The Sun.
London, England, 1870-05-14 00:00:00

CANADIAN AFFAIRS.

The Fenian " scare" over the border has half amused,
half annoyed the United States. The American press
assure Canadians that international obligations will
be rigidly observed, and laugh at the farce enacted
by the Fenians, while they ridicule the grand pre-
parations made in the Dominion to receive the
invaders. So absurd does the fright of the colo-
nial papers appear to the people on the other side
of the Border, whose throats are not threatened,
that they ascribe the alarm kept up to a deliberate
purpose on the pa, t of Canadian politicians who
desire to represent the United States, one New
York paper says, as a vulgar, greedy, unscrupulous,
scheming enemy, so hungry for Canada, and so en-
viously hateful of England, that nothing would please
itbetter than to turn loose on the other side of the bor-
der a hoard of Fenian murderers. The Toronto 6 lobe
is said by another to be one of the few papers which
" kept its head."' The Detroit Post gives a satirical
account of the first encounter which took place on
the 17th of April at Windsor, when a Fenian was
knocked down by a red coat. It is very well to de-
pict the Fenian organization as a conglomeration of
Irishmen of vivid imagination, limited means, and
unlimited brass, who since 1866 got a living by pre-
tending a yearly invasion, and who are ousted after
every failure, it, favour of another set who make the
fine promises which bring in the subscriptions from
the servant girls ; but men who hear George Francis
Train's declamation may well find their hair stand
on end with fright. " Fenians, to arms ! Rally fur
Ireland, cry a Hofer! a Tell ! a Fitzgerald ! a Cor-
coran! Down with Saxon ; up with Celt! Wipe
out centuries of brutality— strike now or never.
Cry an O'Neill, a Savage, to the rescue ! ambush
the troops ! Rally to Riel ! Backwooodsmen,
woodchoppers, and raftsrnen! Remember Seventy-
six ! Lexington and Bunker Hill ! I am off to
Stump Minnesota. Twenty-eight engagements in
May. No British troops shall pass that gate. One
Million poor men dead. Three Thousand Millions
of Debt on the backs of the people. Commerce
destroyed. Citizens in Bastile. Blockade Bills
Unsettled. Banquets to Arthur. On to Victory !"
While these soul-stirring words are ringing in our
ears, can we wonder that the blood of the Canadian
curdles? Independent of Fenian threats and pre-
parations, Canada has difficulties enough on her
hands. It is true that a delegation is on the way
from British Columbia to arrange the terms of con-
federation of that Province with the Dominion; but,
on the other hand, Newfoundland is discontented
not only with the prospect of its connection with
Canada, but with the new attitude of England. Its
House of Assembly has distinctly expressed the
latter feeling in an address to Lord Granville on the
withdrawal of troops. Newfoundland, it says, is
the resort of capitalists, who go there to make for-
tunes, but return to England to spend them; that
the bulk of the property is owned in Great Britain,
and the revenues of the island are drat, n to the
mother country, leaving Newfoundland poor, and
unequal to the means of providing defence. in
Nova Scotia and Newßrunswick annexation leagues
are active. In the Nova Scotian Assembly an ad-
dress to the Imperial Government has also been
prepared, and in it the following questions are
propounded:--" Whether the Dominion will be
allowed, if desirous, to become independent ; and
again, whether Nova Scotia, if desirous, would be
allowed to become independent alone. The Attor-
ney-General, in commenting on the resolutions,
expressed the belief that independence must. lead to
annexation." Even in Canada the annexation
party grows in strength. Meanwhile the Domi-
nion is actively engaged in preparations for the
expedition to Winnipeg. It will consist of 600
regulars and 1,100 volunteers, with a steel battery,
and 300 armed and mounted police, the whole
under the command of Colonel Wolseley of the
regular army, who is described as a distinguished
soldier who has served in New Zealand, the Cape,
through the Crimean war and the Indian mutiny,
with seven medals, five wounds ; a first-class officer,
brilliant and solid. The expedition has its rendez-
vous at Collingwood, on the Georgian Bay, which
is now in communication by rail with Toronto. By
telegram we learn that the troops are already mus-
tering at Toronto, and it was announced by mail
that they expect to be afloat during the latter part
of next week. Froth Collingwood they will pro-
ceed in steamers to Fort William on Thunder Bay,
a distance of 540 miles; but an obstacle inter-
venes, for to reach Lake Superior from Lake Hu-
ron a canal about a mile long has to be passed, and
that canal is in American territory. The cable
brings a report that " the steamer Michigan has
been sent to Detrcit with instructions not to allow
the British Winnipeg Expedition to cross United
States Territory through the St. Marie Canal."
Now, as the Sault St. Marie Canal is about 800
miles from Detroit, there is here an evident error,
the meaning being that the steamer Michigan has
been ordered from Detroit to Sault St. Marie. We
now learn that the Michigan has been lying at
Erie, on Lake Eri..., and was ordered to be got
ready for active service about the 20th April,
