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HON. 
 
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 CANADIAN RECIPROCITY. 
 
 REMARKS 
 
 OF 
 
 Y ■tfs. 
 
 HON. N. S. TOWNSHEND. OF OHIO, 
 
 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, 
 
 FEBRUARY 24, 1883, 
 
 BILL BnCABUIBnro BSdPBOCBL TR&BB WITB m BBIHIE HORXH iMEBJSBX 
 
 PBOvncBii ox caoAXM ooananxm. 
 
 WASHINGTON: 
 BUELL & BLANCHARD, PRINTERS. 
 
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 REMAEKS OF ME. TOWNSHEND. OF OHIO, 
 
 ON 
 
 CANADIAN RECIPROCITY. 
 
 ^« r.< 
 
 i; 
 
 t 
 
 Mr. TOWNSHEND Baid : 
 
 Mr. Speaker : At this lata dav of the seMion, 
 I would not tax the patience of the House by 
 any further discussion of this question, were it 
 not that no gentleman reprc:>enting any part of 
 the valley ol the St. Lawrence— the region es- 
 pecially interested in some of the most import- 
 ant provisions of thia bill— has yet been heard 
 opou lue subject. 
 
 AGRICULTURAL INTEREST. 
 
 And in the first place I beg to oifer a remark 
 or two for the purpose of quieting the fears of 
 some gentlemen here— opponents of the meas- 
 ure—who seem to imagine that reciprocal free 
 trade with Canada is likely to be prejudicial 
 to the agricultural interest of the country, and 
 especially to that of the Northwest. Perhaps 
 I may venture to speak for this interest. I am 
 myself a farmer, and I represent, in part, one 
 of the best agricultural regions of the whole 
 oountry. 
 
 The Canadas annually produce some fifteen 
 millions of bushels of wheat, not more than 
 one third of which can be spared for exporta- 
 tion. This surplus, it is supposed, may come 
 into competition with the wheat grown in Ohio, 
 Indiana, Illinois, and Michigan. But when it 
 is recollected that the price of wheat in those 
 States, and also in Canada, h governed by the 
 European, and particularly the English mar- 
 ket, to which our surplus together with thatof 
 Canada is sent, it is easily seen that it cannot 
 be possible for Canadian producers to under- 
 sell us in our own market. But all these (ears 
 are utterly groundless, in view of the fact that 
 the produotioa of wheat in the Britiub Ameri- 
 
 can ProTineea is necemarily limited by the 
 rigors of the climate, a part of Canada only 
 being adapted for wheat culture, while the 
 amount that may be produced in our North- 
 western States is almost illimitable. VVhy, sir, 
 one of the counties of the Congressional dis- 
 trict in which 1 reside, the county of Wayne, 
 had, last year, seventy thou»iand acres of wheat, 
 the crop of which averaged thirty bushels an 
 acre, or, in the aggregate, amounting to over 
 two millions of bushels. In Ohio there are 
 eighty-five counties, each one of wh'ch could 
 readily produce one million of bushels n year, 
 without interfering in any inconvenient degree 
 with other agricultural products. Under these 
 circumstances, does any one fear the competi- 
 tion of the Canadas? The idea is absurd. 
 
 All that the agricultural interest of the 
 Northwest demands, is the removal of the ob- 
 stacles thrown in the way of trade by a high 
 and unequal tariff, and to secure the free navi- 
 gation of the river St. Lawrence. Only permit 
 us to sell where wo can sell dearest, and to buy 
 where we can buy cheapest — permit us to avail 
 ourselves of any market we can find for our 
 Vheat and pork, beef, cheese, and other arti- 
 cles— permit us to buy lumber, fish, and what- 
 ever else we need, without restrictions, and we 
 ask no favoirs of this Government or of the rest 
 of mankind. We have no conscious weakness 
 to excite our fears of competition, we are not 
 contending against the economy and laws of 
 nature, and therefore we ask for no artificial 
 protection. This point settled, I come now to 
 consider briefly the bearings of reciprocity on 
 the coal trade. 
 
