UNITED STATES AND CANADA 229 



with the millions of neighbours in the south ; and 

 of course some persons in the south complain that 

 they are shut out by this barrier from the trade they 

 might have with the millions of the Canadian popu- 

 lation ; and the Canadians say that their trade is 

 blocked, and, in point of fact, they are very badly 

 treated. They cannot buy things they would like 

 to buy, and cannot sell things they would like to sell. 

 They can neither buy nor sell with freedom, and 

 they wish those barriers to be thrown down. Well, 

 I think that is a very sensible wish. An old friend 

 of mine, the late Edward Ellis, who was member for 

 Coventry for a great many years, had a property in 

 Canada ; in the later years of his life he paid a visit 

 to the United States, and he went to look at his 

 property, as was very natural, and when he came 

 back, in talking to me about it, he entered into 

 the subject of the possible connection between the 

 United States and Canada, speaking then of it as 

 a political connection that was possible. At some 

 future time, he said, he was quite certain that if 

 that connection took place, and if Canada became 

 a portion of the United States, that his Canadian 

 estate would immediately, or very soon, be doubled 

 in value. Well, he knew what he was talking about, 

 and if it was true of his estate it would be true to 

 some extent of perhaps hundreds and thousands of 

 estates north, if the tariff barrier were removed. My 

 opinion is that if economical facts of that nature are 

 so strong there will be a tendency that can hardly 

 be resisted to get over the sentiment, however 

 strong and however commendable, that it is better 



