The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-12-23 00:00:00

ler-vice was spent

e was on the Llbra

[or coa

g the whole of that period he had

Hudson's Bay, and di.
correspondence from the various sections of the country
as far as Vancouver's Island and Mackensie's riv
in that way, he had becorge familiar with every
the territory, independently of what he had seen himself,
and from what he had heard : and so far as his own obser-
vation went, he was well assured that what Mr. Macdon.
nell had stated was perfectly correct. Some eight or nine
years ago he had ventured on the then unappreciated sub-
ject of the Hudson's Bay Company's territories, by publish-
ing several letters in the newspapers of this country, and
particularly had addressed two -letters to the Governor-
General, Lord Elgin, wishing to direct the attention of
Canadians to the propriety of their asserting their right
to the vast section of this continent occupied by the com-
pany. The movement then appeared to be premature, a
large section of the Canadian press having been artfully
inveigled into supporting the other side. But great pro-
gress had been made since then in railways and other
public works, and another aspect was given to the sub-
ject. Canadians now saw that the comparatively small
fragment of the continent which they occupied would
soon be both too narrow and too short for them—too small
a field on which to exercise and develope their new-born
energies. It was the most notable work for the Cana-
dians of the present day to undertake, to bring within
the pale of civilisation the larger half of the North
American continent, a country containing 270,000,000 of
acres. A little while ago it was the prevailing idea that
the territory was only fit for the rearing of the fur-bearing
animals for the sole benefit of the Hudson's Bay Com-
pany. At the cost of much labour, research and pains
taking, Assimboine, Huron, and others had done
much to remove this impression. But Canadians would
not fuily realise the importance of the subject, if they
rested satisfied with merely knowing that there was so vast
an area in existence. They had a duty to perform in re-
gard to it ; and in fact it might be said that they only
required to go up to possess it. lf they remained inactive,
that territory would pass out of their hands, which they
might now regard as already theirs. Captain Kennedy,
proceeded to speak of the tyranny exercised by the com-
pany in the territory, and the inefficient administration
of justice under their management. He alluded also to
the attempt they were now making to obtain from the
Canadian Government as much of the best lands along the
shores of Huron and Superior as they could. They had
made a similar attempt a few years ago to monopolise the
lumber trade of Canada, as well as the fur trade, by tak-
ing out timber licenses for vast sections of the country on
the St. Lawrence and the Ottawa. They only attempted
to lumber on the Ottawa, but in the end they were
obliged to relinquish the trade to the original owners,
and to submit, moreover, to an invasion of their
territory, which they have so long protected by hold.
ing up an extinct charter, the legality of which
might well have been questioned. He explained the two
titles under which the Hudson's Bay Company held the
country, one portion being chartered territory, the latter
under a lease for twenty-one years, expiring in 1859.
The last time the lease was to expire, the company, three
or four years before hand, suddenly threw it up, and the
Imperial government, not knowing well what to do with
so vast a territory thus thrown on their hands, and being
without any sort of government to provide for it, were
glad to renew the lease. The Canadian government ought
to see that they were not forestalled by a similar manoeuvre
at the present time. Mr. Kennedy then gave some addi-
tiional information to that communicated by Mr. Macdon-
nell, in regard to the resources and capabilities of the
country. On the coast of the portion of the territory where
he had lived for eight years, whales, or rather porpoises,
were so abundant that they could be caught by thousands.
Smaller whales were also to be captured, and seal-
skins and other furs could be got in abundance. Coal
and plumbago abounded in Hogarth's Inlet, so much so
that they could be picked up on the sea shore. So nume_
rous were the rein deer that those familiar with the nar-
rative of Dr. Rae would remember how he and his party
were able to sustain themselves with their guns, without
having recourse to the assistance of the natives. He
(Captain K.) had himself, with a party of 12 men,
killed 216 reindeer in two hours. He had seen as many
as ten or twelve thousand of them at ono view. But the
fur trade was a secondary consideration. The entire
country, extending 400 miles from the boundary line to
the north, was capable of cultivation of the same kind as
was cars ied on in Canada. Particularly flax, tallow, and
hides, which it was now necessary to procure from Russia,
could just as easily be raised on these prairies. The coun-
try was as fertile as it could possibly be. The Red river
settlers: were now !opening up a communication with
St. Paul s. and occasionally resorted to that city in a
caravan of as many as 600 carts, taking their produce
there, and getting American produce in exchange, as
they found that more advantageous than trading with
the Hudsrm' Any, who had done everything in