 • 
 
COAL INTEREST. 
 It ia to be regretted that the bill reported by 
 the committee do«8 not provide for the free ex- 
 
 Eortation and importation of coal. I sincerely 
 ope it will be amended in this particular. My 
 anxiety for this amendment does not ariae dim- 
 ply from the fact that the shippin;; interest of 
 the Lakes dcsireei the profits of the trade, nor 
 merely from my conviction that it will directly 
 promote the general interests of the country*; 
 Dot also from the fact, which is or which ought 
 to be perfectly understood, that without this 
 provision for free trade in coal, our proposed 
 reciprocity will not be accepted by tlie Provin- 
 cial Parliament. To obtain a market for this 
 coal is the principal object with Nova Scotia 
 and New Brunswick, and the only considera- 
 tion that will induce them to concede to us the 
 benefits of their coast fisheries. 
 
 At present, Pennsylvania almost monopolizes 
 the coal trade of the country. That State sella 
 some five millions of tons annually, at a co.st to 
 consumers of $20,000,000. It is not, therefore, 
 surprising that the coal interest there should 
 resittt the free import-^ tion of coals from Nova 
 Sergio, where they are found in great abund- 
 ance and of excellent quality. It may, however, 
 be seriously doubted whether the coal interest 
 ot Pennsylvania has anything to fear from free 
 trade in this article ; though if it has, it is just 
 ae certain that other important interests of 
 that great State would be proportionately pro- 
 moted. 
 
 The coal imported from Nova Scotia and New 
 Brunswick is highly bituminous, some of it con- 
 taining as much as sixty per cent, of volatile 
 matter. Such coal as this can never come into 
 competition with the anthracite of Pennsylva- 
 nia. The latter will always be preferred for 
 domestic and some other purposes ; and in con- 
 firmation of this, I may refer to the fact that 
 the British Cunard steamers, which stop at 
 Halifax, do not and cannot use the Nova SScotia 
 coal, but obtain the coal they use from Penn- 
 sylvania, though at a much higher price. It is 
 also equally notorious that all the anthracite 
 in Pennsylvania would not make gas enough 
 to supply the city of Philadelphia for a single 
 evening; nor from the Cumberland coal can 
 gas be made, without the adpiixture of some 
 more bituminous variety. Free trade in coal 
 will therefore result in the exportation of Penn- 
 sylvania coals, to be used for purposes to which 
 they are best adapted, and in the importation 
 of coals from the Provinces), to be used for the 
 special purposes to which they are suited. It 
 is also true that an increased consumption of 
 anthracite will, to some extent, take place, for 
 it is known that some factories in the Ea»t ure 
 now lying idle, because they cannot, without 
 |)ayiQg a high duty, obtain a certain amount 
 
 of Piotou coal which they find it beneficial to 
 use in connection with that from Pennivylva- 
 nia. Such is the ditfercnce in the qnalitie.9 of 
 the.se coalii, and so different the purposes for 
 which each is especially adapted, that Pennsyl- 
 vania and Nova Scotia can scarcely come into 
 direct competition. But the Liverpool <^flal, 
 which more closely resembles that from Nova 
 Scotia, will suffer more by this competition, and 
 ta\}i*t ultimately be driven from our market. 
 
 The importance of the Western coal trade 
 can scarcely have been taken into considera* 
 tion by thooe representing the coal interest 
 here. This is already of great consequence, but 
 it is epeedily destined to bo immensely in- 
 creased. Our Lake trade now employs about 
 seventy-four thousand tons of steam vessels, 
 mostly using coal, and the whole of the Cana- 
 das are entirely destitute of the article ; so that 
 Toronto and other growing cities will be com- 
 pelled to obtain their supplies from the western 
 part of Pennsylvania and from Ohio. The de- 
 mand in this direction will be an equivalent for 
 any competition or diminution of demand in 
 the Eastern cities. 
 
