Of commercial intercourse
created by the Reciprocity Treaty have contributed to the wealth and
prosperity of this Province; and it would be difficult to exaggerate
the importance which the people of Canada attach to the continued
enjoyment of these facilities.
"'Nor is the subject entirely devoid of political significance.
"'Under the beneficent operation of the system of self-government,
which the later policy of the Mother Country has accorded to Canada, in
common with the other Colonies possessing representative institutions,
combined with the advantages secured by the Reciprocity Treaty of an
unrestricted commerce with our nearest neighbours in the natural
productions of the two countries, all agitation for organic changes has
ceased - all dissatisfaction with the existing political relations of
the Province has wholly disappeared.
"'Although the Committee would grossly misrepresent their countrymen if
they were to affirm that their loyalty to their Sovereign would be
diminished in the slightest degree by the withdrawal, through the
unfriendly action of a foreign Government, of mere commercial
privileges, however valuable these might be deemed, they think they
cannot err in directing the attention of the enlightened statesmen who
wield the destinies of the great Empire, of which it is the proudest
boast of Canadians that their country forms a part, to the connection
which is usually found to exist between the material prosperity and the
political contentment of a people, for in doing so they feel that they
are appealing to the highest motives that can actuate patriotic
statesmen - the desire to perpetuate a dominion founded on the
affectionate allegiance of a prosperous and contented people.
"'The Committee venture to express the hope that Your Excellency will
be pleased to bring this subject and the considerations now submitted
under the notice of Her Majesty's Imperial advisers.
"'W. H. LEE, C. E. C.'
"Does it not seem as if the whole business was let alone, neglected,
despised?
"What were our Government doing from 1861 to 1865?
"POLAND exercised the minds of the Foreign Office from an early date,
and they have given us papers from July 31st, 1862, December 31st of
that year, and on to April 23rd, 1863, when that affair ended.
"DENMARK revived their old discussions in 1863, and they began to write
despatches about them. They have given Parliament papers about the
'Conference,' which only began January 23rd, 1864, and ended March
26th, 1864.
"The whole number of papers printed for Parliament, and laid on the
table in 1864, was 369. Yet there was not, out of these, one single
paper about the Reciprocity Treaty.
"The whole number of papers printed for Parliament, and laid likewise
upon the table in 1865, was 170, but not a line appears about the
Reciprocity Treaty. So much for the attention of the people we pay to
watch over our affairs.
