86 CANADA AND THE EMPIRE.

old one altered in the interests of the British people,
without consulting the Governments of our selfgoverning
 colonies, and the Finance Ministers of
the colonies would find their hands tied in a
similar manner. In a protectionist country, too,
as one of the results of Protection, internal influences
are perpetually at work which make it expedient
to manipulate the tariff. But so far as such alterations
 interfered with Imperial trade, they would
be unwelcome to the other colonies or Great
Britain. The introduction of Imperial considerations
 into tariff manipulation would be fraught
with serious consequences.
Again, there is the question of bounties. Any
colony might object to the invasion of its markets by
the bounty-fed products of another colony, and this
would lead either to the abrogation by all colonies
of the power of granting bounties, or even to some
system of retaliatory tariffs within the Empire.!

' The following replies made by Mr. Vince, Secretary of
the Birmingham Tariff Reform League, to a questioner at
a public meeting, presumably outline Mr. Chamberlain’s
policy in the matter of inter-Imperial retaliation :—
Questioner. Will any duty be put on manufactured goods
from the colonies under Mr. Chamberlain’s scheme ?
Myr, Vince. No. If the colonies are willing to lower
tariffs against us we shall probably give them Free Trade.
If the colonies refuse to give us better treatment, then. of
course, we shall treat them as we treat foreign nations.
Questioner. If we consent to have our food taxed for the
benefit of the colonies, will the colonies allow our manufacturers
 to compete with their manufacturers on equal
terms ?