 Pennsylvania is also largely engaged in tb< 
 manufacture of iron ; this is, in fact, her es 
 pecial manufacturing interest. The iron man 
 ufacturera are now compelled to compete witl 
 those of England at a great disadvantage, not 
 only on account of the difference in the price 
 of labor, but also on account of the difference 
 in the price of coal. In England, iron can bl 
 afforded cheap, mainly because, in many local- 
 ities, the iron and ooal, and a clay suitable for 
 fire-bricks, and of which furnaces can be built, 
 are found in alternate layers ; it therefore costt 
 nothing to bring the iron and coal together. 
 Should, therefore, the introduction ofcoalfrota 
 the British Provinces have the effect to reduce 
 the price of coals, as some suppose, it will in 
 the same ratio increase the profits of the iron- 
 masters. The manufacturers of the East are 
 also equally interested with the iron men in 
 obtaining cheap fuel. 
 
 But there is another consideration which, of 
 itself, ought to be conclusive in favor of fret 
 trade in this article. Fuel is about as much t. 
 necessary of life as food ; and for those that live 
 in the great Atlantic cities, cool is fast be- 
 coming the only fuel. Now, tho question is, 
 shall we, by legislation preventing competition, 
 compel the millions who want coal, and must 
 have it, to pay an extra and exorbitant price, 
 in order that a few brokera. owning coal stocks, 
 may realize enormous profits? At this age of 
 the world, will a monopoly, which bears with 
 such crushing weight on the working classes, 
 longer be tolerated ? I think not. And I be. 
 lieve I may safely leave this matter, and pro- 
 ceed to ^reak of the lumber interest. 
 
 if 
 
> 
 
 raefioisl to 
 Pent! !»yl va- 
 in ali ties of 
 urposes for 
 at PennRyl- 
 1 come into 
 rpool cnal, 
 from Nova 
 ctition, and 
 market, 
 coal trade 
 ) coDsidera* 
 al interest 
 {uence, but 
 leusely tn« 
 )loy8 about 
 III) veseelfl, 
 ' the Cana* 
 lie ; so that 
 ill be com> 
 ihc western 
 >. The de- 
 livalent for 
 demand in 
 
 nged in tb> 
 ict, her es 
 ) iron man 
 npete witl. 
 intage, not 
 D the price 
 
 difference 
 ron can bt 
 nany local* 
 uitable for 
 ^n be built, 
 efore coutt 
 
 together, 
 f coal from 
 
 to rcducfl 
 
 it will in 
 f the iron- 
 e East are 
 [>a men in 
 
 which, of 
 or of fret 
 as much t. 
 ie that live 
 is fast be- 
 uestion 18, 
 )mpetition, 
 
 and muiit 
 ant price, 
 oal stocks, 
 this age of 
 bears with 
 ig classee, 
 
 And I be> 
 , and pro- 
 
 y 
 
 \ 
 
 i 
 
 Vi 
 
 THE LUMBER TRADE. 
 
 The British Provineen have almost inezbaiist- 
 Ible mppliea of pine lumber, Thii* is greatly 
 needed for building purpoAes in most of the 
 Western cities, and through the prairie cotin- 
 try of the West immense quantities would bo 
 utted, could it be freely imported. It is needed 
 also in the Eastern States, by those of our 
 manufacturers whose wares are made wholly 
 or in part of this material; and in all the 
 Eastern cities it is as absolutely needed as in 
 th« VVest, for building purposes — in fact, it is 
 there a necessary of life ; house and home, 
 which cannot be built without lumber, are 
 just as necessary as food and fire. 
 