it being then supposed that the movement was
in connection with the Fenian operations on the
Lakes. If intended to prevent the passage of the
troops through the Canal, a very great diffi-
culty will be thrown in the way of the Canadian
expedition ; but supposing this to be surmounted,
and Fort William reached, Col. Wolseley will thus
proceed, according to the Ottawa correspondent of
the Tribune, our readers supposing that the troops
are now in Thunder Bay, at the further end within
British Territory, of Lake Superior :
--
"There are, first, 28 miles of a march to Dog Lake,
where the boats will be called into requisition. 't he next
stage is along Deg Lake and River, a distance of 35 miles.
The river is a sluggish and winding stream, about 25
yards wide, rising only 18 feet in 35 miles, and running
through a flat and swampy valley about one mile wide.
At its head there are three portages five miles in length,
rising 205 feet, and traversing the height of land between
the levels of Lakes Sup •riur and Winnipeg. 'These
are the Prairie, Middle, and Savanne portages, and are
easily made, though the last is swampy, and would re-
quire drainage. Over all, these boats must be dragged
by oxen or horses, and the provisions, &c., conveyed by
hand. Taking to water again, the troops proceed down
the Savaune River, a muddy and meandering stream, much
clogged by drift, wood, to Lac des Mille Lacs, 19 miles,
and across the lake, 36 miles, to the Seine. This lake is
s udded with numerous islets, and the scenery is bold and
rocky. Entering the Seine, which is from 100 to 200 feet
wide, and winds through a flat, wooded valley, a sail
of 10 miles brings us to the Little Falls at the junction
with the Fire-Steel River. These are literally Little
Falls, only 25 feet high. Down the Seine, bounded by
low hills of the primitive formation, a course of sixty-
six miles, with five portages, leads to Rainy Lake. This
lake contains some 500 islands, mainly composed of pale
red granite and chloride and green stone slate ; and,
though they are very picturesque, they are desolate and
barren. There are some 15,000 Indians here of the Saul-
teaux tribe, and loyal to England. The distance over
and along the lake to Fort Francis is 50 miles. Here, at
the Hudson Bay Company's post, there is a portage of 200
yards past Rainy Falls, '23 feet high, and entering Rainy
River. This is a glorious stream, from 250 to 450 yards
wide, winding through an alluvial country rich and beauti-
ful, and studded with groves of maple, birch, and oak.
There are a quarter of a million acres of the finest land
in the world here, and navigation is only interrupted by
two insignificant rapids. In the whole 74 miles of river
the fall is only 261 feet. The river debouolies into the
Lake of tho Woods. We have left behind the Laurentian
formation and the sterile belt, and at Rainy Lake have
struck the wooded and fertile belt which runs west to the
great plain of the Saskatchewan. The Lake of the Woods
is crossed into its north-western angle, 84 miles, and here
the boats must be left. The lake is crowded with nume-
rous islands, on which the Indians grow maize, and wild
rice springs up everywhere in the water. The line of
march is now due west, over the prairie. The first
sixty miles are wooded and swampy, the last thirty-two
are open prairie. The wood is, however, light and open;
the few ravines are mere gulches, and the swamps can
easily be fascined. The Government road has been built
as far as the White Mania River, Crossing the Red
River, about 300 feet wide, we ware at last, after 534
miles by steamer, 345 miles by batteau, and 120 miles by
road—a total distance from Colliugwood of exactly 1009
miles —at Fort Garry. The town of Winnipeg contains
only some 250 er 300 inhabitants, the total population of
of Red River settlement is between 12000 and 15000.
This is now Riel's headquarters. It is 74 miles from
Pembina, and 580 from St. Paul. You will see on a gene-
ral review of this route that it is an arduous and danger-
ous one. If Riel had 500 good men, and opposed the ad-
vance of the English with resolution and sense, there is
no doubt but that at every portgage and defile he could
repeat the story of Braddock. Regulars and volunteers
accustomed to open warfare and to act, in mass would be
useless when caught in au ambush. But although Mr.
Scott, Rid's delegate, is sure that Riel will fight it, I doubt
it. In the first place, he has his hands full in keeping
order in the settlement, and only rules by terror. Again,
the Indians despise his conciliatory policy, remain loyal,
and will fight on the other side if they fight at all. On the
open prairie and in the lightly wooded stretch to the
landing at Lake of the Woods, he could not successfully
oppose the regulars nor dispute the landing, so that he
must go to meet them in the swamps and creeks,3oo miles
from home, ere he can do any effective damage. It is not.
likely then that we shall see any fighting or bloodshed till
the end of March. Will Riel run ? If he does not, as
was observed by one of the Canadian Cabinet 'he's a
d—d fool.' If he is caught, there will not even be a
drum-head court-martial. 1 anticipate that by the Ist of
June we shall leave Collingwood, and Fort William by,
the 10th, and arrive at Fort Garry about the 12th of July.
About the Ist of August matters will be ' all quiet on the

