would only be $175 per day, thus giv- the House owed much to the hon..meming for $50 extra, an additional 1,500 ber who had introduced the motion for tons. He contended that the day when the valuable statistics given and for the barges could be used in connection with very fair argument based upon them. navigation was past. He combatted the At the same time, however, the people of idea that it was necessary that grain the Dominion generally were willing to should be shifted during transportation acknowledge the claims of another line of over our Canadian waters, any more than water communication between the Westin course of transportation over the sea. ern grain producing region and the seaIt was only when navigating the Erie board. The public would admit that the Canal or the Mississippi that this was members representing the Ottawa valley necessary, because upon these waters it had shown their patriotism in not objectgot heated. The First Minister had ing to the action of the Government with slightly misapprehended his (Mr. BLAIN'S) respect to deepening the St. Lawrence proposition. He had not in view that a Canals, but after the appropriations made vessel navigating a channel having fifteen for that and other works in which the feet of water should cross the Atlantic, country was engaged had been expended, when our channels were as they would be the attention of the Government might some day, increased to twenty feet; cross- be asked to the desirability of improving cross-be ing the Atlantic would be quite practica- the water communication of the Ottawa. ble with vessels navigating the inland He hoped that the same consideration waters. The fifteen feet capacity, how- which the people of the Ottawa district ever, would give us the next nost desir- had exhibited towards the St. Lawrence able thing—an unbroken line of commu- Canal improvements, would be shown by nication between the lakes and the sea, the people of the Dominion towards any ovêr which large vessels might sail with- scheme for the improvement of the | out breaking bulk. In reply to the state- Ottawa, provided it could be shown that ments of the hon. member for South such improvement would be in the interWaterloo, he contended that the Erie ests of the country. As the report of Canal was now navigated to the utmost Messrs. SHANLY and CLARKE on the extent of its capacity. He referred to the Ottawa canal was out of print, the Govproposal before the Massachusetts Legis- ernment might very properly cause a lature to build a double track air line re-issue of the pamphlet.. through the Hoosac Tunnel, terminating at the eastern end of Lake Erie, for the purpose of competing for the trade between the West and New York. What he had in contemplation was that we should catch the trade for Liverpool, which would have to be trans-shipped at Montreal. The First

Minister appeared to be in possession of some information on the subject of the comparative cost of a channel of twelve, and one of fourteen feet, which he (Mr. BLAIN) did not possess, and which he hoped would

be laid before the House.

Hon. Mr. MACKENZIE-It is quite impossible. There is no such information in my possession.

Mr. BLAIN said there were surveys made, and it would simply be necessary to make calculations from them in order to give the House an approximation of the whole cost. He considered that under the circumstances he thought it would be useless to pass the address.

Mr. McDOUGALL (Renfrew) thought

Mr. B'ain.

The motion was withdrawn.

COPYRIGHT.

Hon. Mr. MACKENZIE moved the first reading of the Bill respecting copyright (from the Senate.)-Carried.

COMMERCIAL RĘCIPROCITY WITH THE.

UNITED STATES.

Mr. PLUMB moved "That an address

be presented to HIS EXCELLENCY the GOVERNOR GENERAL praying that he will be pleased to cause to be laid before this House all the correspondence, despatches and papers connected with the negotiations with the Government of the United States for a Treaty of Commercial Reciprocity." He said that in 1846, when matters had settled down in Canada after the disturbances here and on the frontier, an address was adopted by the House of Assembly directing the attention of the Government to the question of trade with the United States, and in pursuance thereof the Colonial Secretary communicated with the

United States Government at Washington, and ex-Lieutenant Governor HoWLAND, and opened a correspondence with Lord proceeded to Washington and returned ELGIN, then GOVERNOR GENERAL. Nego with the report that they were able to tiations were entered upon, which, how- make a treaty for one year. The report ever, dragged along for several years with- of these gentlemen created great exciteout culminating in any results. The cor- ment, and strong objections were made to respondence conducted during those four the terms which they proposed. The hon. or five years had in view a treaty covering gentleman who had been lately employed the natural productions of the two coun- by the present Government in negotiating tries; nothing, however, was determined another treaty, was at that time a mem-upon, for the Government at Washington ber of the Administration. After the was in the hands of a party which had discussion which arose in June, 1865, in always been the party of protection, and did the Legislative Assembly, that hon. gennot favor commercial treaties. In 1854 tleman resigned his position in the MinLord ELGIN went to Washington and was istry, and gave, as his reason for resigning, cordially received by the American Gov- that he differed with the Government on ernment, although it was difficult to direct the question of reciprocity. Mr. PLUMB the attention of that Government to the then read Mr. BROWN's statement of his question, because it was one that did not reasons for resigning, and proceeded to interest Americans generally, and trade with state that the arrangement proposed by Canada had not assumed its present pro- the Commissioners fell through. It was portions. The facts he had submitted to well-known to hon. members that all the the House showed that eight years elapsed predictions of disaster which were made, after negotiations were first opened before after the American treaty was withdrawn, a treaty-that of 1854—was arranged. proved to be incorrect by the general prosThat treaty was very simple in its pro- perity which marked the succeeding visions, embracing only the natural pro- period. Manufactures sprung up throughductions of both countries, and it was to out the country, cities increased in popularemain in force for ten years with a notice tion, commerce was developed, the revenues of one year afterwards. During the con- and the banking capital likewise increased, tinuance of that treaty, or rather up to and there was every sign of material pros1861, the party in the United States perity, sufficient to show that it was not which had always been to a considerable the treaty with the United States upon extent a free trade party, held power. In which Canada depended for her prosperity. 1861, by the withdrawal of a large propor- The gentlemen who were entrusted with tion of the Representatives in Congress of the task of consolidating the Dominion free-trade doctrines, the Protectionists carried forward their work; and they had. and Democratic party entered into power, a difficult task to perform, for the gentleand immediately on their accession to man who had resigned his position in the office, which was about the time Government, and who was one of the most of the breaking out of the Civil powerful men in the Dominion on account war, the Morrell tariff, which was a of his influence in the Press, went into strong protectionist tariff, was passed. So opposition. The record of their success would soon as it went into operation the condi- however, be one of which every Canadian tion of affairs with Canada became entirely would be proud when party prejudice and anomalous, and the attention of the peo- differences have died away, and men would ple of the United States was directed to take a dispassionate review of the events the fact that Canada, under the Recipro- of those years. Subsequently every man city Treaty, occupied a different position of enlightened views expressed a hope that towards the United States from that occu- a commercial treaty would be again pied by any other country. Other cir-arranged between Canada and the United cumstances, perhaps. tended to create irritation, and it became certain that before the ten years had expired that the Americans sought to terminate the treaty, which proved to be the case, and it was terminated. The hon. Mr. GALT, the late Minister of Marine and Fisheries, Mr. Plumb.