 Maine and North Carolina have pine lumber 
 for exportation. The lumber from these States, 
 and particularly that from North Carolina, 
 finds a market in our Atlantic cities, and aho 
 in the British VVest India Island.^, where it is 
 received without any discrimination bning made 
 in favor of Canadian lumber. This West India 
 market is so valuable, that North Carolina 
 makes little or no objection to the free admis- 
 sion of Canadian lumber into those sections of 
 the Union that could not. from their geographi- 
 cal position and the want of water communi- 
 cation, be supplied from that State, the VVest 
 India market being an equivalent for and bet< 
 tcr than that of the Western States. But 
 Maine, from which a large share of the best 
 timber is already cut, wants to exclude the 
 Iuml>er of the Canadas, and to force her spruce 
 and inferior pine on the market at high prices. 
 It is asserted, that unless competition from the 
 Provinces is prevented, and the absolute mo- 
 nopoly of the trade be secured to Maine, her 
 hardy lumbermen cannot make fair wages, be- 
 cause, as they express it, " stumpage is so high." 
 This stumpage is the price paid by the lumber 
 men to the landed proprietors for the privilege 
 of cutting tbe timber, and varies, I am told, ac- 
 cording to the quality and location, from two 
 dollars up to eight dollars a thousand feet. It 
 is the monopoly of the trade excluding foreign 
 lumber that enables the Maine landholders to 
 charge so much for stumpage. Increase the 
 duty on imported lumber, and stumpage will 
 rise still higher ; reduce the duties, and then 
 stumpage will be lower. Prices regulate stump- 
 age, and the lumbermen will not be afFected, 
 whether stumpage be high or low. The hardy 
 lumbermen, over whom tears are almost shed, 
 are not benefited in tbe least, but rather in- 
 jured, by those high duties : and all this hum- 
 bug of protection is not designed for their ben- 
 efit, but for the benefit of the wealthy few. 
 
 The Provinces are ready to concede to the 
 United States the free navigation of the St. 
 John's ; but with this bonus Maine is not satia- 
 liod. She demands, in addition, not only the 
 
 West India market, which is alr<>adv granted, 
 but als') that all the ports of the UiitHh it<lands 
 shall bo open to her lumber. Of cource, we 
 do not object to the opening of the ports of 
 Great Britain, Wo do not in the least objcot 
 to Maine getting a good bargain. On the 
 contrary, wo would be glad to nee it ; but wo 
 protest against loading down this bill with 
 provisions which arc probably designed, and 
 certainly calculated, to defeat the whole meas- 
 ure, by making it impossible fur the Provinces 
 to agree. Shall the St. Lawrence remain 
 closed to our commerce, and the interests of 
 the whole North bo sacrificed * Shall tho 
 whole country bo taxed, and it^ progress ar- 
 rested, for the sake of this monopoly, when tbe 
 whole value of tho entire lumber trade of 
 Maine bears such an insignificant proportion 
 to the interests to be promoted by a liberal re- 
 ciprocity? Assuredly not. And now a word 
 or two in reference to manufactures, 
 
 MANUFACTURING INTEUEsT. 
 I am happy to see that but littla opposition 
 to this measure comes from the representatives 
 of tho manufacturing interest. The manufao- 
 turcs of Canada are not in a condiiaoa to com- 
 pete with ours, and of course ours do not need 
 to be protected a.-rainst them. On the other 
 hand, many of .re wares will find in Canad.% 
 an excellent m- A'i and Eastern manufac- 
 turers are, some i. " them, already bccumini; 
 convinced that the Canadian market is worth 
 more to them than any protective duty they 
 will be likely to obtain. Our manufacturers 
 will also be benefited by the free introduction 
 of various kinds of raw material. To cheapen 
 these is to increase tbe manufacturer's prohts; 
 or, what is the same thing, it cn:ibies him to 
 enter into competition more suci-cssfully with 
 the foreign article. And, further, by establishing 
 an extensive free list of Canadian unmanufac- 
 tured articles, the more tariff must be raised 
 from those articles which come more into com- 
 petition with our own. The miuiul'acturing 
 interest, in fact, loses nothing by reciprocity 
 with Canada, but gains much. H iving said 
 this much in reply to some of the oljections to 
 this measure, let us now consider eumo of its 
 advantages. 
 
 TRADE WITH CANADA. 
 
