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have every confidence that the enterprise and skill of our artisans will speedily apply a remedy wherever practicable, and that, too, without the Government resorting to high protective duties, or any other mode of forcing capital and labour into unproductive channels.

The great bulk of our commerce is carried on with two countries-Great Britain and the United States. The West IndiesSpanish and British, Newfoundland and Prince Edward Island and France, take rank next, and in the order of their mention. The trade returns for 1869-70 contain the names of about thirty different nations with which we dealt more or less. With several of these our transactions were merely trifling. We shall, therefore, confine our list to those nations whose trade with us exceeded $50,000, which we find after careful research to be as follows :

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less a share than $121,259,176 was carried on with Great Britain and the United States.

As our two largest customers, the fluctuations of our trade with Great Britain and the United States, are worthy of attentive consideration. By tracing these changes, the immense influence of the Reciprocity Treaty becomes strikingly apparent. From 1850 to 1855-the five years preceding Reciprocity—our imports from Great Britain were (in round numbers) $73,000,000 as against $50,000,000 from our neighbours; during the following five years the United States sold us to the value of $96,000,000, but the mother country only $76,000,000. Since the repeal of the treaty, however, Great Britain has again obtained the lion's share. During the four years for which we have returns, the excess was $48,490,007 in her favour, the difference for 1869-70, as may be seen above, being $13,867,267. : This difference is very considerable, but it falls short of the real amount, for in the statement of our imports from the United States are several millions per annum, for grain and flour, which, although entered at our shipping ports, for the most part simply pass through this country on their way to market.

Another striking change, in the current of our commerce with the United States, has taken place of late years. We are not of those political economists who attach much importance to the "balance of trade," for Canada has only thrice had a balance in its favour during at least fifteen years, and yet who can doubt that it has steadily grown in wealth and prosperity? But if there be any virtue in it, it is gratifying to know that? whilst, as between the Dominion and Great Britain, the balance continues to be against! us, in the case of the United States it has turned steadily in our favour. In 1869-70. for instance, whilst we had to pay Great Britain $13,644, 508 to square up the transactions of the year, our American neighbours

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These statistics are exceedingly significant when the illiberal character of the present fiscal policy of our neighbours is considered. That policy was framed advisedly to protect the American farmer, by shutting out Canadian products from their markets, except on payment of exorbitant duties. But what has been the result? They have since then bought from us more largely than ever, whilst, with our markets as free to them as during Reciprocity, their sales to us have relatively declined! Under the partial free trade of the treaty, the "balance of trade" was almost invariably and largely in their favour; since they barred and bolted their markets against our productions, the balance has turned no less than $17,155,105 against them! These facts carry their own moral. They throw considerable light on the working of the opposite systems of political economy practised by the United States and Canada, and we commend the lesson to the legislators of the two countries. The commerce of the Dominion, with nations other than Great Britain and the United States, is comparatively limited, and exhibits very few signs of progress. This is much to be regretted, for a varied commerce is almost as valuable to a country as diversi

fied forms of industry. In order to show how sluggishly our trade advances with the nations to which we refer, we append a statement of our total transactions with the principal of them during the last two years: 1868-9. 1869-70.

COUNTRIES.
France.
$1,469,447....$1,672,966
British West Indies... 2,408, 115.... 2,404,914
B. N. A. Provinces... 2,489,198.... 2,690,371
Spanish West Indies.. (not given).. 3,703,689
Germany...
555,733.... 484,810

These figures reveal the fact that our trade with these countries remains almost stationary, a condition of affairs which, we think, an earnest effort should be made by the Government to remedy. According to the report of the Special Commissioners who visited the West Indies on the eve of Confederation, this is quite practicable, for these gentlemen confidently affirm that there is an ample field for the sale of our productions in the British and Spanish West Indies, Mexico, Brazil and other South American countries. The establishment of regular steam communication, at least fortnightly, with some judicious tariff changes, would, we feel assured, infuse into our trade with the tropics fresh life and vigour.

Taking our commerce as a whole, the people of Canada may justly congratulate themselves on its past growth, present extent, and future prospects. It affords conclusive testimony to the great natural resources of British America, and is creditable alike to the industry and intelligence of our three millions and a half of people. It is yet, however, only in its infancy. What will its volume be twenty years hence, when the rich prairies of the North-west are peopled by millions-the continent spanned by the Canadian Pacific Railway—and the sails of our merchant marine, now the third largest in the world, whiten every sea?

NOTE.-Since this article was put in type, the writer has learned from Mr. Langton that the Returns, as finally completed, show the imports for 1870-71 to be $86,947,482 instead of $86,661,145. The difference does not materially affect the general inferences of the article.

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CHAPTER X.

A STORMY INTERVIEW.

