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Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la mdthode. 1 2 3 4 5 6 tm i i ji i fimimt ' immmm " ■■■ —"' C3 ^ ^ I n o o O g I a. J» -* 2 » S^ > S I a now o S « 5 ^ S I" S o e) CA H C IB K Er " 5 H 3 i^ =• re 3 oa n -a s 8 o «• i- c M o > 2! >• O > r,A » ' ' ■■ /^" V.\ -' ,. u~ UPPER CANADA. ^^i^«7w^ RETURN to an Addrcss of the Honourable The House of Commons, dated aC April 1836;— /or, COPY of an Address o\ the Housf of Assembly of Upper Canada, in Com- mittee of tlie whole House, on the 11th of February 1830, to His Majesty, respecting the Commerce and Trade of that Province ; also Copies of the several Resolutions ..'especting Commerce and Trade agreed to by the sami; Committee on the same day. Colonial Department,! ^ rtn-nv 20 June 1836. j ^- ^^^^• [This Paper contains the Address of the House of Assembly of Upper Canada, 1 1 February 1836 ; but the Resolutions respecting Trade and Commerce have not yet been received from the Lieutenant-Governor.] ADDRESS OF THE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY OF UPPER CANADA. TO THE KING'S MOST EXCELLENT MAJESTY. Most Gracious Sovereign, WE, Your Majesty's dutiful nnd loyal Subjects, the Commons of Upper Canada, in Provincial Parliament assembled, humbly beg leave to submit to Your Majesty, that the depressed State of Agriculture in this Province is in a great measure to be attributed to those laws, ordinances and instructions, for the regu- lation of trade, by means of which the industry of the Province is held in subser- vience to the interest of the commerce and shipping of the United Kingdom ; and from Your Majesty's paternal care and enliglitened views we entertain a reasonable expectation, that a more liberal policy, suitable to the wants and more permanent interests of the Colonists, will be henceforth pursued, and their foreign trade encouraged and promoted, as being eminently conducive to the prosperity of the Province. We further humbly submit to Your Majesty, that we have always shown great willingness to consume the goods and merchandise of the United Kingdom and its Colonies, according to our means of payment ; but that if the restrictions which embarrass our commerce were removed, and we permitted to direct the labour of our hands to the industry of our choice, to employ the cheapest and most convenient means of transport, and to carry the products of that industry to those markets in which they could be disposed of to the best advantage, our means of purchasing British goods would be thereby increased, and our capital and labour employed beneficially in diffusing wealth and enjoyment through the Colony. Situated as Upper Canada is, at a great distance from the sea, the communi- cation with which, by the St. Lawrence, is interrupted for a great part of the year, our interests would be best promoted by the adoption of such commercial regulations as would enable our agriculturists, merchants and manufacturers, to obtain free access to the ocean through every channel by means of which they could safely convey those articles of which this Province possesses a superfluity, to the best markets, and through which they might bring back, of the goods and merchandise of other lands, according to their means, without such imports being subjected to the present heavy tariff of discriminating duties ; the opera- tion of which is, to add materially to the many natural obstructions incidental to our inland situation, and to retard the settlement of the waste lands of the Province by the more wealthy, intelligent and persevering class of emigrants, who p "nduced to settle and invest their capital in the States of Ohio, Michi- f^iin, : isyivania, and New York ; the citizens of which have at all times the free choice of three markets, naTiely, the St. Lawrence, Foreign States through their own seabord, and the markets of the Southern States ; while we of Uppei:.' Canada are restricted to the channel of the St. Lawrence only. 3?9. - Wt ■' jlSifi:*' V I 2 ADDRESS OF THE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY We humbly request that Your Majesty will be pleased to cause such represen- tations to be made to the Government at Washington, as shall appear to be best calculated to induce Congress to admit the goods and merchandise of Great Britain or other nations to pass through the Uaited States into Upper Canada, subject only to the duties which are or may be payable within this Province, and without being liable to the payment of any tax or impost in or to the said States ; and also to permit the goods, wares and merchandise of this Province, to be transported through the said States to other countries l)eyond the seas, free of duty, and subject only to such rcgidations as may be found necessary for the prevention of infractions of the revenue laws of the American Union. We also humbly submit to Your Majesty, that lumber is admitted duty free into this Province from the United States, tlie Government of which States exacts very heavy duties on the lumber we «'xi)ort thither ; and that the exaction of these duties gives cause of complaint to all wlio are largely engaged in carry- ing lumber from the Western Settlements of this Province to the said States ; and we trust that Your Majesty's Governn;<'nt m ill enter into such negociations as may have a tendency to place this important branch of Canadian industry, on a footing of perfect reciprocity in the markets of the ncijihljouriiig Rt'j)ublic. Although the prices of wheat and Hour, two of our staple commodities, are frequently higher in the United States than in this Province, we are prevented from ol)taining the full advantage of tlie increase of demand conse(]uent on such prices ; our wheat being subject to a duty in the United States' Ports of about Is. 2rf. currency on every bushel imported, with a proportional tax on Canadian flour; while, to the people of the said States, our markets for their Avlieat and flour are always open, duty f.'ee, by v hicli regulation thiy are at all times enabled to avail themselves of such favourable changes as may happen in the markets of Canada. We humbly request that Your Majesty would cause such representations to be made to the Government of the United States as might have a tendency to place this interesting branch of Canadian commerce on a footing of reciprocity in the two countries, which principle of reciprocity, if it were extended generally to other descriptions of goods, admitted duty free, into the Canadas, undi'r late Colonial Trade Acts, would confer many additional benefits on this Province. And we also humbly request, that, in consideration of the great and increasing consumption of the merchandise of the