 Some idea of the beneficial character of ow 
 Canadian trade, and tbe still greater benefits 
 to be derived from a liberal reciprocity, may 
 be obtained by a view of the extoni to which 
 thi.s trade has already reached, in spite of all 
 obstacles and restrictions. I will no: consume 
 tbe time of the House by reading tabular state- 
 nieut.-!, but content myself with givii.g amounts 
 in round numbers, securing, however, substan- 
 tial accuracy. Our registered expi rts to the 
 
 i%\ 
 
* » .» 
 
 
 I 
 
 nritish North Ameriora Provinces for tbo last 
 year exceed $12 000,000, and the registered 
 imports from that quarter exceed $6,000,000. 
 But iniisnuicb M it is impossible to watch 
 thoroughly by GoveruiaontoUicials a border of 
 two thouaiind mileH in extcut, it in certain that 
 the actual trade io much greater. Wo rauy 
 Hafoly set down tho ag^re^ate at $20,000,000, 
 This trade han uU sprung up within a few 
 years. It is now rapidly increasing, and would 
 oontinuo to increaBe beyond nny previous ratio, 
 were it not for the obstacles iutorpoeed by un- 
 wise legislation. The averaj^u rate of duties 
 levied by Canada on goods imported from the 
 United iStatos ih tweivo and a half per cent., 
 while the average of duties levied by the Uni> 
 ted States on ^oods imported from t)ie Canadaa 
 IB twenty-thrco jier cent. This inequality of 
 duties accounts in part for the diifcrcnce be- 
 tween our exports and imports, which in a 
 great measure destroys the mutual advantage 
 of the trade. But the worst effect of such high 
 duties ia to stop trade in many articles alto- 
 gether. Our merchants cannot now import 
 an article, however much it may be needed, 
 unless it will pay a sufficient profit over and 
 above the twenty-three per cent. ; nor can they 
 carry there tho productions of our skill and 
 industry, unless they can make on them a living 
 profit over and above the tweivo per cent, duty 
 charged in Canada : and consequently the ex- 
 change of many articles is entirely prevented, 
 which else might be exchanged with great 
 mutual benefit. These restrictions on our trade 
 are of course highly injurious to our shipping 
 interest. Freights have to be increased, as the 
 certainty of return cargoes is lessened. But 
 let trade be free, and the number of articles 
 of exchange increased, and freights might be 
 greatly reduced, and yet larger profits be 
 made. 
 
 And when these restrictions are removed, 
 other sections of the Union will share witi. tho 
 Lake country in the benefits of the Canadian 
 trade. Kentucky will find a new market for 
 her tobacco and hemp. Louisiana secures a 
 market for her raw sugar. South Carolina 
 gains admission for her rice; and in addition 
 to these products from opposite sides of the 
 Union, our manufacturing States will find a 
 new and profitable market for their wares. 
 
 FREE NAVIGATION OF THE ST. LAWRENCE, 
 
 But the principal obstacle in the way of the 
 commerce of the lakes will only be removed 
 when Great Britain shall be induced to con- 
 cede to us the free navigation of tho river St. 
 Lawrence. What are these great lakes but 
 expansions of this magnificent river? It is 
 their natural outlet to the ocean, and not less 
 k it the natural highway for ouroommotoe 
 
 with the world. But because this river has 
 been closed ogaioHt us, other and artificial 
 channels of communication between tho lukta 
 and the reaboard have been conNtructed at 
 enormous exp'^nse, wiiich has been justifitd by 
 the inciUculal)Jo benefit tome of tlit^se, as the 
 Erie caual, have been to the country and to 
 the WcLit. But benides the cspensivencss of 
 using these artitxial channels— and that is no 
 tritlo, for tho Erie canal levied SiS.OOO.OOO last 
 year io tolls on produce going Kust and on 
 merchandise going West— there is another and 
 still more serious objection: they are inade- 
 quate to our wants; not uU the railroads and 
 canals that have been constructed since the 
 Erie canal, are able yet to meet the demands 
 of our commerce. 
 
