The present Canadian Government seems bent upon a Pro- tective
policy, and. Mr. Bright put a question on Thursday to Sir Michael Beach, which was intended to elicit whether the British Government would or would not use its authority to discourage that policy. Sir Michael Beach's reply was very sensible. The Canadian Government knows very well how much her Majesty's Government regret this Protective policy of theirs, but that knowledge is not at all likely to affect a policy deliberately resolved on. And for the rest, our Government consider that, except so far as treaty rights are involved, the Canadian Government must be the judge of its own fiscal policy. As we have elsewhere argued, this is really nothing but a corollary of conceding self- government. If Canada thinks it wise to protect Nova Scotian -coal, and to put a differential duty on tea imported through the United States, though that policy is very unwise, it is no con- -cern of ours. We have already elected to let Canada go astray, if she must, and discern that she has gone astray, if she can. We are too apt to grant a privilege, and then be offended because it is not used as we should wish.
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