180 WITH MR. CHAMBERLAIN IN THE 



at the present moment you will find the opponents 

 of the present Treaty declare altogether for the 

 Treaty for which it is a substitute. They try to 

 construe the words of the Convention of 1818, " for 

 no other purpose whatever," as if they were for 

 every other purpose whatever. (Laughter and 

 cheers.) 



GOOD POLICY ON THE PART OF CANADA 



But, gentlemen, although, as I have said, the legal 

 rights of Canada in this matter were unassailable, I 

 have never concealed my opinion, and I state it here 

 to-night, that it was only good policy on the part 

 of Canada, it was only what good neighbourhood 

 demanded of Canada, that she should not interpret 

 those legal rights in their strictest way ; but that 

 she should concede to a friendly nation all the con- 

 veniences and privileges that she could possibly 

 afford without serious injury to her own subjects. 

 (Cheers.) Canada declines and always has declined 

 to allow her ports and harbours, which Providence 

 has placed in close proximity to the great fisheries 

 of the Banks, Canada declines to allow these ports 

 and harbours to be made the base of operations for 

 competitors, who rigidly exclude her from their 

 markets. (Cheers.) 



These facilities are offered freely in return for an 

 equivalent. As long as the equivalent is denied, 

 Canada feels justified in declining to accord those 

 facilities, which are essential to the conduct of the 

 fishery operations : everything, as I have said, which 