 Tho trade of tho great lakes in 1851 wo* 
 832G 000,000, or more by $40,000,000 than the 
 exports of the whole country. This trade cm- 
 ploys some two hundred and fifteen thousand 
 tons of shipping, of which about two-thirds are 
 in sailing ve»^!<els, and about one-third is pro- 
 pelled by steam. The sura invested in this 
 shipping is over $8,000,000, and fo long as we 
 are not permitted to u.se the river St. Lawrence, 
 this 88,000,000 is compelled to He idle and un- 
 productive for about one-third of the year, 
 while tho interest on the capital thus investca 
 is running up to $250,000. If tho navigation 
 of the St. Lawrence were secured to us, a large 
 proportion of this shipping would load up in 
 the fall with the produce of tho West, and jun 
 down the St. Lawrence end out to sea before 
 tho ice had closed the river. During the win- 
 ter, voyages would be made to England, to tho 
 Mediterranean, to tho West Indies, or to South 
 America. In the spring they would return, 
 bringing cargoes from the countries they had 
 visited, or they would bring fish from the Prov- 
 inces, pass up the river again, and be on tho 
 lakes in time for the summer trade. 
 
 A gentleman near me remarks *'that tho 
 lake craft dare not venture upon a navigation 
 eo dangerous as that of the Gulf of St. Law- 
 rence." To that I reply, that the men who 
 dare to sail on Lake Erie, where there is nei- 
 ther depth of water nor sea-room, will not be 
 afraid of that gulf, nor of any othef place 
 where money is to be made. A lew years since, 
 a vested started from Cleveland, loaded with 
 Western produce, and carrying some of my 
 neighbors as passengers; she went down the 
 St. Lawrence, by special permission, then out 
 to sea, and round by Cape Horn to San Fran- 
 cifeco, in safety—- thus practically solving this 
 problem ; and it was not inappropriate, there- 
 fore, that she was named the Eureka. Make 
 the river free to us, and thousands of vesseL* 
 will follow in the same course. 
 
 The people living in the valley of the St. 
 
i» riter has 
 (1 artificial 
 'D tho lukts 
 Ntructrd at 
 juHtified by 
 :ii»8o, aa the 
 in try udiJ to 
 .siveness of 
 
 that is no 
 )0(IOOO last 
 ant nod 00 
 notfacr and 
 are inade- 
 Iroads and 
 
 Kinc« the 
 10 demands 
 
 n 1851 was 
 00 than tho 
 is trade rm- 
 !>n thousand 
 n-thirdd are 
 lird ia pro- 
 !ted in this 
 loD^ as ire 
 . Lawrence, 
 idle and un- 
 f the year, 
 ms invcKtcd 
 navigation 
 > lit), a hirge 
 load up in 
 28t, and «un 
 ) sea bef'oro 
 ig the win- 
 land, to tho 
 or to South 
 uld return, 
 !s they had 
 n the Prov- 
 be 00 tho 
 
 '*that tho 
 navigation 
 if St. Law. 
 : men who 
 ere ia nel- 
 kvill not be 
 thei? place 
 pears since, 
 •aded with 
 ime of my 
 
 down the 
 , then out 
 San Fran« 
 )lving thill 
 ate, there- 
 a. Make 
 
 of Tes£old 
 
 )f the St. 
 