United Kingdom in Upper Canada, Your Majesty would be pleased to recommend to Your Parliament to admit tlie flour, meal, grain, beef, pork, and other staple products of this Province, into the j)orts of the United Kingdom, on the terms at whieh tlie staple agricultural products of the Noith;'rn and Eastern States of the American Union are, by a lat(; British Act, authorised to be admitted into Canada, or subjett to as reasona1)le rates of impost as arc now levied at the Ports of Montreal and Quebec, on the staple produ'jts ar.d manufactures of the United Kingdom, when imported direct from G^eai: Uiitain and Ireland by sea. Wo would humbly re])resent to Your Majesty, that the entire abolition of the several duties now levied in our ports upon articles of the growth and manufac- ture of other countries, which come not into competition with the industry of this Province, would have a tendency to increase and ditt'use capital here, besides afibrding a protection to labour by enabling the labourer to live chea])er, and the farmer and manufacturer to compete Uiore successfully with the skill and industry of other countries. The article of tea, which is consumed in great quantities in this Province, is taxed at Quebec, and prohibited on our frontier, but admitted, free of duty, into the United States, to which it is brought direct from the place of its growth. The free importation of tea into Canada would interfere with no article of domestic manufaetiu-e either in Great Britain or her Colonies : although tea is prohibited from being imported hitlier from the United States, where it is obtained much cheaper than we now obtain it in Montreal and Quebec. The opinion prevails, that it is extensively smuggled from the United States ; and it is well known that the seizures made by the officers of the customs sometimes prove ruinous to those persons who are tempted to engage in the traffic ; hence the complaint is pref red with very great reason, that laws are enacted in ', England, where we are not represented in Parliament, prohibiting the people of this Province from purchasing the commodities they require at the best and cl/eapeot markets, and compelling them, if they purchase at all, to uphold ■>■•■ •■'■.«, n:-:^^^'' )vince, IS lily, into firowtli. irticle of 1 tea is ere it is 2v.. Tlie and it )metiines ,. , hence acted in )('ople of best and uphold OF UPPER CANADA. 3 a grievous monopoly, by buying at the dearest market both to the merchant and the consumer, although in preventing the Canadiaiis from purchasing tea in the United States, the Govemn?ent cannot urge the usual specious plea, that it does so to encourage some; domestic production either of England or her Colonies. We are of opinion that the following articles, when imported from Great Britain, or from any other coimtry, into Lower Canada, or into this Province from the United States, should be imported free from all duties ; namely, teas of all kinds, coffee, cottcm yarn, and all cotton manufactures, bur blocks, bolting cloths and screens, books and papers of all kinds, printers' presses, types an(l ink, molasses, tin in plites and block tin. Our close neighbourhood, for many hundreds of miles, to parts of the States of New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Michigan, nnders it a matter of difficulty for the trader who will not snniggle, to compete with him who will, in all those articles which can be purchased cheapest in the markets of those States, on which a duty is now levied sufficiently high to cover tlic expense and risk of smuggling tlieni across the lines. We are of opinion that it would be expedient co repeal the laws imposing 7/. 10 .s., 15/., 2()/., and, in souk; cases, ;5ii/. of customs" duties, on every 100/. valut!, of many articles of goods, which are of the first necessity to an agricultural community, when imported into Lower Canada liy sea from countries not under till! dominion of (ireat Britain, or from the United States into this Province by land, or otlicr conveyance ; wliile in smiie instances no duty, and in most cases a duty of only 21. 10,s\ on every lOO/. value, is exacted on the same descriptions of goods iinil mevcliandise if imported from (ireat Britain or her Colonies, by way of {^iiel)ee and Montreal ; and that in lieu of the said discriminating duties or other regulations, only 21. 10,s'. on every lOO/. value, should be levied on such goods, whetlii'r they be im|)orted Ijy sea from parts abroad, or by land, river or lake conveyance, from the said United States ; so that a fair competition may be allowed in our markets to other nations, and our limited capital and population em])l()yed to the best advantage. Ami, that it is expedient to repeal the statutes under authority of which train oil and oil of all sorts, fish, dricMJ or salted, and books, which are prohibited to be imported into thi; United Kingdom, nro. prohibited to be imported into this Province from tin; United States or othjr foreign countries; and to allow the people of this Province to buy oils, books and fish, in whatever market such articles are sold cheapest. And w(; woidd further humbly represent to Your Majesty, that in case the revenue that would aecriie to the Province from the customs, duties and oth(;r sources, under the cliang(!s contemplated in this Address, should fall short of the sum necessary to carry on the Government, and defray the interest of the public debt, we iiave already eontriieted, tlie ditlerence might be raised by a judicious apiiortionment of taxation, by the Legislature of this Province, on those imported articles which are generally regarded as luxuries, or which come directly into competition with the staple productions of tlie Colony ; and that where, by giving a temporary encouragement, by means of moderate duties, to certain species of domestic industry a reasonai)le expectation might be entertained that the articles so encouragiMl would soon be able to compete on equal terms with the jiroducts of the skill and labour of other countnes, so that the tariff would no longer ojxn'ate as a tax, we would not be unwilling to impose such duties ; and we feel it imeumbent on us further to represent to Your Majesty, that as the timber trade of the Canadas has been for many years encouraged and fostered by the commercial regulations adojited in England ; and as a large capital is now vested therein, any Ai-t of the Imperial Parliament by which the present scale of duties levied on foreign timber might be reduced, would be attended with very injurious consecpu'iices to many inhabitants of this Province engaged in that important branch of our commerce. (signed) Marshall S. Bidwell, Speaker. Commons, House of Assembly,"! i6th day of February 1836. j