The Sun.
London, England, 1816-07-17 00:00:00

tbiID,St.I;EIRWS C(OI,(NY.

Our l'ettlerS have probably heard of this.
but, is truth, so little is known of it by the British'
that any information tending to extend
this knowledge cannot but prove acceptable,
The following letter explains some of the cirentn,
nimes under *hich the undertaking originated,
anti the details of ephsertuent events, are curirmS.
:Of the general truth of the statement We -enter-
lain but little doubt ; but it is possibly coinnrivi
/ittle4—for a great jealousy exists between tile Ca-
n traderS assoCiated under the
,natne of We
N on; h West .11.;oMpany , and the Hudson's Bay
Company ; and the subjoined letter is Iront-a guar-
ter in which the interests of the former ale pre-
dUtninant
" o tit i'caf,

'" You will nti doubt have heard of the depot....
titre front England of Lord ScMirk, to visit his
colony in this part of the world; and we were not
More sniprlsed at his arrival htee this week, than
be must have been on his first setting his foot on
the shores of Alnerien, to hear of the diSappoint.
tactic of all his hopes and .expectations, by the
Complete dispeifsion of his Colonists, and the de-
struction of all the establishments they bad formed
on the Red River. This result to his wild and
Visionary tindertahin4 bad heen predicted by every
boa who had any knowledge cif the character of
the natives, the jealousy of the rival traders,, and
more particularly of tie situation and climate of
the remote and inhospitable region lie' undertook
to colonize: We have Often heard of his Lord-
tship's scheme, but tillthe arrival of the north-west
canoes this season* with the governor and sheriff
of the new'colony in custody of the civil power
upon a charge of grand larceny, we had no tiCen-
Vat' knowledge of the ciremastances under %Odell
the present undertaking originated, and it does Ap-
pear strange that the government it borne should
not have interfered tn. prevent the migration at
first when they might easily hAve ascertained the
sad fate the poor deluded people must have been
subjeetetl to. The whole schethe is now the topic
'of gent4al conversation here ; and it appears that
his Lordship, on some occasions, tees Isis iuterest
with as ken eyes as his neighhours. lit looking
to various objects t onoetteal with America, his
attention, it is said, %vas. drawn by a Canadian
Xtsiglit to the affairs of the Hudson's Bay Cotta-%
pony, and finding these hi a decayed state, no di-
vidends having been made for sfveral years, and
the value of 'the stock reduced tromp 250 tit 50 or
61) pe,r cent t, they thought stone benefit might ac-
crue from Speculation iu this stock, the whole,
amount of which is alder 100,0001. and conti-
tilted their purchases till they had acquired a very
considerable sum. So'far the partners went on
quietly together, till finding their views and in-
terests disagree, his Lordship, aiming at a. much
greater speculation than the Knight, actually pro-
Seemed his purchases until he had acquired such ut
preponderating amount as placer' the nomination
Of Directors nearly in his own hands, when the
speeidation:Which has How so COltipktely failed
began to develope
" The Charter of the. lindson's Bay Company
71st 8 most singular document, and had long escaped
the notice of those not directly interested its it,
its the privilege& and powers it purports to comer
bad peteri till his Lordship's iiitertereliee, in the
kind's of the Company, been much resorted to,,
Otherwise than Jo tegulate anal carry 00 it confined'
trade in ,peltries between Great I-ligroin and the
}„,itablishinents in tha Bay. Tli,! Ice-simple of
,all
tountries washed by waters emptying themselves
into the Bay, the power of making war or peace
with the natives, and of establishing Courts for
the trial and punishment of all offences, except
titurder, under the, statute of Henry VIII. land,
Others equally extensive, are granted- to this coin
Fatty, or to proprietors of stock to the value, of
b 0 or 60,000/. a trifling- sum in these times, not
'Without the reach of being monopolized, as it has
now nearly been by one individual, who might
in
-that ease exercise all these rights, &c. at his sole
discretion.
Lord Selkirli having acquired so great an influ-
ence its this strangely constituted concern, came
forward, with his proposition for a grant to him-
self and his heirs of about 75,000 superficial miles
Of territory; anti the Directors, nothing donlning
their pdwet, mid us the face of a protest of the
other Stockholders, vvho could see,Oo reason for
,giving away their property (if this land really was
No) without consideration, actually granted him,
the fee.isimple. 01 this eeormoustrack,by deed un-
der-The seal of the Company. it was necessary
text to people it,, and this was (1011t0 the nnin.6
bin' of about, 300 families of emigrants Iron) Ire-
laud and Scotland, to whont, in public advert ise-
litentit all the indtlcements of freedom front rents,
tithes', and taxes, a fine anti salubrious climate,
Sind a soil particularlyedapted to the growth of
hemp and wool, were held oat, his Lordship for-
, getting that the evahliSinnent Wei situateil
sap
xVards of 1500 miles irons the sea, and the only
emtututtuteation, by rivers,' almost impassable by
We smallest. boats, SO that the first article could
not, he e%rortect to a market ;, and that this
hail latipiied the- fur traders with nn annual
asport of malty thimsand wolf skins, which would
rather interfere with the flocks of his settlers,
" poor people, however, reached their des-
tinatioa, and were maintained by the seizure of
•provkinnn from the Canadians, when the supply
obtained from the Ilalsuat's Bay Company was in-
sufficient. Pitting two winters their sufferings
svere severe beyond description ; and seeing tie
prospect of relief but in the abandonment of their
patron's sheaves, it is said they actually assisted
the Indians, who had become jealous of their
establidonent, in the destruction of aril the build-
ings erected, arid readily embraced the offer made
to them by the Canadian
.traders of .Means .of
transport to Upper Canada`, where they arrived
and have,been settled by the Provincial Govern-
tiicto this aistunin.
" You know 11)6 nierchants.of this country as-
sociated under the name of the North-west Com-
pany, had been always the successful rivals of the
!Judson's Bay Lo
f+
y, iis tade With the Indians,
tint withstanding thep difficultieS opptised to them,

