DESPATCHES, REPORTS, CORRESPONDENCE, ETC. 623 



annual average than $14,230,763, leaving in our favour, during that 

 period of eight years, a balance of trade of over 40| millions of 

 dollars. 



It was in 1845 that England, changing her colonial policy, empow- 

 ered the Canadian provinces to make a tariff on imports to suit them- 

 selves. During the next year those provinces removed the barrier 

 against American products which existed, in the form of differential 

 rates in favour of British products, and admitted commodities from 

 our side of the line on the same terms as commodities were admitted 

 coming from British ports. In 1849, England, having by her Min- 

 ister at Washington previously communicated with the Treasury 

 Department, presented a further proposition for a further reciprocal 

 relaxation of commercial restrictions which impeded trade across the 

 boundary line. The administration of President Fillmore endeav- 

 oured to promote the object for which my predecessor in this dpart- 

 ment, Mr. Robert J. Walker, strove, in 1846, in his correspondence 

 with the British Minister. 



This good result of only a partial experiment of reciprocal comity 

 naturally led to negotiations for a more comprehensive international 

 arrangement, and such a one was concluded in 1854 by negotiations 

 conducted at Washington on our side during the administration of 

 President Pierce by a wise and illustrious statesman and citizen of 

 New York, Mr. Marcy, who was then Secretary of State. That reci- 

 procity treaty was in force till 1866, a period covering our civil war. 

 Under its influence, the aggregate interchange of commodities between 

 ourselves and the inhabitants of all the British provinces, number- 

 ing not as many as those of the State of New York, rose from an 

 annual average of a little over 14 millions of dollars, in the previous 

 eight years to over 33 millions in gold in 1855, to nearly 50 millions 

 in 1856, and to 84 millions in the last year of its existence. During 

 the thirteen years the British provinces, according to their official 

 returns, purchased from us articles valued at over 359| millions of 

 dollars in gold, and we bought from them 197 millions, thus making 

 an international traffic of nearly 556| millions of dollars on a gold 

 valuation. I can but think that if that treaty of 1854 had remained 

 in force till this day, the two peoples, divided by a boundary line 

 which can only with difficulty be discerned from the Arctic Ocean to 

 the Paciilc, from the Pacific to Lake Superior, and from Lake 

 Lake Ontario to the Atlantic, would now be one people, as least for 

 all purposes of production, trade, and business. 



During the past summer, while American vessels, regularly docu- 

 mented, have been excluded from the hospitality and privileges of 

 trading in Canadian ports, Canadian fishing-vessels have been per- 

 mitted^freely to enter and use American ports along the New Eng- 

 land coast, have been protected by this department in such entry and 

 use, and have not been required to pay any other fees, charges, tax?* 5 , 

 or dues than have been imposed upon the vessels of other Govern- 

 ments similarly situated. The hospitality elsewhere, and generally 

 extended in British ports to American commercial vessels has not 

 been less, in quality or quantity, as I am informed, than the hospi- 

 tality extended to British vessels in American ports; but there is this 

 marked difference, that, while this department protects Canadian 

 fishermen in the use of American ports, the Dominion of Canada 

 brutally excludes American fishermen from Canadian ports. This 



