Its Imperial Iinpoitance. 21 



inside of the headlands and within the bays of the coast — i.e., the 

 three miles' limits ; yet it is a fact capable of proof that tliey had 

 private instructions to report, on their arrival in their own ports, 

 thao their cargoes were entirely taken outside of the three miles' limit. 



There is every reason to believe that the fisheries of Canada 

 are at the present time just as valuable to the United States as 

 they were in 1877, when it was decided to grant over a million 

 pounds sterling to Canada as C()mpens;iti()n due to her beyond 

 any advantages derived from the removal of the duty on the 

 products of her sea fisheries. The Canadian fish annually im- 

 ported into Boston and othi r ports of the United States is indis- 

 pensable as an article of food and commerce, and must be pur- 

 chased by the Americans as long as they cannot supply their 

 wants from their own waters. It is quite safe to say that 

 Canada is fully justified in demanding the free admission into 

 the markets of the United States of her coal, salt, lumber, lish, 

 and agricultural products, in return for giving the Americans free 

 access to her lisheries and reciprocity of trade in the articles just 

 mentioned. Indeed, it is well known that the lumber trade with 

 the United States has not dmiinished in consequence of the 

 heavy import duty to which it is subject, but must increase in 

 importance whilst the forests of the West become less valuable 

 and unable to supply the demands made upon them from year 

 to year as the country increases in population and wealth. In 

 the case of coal the removal of the present duty will be an 

 advantage to the maritime provinces, but looking at the bulk 

 of exports of Canada to the United States, it is clear that they 

 are of prime necessity to the people of the latter country, and 

 a new Keciprocity Treaty under existing circumstances will 

 lessen prices and conduce largely to the benefit of American 

 consumers. But Canadians have always recognized the fact 

 that a treaty based on equitable principles will be commercially 

 advantageous to both countries, and clearly "in the interest of 

 good neighbourhood." Canada, it must be also remembered, 

 occupies a position very different from the one she held from 

 l!S5t to 1865, when the provinces were politically and com- 

 mercially isolated from each other, and were annually flooded 

 by American manufactures. Now a large interprovincial trade 

 lias grown up since 1867, manufactures have been established, a 

 national spirit of self-reliance has been created, and the 

 Dominion can enter into a new Reciprocity Treaty without 

 any fear of the ulterior consequences upon the people in any 

 section. Canadians are now prosecuting the fisheries with great 

 vigour, and with the swift vessels and better appliances they are 

 now employing they need not so much fear competition in their 

 own waters as in old times. Animated by the new spirit of 



