CANADIAN CONDITIONS. 31

This sums up the leading schools of Canadian
opinion upon this question. And it may now be
gathered how much real support Mr. Chamberlain
has or how far his policy is an Imperial necessity.!
The Liberal party stands lukewarm, rather suspicious,
 and quite determined not to commit itself.
The Conservatives advocate it for their own ends,
which are not Mr. Chamberlain’s. The majority of
the organised labour is certainly against it. It will
be obvious that the difference of the tariff ideals
of the two Canadian parties augurs ill for the coordination
 and existence of an empire which is to
depend on the stability of an Imperial tariff.
Many misapprehensions exist as to Canadian

1 Those who desire to find active support for Mr.
Chamberlain in Canada point to those provincial legislatures
 which pass with enthusiasm resolutions approving
of his policy. But these resolutions are only made possible
by the vagueness of the terms in which Mr. Chamberlain
has enumerated his scheme. They express willingness to
conclude commercial treaties with Great Britain. This
willingness no one doubts, but it is not of any use in
estimating the Imperial value of the policy. They express
further approval of any preference Mr. Chamberlain may
offer Canada. But the real attitude can be gauged by the
attitude of the Manitobalegislature. Inthatbodyaresolution
approving of Mr. Chamberlain’s policy was carried, but an
amendment to express approval of an increased preference
to Great Britain was rejected by an overwhelming majority.
The legislatures are, in fact, willing to take but not to give.
If this be Mr. Chamberlain’s policy, they approve it most
certainly, But if there be more in Mr. Chamberlain's
policy, he must not look for support in the resolutions of
the Canadian legislatures.