BY MRS. J. V. NOEL.

beside him, busy with some fancy work, is his daughter and only child, Isabel Crofton. The agent, as he is usually styled, is a native of England, elderly and of imposing presence. MBOSOMED in the deep solitude of The face, however, is not prepossessing. a mountain glen, a few miles from Among the tenantry of the Arranmore and Carraghmore, stood Elm Lodge, the resi- Barrington estates he has the reputation of dence of Mr. Crofton, the English agent of being a hard master, a fact which may be Lord Arranmore, and of the heiress of Bar- gathered from the cold gleam of his pale rington Height. The house was a modern blue eye, and the stern decision of the thin dwelling, built of greystone, and in the En- compressed lips. The interests of the landglish style, its situation extremely romantic. lord are always considered by him before It stood on a verdant slope, overlooking a the well-being of the tenant; but his own inpicturesque sheet of water. Lofty rugged terest is paramount to every other consideramountains rose precipitously around, their tion. He manages the property committed naked grey cliffs impending as if to shelter to his care well, gaining for himself the the quiet scene below. gratitude of his employers, although as much could not be said regarding the often oppressed tenantry, and he has prospered in the world, building for himself the handsome residence in this secluded glen, and furnishing it in a style of modern elegance and comfort. His wife, an Irishwoman of good family, has been some years dead. Their union was not a happy one, his domineering habits, his tyrannical spirit, and cold, sullen nature had rendered existence to her a dull, monotonous misery.

It is the hour of early evening, a beautiful evening in August. The warm haze which filled the atmosphere during the day, veiling with its golden mist the gigantic mountains, is lifting itself up from their heath-clad sides, and rolling away westward in fantastic-lining masses to drape the declining sun. The front entrance to Elm Lodge is graced by a marble portico-marble being abundant in the neighbourhood. On the steps, enjoying a cigar, sits the master of the Lodge, and

All the affection he seemed capable of feeling was given to his young daughter, of whose beauty and accomplishments he seemed so proud. Hitherto she had experienced nothing but unvarying kindness from her stern father; his habitual moroseness was kept in check by the sunshine of her temper, and as yet he had not exhibited himself to her in his true character that dark picture, however, was soon to be revealed. The green slope on which the house stood was dotted with ornamental shrubs, and two rows of young elm trees enclosed the gravel walk leading up to the hall-door Approaching the house by this walk might now be seen half-a-dozen men dressed in the picturesque garb of the Connemara peasant -the blue frieze coat fastened by a rude clasp at the throat, and hanging loosely from the shoulders. On seeing the agent and the young lady sitting in the portico, their pace slackened, and there was a cringing servility, in their look and manner as they slowly advanced. Mr. Crofton eyed them sternly, and the expression of his face was anything but encouraging. They seemed to feel the baleful influence of that cold blue eye, and hung back as if unwilling to address him. He it was who broke the silence.

"What brings you here?" he asked, in tones so harsh that Isabel started and looked at him in surprise. What a changed countenance met her eye, sending a thrill of pain through her heart!

"We came to spake about them cabins, your honour," answered one, a little bolder than the rest. He was a powerfully-built man, with a sinister expression in his flashing grey eye.

"What's the use of saying any more about them, Flannagan? I have already told you my mind, and—”

"But we thought sir," broke in another of the group, timidly, "that if you knew the throuble it put us to, the grief of the wife and the childher-laving alone ourselves

at being turned from undher the roof that

sheltered us so long, you'd listen to rason, and not be so hard upon us intirely."

"And you came here for the purpose of telling me this, did you?" asked Mr. Crofton, a ring of cruel scorn in his passionate

tones.

Sure we did, your honour."

"Then you might have spared yourselves the trouble!" broke haughtily from him. "You ought to know by this time that I am not a man to be turned from my purpose by appeals from the like of you," and he surveyed the humble group before him with withering contempt.

"Well, if you won't listen to the cry for marcy, maybe you will mind the threat of vingince!" fiercely exclaimed Flannagan. brandishing the knotted shillelah he held in his hand.

"What! you dare to threaten, do you?” said Mr. Crofton in the hoarse tones of intense passion.

"Be asy, Larry can't ye spake him civil?" whispered one of the party. "It'll be betther for us in the end, man alive!"

But Larry Flannagan's savage nature was roused by the mocking scorn and cruel heartlessness of Lord Arranmore's agent, maddened, too, by the prospect of ejection from the humble home where his forefathers had lived contented before him. This portion of the estate was situated in an adjac ent vale, called Glenmore, through which a deep stream wound its way. The site could be made available for the erection of grist and other mills wanted in the neighbourhood; and Mr. Crofton determined on ejecting the half-dozen tenants who rented the land, and leasing it himself with the inten tion of building the mills, from which he could derive so much pecuniary advantage.

"There's no use mincing matthers wid the likes of him, I tell ye !" fiercely retorted Larry Flannagan. "His heart is made of stone !" he passionately continued. "What hope is there of moving him when anything is to be gained? Isn't the mills to be his

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