S^'* works, iias a direct tendency to induce the United States to refuse any international arrangement ; second, that inasmucli as the existing Canadian copyright law affords protection to the copyright holder in every country M'hich may make a treaty with Great Britain, it cannot l)e suggested, as it once was, that self-government in Canada, on this subject, would, in tiie least, impede negotiations with the United States for an international arrangement. I have the honour to be, my Lord, Your Lordship's obedient servant, (Sd.) Jno. S. D. THOMPSON, Minister of Justice of Canada. To The Right Hon. Lord Knutsford, Her Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for the Colonies, Downing Street.