OBSERVATIONS. (Hansard, 4 May 1866)

§ MR. WATKIN

, who had a notice on the paper relating to the termination of the Reciprocity Treaty, and the conduct pursued by the Government in relation thereto, said, he had waited a few moments to see if the Under Secretary for Foreign Affairs was disposed to reply to the questions which had been already put, but perhaps he would answer both together. Notwithstanding the attempt which had just been made to count out the House, he must ask their attention to a most important subject. He had two years ago ventured to bring the subject under the notice of the Government, in the hope that it would attract a portion of the attention which was then directed to the affairs of Poland and Denmark. First of all, he wished to know who was responsible for the consideration of questions involving so largely the international relations between the British North American Provinces and the United States, and our relations with the latter through the former. Was it the Foreign Office, the Colonial Office, or the Board of Trade? They had recently been told in the public papers that an uneasy feeling existed about the fisheries on the North American coast; that a fleet was being prepared for the protection of the United 476 States against British fishermen, and that gunboats as fast as they could be got ready sailed for their destination. It appeared that Americans demanded the right of fishing in British waters, just as before the Reciprocity Treaty, and were ready to bring on a war to enforce those claims. Now, he did not think it likely that sensible statesmen in America would plunge their own country and ours into a war for any fishery rights; but these were the fears of many well-informed people, and these fears of disturbed relations between this country and the United States produced very considerable commercial embarrassment. The Reciprocity Treaty divided itself into four essential parts—the first was the interchange without duty of the products of the soil, forests, mines, and waters of British North America on the one side and of the United States on the other: the second, the free navigation of the St. Lawrence for 1,200 miles: the third, the reciprocal advantage of communication with the shores of Lake Michigan; and the fourth, the settlement of what had been the cause of more disputes, differences, and dangers between us and our Transatlantic neighbours than any other — namely, these rights of fishery. There was also a subsidiary question as to the stipulations under which dutiable goods may pass a United States Custom House without liability to duty till they arrive at their destination. This Reciprocal Treaty was negotiated and passed in 1854. He found by reference to Hansard that on the 27th of June, 1854, Lord Clarendon stated, in reply to a question, with reference to the negotiations— It appeared to Her Majesty's Government that the return of Lord Elgin to Canada afforded an opportunity, which ought not to be neglected, of endeavouring to settle those numerous questions which, for years past, have been so embarrassing to the two Governments. One of those questions, especially that relating to the fisheries, has given rise to annually increasing causes of contention, and has sometimes threatened collisions, which I believe have only been averted for the last two years by the firmness and moderation of Sir George Seymour and of the British and American naval commanders, and by that spirit of friendship and forbearance which has always characterized the officers of both navies. But, my Lords, your Lordships are also aware that there are other questions which have given rise to embarrassing discussions between the Governments of the two countries—questions which involve the commercial relations of our North American possessions with the United States, and that those questions, which involve very diver- 477 gent interests, hare become so complicated as to render their solution a matter of extreme difficulty… I trust, therefore, that nothing will occur to mar the completion of this great work— namely, (the Reciprocity Treaty), which I firmly believe, more than any other event of recent times, will contribute to remove all differences between two countries whose similarity of language and affinity of race, whose enterprize and industry, ought to unite them in the bonds of cordial friendship, and to perpetuate feelings of mutual confidence and goodwill."—[3 Hansard, cxxxiv. 730.]