Document Information

Date: 1862-
By: House of Assembly of Nova Scotia
Citation:Nova Scotia, “Intercolonial Trade (Appendix No. 22)”, Journal and Votes of the House of Assembly for the Province of Nova Scotia, 1862.
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JOURNAL

AND

PROCEEDINGS

OF THE

HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY

OF THE

PROVINCE OF NOVA SCOTIA

SESSION 1862.

HALIFAX, N.S.

W. COMPTON, PRINTER TO THE ASSEMBLY

1862.

APPENDIX NO. 22

INTERCOLONIAL TRADE

(COPY)

Downing Street, 5^th Novr. 1861.

Sir,­–

I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your predecessor’s despatch, No. 41, of the 27th-September, accompanied by a report of the Executive Council on the promotion of commercial intercourse between New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island by reciprocal admission, duty free, of articles (with the exception of spirituous liquors) the growth, produce, or manufacture of each of these provinces.

I have to inform you that Her Majesty’s Government will offer no opposition to any -well advised measure which the several Governments may think proper to adopt for promoting a free commercial intercourse between the different Provinces,

I have the honor to be,

Sir,

Your obedient servant,

(Signed) NEWCASTLE.

Lieutenant Governor, the hon. Arthur Il. Gordon, &c., &c. &c.

 Copy of a Report of a Committee of the Honorable the Executive Council, approved by His Excellency the Governor General in Council, on the 23rd November, 1859.

On a communication, dated 21st inst., of the hon. the Minister of Finance, stating that it is desirable to extend the arrangements whereby certain productions of the several B. N .A. Provinces are reciprocally admitted free, so as to include all articles either produced or manufactured within the said Provinces.

That it would also be important to ascertain how far it might be practicable to assimilate the tariffs of the several Provinces, so as to permit entire free trade between them, and he recommends that your Excellency be requested to communicate with the Lieutenant Governors of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, and Prince Edward Island, for the purpose of ascertaining whether the Governments of those Provinces are prepared to unite with Canada in recommending legislation for the purpose of establishing the reciprocal free interchange of all productions and manufactures of the respective Provinces, and further to enquire how far it might be practicable to assimilate the tariffs of the several Provinces, so as to permit entire free trade between them.

The committee concur in the recommendation of the Minister of Finance, and submit the same for your Excellency’s approval.

Certified.

(Signed) W H. LEE, C. E. C.

[Page 2]

Downing Street, 5^th Novr. 1861.

MY LORD,–

I think it right to inform you that -I have not overlooked the important subject of the Minute of the Executive Council forwarded to me by Sir E. Head, in his despatch, No. 2, of the second of January, relative to the establishment of a reciprocal free trade between the British Provinces of North America, and an assimilation of their tariffs.

The Government of Canada thought it desirable to make an attempt to accomplish these ends, and wished to know whether there would be any objections on the part of the Imperial Government.

I have the honor to inform you that her Majesty’s Government feel no wish to offer an obstacle to any endeavour, which may be made by the respective Provincial Governments to bring about a free commercial intercourse between the North American Provinces.

I have, &c.

(Signed) NEWCASTLE.

The Viscount Monck, &c. &c. &c.

(COPY)

Government House, Quebec, 1^st February, 1862.

MY LORD,–

I have the honor to enclose, for the consideration of your Lordship and of your constitutional advisers, a minute of the Executive Council of this Province, which was approved of by my predecessor, Sir E. Head.

Upon the transmission of this document to England, exception was taken by the Board of Trade to the course proposed to be pursued. This led to a correspondence which extended over several months, and has caused the delay in bringing the matter before your notice.

Your Lordship will perceive, by the last despatch from the Colonial Office, that her Majesty’s Government have withdrawn their objection to the plan for the establishment of free commercial intercourse between the different Provinces of British North America.; and I shall be very glad to hear from you, whether you think proposals for the purpose from the Government of this Province, would be favourably received by your advisers.

I have the honor to be,

My Lord,

Your Excellency’s obedient servant,

(Signed) MONCK.

His Excellency the Earl of Mulgrave, &c. &c. &c.

[Private.]

(COPY)

Provincial Secretary’s Office,
Fredericton, N.B., 18^th Sept. 1861.

