# Rupert's Land and North-Western Territory Order

* related portals: Constitutional documents of Canada, Hudson's Bay Company.
* sister projects: Wikipedia article, Wikidata item.
The actual Royal Order declaring that Rupert's Land become a part of Canada, effective July 15, 1870. Contained resolutions of the House of Commons and the Senate of Canada petitioning for the admission of the territories into the Dominion of Canada, plus several memoranda. Contains a deed of surrender, detailing districts, trading posts and acreages. Set conditions that the Canadian government was to allow Hudson's Bay Company to trade without hinderance, and to pay them compensation, plus allow the Company the right to claim blocks of land of specific sizes for their own use under certain conditions and in certain areas. Relieved Hudson's Bay Company of any unsettled Indian Claims, effectively making it the responsiblity of the Canadian Government.
Schedules:
* Schedule (A)
* Schedule (B)
* Schedule (C)
Source: Statutes, treaties and documents of the Canadian Constitution, 1713- 1929 Toronto : Oxford University Press, 1930
Order of Her Majesty in Council Admitting Rupert's Land and the North-Western Territory into the Union
At the Court at Windsor, the 23rd day of June, 1870.
Present
The Queen's Most Excellent Majesty.
Lord President.
Lord Privy Seal.
Lord Chamberlain.
Mr. Gladstone.
Whereas by the "British North America Act, 1867," it was (amongst other things) enacted that it should be lawful for the Queen, by and with the advice or Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, on Address from the Houses of the Parliament of Canada, to admit Rupert's Land and the NorthWestern Territory, or either of them, into the Union on such terms and conditions in each case as should be in the Addresses expressed, and as the Queen should think fit to approve, subject to the provisions of the said Act. And it was further enacted that the provisions of any Order in Council in that behalf should have effect as if they had been enacted by the Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland:
And whereas by an Address from the Houses of the Parliament of Canada, of which Address a copy is contained in the Schedule to this Order annexed, marked A, Her Majesty was prayed, by and with the advice of Her Most Honourable Privy Council, to unite Rupert's Land and the NorthWestern Territory with the Dominion of Canada, and to grant to the Parliament of Canada authority to legislate for their future welfare and good government upon the terms and conditions therein stated.
And whereas by the "Rupert's Land Act, 1868," it was (amongst other things) enacted that it should be competent for the Governor and Company of Adventurers of England trading into Hudson's Bay (hereinafter called the Company) to surrender to Her Majesty, and for Her Majesty by any Instrument under Her Sign Manual and Signet to accept a surrender of all or any of the lands, territories, rights, privileges, liberties, franchises, powers, and authorities whatsoever granted or purported to be granted by certain Letters Patent therein recited to the said Company within Rupert's Land upon such terms and conditions as should be agreed upon by and between Her Majesty and the said Company; provided, however, that such surrender should not be accepted by Her Majesty until the terms and conditions upon which Rupert's Land should be admitted into the said Dominion of Canada should have been approved of by Her Majesty and embodied in an Address to Her Majesty from both the Houses of the Parliament of Canada, in pursuance of the 146th Section of the "British North America Act, 1867:"
And it was by the same Act further enacted that it should be competent to Her Majesty by Order or Orders in Council, on Addresses from the Houses of the Parliament of Canada, to declare that Rupert's Land should, from a date to be therein mentioned, be admitted into and become part of the Dominion of Canada:
And whereas a second Address from both the Houses of Parliament of Canada has been received by Her Majesty praying that Her Majesty will be pleased, under the provisions of the hereinbefore recited Acts, to unite Rupert's Land on the terms and conditions expressed in certain Resolutions therein referred to and approved of by Her Majesty, of which said Resolutions and Address copies are contained in the Schedule to this Order annexed, marked B, and also to unite the NorthWestern Territory with the Dominion of Canada, as prayed for by and on the terms and conditions contained in the hereinbefore first recited Address, and also approved of by Her Majesty:
And whereas a draft surrender has been submitted to the GovernorGeneral of Canada containing stipulations to the following effect, viz.:—
1. The sum of 300,000l. (being the sum hereinafter mentioned) shall be paid by the Canadian Government into the Bank of England to the credit of the Company within six calendar months after acceptance of the surrender aforesaid, with interest on the said sum at the rate of 5 per cent, per annum, computed from the date of such acceptance until the time of such payment.
2. The size of the blocks which the Company are to select adjoining each of their posts in the Red River limits, shall be as follows:—
| Upper Fort Garry and town of Winnipeg, including the inclosed park around shop and ground at the entrance to the town | Acres. 500 |
| Lower Fort Garry (including the farm the Company now have under cultivation) | 500 |
| White Horse Plain | 500 |
3. The deduction to be made as hereinaftermentioned from the price of the materials of the Electric Telegraph, in respect of deterioration thereof, is to be certified within three calendar months from such acceptance as aforesaid by the agents of the Company in charge of the depots where the materials are stored. And the said price is to be paid by the Canadian Government into the Bank of England to the credit of the Company within six calendar months of such acceptance, with interest at the rate of 5 per cent, per annum on the amount of such price computed from the date of such acceptance until the time of payment.
And whereas the said draft was on the fifth day of July, one thousand eight hundred and sixtynine, approved by the said GovernorGeneral in accordance with a Report from the Committee of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada; but it was not expedient that the said stipulations, not being contained in the aforesaid second Address, should be included in the surrender by the said Company to Her Majesty of their rights aforesaid or in this Order in Council.
