Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-09-11 00:00:00

TORONTO OPPOSING THE HUDSON'S BAY

MONOPOLY.

A great public meeting was held in S. Lawrence Hall,
Toronto, on the 23th ult., for the purpose of protesting
against the continuance of the monopoly claimed by the
Hudson's Bay Company over half of the• North American
continent. The Mayor occupied the chair.
Mr. A. M'Donnell moved the following resolution

R solveri—That in the opin'on of this meeting the period has ar-
rived when every part of that •act portion of the Amer can continent
witch is held by the Hudson's Bay Corp nation, should be wholly
enfranchised from the iron sway of that company, and thrown open
to conmere;al enterprise, traffic and trade, in as free a, d unre-
stricted a meaner as any other portion of British dominions; that
the right and the duty of extending to it civilisation and developing
it• resort C 39, manifestly rest wth the people of the British North
kmerican pro ;laces and that vigorous steps should at ones be
taken to discharge the-responsibility thus devolvinx upon us.

The speaker said that the exposure of the character of
the Hudson's Bay Company, through the Canadian Press,
had provoked investigation, and it will show that their
claims are neither founded in law nor in equity, but that
they are merely founded on fiction, on assumption—and
they will be flung to the winds of heaven forthwith.
(Cheers.) The speaker examined the hirtorical preten-
sions or the company, and d'eclarel that they were based
upon as feeble a foundation as the charter itself. He
denounced-the report of the Special Committee of the
House Of Commons ; and declared that the country was
not theirs te- give—it was ours. (Great applause.) In
°lnclusion, he solemnly warned Mr. Labouchere, and the
Hudson's Bay Company, that their acts would not be
tolerated on the North American-continent. and that thcq
might drive the Red River colonists into the arms of the'
United States. (Cheers )
If Mr. Mc. Murrich having sccondel the resolution,
Mr. Gowan suggested the adjournment of the meeting,
that. Mr. Chief justice Draper, who had returned from
It:s mission to England, might have an opportunity of
explaining the course which he had pursued as the repre-
sentative of C made. The mention of Mr. Draper's name
was the signal for a volley of hissing:
Mr. Brown, M.P., said : Mr. Mayor and fellow citizens
—I do think it would- be moat unfortunate if the resolution
in the Mayor's hand were put to this large and influential
meeting without soma- answer having. been given to the
observations which have just been addressed to you from
this platform. What, forsooth, does Mr. Gowan tell Us ?
Why,. that we do not knoir anything about the Hudson's
Bay question, but most wait till Mr. Draper comes back
to entighten 113 upon it. That we, sir, are not fit to decide
whether the locking up of the half of this continent from
cividsation is right, or wrong, until Mr. Draper instructs
us. That we are not 'competent to say whether the rule
of the Ilealtoa's Bay Company on this continent has been
injurious or not. That we are not fit to- say whether the
people of British Americz- are in a position to extend
civilisation- through these g eat northern territories
(Loud cheers.) Let us telt the people•of England and
the whole world that we hold the northern half of this
continent as the rightful domain of the British American
people—that the narrow torts of the Hudson Bay Com-
pany can no longer continue-,and that we are prepared to
assume now the government of the country, and gradually
extend to it the blessings of civilisation. (.sheers.) Let
us at least lay. the foundation of, a great North Ame-
rican people—a people who, should that day ever
come, when the British flig- shall, have to, be main-
Coined on this continent against the aggrandizing
spirit of another nation, will be found ready and
able to meet the issue as they have always been-in bygone
times. (Cheers.),, But long may that day be off—long
may we remain in peace and cultivating every friendly
relation with our neighbours the United States. Let it be
our high aim to build up here a people, worthy to rule the
northern half of this vast continent, and to establish and
maintain it in wise laws and salutary institutions. (Loud
cheers.) He can be no true Canadian, no true- British
American, who talks of concession indhis matter—who
does not feel that a. solemn trust has-been committed to
our hands, in the filling up of this great territory, and it
becomes us not to lose a week nor an hour in commencing
to discharge it. Mr. Brown resumed his- seat amidst
general and enthusiastic cheering.
Captain Kennedy, who has re:imed fro& an embassy
to the Red River, moved the followiag„resolution :
That this meeting repudiates the proposal that the fin ison's Bay
monopoly should be permitted to exist in part of the territory, regards
such a privilege as presenting a serious bar to the settlement of even
the emancipated distr cts of the country, and holds the complete
abo.ition of all exclusivis rights of trading In favour of the company
as de Leaded by considerations of loyalty, Justice,. au-I humanity, as
well as of sound political policy.

