The Statesman.
London, England, 1819-06-25 00:00:00

this 'tamp,. would probably i'ot.tat and disappoint
the views of us sun•n.s; a,lfluog at the ism time,
that if necessars, the C •mpany were prepared is sue

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mein force in the prosecotiun of their objects. H.

hid in hi, hind •nether important document writtau

hr Mr. Robert Henry, •nd d.t.d •t Fort Willis's.

$llOO.l. COI. 541111'11 were about to proceed to the
RN! !Lim. 'Io it had tattiness, end that if he

smeld 4ure•lrt it. be nimbi loose an rascally cavalry.
—(d laugh ) I he intention of storming the settle-

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tarot was donnsocr,l. eud its wool destruction fol-
iose!. In the letter of another agent of the Gam:

pony. Arch. Moelellan. it was obs•rred that they had
mane iron poll against the eottleinent, and most
marcrod. if they renewed the poll all together.
When •II the elreornstancw4 were taken into eon-

stoleratton, Ae thosght the lines, woold epee with
biro in regarding rho death of Mr. Sample and his
enoopenions as a foal and premeditated murder. The
Petitioner, Pritchard, was not so (animate as some
some of the others; he was separated from his wife,
and sent as a prinner to Fort William, whither also
a great part of the property taken from Om Red
River Company was Jed. When the settlement
was destro) ed, Lord Selkirk was at Montreal; Dad
on hearing that an attack was meditated, be prevailed

ea a hundred men to accompany him for the purpose
of protect's& the settler.. His intention was to p
by the nearest read, which would not have brought
'scar Fort William; bet before he had proceeded
s), be receiver! intelligence that the settlemeat
was destroyed, that • west part of the properly bad
been token to Fort William, and that many of the
fellers were there. He accordingly went thither
himself, and haviog had a conversation with Mr.
Pritchard, and ascertained that this was a fool con-
spiracy on the part of the North West Company, he
elevated that authority with which, as a Magistrate,
he conceived he was invested. Wlrat Lord Selkirk did
tit:o miles from the place, and many months after the
time of this outrage, was an easteiry into which he
would not enter at present, nor would be follow those
who might be disposed to enter into that flotation.—
lie hoped the Secretary for the Colonial Deportment
would state why some of the parties bad not been
broughtro thb couture, trial. If it seas too arecisto es-
peel that they should be bresabt ever to this country
to Ire tried, why bad sot a Cometissiou been sent
not to America to try them, as had bees demo before
to Scotland ? The first objection which he had to
the proceedings no this trial was the great delay which
bad taken ;Aare. Although all the witsessee bad
been broacht upwards of MOO miles at Lord Selkirk's
espence, and were supported at his ezpence while
they remained et Quebec, yet the trial had been pet
off repeatedly from Term to Term. His seat objec•
tion to this case being triad in America was, that all
trials in Lower Canada mast commence at Qtrebec,
while there
that the trial should take place et Minoru!: for Me
greater rut of the witnesses speaking the French lan.
sesgeonly, it merest desirable that the trial should
come on where that language w as generally understood.
There was another point which be thought it mate-
rial to mention. The Counsel forth@ Crown, accord.
log to the praitice of these Covets, would ant allow
any person, however interested is the trial, to inter-
fere in any manner ; itey wield net permit the
Counsel fee Lord Selkirk to pet a sink roestion to
the witnassee. What would be the feelieg wiled
such perces thug in this comity? He mode
an application to the °oversaw General on the sob-
feet, bet to so effect. Sr J. Sherhreke, in the an.,
ewer which he returned to Ibis application, said, that
as it was testiest, for the Crown Officers to use.
duet every trial, alley could not snow Lied Selkirk's
Counsel to iamelleee, without Me (Sir J. fibuttrekets)
perrnissiors, and be did eat think himself celled es to
allow a deviation from tire usual practice. The resell
was, es might have been reputed coder SINAI a sys.
tern, that the greatest of **criminals were acquitted.
Among these was out Cothbert Groot, the principal
incendiary, and aesesal odours, of whose wilt somas
entertained a doubt. These permee were afterwards
carried op into tbe country, for the puppet, no doubt,
of giving a coigne of truth to that infamies doctrine
which it wag attempted to impair in the natives, that
the North West Company had power to screen any
one from peeisberent. Guru Campbell, soother of
them whose case was so had that be could not be bail.
ell, had nevertheless got out of poison on a certi-
ficate of had health, Merged by the jailer! If the
conduct of the Crows Officers towards the North
West Company was celpable, still more onjestifiable
was the manner in which they acted against the
settlers. They included the Petitioner in the indict.
meat, for no other purpose, he firmly believed, than
to prevent him from appearing as a witness on the
trial. There was one part of the conduct of the
Attnrney.General for the Colonial Government
which particularly demanded investigation. When
the indictment was brought before the Grand Jury,
he Insisted that he shield remain with them during
the rumination of the witnesses; and be actually
was closeted with the Grand Jery doting three days.
Now, what be (Sir J. Montgomery) wanted to ascer-
tain was, whether this conduct was justifiable—
whether it was allowable in this country for the At.
torney•Geuersl to be closeted with a Grand Jary.
It should also be recollected, that at the time be did
this, he was retained as Counsel for the North West
Company. What inference was to be drawn from
such cnodset, bet that the Comet for the Crown
were hostile to lord Selkirk'. plan of colonisation ?
He would ask the Secretary for the Colonies, whe-
ther, in all these proceedings, the Crowe Officers in
America had acted agreeably to the instructions
eat from this coun.r). On sore of the trials, a nem.
ber of pipers were handed to Lord Selkirk, one of
which was • copy of a dispatch from the Colonial.
office, dated February, 1817, directing • trial to
be instituted against Lord Selkirk iruotedistely ;
not leaving the conduct of the trial to the diem-
titre of the Crows Officers in America, but con-
taining peremptory orders as to the manner in
which his Lordship was to be apprehended, and
the trial conducted; and should!, enjoinieg them not
to allow the prisoner to escape. It was a question
whether the office was authorised to send such an
order; in his *nine it was not; and it seemed the
Jury ,bought so too, for twin they acquitted Lnid
Selkirk. lie should, however, take smother oispor•
lenity of ascertaining whether or not the order was
right. He thought he had mode out a case that
would UMW Lint to MOTO fee copies of the die-