MY DEAR SIR,–

With reference to my conversation with, you and your colleagues, when I was in Halifax, I now send you unofficially, but for the information of your colleagues as well as your own, a copy of our memorandum to the Lieutenant Governor, which will at once explain to you the steps which we have taken to promote the scheme to which it refers.

[Page 3]

His Excellency will write immediately to the Secretary of State upon the subject. I trust you will induce Lord Mulgrave to address the Duke of Newcastle upon the same question, that all objections to Legislative action in that quarter may be removed.

I have reason to believe that the Government of Prince Edward Island view the measure favorably, and I shall send a copy of our memorandum to the Hon. Mr. Palmer also, by to-night’s mail.

I am, my dear sir,

Yours very faithfully,

(Signed) S. L. TILLEY.

Hon. Joseph Howe, Halifax

It appears to me that authority to pass an act authorizing the importation of articles, the growth, produce and manufacture of New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island, (excepting spirituous liquors,) would meet all the requirements. The Government of New Brunswick will be prepared to submit to the Legislature of this Province an act containing these provisions, providing the Governments of Nova Scotia and the Island approve, and the Imperial Government assents.

(Signed) S. L. TILLEY.

Your Excellency is aware that on former occasions, the expediency or still further promoting the commercial inter-communication and the interchange of articles of trade between the several Provinces of British North America, and especially between the three lower Provinces, by the admission (duty free) into each these Provinces, of articles, the growth, produce and manufacture of the Province from which they might be exported, has formed a subject of consideration by the Government of New Brunswick, and provision has been made by the Provincial Legislature for carrying into full effect this relaxation of our fiscal laws by proclamation and without further legislation.

But we were informed by your Excellency, when you communicated to us the despatch of the Secretary of State of the that the instructions, contained in that ‘and other despatches, precluded you from exercising the power thus vested in you without previous communication with the Secretary of State.

In the despatch, however, specially referred to above, a distinction was drawn between the admission (duty free) into this or any other of the British North American Provinces, of articles, the growth, produce and manufacture of the West Indies or of the United States, and of the admission (duty free) of articles the growth, produce and manufacture of any of the British North American Provinces into another British North American Province; and, in the last Session of the Legislature, an act was passed giving effect to this distinction, and revoking that part of the then existing Statute which enabled your Excellency, by proclamation, to admit (duty free) into New Brunswick, articles, the growth, produce and manufacture of the West Indies or United States; but the power of issuing a proclamation for the admission (duty free) into this Province, of articles, the growth, produce and manufacture of the other British North American Provinces, still remains vested in your Excellency.

The close contiguity of the three lower Provinces, viz., of Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and this Province; their identity of feeling and interests; the fact that their laws and political constitution are, if not identical, similar to each other, and their social and commercial intercourse is rapidly extending, to the benefit of all,-render it, in our opinion, highly expedient that the remaining obstacle, still presented by the fiscal laws of the three Provinces, to the full development of this commercial and social sympathy between them, should be removed.

[Page 4]

It is possible that, in effecting this alteration, each of the three Provinces might be called upon to relinquish some Revenue ; but we are confident that even if this should occur, it would be but temporary, and that it -would be more than counterbalanced by the general commercial and social advantages of the measure ; and we have had reason to believe that the governments of Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island, view the matter in the sane light.

To the admission, however, (duty free,) into one Province, of excisable articles, the manufacture of another Province, special objections, the character of which is obvious, and are, we believe, recognized by the other Provinces, present themselves; but we are prepared to recommend and be responsible for such steps as may be necessary to relieve from duty on import into this Province, all articles, with the sole exception of spirituous liquors, the growth, produce, and manufacture of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, or either of them, upon receiving from them, or either of them, a similar abrogation on the imports thither of articles, the growth, produce, and manufacture of New Brunswick. We request your Excellency to bring these opinions before the Secretary of State with the view of taking such steps, with the concurrence of Her Majesty, as may be necessary to carry them into effect.

(Signed) S. L. TILLEY,
W.H. STEENS,
A.J. SMITH,
CHAS. WATTERS,
P. MITCHELL,
J. STEADMAN,
GEORGE L. HATHEWAY,
JOHN McMILLAN.