DIARY OF THE CONFEDERATION NEGOTIATIONS, 1870
Wednesday. [June 8.]
I saw Sir F. Hincks to-day upon the subject of the Tariff and recommended that our tariff should be altered so that Silks, Satins and such articles should be admitted duty free. He replied that there would be a loss of Revenue and what they had granted had been granted upon the condition of our Tariff being maintained. He asked would we allow our duty upon Sugar to be increased equal to that of Canada?
I told him that a reduction of from 12 down to 5 per cent. would not be a loss to the Govt., because the trade in those articles with foreign parts would increase to that extent. He did not believe it. I told him, if he would allow us to alter our tariff to that extent, we could then go in under that tariff. He would not go in for Free Trade in V[ancouver] I[sland]1 because in the first place the same amount of Revenue could not be obtained from direct taxation; secondly, smuggling could not be prevented; thirdly, it was doubtful whether people wanted it.
I pointed out to him that the B.C. tariff and the Dominion Excise Laws could not go on together, that if we kept our Tariff we could not have the Dominion Excise at the same time, that it would be increasing our taxation and giving apparently a larger revenue than we proposed, but at the same time it would not be really so because the introduction of the Excise Laws would prevent brewing altogether and ruin the Brewers and react upon the farmers.
It is true that more beer might be imported but that would not be beneficial to the country. Sir F. Hincks would maintain that my proposition would diminish the revenue. He did not believe in the increase by increased trade. He would think over the matter. Other people came in to see Sir Francis and then I had to leave.
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Noon, June 8 |
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