1148 ADMINISTRATION AND LEGISLATION [PART Vv 
concession to the demand of reciprocity, and partly by ap- 
peals, on the other hand, to British sentiment against annex- 
ation, aided by an unexpected declaration by Mr. Blake, one 
of the Liberal leaders, that he deprecated a policy tending to 
annexation,! the Conservatives won the election, though not 
by a large majority, and in 1892 they took steps to carry out 
further negotiations for reciprocity. But the proposal broke 
down at the very outset, for Mr. Blaine, the United States 
Secretary of State, demanded discriminatory duties against 
British and foreign goods, and required that a uniform tariff 
should be adopted by the two countries, or so at least it, was 
thought that he demanded, but in any case it is clear that 
reciprocity in manufactured goods was asked for by the 
United States. 
The National Liberal Convention which met at Ottawa in 
June 1893 pronounced as follows on the position :— 
That having regard to the prosperity of Canada and the 
United States as adjoining countries, with many mutual 
interests, it is desirable that there should be the most friendly 
relations, and broad and liberal trade intercourse between 
them ; that the interests alike of the Dominion and of the 
Empire would be materially advanced by the establishing of 
such relations ; that the period of the old reciprocity treaty 
was one of marked prosperity to the British North American 
Colonies ; that the pretext under which the Government 
appealed to the country in 1891 respecting negotiation for 
a treaty with the United States was misleading and dishonest 
and intended to deceive the electorate ; that no sincere effort 
has been made by them to obtain a treaty, but that on the 
contrary it is manifest that the present Government, con- 
trolled as they are by monopolies and combines, are not 
desirous of securing such a treaty ; that the first step towards 
obtaining the end in view is to place a party in power who 
are sincerely desirous of promoting a treaty on terms honour- 
able to both countries; that a fair and liberal reciprocity 
treaty would develop the great natural resources of Canada, 
would enormously increase the trade and commerce between 
the two countries, would tend to encourage friendly relations 
' Goldwin Smith to the last believed in a peaceful union of Canada and 
the United States; see Canadian Annual Review. 1909, p. 626: 1910, 
p. 181: and his Reminiscences.