The Sun.
London, England, 1848-08-19 00:00:00

, .
.ganizing, a wise system of colonization ; so that all the ad-
vantages which the United States of America derived from
their annual colonization of the far west might be derived by
us from our annual and constant colonization of the vast and
fertile colonies belonging to the Crown.—(Hear, hear.) He
should be ashamed in any circumstances, or on account of
any effect that might be experienced by Government, to de=
fend any steps that had been taken hostile to the interests of
colonization.—( Hear.) He believed the Right Hon. Gentle-
man had underrated or misunderstood the particular circum-
stances of Vancouver's Island, and he defended the course
that had been taken with regard to that island as the wisest
that could have been adopted. The Right Hon. Gentleman
talked of absolute government and its abuses; but it was his
belief that absolute government never existed anywhere
without being abused; and he should have been suprised
is charges had not been brought against the Hudson's Bay
Company on this head. But what had all this to do with
the question? Was the Government about to give a mono•
poly of trade to the Hudson's Bay Company ? Why it had
got it already. It had the exclusive right of trading all over
that country, and had enjoyed that right for many years.
Then as to the absolute government of the company, and
its chopping off heads without trial, and taxing without
power, was it proposed to place any body of the English
people under such absolute government?—(Hear, hear.)
On the contrary, they were proceeding on the principle that
all who settled there were to be under a perfectly free and
representative government.— (Hear, hear.) But the Right
Honourable Gentleman said the proposed arrangement would
have the effect of destroying future empires and great states,
and that it was disposing for ever of the fortunes of the
colony. Now what did the arrangement in reality come
to ? It was merely a limited disposal, upon certain condi-
tions, of the lands of this colony to the Hudson's Bay Com-
pany for eleven years.—(Hear, hear.)
Mr. HUME—It is a grant in perpetuity.
Mr. BULLER would show, hereafter, that ft was a con-
ditional grant for only eleven years. In the mean time he
would advert to the statement of the Right Hon. Gentleman
that the colony was to be put under absolute government.
Mr. GLADSTONE had not said so.
Mr. BULLER—The Right Hon. Gentleman said these
people were to be under a mockery of a government foreign
to their wants, feelings, and habits. He said it was a farce
giving representative institutions to these people, who, from
their dependence on the company, and from the character of
their minds, and the state of their education, were unfit to
maintain their rights. Now he differed from that view.
He thought that if they gave them representative institu-
tions they would make these servants of the company their
masters. If they gave them the right of governing the
colony, whatevir might be the powers and privileges of the
company, they would be bound to obey the Assembly, how-
ever constituted; and in a short time their privileges would
be extended to the community at large. (Hear,
hear.) His confidence in representative govern-
ment would be entirely shaken if he did not think that
the establishment; of it in Vancouver's Island would be in.
compatible with the exercise of absolute government.=
(Hear.) The Right Hon. Gentleman next said the company
was an anti-colonizing company. Now, the very first object
of Government was to make large colonization one of the
conditions of the grant. He admitted that the grant was
stated in the charter to be given to the company, their heirs,
and their successors, " for ever ;" but then this was clogged
with a condition " that this present grant is made to the in-
tent that the said governor and company shall establish upon
the said island a settfelbent or settlements of resident colo-
nists, emigrants from our kingdom of Great Britain and Ire-
land, or from other our dominions, and shall dispose of the
land there as may be necessary for the purpose of promoting
settlements (and 4er the actual purpose of promoting settle-
ments), and for flee actual purposes of colonization, and
shall, once in every two years at the least, certify, under the
seal of the said governor and company, to one of our principal
Secretaries of State what colonists shall have been from time
to time settled in the said colony, and what lands shall have
been disposed of."— (Hear, hear.) But then, said the
Right Honourable Gentleman, " the Secretary for the
Colonies called a few wretched settlers at a particular
sound a colony." The charter, however, went on to
say :—" And we further declare, that this present grant is
made upon this condition, that if the said governor and corn-
. peny shall net, within the term of five years from the date
of these presents, have established upon the said island a set-
tlement of resident colonists, emigrants from the United King-
dom of Great Britain and Ireland, or from other our domi-
• 'lions, and it shall, at any time after the expiration of such
term of Live years be certified Me us, our heirs or successors,
by any person who shall be appointed by us, our heirs or suc-
cessors, to inquire into the condition of such island, that such
settlement has not been established according to the intent
of this our grant, it shall be lawful for us, our heirs and sue=
cessors, to revoke this present grant, and to enter upon and
resume the said island and premises hereby granted." But
were all these provisions insufficient? If so, there was
another great provision that overrode them aIL It was pro-
. vi led that, " And we hereby declare, that this present grant
is, and shall be, deemed and taken to be made upon this further
condition, that we, our heirs and successors, shall have, and we
accordingly reserve unto us and them, full power, at the ex-
piration of the said governor and company's grant or license
of or for the exclusive privilege of trading with the Indians,
to repurchase and take of and from the said governor and
company the said Vancouver's Island and premises hereby
granted, in consideration of payment being made by as, our
heirs or successors, to the said governor and company, of
the sum or sums of money theretofore laid out and ex-
pended by them in ited upon the said island and premises."
