318 



DOMINION OF CANADA. 



lines of communication with promising foreign 

 markets, and the promotion of other facilities 

 of exportation, and particularly the conclusion 

 of special treaties of reciprocity with countries 

 from whom no competition with the infant 

 industries is to be feared. Sir Alexander T. 

 Gait was sent to England, being endowed with 

 'the new title of Besident Minister, to look after 

 the commercial interests of Canada in Europe. 

 He entered into negotiations with Spain and 

 France with reference to reciprocal commerce, 

 while the authorities in Canada sought to make 

 special arrangements with the Government of 

 Brazil, which affords a favorable market for 

 Canadian fish, lumber, and agricultural imple- 

 ments and other manufactures. 



The new tariff is a protective one of the 

 most pronounced character, and avowedly dis- 

 criminates against the products of the United 

 States where it is possible. Two of the duties 

 specifically discriminate against American im- 

 ports one a duty on tea imported from the 

 States of 2 cts. per Ib. and 10 per cent, ad va- 

 lorem, and the other a duty on all salt not from 

 Great Britain or British dependencies of 8 cts. 

 per cwt. The instructions to Lord Lome did 

 not contain the clause, then omitted for the 

 first time, stating that any bill imposing differ- 

 ential duties should be submitted for approval 

 to the home authorities. The general ad va- 

 lorem duties were raised from I7i to 20 per 

 cent. Numerous classes of imports were addi- 

 tionally subjected to duties of a highly protec- 

 tive character. The duty on cotton fabrics is 

 2 cts. per square yard or 1 cent per linear yard, 

 and 15 per cent, ad valorem. Silk goods pay 

 30 per cent, ad valorem. The duty on flannels, 

 blankets, and shawls, woolens, yarns, and knit 

 goods is 7 cts. per Ib. and 20 per cent, ad 

 valorem. Articles of apparel and ready-made 

 clothing pay 10 cts. per Ib. and 25 per cent, 

 ad valorem ; woolen carpets, 10 cts. per square 

 yard and 20 per cent, ad valorem. The duty 

 on pig iron is $2 per ton ; on iron in slabs, etc., 

 12 per cent, ad valorem ; in bars rolled or 

 hammered, on boiler and plate iron, nails, and 

 spikes, 17 per cent. ; on rolled wire in coils, 

 10 per cent. ; on iron rails, 15 per cent. ; on 

 fish-plates, etc., 17 per cent.; on iron and 

 steel wire, 25 per cent. ; on tin plates, 10 per 

 cent. Cabinet furniture must pay 35 per cent. ; 

 agricultural implements and wooden ware, 25 

 per cent. A duty of 15 per cent, is imposed 

 on breadstuffs and barley. Machinery for cot- 

 ton and woolen milling enters free. Foreign 

 vessels must pay 10 per cent, duty for regis- 

 tration in Canada. The drawbacks allowed 

 by the American Government on manufactured 

 sugar exported are opposed by a duty irrespec- 

 tive of such drawbacks of 35 per cent, ad va- 

 lorem, in addition to 1 cent per Ib. on all above 

 No. 14 by the Dutch color standard; on all 

 below that grade and above No. 9, f ct. per 

 Ib. and 30 per cent, ad valorem; and on all 

 under No. 9, ct. per Ib. and 30 per cent, ad 

 valorem. For the benefit of the coal interests 



of Nova Scotia, a duty of 50 cts. per ton of 

 2,000 Ibs. is imposed on coal, both anthracite 

 and bituminous. The average percentage of 

 revenue is 13| per cent, of the average value 

 of all imports. On evidence of exportation of 

 manufactures, a drawback is allowed on the 

 materials imported. The cordage used in ships, 

 which pays a duty of 10 per cent., is not re- 

 leased from the duty, but the other portions 

 of all new ships have their duties remitted. 

 The development of the iron-ore deposits which 

 have been discovered, not only in Nova Scotia, 

 but in New Brunswick, in Quebec, in Ontario, 

 and in the Ottawa Valley, was one of the favor- 

 ite schemes of protection, and with this object 

 the duty of $2 per ton was laid on pig iron. 

 Pamphlets and periodicals are made to pay a 

 duty of 6 cts. per Ib. ; British copyright pub- 

 lications, 12 per cent, ad valorem and 6 cts. 

 per Ib. ; books and periodicals imported through 

 the mail, 1 ct. for every two ounces or fraction 

 thereof; newspapers by mail, free. Adver- 

 tising pamphlets pay $1 per hundred, and other 

 printed work, as advertising cards, bills, post- 

 ers, etc., 30 per cent, ad valorem. All printed 

 music pays 6 cts. per Ib. 



In the new duties on alcoholic beverages an 

 object is aimed at which is independent of 

 considerations both of revenue and protection. 

 The duties are arranged in the interest of tem- 

 perance, so as to encourage the consumption 

 of malt liquors in comparison with strong 

 drink, and to render spirits less accessible than 

 before. For this purpose the excise duties 

 have been changed as well as the customs 

 duties. The customs duty on brandy has been 

 raised from $1.20 to $1.45 per imperial gallon, 

 and that on other spirits from the same to $1.32 

 per gallon. The excise duty on spirits has 

 likewise been raised 10 per cent., while that 

 on ales and beers has been decreased. French 

 light wines have to pay a duty of only 25 cts., 

 which is made thus light for the same object 

 of encouraging the consumption of the more 

 harmless beverages. Champagne wines, on the 

 other hand, as a luxury, are taxed $3 per gallon. 



The inspiring motive of the new fiscal policy 

 is declared in the following words of Sir John 

 A. Macdonald: "As between English and 

 American manufacturers, we prefer the Eng- 

 lish; but as between the English and Cana- 

 dian manufacturers, we prefer the Canadian. 

 We know that we can gain the two objects of 

 giving full protection to all our infant indus- 

 tries against the industries of any other coun- 

 try, including England, at the same time giv- 

 ing a preference to England in our markets ; 

 so that if we have to go out of Canada to 

 make purchases, we will go to England rather 

 than elsewhere." The effect of the new tariff 

 was declared by Sir Leonard Tilley, eight 

 months after its going into force, to have been 

 a falling off in the imports of the leading man- 

 ufactures from England of 9 per cent., and in 

 the imports of the same articles from the 

 United States of 47 per cent. The new tariff 



