DOMINION OF CANADA. 



219 



ments and live-stock. In some places the Indi- 

 ans suffered from famine ; owing to the tardi- 

 ness of the supplies, they felt resentment against 

 the Government, and several times during the 

 year broke out into hostilities. The presence 

 of the mounted police in the Northwest Ter- 

 ritories, the appointment of a regular magis- 

 tracy, and the execution of the prohibitory 

 liquor law, have greatly iucreased the security 

 of life and property. 



The Tilley tariff has proved at least as pro- 

 ductive of revenue as the revenue tariff of 17 

 per cent, which was introduced in 1874, when 

 the rate was changed from 15 per cent. The 

 latter rate had taken the place of a 20 per cent, 

 tariff a few years before, and had proved itself 

 a much better revenue-paying tariff than the 

 higher one, yielding enough to change the an- 

 nual balance from a deficit to a surplus, al- 

 though the returns increased also when the 

 average rate was raised again by 2|- per cent. 

 The duties collected during the year realized 

 the prediction the Minister of Finance made 

 at the commencement of the Parliamentary 

 session. The imports showed a sufficient in- 

 crease over those of 1879 to indicate a return 

 of prosperity, but remain far enough below 

 the average for the previous eight years to 

 show that the protective tariff exerts a pow- 

 erful deterrent influence. The relations of 

 the different tariif systems to the foreign trade 

 and to the exchequer may be seen from the 

 following table of the imports and duties col- 

 lected each year since 1867: 



The exports exceeded the imports in 1880 

 for the first time in many years. The increase 

 in exports was mainly in agricultural produce. 

 The value of manufactured goods exported, 

 notwithstanding a rise in prices, was less than 

 in the year immediately preceding the protec- 

 tive tariff. The live-stock trade with England 

 has largely increased, owing partly to the re- 

 strictions imposed upon the importation of 

 neat-cattle into Great Britain from the United 

 States. The exports in 1878 were 18,665 cat- 

 tle, 41,250 sheep, and 2,027 swine from Cana- 

 dian ports. In 1879 the exports from Canadian 

 ports were 24,682 cattle, 79,085 sheep, and 

 4,745 swine, besides a considerable export by 

 way of Boston. In 1880 the trade attained 

 much larger dimensions ; the exports of cattle 

 for the first half year were nearly double those ot 

 the entire preceding year. The embargo placed 



upon the importation of live cattle from the 

 United States has worked detrimentally in the 

 sections where American stock is required for 

 breeding purposes. A ninety days' quarantine 

 is deemed sufficient in the case of English cat- 

 tle, although pleuro-pneumonia is endemic in 

 that country in several infected districts, where- 

 as in the United States it is of sporadic occur- 

 rence, and has not spread beyond a few circum- 

 scribed localities in the Eastern States. 



The following is a comparative statement of 

 imports and exports by the various provinces 

 during the fiscal years 1878 and 1879 : Onta- 

 rio, in 1878, imports entered for consumption, 

 value, $38,628,697; duty, $4,702,982; exports, 

 $22,937,060 ; in 1879, entered for consumption, 

 $34,260,205 ; duty, $4,955,476 ; exports, $23,- 

 854,549. Province of Quebec, in 1878, ex- 

 ports, $37,392,287 ; entered for consumption, 

 $31,063,335; duty, $4,526,460; in 1879, ex- 

 ports, $29,740,512 ; entered for consumption, 

 $29,172,722; duty, $4,733,248. Province of 

 Nova Scotia, in 1878, exports, $7,500,783; 

 entered for consumption, $8,180,750; duty, 

 $1,217,491; in 1879, exports, $7,364,234; en- 

 tered for consumption, $6,828,972 ; duty, $1,- 

 133,093. Province of New Brunswick, in 1878, 

 exports, $6,268,027 ; entered for consumption, 

 $8,474,047; duty, $1,448,638; in 1879, exports, 

 $5,371,471; entered for consumption, $5,338,- 

 022 ; duty, $1,049,009. Prince Edward Island, 

 in 1878, exports, $1,700.752; entered for con- 

 sumption, $1,293,225; duty, $231,386; in 1879, 

 exports, $1,831,389 ; entered for consumption, 

 $910,987; duty, $206,245. The total exports 

 for the whole Dominion of Canada decreased 

 from $79,323,667 to $71,491,255 ; imports en- 

 tered for consumption decreased from $91,199,- 

 577 to $80,341,608 ; the duty increased from 

 $12,795,693 to $12,939,540; increase, $143,- 

 847. 



According to the report of the Chief Engi- 

 neer of Canals, there are seven different stretch- 

 es of canal between Lake Erie and Montreal, 

 with a total length of 70f miles and a total lift 

 of 533J feet, distributed over 54 locks. The en- 

 larged locks will allow of the passage of ves- 

 sels of 1,000 tons burden. The least depth 

 of water in the locks is 9 feet at present. 

 When the Welland Canal is enlarged there 

 will be one lock less, and the distance will be 

 shortened one mile. The Galop Eapids sec- 

 tion of the canal is to be abandoned for the 

 river-bed, which will be excavated from 10 to 

 16 feet. This work is now under contract. 

 The purpose of the Government is to enlarge 

 and deepen the canals so as to accommodate 

 vessels drawing 14 feet of water throughout 

 the route. That will be the minimum depth 

 of water on the mitre sills of the locks, and 

 their smallest size 270 by 45 feet. The distance 

 between Lake Erie and the head of ocean nav- 

 igation at Montreal, which is now rendered 

 navigable by this system of canals connecting 

 stretches of navigable waters, is 365J miles. 

 Lake Erie is connected with Lake Ontario by 