Mr. HUME—But we are also to take their establishments
at a valuation.
Mr. BULLER—No doubt it was provided that we were
to pay them " the value of their establishments, property,
and effects." It would be surprising indeed if the Govern-
ment of this country. after encouraging the company to
raise establishments and buildings in the island, should
- take them from them for nothing. It would indeed be an
extraordinary supposition for men of common honesty to
make.—( Hear. hear.) Then what was the important bar-
gain made with this company ? It was this—that that coin-
' pany, having the exclusive privilege of trading over the
country, were to carry on the government with a representa-
tive assembly, and make settlements, with the condition
that if they were not made in five years the grant might be
revoked, and that at the end of eleven years, if we saw cause
to repent of the arrangement, we might enter on possession
of the island simply by paying the money that had been laid
out. One of two things would of course happen in the island
—either the company would not make large settlements, and
the amount to be paid on resuming the island would be very
small, or they would erect splendid establishments, which
would be a sufficient index of prosperity, and therefore there
would be no cause to intertere.—(Hear, hear.) He thought,
. then, that as provident a bargain had been made as could be
arranged under the circumstances. The Right Hon. Gentle-
man had insinuated that the Red River settlement was a
great reproach to the company, and he complained that they
had not established agricultural settlements. Now, a more
groundless charge than that they had not established agri-
cultural settlements in the inaccessible regions approaching
Hudson's Bay could hardly have been made. When it was
considered that this company bad established a thriving
settlement hundreds of miles beyond the point occupied
by any English or American settlers, he thought it was
a marvellous instance of the successful manner in
which colonization had been carried out by this company.
The great misapprehension which gentlemen laboured under
was, that this V'ancouver's Island was a noble field for colo-
nization, whereas he believed it was the very last placewhere
u attempt would be made by any large body of settlers to
tom a colony. Vancouver's Island was, in fact, the last spot
in her Majesty's dominions to which the stream of emigra-
tion was likely to flow. Let them look at the map of the
world, and it would be seen that, considering the expense
and the time required to reach it, it was the very farthest
spot from this country.—(Hear, hear.) He did not doubt
that in he course of hundreds of years it might become a
field for colonization, but no one could with truth venture to
say that it was so at the present moment. It was impossible
for emigrants to reach Vancouver's Island at an expense of
less than 501. a head, and after a voyage of six months.
His belief was, that till they had filled the Cape of Good
Hope, New Holland, and New Zealand, Vancouver's Island
would be a closed field for emigrants.—(Hear, hear.)
What was the trade of this place? Talk of its harbours I—
for what purpose of maritime defence, command, or trade?
