CHAP. V] TREATY RELATIONS 1145
they held as keenly as he did, approached the United States
for a renewal of the treaty of 1854. Mr. Brown negotiated
with the assistance of Sir Edward Thornton, then British
Minister to the United States at Washington, and eventually
a draft treaty for twenty-one years was framed. The treaty
embraced a very wide range of reciprocity, striking off all the
duties on numerous manufactured articles, and putting
lumber, coal, and all farm produce on the free list. But the
draft treaty was not even considered by Congress ; it
reached the Senate only two days before adjournment, was
taken up in secret session, and returned to the President
with the advice that it was inexpedient to proceed with its
consideration.
Sir John Macdonald returned to office in 1878, and pro-
ceeded to develop the policy of protection which had helped
materially to win the election. ‘A National Policy of Pro-
tection,” he said in that session, * will prevent Canada from
being made a sacrifice market, will encourage and develop
an active inter-provincial trade, and moving as it ought to
do in the direction of reciprocity of tariffs with our neigh-
bours so far as the varied interests of Canada may demand,
will greatly tend to procure for this country eventually
reciprocity of trade.” The Canadian tariff of 1879 still em-
bodied the standing offer of reciprocity in natural products,
but of course the United States were not prepared to accept
anything so limited as that.
Tt must not be thought that Sir John Macdonald's Govern-
ment in adopting protection desired to prevent reciprocity
with the United States. When the fishery clauses of the
Treaty of Washington were terminated ab the instance of
the United States in 1885, the Canadian Government granted
to American vessels the fishing privileges enjoyed under the
treaty until the close of the season. This agreement was
arrived at on the understanding that circumstances afforded
a prospect of negotiations for the development and extension
of trade between the United States and British North America.
Mr. Foster, Minister of Marine and Tisheries, expressed the
hope that renewed negotiations would be carried on with