And whereas the said Company did by deed under the seal of the said Company, and bearing date the nineteenth day of November, one thousand eight hundred and sixtynine, of which deed a copy is contained in the Schedule to this Order annexed, marked C, surrender to Her Majesty all the rights of government, and other rights, privileges, liberties, franchises, powers and authorities granted, or purported to be granted, to the said Company by the said Letters Patent therein and hereinbefore referred to, and also all similar rights which may have been exercised or assumed by the said Company in any parts of British North America not forming part of Rupert's Land, or of Canada or of British Columbia, and all the lands and territories (except and subject as in the terms and conditions therein mentioned) granted, or purported to be granted to the said Company by the said Letters Patent:
And whereas such surrender has been duly accepted by Her Majesty, by an instrument under her Sign Manual and Signet, bearing date at Windsor the twentysecond day of June, one thousand eight hundred and seventy.
It is hereby ordered and declared by Her Majesty, by and with the advice of the Privy Council, in pursuance and exercise of the powers vested in Her Majesty by the said Acts of Parliament, that from and after the fifteenth day of July, one thousand eight hundred and seventy, the said NorthWestern Territory shall be admitted into and become part of the Dominion of Canada upon the terms and conditions set forth in the first hereinbefore recited Address, and that the Parliament of Canada shall from the day aforesaid have full power and Authority to legislate for the future welfare and good government of the said Territory. And it is further ordered that, without prejudice to any obligations arising from the aforesaid approved Report, Rupert's Land shall from and after the said date be admitted into and become part of the Dominion of Canada upon the following terms and conditions, being the terms and conditions still remaining to be performed of those embodied in the said second Address of the Parliament of Canada, and approved of by Her Majesty as aforesaid:—
1. Canada is to pay to the Company 300,000l. when Rupert's Land is transferred to the Dominion of Canada.
2. The Company are to retain the posts they actually occupy in the NorthWestern Territory, and may, within twelve months of the surrender, select a block of land adjoining each of its posts within any part of British North America not comprised in Canada and British Columbia, in conformity, except as regards the Red River Territory, with a list made out by the Company and communicated to the Canadian Ministers, being the list in the Schedule of the aforesaid Deed of Surrender. The actual survey is to be proceeded with, with all convenient speed.
3. The size of each block is not to exceed [10] acres round Upper Fort Garry, [300] acres round Lower Fort Garry; in the rest of the Red River Territory a number of acres to be settled at once between the Governor in Council and the Company, but so that the aggregate extent of the blocks is not to exceed 50,000 acres.
4. So for as the configuration of the country admits, the blocks shall front the river or road, by which means of access are provided, and shall be approximately in the shape of parallelograms, of which the frontage shall not be more than half the depth.
5. The Company may, for fifty years after the surrender, claim in any township or distinct within the Fertile Belt, in which land is set out for settlement, grants of land not exceeding onetwentieth part of the land so set out. The blocks so granted to be determined by lot. and the Company to pay a rateable share of the survey expenses, not exceeding 8 cents Canadian an acre. The Company may defer the exercise of their right of claiming the proportion of each township for not more than ten years after it is set out; but their claim must be limited to an allotment from the lands remaining unsold at the time they declare their intention to make it.
6. For the purpose of the last Article, the Fertile Belt is to be bounded as follows:—On the south by the United States' boundary; on the west by the Rocky Mountains; on the north by the northern branch of the Saskatchewan; on the east by Lake Winnipeg, the Lake of the Woods, and the waters connecting them.
7. If any township shall be formed abutting on the north bank of the northern branch of the Saskatchewan River, the Company may take their onetwentieth of any such townships which for the purpose of this Article shall not exceed more than five miles inland from the river, giving to the Canadian Dominion an equal quantity of the portion of lands coming to them of townships established on the southern bank.
8. In laying out any public roads, canals, &c., through any block of land reserved to the Company, the Canadian Government may take, without compensation, such land as is necessary for the purpose, not exceeding one twentyfifth of the total acreage of the block; but if the Canadian Government require any land which is actually under cultivation. Or which has been built upon, or which is necessary for giving the Company's servants access to any river or lake, or as a frontage to any river or lake, they shall pay to the Company the fair value of the same, and shall make compensation for any injury done to the Company or their servants.
9. It is understood that the whole of the land to be appropriated within the meaning of the last preceding clause shall be appropriated for public purposes.
10. All titles to land up to the eighth day of March, one thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, conferred by the Company are to be confirmed.
11. The Company is to be at liberty to carry on its trade without hindrance in its corporate capacity, and no exceptional tax is to be placed on the Company's land, trade, or servants, nor any import duty on goods introduced by them previous to the surrender.
12. Canada is to take over The materials of the electric telegraph at cost price—such price including transport, but not including interest for money, and subject to a deduction for ascertained deterioration.
13. The Company's claim to land under agreements of Messrs. Vankoughnet and Hopkins is to be withdrawn.
14. Any claims of Indians to compensation for lands required for purposes of settlement shall be disposed of by the Canadian Government in communication with the Imperial Government; and the Company shall be relieved of all responsibility in respect of them.
15. The Governor in Council is authorized and empowered to arrange any details that may be necessary to carry out the above terms and conditions.
And the Right Honourable Earl Granville, one of Her Majesty's Principal Secretaries of State, is to give the necessary directions herein accordingly.
(Signed) Edmund Harrison.
This work is in the public domain worldwide because it was created by a public body of the United Kingdom with Crown Status and commercially published before 1974.
See Crown copyright artistic works, Crown copyright non-artistic works and List of Public Bodies with Crown Status.
Public domainPublic domainfalsefalse