1 86 THROUGH THREEFOLD TENSION 



ation was the key-note of British liberalism 

 in 1850. 



Lord John Russell s peremptory denial of 

 the claim that the time was ripe for Canadian 

 independence was preceded by legislation de 

 signed to remedy some of the ills that gave rise 

 to the claim. In 1849 Parliament swept away 

 the last remnants of the old restrictive com 

 mercial system by repealing the famous Nav 

 igation Laws. The operation of these laws 

 greatly aggravated the misfortunes that were 

 brought upon Canada by the abolition of 

 preferential duties in the mother country. Co 

 lonial commerce with Great Britain was limited 

 to British ships, and freight rates were corre 

 spondingly high. American competition, duly 

 favored by Congressional legislation, was able 

 thus to make sad inroads on various branches 

 of the trade with the home country. Com 

 plaints from Canada became urgent at West 

 minster, and there was no room to doubt that 

 they were well founded. The Whig cabinet, 

 therefore, resolved to complete the work that 

 Huskisson had begun twenty years before, and 

 the carrying trade between the colonies and the 

 United Kingdom was thrown open to the ships 

 of all the world. 



