415

A.—s

Sir WILFRID LAURIER : It could be reduced by 3 and 4, but never more than 5 per cent.; that is to say, instead of having a preference in our market of 33-3, he would have a preference with regard to that nation, say, of 28 per cent. That would be the limit. Having said that much, there is a point I wish to make here. I thought of bringing it before the Conference by way of resolution, but as it is a question which affects Canada and Canada alone, I will not do so, because the other members of the Conference are not interested in it. I stated a moment ago that we do not desire in any way to interfere with the opinion of the British people so far as their fiscal policy is concerned; but, while I say this, and in view of having the best relations possible maintained between the Motherland and the Dominions beyond the Seas, there is one thing, however, which I think we are entitled to, and that is, that we should be treated with absolute fairness. Now we have a grievance, and, I think, a well-founded grievance, in Canada, with regard to the question of the cattle embargo. For more than 20 years the British Government have practically excluded our live cattle from their market on the ground that they were tainted with disease. We resent this in Canada—l use the word " resent" in the hope that it is not too strong —as being unfair, because the assertion is unfounded. Our cattle are absolutely free from disease. Now our exporters of cattle are compelled as scon as the cattle are landed in the port, say, of Liverpool, to have them slaughtered immediately on the pretence that they may spread disease and that they may taint the British cattle As a matter of fact, everybody knows at the present time we are free from cattle disease. Therefore, day by day, week after week, cattle come in and are slaughtered immediately, and the fact that they are bound to be slaughtered immediately obliges the exporter to take a lesser price for them because of the necessity to find a market on arrival. If the thing were based upon fact, I could have no word of complaint to make, but when as a matter of fact the Canadian cattle ought not to be excluded on that ground, we think that it is a great injustice to us, and one which we have serious reason to complain of. If it were maintained as a ground of policy: if you were to say " We do not want the Canadian cattle to come in in competition with British cattle in the market," that would be quite another matter. That would be a question of policy for the British Government to which we would have nothing tosay. Butsolongas they maintain the position that our cattle are excluded for the reason of the health of the British cattle, it is a position which we resent, and which I bring to the serious attention of the British authorities. We complain that it is unfair to us, that it is not only an injustice, but a slander upon our position. We have a system of quarantine in Canada which is maintained at a very great cost in a state of efficiency, and we maintain that our cattle are just as free from disease as British cattle are to-day. In order to maintain the good relations, now happily welded between the British Empire and Canada and all parts of the Empire—but, I am speaking now of a question which concerns only Canada —I bring this matter to the serious attention of His Majesty's Government. It is a thing which ought not to be allowed. It is a slander upon our good name. It is a thing which rankles in our breast because we know it is not fair, and I go further and I say that it is maintained not upon questions of sanitary precautions, but ulterior motives which a Free Trade Government should not allow and uphold. As I said in opening, I beg to move that the resolutions of 1902 be reaffirmed. Mr. ASQUITH : Perhaps I may just say in reference to what Sir Wilfrid Laurier said at the end of his speech, that, as regards the Canadian

Twelfth Day. 7 May 1907.

Preferential Trade.