Red River,' and about the 25th, after riding 600 miles.
across the prairie, under the cool sky and brilliant stars of
the North-West, we shall strike the borders of civilisation,
telegraph offices, and railroads at St. Cloud. In all the
trip will occupy from ten to twelve weeks, and
will be a
glorious one."
The Imperial Government has guaranteed the
peaceable transfer of the Hudson Bay Territory to
the Dominion, and the arrangement with the _Hud-
son Bay Company has, we understand, been coin
pleted. General Lindsay, under whose directions
the expedition will act, will be appointed to the
Governorship of the Territory until peace is fully
restored, and it is calculated that most of the volun.:
teers enlisted iu Canada for three years' service will
settle at Winnipeg. The bill introduced into the
Canadian Parliament for the Government of nine°
Rupert's Land provides for two Legislative Cham-
bers, the first nominated, the second elects dou
household suffrage of one year's residence. Tw°
Senators and four Representatives to sit in the
Dominion Parliament, 80 cents per head of popu-
lation to be paid by Canada annually, together with
po,oco. Twelve hundred thousand acres to be re-
served for the extinction of Indian titles. The
province is to have power to amend municipal con-
stitutions, except as to execution; to comprise
territory from 96 to 98 degrees 15 minutes west
longitude, and from 49 to 50 d 'green and 30 minutes
north latitude, and to be named Manetoda. All
other portions of the north-west territory' to be
governed by Canada. On Thursday evening
cries-
dons were put in both Houses of Parliament for
any information Government might have received,
and Earl Granvil'e replied, showing that the Red;
River Convention had agreed to the above terms 0'
the Canadian Government, that the bill was pass-
ing through the new Dominion Parliament, and that
the expedition will be one of peace, as the Red River
settlers concurred in the terms as heartily as did
their delegates. Riell had issued a proclamation
pardoning those led astray, and generously ace .rci-
ing an amnesty to all who would submit to the
Government :

"From this day forth the public highways are oPen"
The Hudson Bay Con-ipary can now resume business tt)'3
selves, contributing to the public good. They circulate
money as of old. They pledge themselves to that course:
Elected by the grace of Providence and the sufferabce ot
my fellow-countrymen to the highest position in the (j?".
wrnment of my country, 1 proclaim that peace reigns 10
our midst to-day."
Externally also, says Riell, matters are looking
favourable:—

"Canada invites the Red River people to an amicable
arrangement. She wants to guarantee us our rights• and
to give us a place in the Confederation equal to that of anY
other province connected with the Provincial Govern"
ment."

In its leading article of yesterday on the subject the
imes hits the Dominion Government fairly. Ere
entitled Ottawa despatched officers to a lininister
the government of the Red River, and survey r 3
alarmed the people by mapping tracts of land I°r
their friends. This caused the insurrection, WlOl
the very Government to whom it was owing re-
fuse i to pay the money in the terms of the contra'
when due, on the ground that the Province was in
a state of anarchy. Sharp practice, observes the,
imes, considering that the anarchy was their 0)0
fault. The l imes has a hit also at some kind things
said in the U. S. Senate touching the refusal to Per-
mit the expedition to pass through the Sault St•
Marie Canal, which it asserts were unnecessary, as
the British Government did not intend to make the
request, though, in the opinion of the '1 imes, these
remarks supply evidence of the temper of the fron-
tier people. •

