90 CANADA AND THE EMPIRE,

The British tariff will be of a manifold nature.
Presumably there will be two tariffs for foreigners,
a normal and a most-favoured nation ; an Imperial
tariff for dutiable articles, e¢:, tea; and, finally, the
time may come when a Protectionist Government
will deem it necessary to give the farmer who
buys in a protected market protection against his
Canadian cousin who already sells his wheat profitably
 at £1 per quarter to the exporter; and
other industries which find themselves in a similar
predicament would want similar treatment. The
work of adjusting such tariffs affecting half a dozen
different countries will present almost insurmountable
 difficulties.

How Long CAN 1T LAST?

Supposing, however, and it is no small supposition,
 that all these difficulties have been overcome,
that means have been found to safeguard colonial
liberties, that each colony has satisfactorily negotiated
 her commercial treaty with Britain for such
period as best suits herself, and that the foreign
import has been more or less successfully taxed
out of the Empire, how long can the fabric last?
We must always remember that the arrangement
is to be a purely commercial one on one side at
least, and that Canada will abide by it only so long
as it is profitable. Probably, therefore, it will last
just so long as nothing more advantageous is thrown
in the way of the Colonies. How long will that