Evidently the result of such a course will be to get the Canadian article at New York for thirty-five dollars, viz.: 20 dollars--price at Montreal.
10 " duty.
5 " transportation by railway.
-- 35 dollars--total, or market price at New York.
Could we not have attained the same end by lowering the tariff to five dollars?
We would then have-- 20 dollars--price at Montreal.
5 " duty.
10 " transportation on the common road.
-- 35 dollars--total, or market price at New York.
And this arrangement would have saved us the $2,000,000 spent upon the railway, besides the expense saved in custom-house surveillance, which would of course diminish in proportion as the temptation to smuggling would become less.
But it is answered: The duty is necessary to protect New York industry.

So be it; but do not then destroy the effect of it by your railway.

For if you persist in your determination to keep the Canadian article on a par with the New York one at forty dollars, you must raise the duty to fifteen dollars, in order to have:-- 20 dollars--price at Montreal.
15 " protective duty.
5 " transportation by railway.
-- 40 dollars--total, at equalized prices.
And I now ask, of what benefit, under these circumstances, is the railway?
Frankly, is it not humiliating to the nineteenth century, that it should be destined to transmit to future ages the example of such puerilities seriously and gravely practised?
To be the dupe of another, is bad enough; but to employ all the forms and ceremonies of representation in order to cheat oneself--to doubly cheat oneself, and that too in a mere numerical account--truly this is calculated to lower a little the pride of this _enlightened age_..