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TRADE OF THE BRITISH AMERICAN PROVINCES

a sO SEN a ' athemeammet 2 ms Ee We “EVHIS. I8 TRUE Li BERTY, WHEN FREEBORN MEN—HAVING TO ADVISE THE PUBLIC, MAY SPEAK FREE.”—Evriripes. Vou. 1.] CHA RLOTTETOWN, P. E. ISLAND, SATURDAY, AUGUST 21, 1847. i, No. ae aac ee - — — - ~ - Doeneeiins ——— - seston eat > i < adil webiencivopiingsitihctmabionntely~cmmpite aa incenahlaegiinetemanemnatin a: ~ - mente tiniare-cgpeneiiamaienciien it — silibeapsinipetinniigaametiocninnaedtiiben corwiteettaimesinineaplitial pectin acter — dnsttinlingatipilteinaadinaes iam entielieatinaapatinenrmmnannatimpaian, clematis -— — ~ IMPORTANT DESPATCH. ifor the late period of the Session at which alone it was tages which would arise from the adoption of sucha p (lag p

possible that the subject should be considered, and the measure. POST OFFICE ARRANGEMENT, AND RAILWAY] es of NE RETR a on than They will readily aes 1K by moderate duties

COMMUNIDAwION jeould at that time he procured, how far the simple re- upon Imports thus levied, the revenue required for the uh endiad: ie RA tan Slide vere a _{peal of these duties, unaccompanied by any precautions, public service in the several Provinces, might be raised ib r to re-publish the following very important De-!" . ae ot tad

; Moh ‘tight have affected the finances of some of the Colonies. at less cost for collection, and with infinitely less of patch, from the Right Honorable Secretayy of State| I therefore, that these duties will be speedily obstruction to commercial enterprise, than by the ex- for the Colonies to the Governor General of British | rns fag Oe ning i ™ mmercial enterprise, than by the e: North Avhevicd, (dis eie coumiaiicn an @neeaenntans ,. {Put an end to; but it does not appear to me, that this is, isting system : and I am convinced that they will fully

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wale by any means, the whole of what is required in order appreciate the importance, at this particular time, of sar Of i Retest,” Wien Oe een er eee "Ee +4 give to the Commerce of British America all the giving such stimulus to industry and to trade. But

The Despatch embraces topics of deep interest to the’ EC ‘ — ‘om ne ; Coleniit, sid 6 deat ask, will connec in it ought to enjoy. At present, each of these though the importance of the object to be effected Sal Ghietbinaten een n i‘ strikingty while’ | Colonies has its distinct establishment of officers for) will no doubt be universally recognised, I fear that ' “____|Tevying them, the trade between one Province and ano- |there will be much practical difficulty in accomplishing

; Downie STREET, Bist December, 1846. \ther being burthened by duties like that between coun-| it.

My Lord.—Your Lordship is about to assume the tries entirely unconnected with each other. From their} Such achange can only be carrie2 into operation by Government of Br itish North America at a time when geographical position, relatively to each other, Canada, the authority of the Provincial Legislatures, since that a change of policy is in progress, which is of no ordi- New Brunswick and Nova Scotia being divided only of the Imperial Parliament could not be made use of nary importance to the interests of every part of the by arbitrary, and in some points still unsettled lines of for this purpose, without an amount of interference with British Empire, and perhaps of none more than of that boundary, and Prince Edward Island being separate |matters of purely internal concern in the several Pro- large portion of the Queen’s Dominions in which her from them only by a nairow strait; it is obvious that|vinces, which would be utterly inconsistent with the Majesty has been pleased to select you as her Repre- this state of things must be attended with very great principles upon which they are now governed. But to sentative. Ineed scarcely say, that I refer to those inconvenience. While different rates of duty are obtain the concurrence of four separate Legislatures in Commercial changes which in the last session, after Jeyied upon the same articles in Provinces thus border-|passing a law involving the arrangement of many de- long and anxious deliberation, received the sanction of Ing upon, and closely connected with, each other, and tails, upon which, no donbt, great diversities of opinion Parliament. By the acts then passed, it has been pro-| while one Province imposes duties on the produce of, will arise, and upon which a complete agreement of vided that, with respect to some of the chief articles of another, it is obvious that a considerable expense must!these different authorities would be indispensable for national consumption, there should be a considerable be incurred in maintaining inter-Colonial Lines of Cus-|the success of the measure, seems hardly to be looked immediate reduction, and an eventual abolition cf those tom Houses, that much encouragement must be given to|for. Even thoagh persons should be appointed by each Duties upon Imports from Foreign Countries which smuggling—-and what is of stiJl more importance, that Province? to meet and consider the arrangements it have hitherto been imposed, not for the purpose of rais- great difficulties must be thrown in the way of mutual in-| would be proper to make, and should agree upon a Re- ing revenue, but with the avowed object of giving an tercourse of Provinces so well fitted by nature for carry-| port containing a draft of a bill which should be re- advantage in the markets of this country, to the domes- ing on with each other an active and beneficial commarce. ‘commended to the several Legislatures, it seems to me tic or Colonial producer, over his foreign competitor.!The correspondence recorded in this office, proves this rather to be hoped than expected that they would all It has been enacted, that after a brief interval, the Ca-\to be merely a speculative inconvenience, but one ‘concug in passing such a bill without amendment; and nadian, in coimyn with the British farmer {#hd in com-' which has been practically, and very seriously felt; unless they did so, the whole labour which had been in- mon also with the Sngar Planters of the British Colo-| nor can any reasonable doubt be entertained, that if the curred would be fruitless, nies) must encounter in the sale of his produce in this duties levied in the different Provinces of British Ame-| In considering how this difficulty may be surmounted, country, the unrestricted competition of the foreign! rica could be assimilated, if the establishments for col-|it has occurred to me that the best course which could grower. The same relief from the burthen of differen-|lecting them could be consolidated, and the net produce |be adopted would be for the different Legislatures to tial duties which has thus been granted to the British’ of the duties, after defraying the cost of collection, then pass Acts, recognizing the principle of consolidating consumer, one of the statutes to which J have al'uded divided upon some equitable principle, and placed at their Custom House Establishments, but which, instead (the Sand 9 Victoria, c. 94) has enabled their respective the disposal of the several Legislatures, the result would of entering into detail as to the arrangements to be for Legislatures to extend to the British Colonies, by em-| be in the highest degree advantageous to these Colonies, that purpose adopted, should give, by anticipation, the powering them to repeal the differential duties in favour'and materially contribute to enable them successfully force of law to such arrangements as might be agreed of British produce imposed in those Colonies by former to meet the difficulties whith, for a time, are not un-'upon by persons empowered to act for them in that be- Imperial acts. likely to arise from the removal of commercial restric-| half.

