§ Mr. Laboucherewished to ask a question of the right hon. the Vice President of the Board of Trade, respecting a portion of the measure which he introduced the other other evening on the subject of the regulation of the colonial duties, and which had some bearing on the question of the Corn-laws. The House was aware that at present the importation of corn and flour from the United States into Canada was entirely free, and that therefore the people of Canada could consume American flour, and send the corn of their own produce to this country on paying the 5s. duty. Did he understand the effect of schedule of duties, laid on the table of the House, would be to impose a duty of 3s. on all American wheat and flour introduced into Canada? If this were the case, it had a strong bearing on the Corn question, and it had excited much attention out of doors.
§ Mr. Gladstonesaid, the right hon. Gentleman had rightly understood the proposition. Undoubtedly the resolution as it stood did propose a duty of 3s. a quarter on American wheat imported into Canada. That was a part of the scheme as announced by him on a former evening. But he had not given his opinion upon 333 that subject, nor had he stated whether that particular matter of detail in the resolutions had been irrevocably determined upon by the Government or not. It stood with the rest; and he was now in communication with parties, many of whom thought their interests were affected by different parts of those resolutions. When the day arrived on which he should have to ask the attention of the House again to the subject, he would be prepared to state whether that proposition would be persisted in or not.