 Lawrence are of the opinion that the OoTcm* 
 in«nt of the United Stated ought to make an 
 effort in reference to thin river, as decided as 
 that which wan so Buccensfully and properly 
 made in 1803. to secure tho freedom of tho 
 MisHissippi. The St, Lawrence is to the North 
 and West what the Mississippi is to the West 
 and South. The valley of the St. Lawrence is 
 not less important to the country than tho val- 
 ley of the MissiHsippi. It contams half a mil- 
 lion of Sfjuarc niilec, embracing, on our side of 
 the line, western Vermont, northern and west- 
 ern New York, northwestern Fennsylvania, the 
 northern portions of Ohio, Indiana, and Illi- 
 nois, tho whole of Mxhigun, and part of Wis- 
 consin and Minnesota. It already has a pop- 
 ulation exceeding four millions; and it is not 
 unworthy of note, in estimating its future, that 
 it lies within those latitude*! where the densest 
 tK)pulatt()n of the Old World is to be found. 
 VVith tho exception of tho agricultural, the 
 most, important resources of this great valley 
 are almost entirely undeveloped. Scarcely 
 anything has yet been done to open to the 
 world the immense mineral resources of the 
 Lake Superior region. Aro'md that vast io- 
 land sea, the whole country almost f^eems to be 
 but a succession of rich ore beds ; copper, iron, 
 and lead, are found there in greater abundance 
 than elsewhere in the world. When tho ship 
 Canal around the Falls of the St. Mary's river, 
 now about being commenced, ehall have been 
 completed, tho whole mineral wealth of this 
 region will be made available. Millions of tons 
 of coal from Ohio and from Pennsylvania will 
 be carried thither, and copper and iron brought 
 back in return. But besides the agricultural 
 and mineral resources of the St. Lawrence val- 
 ley, it is possessed of unequalled hydraulic 
 power, which is to be applied, and at no dis- 
 tant day, to manufacturing purposes, To say 
 nothing of the various rapids between the head 
 waters of the St. Lawrence and its mouth, 
 there is Niagara, where alone seems to be power 
 enough to turn all the wheels in the world. 
 Hitherto^ this prodigious accumulation of power 
 has run to waste. This cannot be suffered 
 longer. The people who tame the lightning, 
 and compel it to run on errands, will soon put 
 bands on this old giant, and compel him to 
 grind in tho prison-house. There is therefore 
 in nature nothing wanting to make this valley 
 the great manufacturing region of the country, 
 but the removal of those commercial restric- 
 tions which alone prevent the development of 
 its immense resources. 
 
 COAST FISHERIES, ETC. 
 But we have still another inducement to 
 adopt a liberal measure of reciprocity, inas- 
 much as on this is likely to depend a eatiefac- 
 toiy adjostmeat of tha difficultiM growiog out 
 
 of the coast fisheries. By an existing conven- 
 tion, as wo all understand, our vessels are not 
 permitted to fish within a marine leagtio of the 
 shores of tho British I'rovinees, nor have they 
 tho privilege of drying and packing on shore. 
 By tho first of these prohibitions they are ex- 
 cluded from the beat fishing grounds'; by the 
 second, they are prevented from securing prop- 
 erly what they da take. From both those re- 
 strictions they would gladly ejjcape, and it is 
 not surprising that both are often disregarded : 
 and hence Great Britain has to s^nd ships of 
 war to secure to tho fishermen of the Provmoen 
 tho enjoyment of their monopoly. Our vessels 
 are often seized, and much irritation and somo 
 danger grows out of it. If wo can offer to the 
 British Provinces a liberal scheme of reciprocal 
 free trade, it is understood they will surrender 
 all exclusive right to take lish upon their coasts, 
 and our fishermen will have free acccfij to the 
 best iishing grounds in tho world. Should this 
 anangnment he made, every family in the 
 Union may be benetited, because fish may then 
 be obtained at lower rates and of bettor quali- 
 ty. In its national bearings, this free access to 
 the Provincial fishing grounds is universallj- 
 conceded to be of vast importance. TIio fishing 
 trade thus opened will give employment to tens 
 of thousands of men and boys, and so become 
 the great nursery for seamen, from which our 
 naval and mercimtile marine may always bo 
 supplied. The importance of this consideration 
 cannot easily be over-estimated. 
 
 Wo come, then, to the conclusion that this 
 measure of reciprocal free trade with Canada 
 will not injure ony section of this Union, nor 
 scarcely any of its particular interests, even 
 temporarily, while it is of vital importance to a 
 large portion of the country, and will, by it» 
 direct effects, or by the collateral advantages 
 secured in connection with it, be highly bene- 
 ficial to the whole. So far as this measure 
 goes, it is a step in the right direction ; it 
 knocks off some of the fetters with which com- 
 merce has too long been bound. I believe that 
 "sound policy requires a system of free trade 
 with all nations that will trade free with the 
 United States." We think this especially true 
 in reference to these neighboring Provinces, 
 settled, as they are to a great extent, by a 
 people having the same origin, language, and 
 pursuits— being, in fact, in many instances, our 
 relatives or friends, and often separated from 
 us merely by an imaginary line. It is for the 
 interest of these neighbors to trade and make 
 exchanges, and they will do it. Then why not 
 openly permit what you cannot and ought not 
 to prevent ? 
 
