The Sun.
London, England, 1863-07-08 00:00:00

RA IL WAYS.

Cash. .Account.
Orleans lO2O .. 1020
Northern ....
New ditto — • • ---
Lyons and Mediterranean 1035 1032 50
Geneva............
Southern
Western
Eastern ........... 502 50 .. 500
Sardinian
Austrian
Lon-hard
50
North of Spain
Saragossa.,,,.. 695 .. 697 50
Ditto to Barcelona 373 .50 .. 370

The Hudson's Bay Company's Territory,

In further illustration of the momentous quea-
tion affecting those regions of British North Ame-
rica—a question discussed to-day in our first leading
article, and referred to elsewhere in a brief commu-
nication addressed to us by an intelligent cone-
spon dent—we are tempted to quote the following
passages from a
petition transmitted from the
Liverpool Financial Reform Association, and pre-
sented by that association as far back as 1858:
TO THE HONOURABLE THE COMMONS OT THE UNITED
KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND, IN PAR-
LIAMENT
sh o
ASSEMBLED.
Wll, Th
Humbly
at the British possessions in North
America, entitled the Hudson's Bay and Indian territories,
exceed the whole of Europe in extent—abound in agricul-
tural and mineral wealth, possess facilities for a most com-
plete system of inland water communication, and enjoy
many other natural advantages and sources of commercial
greatness, which render them a most eligible field for
British colonisation.
That the alleged rights of absolute ownership and exclu-
sive trading over the whole of these immense regions,
held by a small number of private individuals, are
contrary to justice and public policy; and that such
rights and privileges have been exercised in a man-
ner most prejudicial to the British colonists
settled therein, to the native races, and to the interests of
the empire at large.
That the possession of such monstrous privileges by a
few persons, to the manifest injury of all the rest of the com-
munity, is directly opposed to the theory of free trade, so
happily inaugurated by your honourable house, and ought,
therefore, to be forthwith abolished.
That your petitioners have learnt with great apprehen-
sion,
and even with dismay, that a legislative measure is
about to be submitted to your honourable house continuing
the monopoly of the Hudson's Bay Company, so far as re-
gards the Hudson's Bay and Indian territories,with no other
modification than the cession of certain districts to Canada,
on what are called "equitable principles," by which
phrase your petitioners understand that either Canada or
the mother country is to
pay the Hudson's Bay Company
for the ceded districts; and that your honourable house is
to be advised to ratify this arrangement, "whatever may
be the validity or otherwise of the rights claimed by the
Hudson's Bay Company
under the charter," and this
mainly on three grounds-Ist, the maintenance of law and
order; 2dly, presumed fatal effects to the Indians from
open competition in the fur trade ; and, 3dly, the probable
by
destruction of the more valuable fur-tearing animals at no
distant period.
That your petitioners believe that the charter granted
King Charles the Second to the Hudson's Bay Company
was invalid ai initto, becuuse it conferred powers and privi-
leges contrary to the laws of England, without the sanction
has since usurped territories expressly excluded from its ope-
ex P
of Parliament ; and that, even if it were legal, the company
ged to France, and should now form
ration, which then belon
part of Canada. . _ _

_
That, in the opinion of your petitioners, the legality or
illegality of the charter, and, if it be legal, the limits of the
company's jurisaic,ion under it, ought to be decided by a
competent judicial tribunal
favour
n f th
any qe nuennastipoannoyf, compen-
sationwhetner is entertained, and that to plead for the application
of equitable principles" in n
its claims be valid or invalid, without reference to any such
principles against the company, involves ipnevtiotlivoensernso,twshimolplylyinasnufai i
insuffi-
cient.
consistency but a denial of justice to the people of Great
Britain and Canada.
etanint'ht.aarte:hienrtenaesoonpsinailolnegoedt for treating the validity or non-
validity of the charter as a matter comparatively unimpor-
tant

That your petitioners cannot beliave that a system which
creates such intense dissatisfaction amongst the one small
body of British settlers under the suay of the Hudson Bay
Company as to induce amongst them a desire to throw oil
their allegiance to the British
.Crown, and which invites
constant encroachments on British territories, now lying
waste and unoccupied, by citizens of the United States, is
conducive to the maintenance of law and order.
That your petitioners greatly doubt the sincerity of a
sympathy for the Indians, which is coincident with exact-
ing from them profits ranging from 200 to 2,000 per cent. on
every article the company buys or sells, as also with a de-
crease in their numbers, and with little or no progress in
their civilisation, or improvement in their condition.
That your petitioners, believing that the vast regions
which it has been the object of the Hudson's Bay Com-
pany to retain, as nearly as possible, in a state of desert na-
ture, for the breeding and hunting of wild beasts, may,
under a proper system of colonisation and government, be•
come covered with populous towns, and flourishing cornmu-
nsoirtiteescioffnßtrihAtisThT,,siutobdjecststa,tewshaonwdouoltdherotfhoerreiwginsechouanyterirees:
would rejoice in such a consummation, even though it
should be attended with the extinction of all fur-bearing
animals.

That, whether as regards Vancouver's Island, the Hud-
son's Bay territories, or the Indian territories, the great
natural advantages possessed by them all will be best de-
veloped by their severance from a company whose policy
has always been, as it still is, opposed to all development
excepting that of a paltry trade in furs, realising only a few
hundred thousand pounds annually from nearly half the
continent of America, whose imports and exports, under
ether auspices, would soon be estimated by millions sterling.

CLEVER SHAVERS !.-._Talleyrand told Lord Hol-
land, " A king by birth is shaved by another. He who
makes himself king shaves himself." Napoleon, like Wel-
lington, shaved himself.

Mr. BOUCICAULT'S THEATRICAL REFORMS.—
It is well known that Mr. Boucicault had no sooner
realized a fortune at one of our London theatres, than he
made the discovery that our theatre accommodation was ex-
tremely defective, and promised that be would set to work
and amend it. With this view he became the lessee of
Astley's Amphitheatre, and effected certain alterations
which were not generally accepted as improvements. He
also stated that he inteadcd to purchase houses on each
side of the theatre, and toconvert these into waiting saloons,
corridors, &c., for the comfort and convenience of his visi-
tors. Not content with these promises, he organised a
"Theatre Company,"
whose management included some
high sounding and influential names—he pitchedupon
site in the Haymarket, opposite Mr. Buckstone's establish-
ment, and somehow sr other made the public believe that
preliminaries were satisfactorily settled, and that in a few
days the builders would commence. Bat these splendid
projects appear to have leen doomed to a hasty and rather
undignified abandonment. The Westminster Theatre has
suddenly closed its doors, and the threatened houses on
either side remain unme.ested. With regard to the grander
scene at the West-end, :he proprietor of the coveted site
declared that he had no parted with his property and did
not intend to. Subsequently, the broker of the Theatre
Company advertised his severance from the project, and
finally, we understand, hat the dukes, lords, and so on,
who had been persuaded to lend their names to the specu-
lation, have withdrawn .heir support..—.Builditig .Acws.