The speaker expatiated-. in. glowing terms upon the I
boundless resoutces of the Hudson's Bay territories ; and
said that, as a proof of the fertility of soil of that vast
territory, it had been given. in evidence that six milds
square of the Red River district would yield a revenue
exceeding all the revenue of the fur trade of the company
put togethvr. (Loud cheers.), This may appear extraor-
dinary, but it was no less true,.and figures could be fur-
nished in proof. Wheat has been, harvested, yielding a
return of 40 to 60 bushels, and weighing from 60 lb to 7u lb
the bushel. (Cheers.). And in the valley of the Sas-
katchewan there was land equally productive. And was
this the land that the people of Canada would desire to
see locked up as fur trading grounds, until the Americans
take it and main!ain possession 7.- (Cheers.)
The resolution, having been seconded by Mr. Rumour,
was carried amid applause.
Mr. MowaTT, Q. C., moved the folio-wing. resolution,
which U 72% unanimnnely adapted :.
" Resolved,—Tlrq this meeting cannot but empress its desp regret
that the Cana lien a /ministration shonld. on a question of such sur-
pa.sing imptiftiince to the people of British am.sriea, have remained
to this moment without any defined pslicy, and sh-,uld have sent a
gentleman to England as the representative of Canada in this matter
without any spec.iic instructions whatever, andwith a discretion so'
unlimited as toVac3 him at liberty to urge views up m the Import,'
authorities which he knew an d acknoviledged were not shared in laS
the wople he was appointed t) repiesent."
Mr.CLartrisoN, President of the Board of Trade, moved
the following resolution, which was carried by acclama-
tion

" Retolved,—That a humble address. to the Queen and to the two
Houses of the Imperial Parliament, founded on the foregoing res du-
ti .ns, earnestly praying that the license of trade to the Hartscro's
Bay Company may not be renewed, and that the claims of the Com-
pany under their charter may be immediately brought to issue and
extinguished—be prep ed and signed by the Mayor ou behalf of the
city, and forwarded for presentation."
The following resolutions were also carried unani-
mously :
"R es Divei hat this meeting has heard with astonishment and
indignation that, while the people of Canada have been earnestly
desiring and contending_ for the extinction of the baneful domination
of the Hudson's Bay Compri), on this continent, the Canadian
government has, within a few months past, made over in fee simple
to that monopoly, for the sum of .€3O, 4G,000 acres of Canadian-
territory, hoarding the m iuths of the six principal rivers lead:ng from
the Canadian Lakes far into the int rior, and commanding tha trade
of the far north; that in the opinion of this meeting a strict
mentory inquiry into this most reprehensible transact on should. be
in ttuted immediately on the assembling of Parliament; and that in
the meantime the government will demonstrate their own complicity
in the outrage, if they do not take immediate steps for canz-olUng the
patents which have been. perfected."
Reso'ved,--" That this- Meeting has read with great pleasure the
petition of their fellow-subjects at. Red River to the Canadian House
of Assembly, praying to havees'enled to their country the laws and
'Lorin:Lamas of Canada, and will hail the day when the. Red River
colonists are nni ed to Canada by the bonds of comman4instiintions.
commercial interconzse,amd social regard."