States, and supposed that it will come in good time with the changed condition of affairs in the United States. The House was aware there was a change of Government in the Dominion last year, and following that change negotiations were entered upon for the renewal of the Reci

manufacturing interests be in a measure paralyzed, for permanency in our trade relations was the basis of their success. We should not allow the offer which this treaty contained to remain open, but we should make it clearly understood that we repudiate it, so that if any future negotiations were entered into we would not be hampered by it. It was to test the feelings of the House upon that point that he had brought up this motion, and he hoped the Minister of Public Works would give some explanations upon it. He had heard that an attempt would be made to revive this treaty; that the Canadian negotiator would not be content with one failure because complete failure would greatly damago his political influence in the country. He (Mr. PLUMB) did

procity treaty. Every one was surprised that this step should have been taken without any previous intimation having been given to the country. Personally, he was surprised at the step being taken, for he knew well that it was a moribund Government to whom the Canadian commissioner was applying for a renewal of the treaty. Any one who had watched the progress of events in the Republic would know that the reign of the dominant party of to-day was fast drawing to a close, and that the party which would succeed to power was that party whose principles were those of free trade. Mr. BROWN went to Washington, and hon. members knew the result of his mission. In July, the result of his negotiations was made known to the world; but at the same time we in Canada were warned not to discuss not wish to discuss the the subject because it would interfere with treaty from the manufacturers' point of the negotiations. The Americans told our view, but this he would say that no one commissioner that they had no proposition should attempt to pass any measure which to offer for a renewal of the treaty; but if would effect all the interests of the counCanada had any proposition to make they try without consulting the manufacturing would be considered. Our commissioner interests, and this he held the Canadian promised to include certain classes of Commissioner had not done. On the conmanufactures under the treaty; still the trary, the views of manufacturers were Americans said they had no proposition to spurned, and the result was none of the make. Then came the proposition of the great manufacturers of the country apsliding scale, but that did not secure the proved of the treaty. approval of the United States Government; and our commissioner at length proposed to surrender our valuable fisheries which hon. members, now constituting the Government, thought so valuable when the Washington Treaty was under discussion. All this was done to conciliate the Americans. It was said that the sliding scale could have been withdrawn, but it was the proposition of our own commissioner, and would remain to embarrass future negotiations. It was important to know whether the treaty was in a state of suspended animation, or whether it was really dead, because so long as that point was in doubt the trade and industries of this country would not advance as they otherwise would. The Caughnawaga Canal scheme was, he contended, a highly objectionable feature of the treaty, especially as no guarantee was given by the United States that Canadians should have the use of the Champlain Canal and the Hudson River. In Ontario at least, this whole question was regarded as a very serious one, and so long as there was an uncertainty as to the ultimate fate of the treaty so long would our commercial and Mr. Plumb.

It being six o'clock, the SPEAKER left the chair.

AFTER RECESS.

PRIVATE AND LOCAL BILLS.

The following Bills were read a second time :

Mr. IRVING- To incorporate the Manitoba and North-West Permanent Building Society.

Mr. DESJARDINS-To incorporate the Montreal Northern Colonization Railroad Company.

Mr. DESJARDINS-To incorporate the St. Lawrence Bridge Company.

Mr. DEWDNEY-To incorporate a company to construct, own and operate a railway from Red River in the Province of Manitoba, to a point in British Columbia on the Pacific Ocean.

Mr. MACLENNAN-To incorporate the Canadian Steam Users' Association. Mr. JONES (Halifax)-To incorporate the Anglo-French Steamship Company. Mr. DESJARDINS --To incorporate the National Insurance Company.

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