21 



duty bill, and rHattve to the abulition of duty on Canadian 

 roru ; as the season of husiiiess was now upproacliiriu^ it was 

 of great importance to tlio iitli.ibitants of the Province 

 generally, tliat tlioy .slioulil receive untheutic infurniation 

 on those questions with tlie least possible »lelay. 



In 1842, Sir Hubert IVel carried hi» memorable 

 alterations in the Crcncrui Corn Laws, ;ind the llight 

 Honourable Uaronet stated in the next Session, tbat in the 

 month of February, IHA'J, Lord Statiley bad announced tu 

 the Ilouso of Curiuiiriiis, tbe position in wliicb tbe Ministers 

 stood with reffard to ibi? pledj^e n>iven to tbe Canadians* 

 Manyoflbo Members denied all reollecJiun of sum a 

 Statement, and it probably was not made in a very particular 

 or formal manner, or when there were many Members in 

 the House, and tliem'ore passed unnoticed amidst tbe 

 great and excitins; discussions on tbe main question at issue. 



In May, 1843, Lord Stanley presented to tbe House of 

 Commons his proposition for reduci)i<r tbe import duty on 

 Canadian Wbeat and Flour to Is. per quarter. The 

 proposed measure created great ularm amongst the 

 Agriculturists, and the debates in the Leg^islature during; 

 its progress were very animated. The Ministers declared 

 themselves pledj;ed to the Canadians to exert their influence 

 to carry tbe measure, and stated tbat altliough th<'ir pledge 

 was not binding on tbe Btitisb Legislature they, the 

 Ministers, were bound in faith and honor to do their utmost 

 in favor of it. 



Sir Robert Peel observed ** You must govern Canada 

 by the good will of her people : on every other principle, 

 the weakest point in ail your Empire would be Canada, and 

 tbat danger would aO'ect all the other provincts of British 

 North America." 



The grounds of opposition to the measure were principally 

 these — that large quantities of Wheat would be smuggled 

 into Canada, and being there made into Flour would be 

 poured into the United Kingdom at Is. per quarter duty. 

 It was said to be impossible for the Canadian Government, 

 with so small a revenue, to keep up a sufficient force to 

 prevent corn being smuggled over a line of 1500 miles. 

 There were mills on both sides of the river St. Lawrence, 

 and tbe factors in Canada being almost all Americani, 

 every facility would be given to the smuggling of Wheat 

 and even of Flour in barrels regularly marked. They 

 vrould be put on board boats in tbe creeks and come down the 

 river from the West. It was impossible to prevent large 

 shipments coming down from Point Niagara, into Lake 

 Ontario, and thence into the St. Lawrence, (perhaps by 

 transhipping it once,) and indeed they could get the Wheat 