This is not an occasion upon which ¥ could, with pro- tions hitherto maintained in this country for their sup-| I purposely avoid expressing any opinion as to the priety, enter into any discussion of the grounds upon) posed advantage. Your Lordship will not fail to per- manner in which the persons empowered to represent which this change of policy has been adopted, but, with-|ceive that the original idea of the policy I haye now and act for the different Provinces should be appointed out doing so, I may express my firm conviction that,| suggested, is derived froma the German Customs Union,|—whether they should be Committees from the two eventually, the welfare of the Colonies, even more than or Zoll-verin. It is true that in many very important branches of the several Legislatures, or Commissioners that of the Mother Country, will be promoted by the particulars, the circumstances of the German States, |named in the Acts which would require to be passed, abandonment of a system of artificial restrictions upon | which formed this Union, were altogether unlike those |since these are questions upon which, if the suggestion trade. lof the British North American Provinces: and that, I have made should be entertained by the Legislatures,

Looking to the great natural advantages possessed by | therefore, what was done in the one case forms no pre-|they are more able to form a judgment than myself; the British Colonies, and especially by the fine Provin-|cedent for the other; but still the example of Geeanyin I think it right to point out that in whatever man- ces of North America, I cannot doubt that, adopting a! proves that there is no insuperable difficulty in offect-| ner they may be appointed, the representatives of the policy of which the object is to render industry produc- ing an arrangement by which not merely different Pro-' several Provinees should meet together at Montreal, tive, by leaving it to follow its natural channels of em-|vinces of the same Empire, but a large number of |where their deliberations could be conducted with the ployment, and by affording every possible facility to|Independent States, may combine together for the | benefit of Your Lordship’s advice and assistance, and commerce, must lead to their rapid advancement in| purpose of establishing a common system of Custom that it would be indispensable to provide in the Acts wealth and prosperity. But with a view to this result,| House duties, and dividing the revenue which these from which they would derive their authority, that no it is of the utmost importance that the Provincial Le-| duties produce. And further, this example also proves arrangements to which they might agree should come gislatures should strenuously co-operate with the Impe-' that in spite of no inconsiderable faults in the mode of into force without the previous confirmation of Her Ma- rial Parliament. So far as the repeal of the differentiai | effecting such an arrangement, and above all, the great |jesty in Council.

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duties lutherto imposed upon Imports into the Colonies one, having adopteda scale of duties far higher than is} In what manner this important subject should be *

from Foreign Countries, for the purpose of favoring the consistent with sound commercial and financial views,' brought under the consideration of the different Pro- British producer, I can have no doubt that the Colonial this Union is admitted to have exercised a highly bene- | vincial Legislatures, and how it would be expedient to Legislatures will gladly avail themselves of the power ficial influence upon the trade and industry of the States submit to them the question of delegating to some cen- conferred upon them, by at once putting an end to these’ which belong to it. Information with respeet to this’ tral authority a portion of their constitutional power, duties ; indeed so obvious does it appear, that this mea- remarkable institution will not therefore be without its'f must leave it to Your Lordship’s judgment to deter- sure ought to be the consequence of repealing differ-| value to Your Lordship, and I have actordingly the'mine upon the spot. I may, however, remark that ential duties imposed in this country to favour the im- honor of transmitting to you with this Despatch, a copy should such an authority be created, its funetions need portation of Colonial produce, the Parliament instead! of a Report upon the subject, which was a few days ago! not be confined to the single subjectto which I have

of merely enabling the Colonial Legislatures to abolish laid before Parliament by Her Majesty’s command. already referred. There are two other subjects at this . the dut.es alluded to, would probably have at once pro-| I do not anticipate that the intelligent inhabitants of moment requiring attention, and with regard to which x ceeded to do so by its own authority, had it not been’ British America will differ from me as to the advan- the co-operation with each other of the different Pro~

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