The Sun.
London, England, 1856-12-25 00:00:00

sent of this continent which they occupied would soon
both too narrow and too short for them—too
field cn which to exercise and develope their new-
iergios. It was the most notable work for the
laps of the present day to undertake, to bring
.;this the pale of civilisation the larger half of tho
North American continent, a country containing 270
millions 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 Company. At the coat of much labour, research,
and painstaking, Assiniboine, Huron, and others, bad
done much to remove this impression. But Canadians
would not fully realise the importance of the subject if
they rested satisfied with merely knowing that there was
so vast an area in existence. They bad a duty to perform
in regard to it, and in fact it might be said that they only
required to go up to possess it. If they remained inactive
that territory would pass out of their hands, which they
might regard as almost theirs. Capt. Kennedy proceeded
to speak of the tyranny exercised by the company in
the territory, and the inefficient administration of justice
under their management. He alluded also to the at-
temptthey were now making to obtain from the Cana-
dian 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
taking out timber licences for vast sections of country on
the St. Lawrence and the Ottawa. They Only attempted
to lumber on the Ottawa, but in the end were obliged
to relinquish the trade to the original owners, and

sr-all. a

horn e
Caw, d

,
to submit, moreover, to an invasion of their territory
which they bad so long protected by holding 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, and the
other licensed territory, the latter under a lease for 21
years, expiring in 1859. The last time the lease was

to expire, the company, three or four years beforehand,
suddenly threw it up, and the Imperial Government, not
knowing well what to do with t.. 0 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 forestallelby a similar manceuvre'at the pre-
sent time. Capt Kennedy then gave some additional
information to that communicated by Mr. Macdonell, in

regard to the resources and capabilities of the country.
On the coast of the portion of the territory where he has
lived for eight years, whales, or rather p3rpoises, were so
abundant that they could be caught by thousands.
Smaller whales were also to be captured, and sealskins
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 numerou3
were the reindeer that those familiar with the narrative
Of Dr. Rae would remember how he and his party were
able to sustain themselves with their guns without hav-

ing recouree to the assistance of the natives. He (Capt
K.) had himself, with a party of 12 men, killed 216
reindeer in two hours. He had seen as many as 10,000
or 12,000 of them at one view. But the fur trade
was a secondary consideration. The entire country, ex-
tending 400 miles from the boundary line to the north,
was capable of cultivation of the same kind as was car-
ried on in Canada. Particularly flax, tallow, and hides,
which it was now necessary to procure from Russia,
could just as easily be raised on those prairies. The
country 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 Hudson's Bay Coinpany, who 'had done everything
in their power, resorting to a variety of expedients, to
obstruct the progress of the settlement. The whole ter-
ritory was larger than Europe, and as fertile, and it pos-
sessed as many facilities for commerce, both in the west
and the east. Gold in great quantities was found on Van
conver's Island. He had in his possession a specimen ofgold
quartz from GovernorDonglas',garden. He had one also
from Queen Charlotte's Island ; and it was reported that
the company had bribed a man to silence who had found
the same meta! on the Red River, knowing that so soon
as the tide of emigration should set into that region their
trade and power was gone. In the Red River set-
tlement the season commenced to be severe about the let
Nov. Farming operations began about the lst May. He
believed meteorological tables would show that the cli-
mate at Red River was not severer than at Toronto,
taking the mean temperature of the whole year. Snow
only lay in the wooded valleys, In the prairies it was
so thin that the buffaloes did not migrate south, but
grazed on them the whole winter.
In reply to questions from Mr. Brunekill, Mr. Jas.
Browne, jun., 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 thing 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 anyone 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 en
tered 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 Mackenzie 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 beats. 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 disco-
very would be made by the people of San Francisco, 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
the Red River, and he had requested him to convene a
meeting of the inhabitants of the settlement to.express
their views and opinions as to the country under
whose jurisdiction they would like to be. It he had
not misunderstood him, the people were very desirous
of being under some other jurisdiction than that of
the Hudson'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 would
be Beet dow❑ to the Legislature of this country in
the next session. We should then bavo an oppor-
tunity of knowing whether the Provincial Government
would be more attentive to the wants of their fellow.
sutjects than the Imperial Government. At this season
of tee year it would take from CO to 25 days to go to the
Red River. In summer the distance might be accom-
plished in less time, but not much less than 20 days.
The administration of the law was entirely under the
control of the Hudson's Bay Company. The Govern-
ment professed to appoint a civil governor of the colony,
but the macistrates were appointed exclusively by the
c neipany. Under the governor was an offieial 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 pos-
sessed extensive influence over the settlers of the country,
and pi-obably over the tribes of Indians in that immedi-
ate neighbourhood. The last warden was an energetic,
bold, and enterprising man named Grant, to whom the
company thought it necessary to pay a high salary with
a view to secure his interest in case of emergency.
There was no garrison. But a few years ago—in all
likelihood at the time when the rebellion took place in
Cinada—a number of pensioners were introduced, leader
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 and returned.
Tile 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's ; but
the American Government had garrisons which
_bad
proved sufficiently powerful to quell them. There was
no newspaper at present in the settlement.
Mr. Was; C.E. and P.L.S., Prescott, also made a

statement descriptive of the interesting country now
monopolised by the Hudson's Bay Company, and of the
various sources of traffic connected therewith, with the
view of corroborating what had fallen from Mr. Mac-
dollen and Capt. Kennedy. It was made up chiefly of
extracts of a letter which he had addressed to Lord
Elgin in the year 1.847.
Mr. It. Litwis then submitted a resolution. It was
to the effect that the thanks of the meeting were due
and were tendered to A. Maedonell, Esq., and W. Ken-
nedy, Esq., for the full and interesting accounts which
they had given of the Hudson's Bay territory—a country
which, at no distant day, in the opinion of the meeting,
would be thrown open to commercial enterprise.
Mr. T. BRUNSKALL seconded the resolution, which
was carried unanimously.
Mr. F. H. HEWARD then proposed "That the claim
of the Hudson's Bay Company to exclusive right of trade
over a large portion of British North America is injuri-
ous to the interests of the country so monopolised, and
in contravention of the rights of the people of the British
North American Province."
Seconded by Mr. W. J. MAcDoNELL, and unani-
mously adopted.
Mr. J. BROWN, jun., proposed "That a petition from
the Board of Trade be preparedand presented to the three
branches of the Canadian Legislature, praying that steps
be taken to ascertain what arethe legal rights of the Hud-
son's Bay Company to the territory and exclusive trade
claimed by that company in the northern part of this
continent, and to pray them to adopt such measures as
may be necessary to protect the rights of this province.
Mr. G. A PYPER seconded the motion, which, like
the former, was unanimously agreed to.
The meeting then broke up.

IRONMASTERS' MEETING.—WOLVEREIAMTTON, Wed•
nesday.—The largest meeting of the trade which has cc
curred for some years took place at the Swan Hotel to-
day. Mr. P. Williams, the Chairman of the Ironmas•
tern' Association presided. After much discussion it
was resolved to maintain the prices of the last quarter,
and to declare no alteration in the wages of their col-
liers. We believe that the decision in both instances
was all but unanimous, and there is no doubt that it
will be firmly supported during the ensuing quarterly
meetings.