BriAwn Young and party have returned to Salt
Lake City.. They were received with a display of flags, 0,
parade of the school children, and a general .turn out 01
the faithful. The telegraphic news of Monday last re-
ported the Mormons as secretly arming to resist the ell
forcement of the national laws against polygamy. 'l'l'o
Chicago Tribuue supports the Cullom Bill, ridiculing tiro
notion that polygamy is entitled to forbearance because its
professors may believe in its sacred origin ; and asks if °
set of horse-stealers had a divine revelation, whether those
they robbed should pay any attention to their religions
scruples, and should not hunt them down and string theta
up as If they stole from pure cussedness. The cases aro
not, however, parallel, as the horse-stealer interferes With
the property of another, whereas the Mormons confine
their rites to themselves, all being consenting parties.
The Thugs murder as a religion, but then it is not their
own brethren, but travellers of the outside public that they
strangle. If they restricted the practice to their own
com'nunity, as the Jews do circumcision, the chief c ruse
of complaint would be abolished; but we are not so cer-
tain that a Jewish baby has not a right to complain, and
exercise it to the full extent of his lungs.
It is now evident that Chief Justice Chase Was
not present at the time of the frightful accident in the
Court-house at Richmond, as he had decided to adjourn
the Supreme Court last Saturday, at the time announcing
his intention to proceed next Monday to hold Court in Rich-
mond, and the accident had of course occurred ere 110
left Washington. Every one was taken by surprise when
the cases of Latham v. the U. S. and Deminy v. the U. S'
(being appeals from the Court of Claims against the recer
tion of greenbacks in payment for contracts made with the
Government before the Legal-Tender laws were passed)
were called, 'and withdrawn by the counsel for the
appellants. It is even insinuated that their claim must
have been satisfied by persons interested in maintainieg
the decision of Hepburn v. Griswold. On the motion be-
lug made to dismiss, the Attorney-General opposed, .014
desired, in case the Court concluded to dismss these appeals'
that the motion be granted he had made to rehear Mr. Pot-
ter's Hepburn v. Griswold and left undecided. He said it in-
volved many important interests, and e,pecially in view ef
the fact that the Fourteenth Amendment of the Constitu-
tion has ratified the Legal-Tender Act of Congress ; assert-
ing that the validity of this issue of the public debt, t°
the full measure of its statutory qualities, could no longer
be questioned in the courts. Justices Miller and Bradley
suggested doubts as to the rights of the appellants t°
withdraw the appeals, and asked for a conference. After
a brief conversation among the Judges the Court retired,
hut shortly returned, when the Chief Justice said al
motion to dismiss the appeal was unanimously concurred
ci
in by the Court as the absolute right of the parties. g 0
announced that the Court had determined to deny the motion
of the Attorney-General for the rehearing in the ilepburil
and Griswold case, as none of the four Judges now on the
bench who concurred in the opinion iu that case desired to
have it reheard, and, under the rule of the Court, without
the consent of some one of the Judges who concurred in
the decision of a case, it could not be reheard. Justice
Bradley remarked that, according to the practice to which
he bad been accustomed an appeal on a writ of error
could not be dismissed without the consent of the other
party, but as the practice of the Supreme Court was other-f
wise, he had yielded a cheerful concurrence. In one °:
the appeal cases withdrawn the Court of Claims had rule‘"
as a conclusion of law, that the United States rotes
offered to and received by the claimants were a legs
tender in payment of any debt due to the claimants in the
premises, whether due under the special contracts set
forth in the petition or in any other manner whatsoever;
The Secretary of the Treasury, in the years 1855 sll'
18b6, had agreed, on behalf of the United States, to }AY to
the Lathams good and lawful money of the coin of the*
United States, such being the terms of the special o°-
tracts alluded to.

h a
Sir John Simeon, M.P,, has been ordered by
medical advisers to go abroad, in the hope that ent'-
rest may speedily enable him to resume his duties.

• FRIGHTFUL SUICIDE.—On Thursday a rill
woman, respectably dressed in black, was seen by soy%e
persons to mount the balustrade of Waterloo-bridge. 5 ,r
waved her arms in a frantic manner, and then, before an„"
one had time to get to her, she sprang from the bricig7.
Instead of plunging into the water, as she no doubt wis,
tended, she fell upon the foot promenade of the Thames
Embankment, close to the spot where two ladies w°B
standing. Upon examining her it wail found that t..-
iniuries she had received had caused instantaneous &at.'

BIRTHS.
On the 9th inst., at Byron Rouse, Ealing, the wife of Ma e 9
Atlee, of a son.
r
On the 11th inst., at Midsomer Norton, the wife of Ale
ander Waugh, Esq., L.R.C.P.L., of a daughter.

MARRIAGES.
On the 12th inst., at St. Mary Magdalen, lZierni"dgei:,
George J. Newsom, of Rathgar, near Dublin, to Blizabet
daughter of Alfred Bevington, of the Grange-road, Be'
mondsey.
On the 14th inst., at St. Peter's, De Beauvoir Town, Thomas James Adey to Mary Frances Reeves, London.