1054 MISCELLANEOUS. 



however, very clearly, the direction which public opinion is taking on 

 these questions, and I cannot conceal from your excellency my belief 

 that, unless you are enabled to give me some assurance that negotia- 

 tions with the government of the United States are in progress, which 

 are likely to result in placing the commercial relations between the 

 provinces and the United States on a more satisfactory footing, it 

 w r ill not be in my power any longer to refrain from adopting the 

 steps which the inspector-general suggests, and which may, I think, 

 very probably be followed up by others calculated to check the trade 

 between British North America and the United States. 



Under these circumstances, I deem it my duty to invite your ex- 

 cellency's attention to the documents which I herewith enclose, and to 

 request you will, at your earliest convenience, furnish me, for my 

 guidance, with such information respecting the views of the govern- 

 ment of the United States as it may be in your power to give. 

 I have, &c., 



ELGIN AND KINCARDINE. 



The Kt. Hon. Sir HENRY L. BULWER, G. C. B., &c. } &c., &c. 



[Annex 1 to foregoing.] 



The papers alluded to in this despatch, are : 



1st. Memorandum from Mr. Hincks to the Governor-General of 

 Canada, recommending that the canals should be closed to foreign 

 shipping, in regard to which no immediate steps were taken in conse- 

 quence of the expected arrival of a deputation from Oswego, to confer 

 with the Governor-General on this subject. 



2dty. Memorandum subsequent to the arrival of said deputation, 

 recommending that the canals should be closed, unless the British 

 minister at Washington could give some assurance that the trade 

 between Canada and the United States is likely to be placed on a 

 more satisfactory footing. 



3dly. Resolutions about to be proposed by the Hon. Mr. Robinson, 

 to the effect that a duty of twenty per cent, should be levied on 

 American goods, and that a system of differential duties should be 

 returned to, encouraging importers to bring their goods into Canada, 

 via St. Lawrence, instead of through the United States. 



4thly. Resolutions about to be proposed by the Hon. Mr. Merritt, 

 that her Majesty be prayed to recommend to her Imperial Parliament 

 to enact that similar duties should be imposed on foreign produce 

 (as enumerated in schedule A herewith appended) imported into 

 Great Britain and her dependencies, as are levied on British produce 

 in those foreign countries. 



SCHEDULE A. 



Grain, and breadstuffs of all kinds, vegetables, fruits, seeds, ani- 

 mals, hides, wool, cheese, tallow, horns, salted and fresh meats, ores 

 of all kinds of metals, plaster of paris in stone or ground, ashes, 

 timber, staves, wood, and lumber of all kinds. 