* In copying this' artick into Tog S►►n for the urions in-
cur:o4lmi ►t contains, wr ought to guard our, readers from
eiror, by stating that no kuow it to bt culoural a great (kat.-
4ditair;

artii annually 'eciliecled five Or six ti 1; `(J die rLtticittUt
,ot the returns 'of their opponentZ. Of,course they
"'morally became jealous of the new vikonr which
v,cuted to be infused into the proceedings of the
Hndson'S Aity Directors, since they bad teen be-.
nefited by the adviet of Lord Selkirk ; and direct
attempts to injure their trade by an outfit front this
country last year (lid not tend to allay that jea-
ilmsy. Jt may be fairly, I should think, doubted,
whethef the Hotson's Bay CoinPany; More thins
the East India Company, ;lasic a right to trade in
this eduntryavith the advantages given to !herb by
their charterS, iu Opposition to our individual
merehaUts, and sit far their direet interference by
'fiking out and dispatching a bridge of canoes by
the Grand Etiver to the interior, was neither pro-
per, A, Z. pr'esante, legal ; but the answer to this
how can you ascertain whether the expedi;ion
was dispatched by the tititison'S lay Company or
Lord Selkirk s and you wiil not deny to the latter
his right of becoming. an Indian trader, although
.it may not quite accord with his dignity as an
Bail. 'However, the question is not very mate-
as the interestS.of his Lordship and the Com-
pany are so Mended; an expedition took place,
and incteaSed the au hnosity which (Mr Canadians
already felt towards his 'Lordship's projects,as con,
'meted with their rivals, and they arc now openly
accused of haying instiga,ed the, settlers and the
Indiatti to titstroy the colony.
•' We are So miteh aectistomeil lucre to hear of
lite violence .of North-west partizans, that no-
thing appears more
,probable, although they of
course stoutly deny it, but still they bring for-
ward strong documents in the shape of his Lord-
-ship's autograph instructions, and his Governor's
proclamations.
" The Governor of this new kingthitn, for it
may he fairly so called in point of extent, issues a'
proelaniathm, that all wild animals killed by the
Canadians (who had heretofore quietly aim un-
interntpte4ly enjoyed their right of occupancy
with other - traders), for their maintenance, are
his Lot dsllip's property;and .should be delivered
on . for the sustenance of his colonists. This,
Omagh i violent measure, ea as possibly, in the
difficult and extreme 'Situation in which the Go-
vernor 'and colonists were plaCed, absolutely ne-
ceosary, and thu.seizure toots place ; the traders;
obtained . warrant's front Canadian Magistrates
against the Governor and his Officers for'larceny,
and brought'lbeffi do'vii foi trial In the Courts
here,' The Grand Jury returned a true bill upon
the indiettnent ; but then a new difficulty arises.
The prisoners plead the Hudson's Bay Charter,
in bar to time jurisdiction of oin Courts, and this
question is to be argued when the necessary .a„,„
ctiments and Ii fotinatiun eau be pocnred (rum