 1 know that some of the friends of this meas- 
 ure have doubts of its success at the present 
 leuioD. Wo ar» now oear ita close, aad per* 
 
? 
 
 i- vV.«>' 
 
 hapH attention ban not been suffiuicntly turned 
 to this Niitiject. r.OHt theno ibiirs should prove 
 to bo well founded, which however I urn not 
 wiUiiig to believe, I take thiu occaHion to Hay 
 that thin bonelioial measure can certainly be 
 Hoourod, if those interested in the commerce of 
 the valley of the St. Lawrence will bestir them- 
 solves. The subject is but imperfectly under- 
 stood, oven by those most immediately interest- 
 ed. The press must do its work, and the pub- 
 lic mind must bo informed and aroused. Let 
 the Bepresentutivos to Congress from this no- 
 ble valley come thorouehly posted up on this 
 question, and prepared ot the outset to insist 
 tnat the most efibcient man from the whole 
 Lake region be placed on the Committee on 
 Commerce. Finally, let them act in concert, 
 and -.vhaluvcr is not obtained at this session 
 will be secured at the next. 
 
 Before taking my seat, Mr. Speaker, I would 
 move an amendment to the bill, by inserting 
 the word " coal " among the articles enumera* 
 ted in the lirst section. I desire also to move 
 an amendment in reference to lumber, but, as 
 there is now pending a motion to commit, those 
 amendments I know would sot be in order. I 
 hope to have an opportunity to propose them 
 at the proper time. There ia, howesttf anotlitf 
 
 chanf^e which I tety murh desire ; and aa I 
 cannot move it as an amendment, I ask that 
 by general consent it may be made as a cor« 
 rection. The bill provides for the free exchange 
 of undricd fruit, while dried fruit is not em- 
 braced witliin its provisions. The south sboro 
 of Lake Erie is a beautiful fruit region ; our 
 peaches are equal to those of New Jersej, and 
 our apples I think the best in the country. 
 These apples in the undried state are barreled 
 up for exportation, and this trade is of soma 
 consequence to us ; but our trade in dried ap> 
 pies and peaches is, I believe, much more im* 
 portant, and restrictions on it would operate 
 severely on the fairest portion of our constita* 
 ents. oir, the pretty daughters of our Weetem 
 farmers have a oommendablo way of making 
 their pin-money by drying this fruit. I trust, 
 therefore, that no gentleman will think M 
 raising an objection to a correction, so that the 
 bill, instead of "undricd fruits/' may read 
 " fruits dried and undried." 
 
 The SPEAKER. No objeoUon is made. The 
 Clerk will make the correction. 
 
 Mr. TOWNSHEND. Then I conclude^ £t. 
 by expressing the hope, that when the bill 
 comes up for final aokion, it will first be amend- 
 ed, and then pasaed. 
 
 irt: 
 
 t' V 
 
 .A 
 
I 
 
 h Amitt; and m I 
 indment, I Mk that 
 f bo mado m • cor* 
 )r tho freo cxohange 
 od fruit iH not em- 
 ). Tho south flbore 
 1 fruit region ; our 
 of New Jcnoj, and 
 98t in the country. 
 1 state are barreled 
 is trado is of aome 
 trade in dried ftp- 
 fo, much more im* 
 n it would operate 
 ion of our conetita- 
 tors of our Weetem 
 )Io way of making 
 this fruit. I trustt 
 lun will think M 
 rrection, so that the 
 fruits," may road 
 
 ictionismade. The 
 
 lion. 
 
 iien I ooDoIudfl^ air. 
 
 ^at when the bill 
 
 will fint be amend*