COLONIAL TARIFFS.

Globe, Volume XXI, Issue 1666, 23 June 1879, Page 3

COLONIAL TARIFFS.

Much surprise has been caused in many quarters by the publication of a telegraphic summary of the new Canadian tariff. In the House of Commons Mr Bright asked the Secretary for the Colonies whether ho could lay upon the table of the House a copy of the new tariff now before the Canadian Parliament ; whether any communication has passed between her Majesty’s Q-ovornment and the the Governor-General or Government of Canada on the subject of the proposed increased Customs and Protective duties in Canada; whether it is intended to represent to the Canadian Government the impolicy of a war of tariffs between different portions of the Empire; and whether it is true that the “instructions” to Lord Lome omitted, for the first time, the clause requiring that Bills imposing differential duties should be reserved for her Majesty’s approval. In reply to this question, Sir M. Hicks-Beoch said —A summary of the proposed tariff has been received by telegraph, but not such a complete statement of it as I could lay before Parliament as correct That summary reached mo on tire Ilth of March, this being the first communication I had received of the details of the scheme, and on the following day I was informed by the Governor-General that his Ministers proposed to bring it before the Dominion Parliament on the 11th of March. There was no time for any detailed examination of the proposals, and I therefore telegraphed that “her Majesty’s Government regretted to observe that the general effect of the tariff was to increase duties already high, but deemed that the fiscal policy of Canada rested, subject to treaty obligations, with the Dominion Legislature,” The Canadian Government fully understands the fiscal policy of this country, and I may add that I believe, though I could not positively say so at present, that there is nothing in the present proposals which has not been previously sanctioned, at least in principle, by Canadian legislation. In 1870 77> as the result of much

correspondence between my predecessor and the Dominion Government, the instructions to be issued to Lord Dufferin’s successor were thoroughly revised, and in that revision the clause specifying certain classes of Bills (among other Bills imposing differential duties) as those which should be reserved for her Majesty’s approval was omitted. This was done without any reference to a Protectionist policy, the Dominion Government then in offi e being Freetraders. The alteration of the instructions, however, of course in no way interferes with the power of reservation and of disallowance, those powers being fully set forth in the British North American Act of 1807. [Hear, hear.] This answer, however, did not satisfy Mr Bright, who further asked whether he understood, notwithstanding the omission of the clause to which he referred in the instructions of the Marquis of I orne, that, in case of any proposal to enact differential duties on the part of Canada, the Bill would be submitted to the Government before it was adopted. He also wished to know whether the right hon. baronet know of any case now pending in which the Government of Canada was engaged in negotiation with some foreign Government with a view to the imposing of differential or increased duties. If the right hon. gentleman had not heard of such a case, he could not, of course, expect an answer. Sir M. KicksBeaoh said—l am not aware of any such negotiations. With regard to the first question, perhaps the best answer I can give to it will be to read the telegram which I sent to Canada, which received the sanction of the Government. It was in these terms : ‘ : They deemed the fiscal policy of Canada rested, subject to treaty obligations, with the Dominion Parliament.”