The whole Pacific was commanded by ether harbours—
by Labuan, New Zealand, and Hong-Kong. Were we to
abandon our natural fields of colonization for Vancouver's
Island? Talk of trade—what trade had we with Vancon-
Nees Island? What produce had the island to offer us?
the believed his Hon. Friend the Secretary for the Colonies
had rather depreciated the climate. His own American ex-
perience led him to believe that it had one of the finest
climates in the world—(Hear, hear)—but with regard to
soil, it was suite different. The report was there was ex-
ceedingly little valuable land. He had never heard that
there was any valuable timber, or any particular produce in
that country. But if there were all these things, where were
the hands to work them after a six months' voyage and a
passage-money of 50/. per head? The colonization of Van-
couver's Island was a chimera for the present generation.
However much we might pride ourselves on the extent of
our empire and powers of colonisation, he very much
doubted whether, looking at the matter without national
vanity, and with a sober, calm, and dispassionate spirit, we
must not make up our minds to this, that Vancouvers
Island would remain a very small settlement for the next
• hundred years. When the tide of the American population
• should have extended over the Rocky Mountains,
filled California with an enterprising race, and crept
up the coast, Vagieuver's Island and the Oregon territory
would probably Orsettled. When we had done our duties
of colonization in other parts of the world, our population
might go out there; but this he must beg gentlemen to re-
collect, bleat when they talked of the colonial empire of Eng-
land and colonization. they referred to no little field, and the
necessity of no insignificant efforts. He wished he saw some
beginning of a great scheme of colonisation. He wished he
could see the nearest of our resources turned to account. He
wished to see the difficulties that prevented our emigrants
settling in Canada and British North America removed. He
:wished he could see the magnificent region of the Cape set-
tled, with a climate the finest in the world, and many facili-
ties for growing some of the most valuable raw materials of
consumption. He wished he could see New Holland, with
its vast sea coast and all its capabilities, turned to good ac-
• count. He wished he could see New Zealand covered with
an hundred such settlements as those planted by the com-
pany. When we had done all this, we might begin to cast
about in order to make Vancouver's Island available for cola
mization. This might be some forty, fifty, or a hundred years
hence. In the mean time came the period of eleven years,
within which, to use the emphatic language of the charter, we
might " repurchase and take of the Hudson's Bay Company,
at the cost of all they had laid out in the interval, the whole
land now granted to them."—(Hear, hear.)
Mr. HUME had been very much surprised to hear the
complaint made that the Government had been taken by
surprise y this discussion.(the Earl Several weeks ago a Noble
this sub. of Lincoln) put a notice on the books upon
Pct, and it certainly was not the fault of the Noble
Lord the Member
Falkirk that it had not been sooner
and complained of the renewal
he had himself moved for papers
renewal of the lease to the Hudson's
without Bay Company ttthe knowledge of that House. The
Member - lion. Gentleman the
the) for Newcastle-under-Lyme
haying consulted himin
month of March last what
should be d
one to prevent the Hudson's Bay Company
having a renewal until some
inquiriea had taken place, he
advises the Hron. :dumber to Colonial Department
and ask the very simple question to
the
that they would not grant
had terminated, and the result
the Lord Elgin
was
a renewal of the lease until the
em's of Members.
'rite Honourable Gentleman did so, and
it promise
wrong,'h anaderwards,
tl
• offect had een made; but about g
a month
to that
suspecting that something was
Colonial-etlive would not keel: its word, the uunthat therable
Gentleman asked again what should be done? lettereu
then written by his advice to the Secretary of State, asking
whether the Honourable Gentleman had been under f%
misapprehension when he understood that no steps should be
• taken in this matter until the inquiry was complete. His
• principal ground of complaint was that any Secretary of
&ate should take upon himself to dispose of such immense
interests without deigning to consult or lay information be-
-fore Parliament. Such a thing would not have been done in
termer days. He challenged the power of any Secretary of
§tate,aye. even of the Sovereign, to give away in this manner
;-what belonged to the nation.—[The Hon Member then read
se letter from Mr. Christy to air. Under-Secretary Hawes,'
tin i eiu nng, in order to remove misapprehension, whether he
lad correctly understood Mr. Hawes, that it was the inten-