home.
" We understand, that beyond the protection
of their own servants, the Hudson's
.Bay Compa-
ny now further claim a jurisdiction overall other
persons resident in What they call their territory',
and have gone the length this year of appointing
Judges and the Sub ordinate Officers of Conft6',to
administer jnitice in their mines. It is iinpos.;
sible', however, to conceive that the.Govertiment
will ever permit such a jurisdiction : What a fine
chalice of justice the Canadians will with.
their sivak in trade (fur you will observe the
Judges and Officers ate alt traders), licensers,
judges, and juries. As the Charter ,says, the law
of Eawiand is to be administered by the Coenpa.
ny. Lord Selkirk will, no doubt, strictly enforce
the game laws in .his territories, and -the poor
Canadian, who must either in that ease, poach
or. starve, would meet with little mercy. He
has, however, • rather a better security than.his
Lordship's discretion., in his own strength ; and,
as be utterly disclaims the right of territory, or
the: slightest acknowledgment • of the jurisdic-
', Om, ha will resist it without much fear of pro.
eess for contempt.
It is much deplored by all uninterested per..
sons in this country, that his Majesty's Government
. should have in the first instance either directly
encouraged Lord Selkirk's .scheincs, or at least.
actiaiesced in theta ; and it is said that the Go•
vet nor of the province received orders to hold' at
his Lordship's disposal a body of troops for the
protection of the colony. These facts Would be
scarcely credible were they not sufficiently. sub.
stantinted, as foul the least inquiry been made into
the meritts of the undertaking, it.would have been
found as 110priebfl as it was cruel to the poor vie-
' tiros who were embarked .in it. Where the troops
were to have been quartered or Ilitlitittalied- in the
wilderness, I suppose, was never considered, and
indeed_ that- wits WA necessary, till the means.. of
transporting them had been'arrallged, They could
not have been conveyed to the settlement in one
. year. The consequences of the newly assumed-
jurisdiction are likely to be very serious ; already
some instances of ntintrels ending in bloodshed
have. occurred, and they is ill be more .t.ranuent nt
attempts are made to commit violence under prt.
'knee of authority. It would be very diffieul.
even to restraitithe lanilesi nature of some of the
persons engaged on both aides, under an acknow—
ledged jurisdiction, for our Canadian•tradert, and
their ilet Villll9, are not notorious for the regula,
rity of their conduct, and there are, independent
of them, a race of peOple between the Canadians
and. Indians, who are always ready to take advan---
tage of any disiiirhance which-may anise, and to
pillage and plunder both parties."

SCOTS CaIfRCM tN 1N131A.....-Ths foundation of
Scats ChIIVCIi oil the Woks of the Gauges, must
be iinowo to form au era in the history .of the
religious wlsrld. Our readers are aware that the
liberal and enlightened policy of the tilritisb Go-
vernment, and of the India Company, has led
them not only to tolerate, bet largely to endow
an establishment of this nature us the city of Cal-
cutta; and that tire Rev, Dr. BRYCA has been
elected to the pastoral charge of it. The edifice
about to_be erected for the_parpose, has been de4
nominated St. AncfreW'S Church ; and the foun-
dation of it was laid ,00 the anniversary of our
tutelary Saint last yoar at. CalcintA, with all the
solemnities of Masonry. The Countess of Lou-
Dots; and Moms, with her foully, were present at
this most interesting cer. crony, attended by a de-
tachment of the bog paid. Tice streets were
lined by the grenadier companies of his Majesty's
53d and sgth regiments, sod 'r detachment of .Se
pays. The ceremony was concluded with a prayer
'suited LU the occasiou, by the Rev. Pr. DAvUtif