s Bay Comr

Ivor, and
part of

to obstruct

their power, resorting to a variety of expedient , _
the progress of the settlement.:. The whole territory was
larger than Europe, and as fertile, and it possessed as
many facilities for commerce, both in the west and the
east. Gold in great quantities was found on Vancouver's
Island. He had in his possession a specimen of gold
quartz from Governor Douglas's own garden. He had a
specimen also from Queen Charlotte's Island ; and it was
reported that the company had bribed a man to silence who
had found the same metal on the Red River, knowing that
as soon as the tide of emigration should set into that
region, their trade and power was gone. In the Red
River settlement the season commenced to be severe about
the Ist of November. Farming operations commenced
about the Ist of May. He believed meteorological tables
would show that the climate at Red River was not severer
than at Toronto, taking the mean temperature of the year.
Snow only lay in the wooded valleys. In the praries, it
was so thin that the buffaloes did not migrate south,
but grazed on them the whole winter. In reply to ques_
tions from Mr. Brunskill, Mr. Jas. Browne, Jr.,_Mr. Rice
Lewis, Mr. Maclear, and other gentlemen, Capt. Kennedy
said the country itself was favourable for the construction
of railroads. The distance between Lake Superior and
Lake Winnipeg, in a direct line, was 200 miles, and the
country, generally speaking, was level. The navigation
was not so difficult—many of the rapids could be easily
improved, by blasting a few of the rocks. There were
such a number of portages on Lake :Superior and Rainy
Lake that the use of boats would involve a loss of time—
canoes would be the things to use. The number of white
inhabitants in the Red River settlement was very small.
The population was a mingled one, and had been
variously estimated at from 8,000 to 10.000. The people
were not very industrious, but this could not be a matter
of surprise to any one acquainted with the manner in
which their energies were cramped. Not only were
they isolated, but every effort which they put forth to
better their condition, and render them independent, was
thwarted by the Hudson's Bay Company. The policy
adopted by the company whenever any body of men
entered the territory for the purpose of engaging in traffic,
was to provoke that body to the shedding of blood. They
were then enabled to say, that so long as they were left
alone the country continued in peace. There was an
abundance of coal along the banks of the Mackensie
and other rivers. It indeed fairly cropped the banks;
and mineral tar was to be obtained there in such quantities
that the company never made use of any other than
this for their boats. Copper was also abundant, and
in such a pure state that it might be chiselled out
rather than mined from the beds. The entire sea
coast abounds with marine animals, and probably ere
long the discovery would be made by the people
of San I`.;'rancisco, who would send out expeditions
to gather them. The new Siberian country abounds
with fossil, as well as natural ivory. He (Capt. Kennedy)
had a brother residing on Red river, and he had requested
him to convene a meeting of the inhabitants of the settle-
ment to express their views and opinions as to the country
under whose jurisdiction they would like to be. If he had
not misunderstood him, the people were very desirous of
being under some other jurisdiction than that of the Hud-
son's Bay Company, and seemed to prefer that of Canada.
It was very likely that the views of the people would be
embodied in a petition, which wonld be sent down to the
legislature of this country in the next session. We should
then have an opportunity of knowing whether the pro-
vincial government would be more attentive to the wants
of their fellow subjects than the imperial government.
At this season of the year it would take from
twenty to twenty-five days to go to the Red river.
In summer the distance might be accomplished
in less time, but not much less than 20 days. The admi-
nistration of justice was entirely under the control of the
Hudson's Bay Company. The government professed to
appo,nt a civil governor of the colony. but the magistrates
were appointed exclusively by the Company. Under the
governor was an official who acted jointly as' a recorder
and a judge. Formerly there was a sort of militia, and
over them was a person called the Warden of the Plains,
generally a half breed, who possessed extensive in-
fluence over the settlers of the country, and proba
the tribes of Indians in that immediate neight

, to whom t
necessary to pay a high salary, with a view to secuse his
interest in case of emergency. There was no garrison.
But a few year's ago—in all likelihood at the time when
the rebellion took place in Canada—a number of pensioners
were introduced, under the pretence of being prepared to
defend the country in the event of an invasion by the
Americans, but it was more than suspected, with a view
to protect the company from the settlers. They did not,
however, remain long in the country ; they took a dislike
to it andreturned. The settlers were at present on the
most friendly terms with the Indians. There was a time
when the Indians were in the habit of attacking parties
as they went from the Red River settlement to the city of
St. Paul; but the American government had garrisons
which proved sufficiently powerful to quell them. There
was no newspaper at present in the settlement.

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