Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1846-09-01

il is, under its present llcensei no' 90
NAV not be. under new license. sapum; -
tor company whose existence ~, 20 ~ no;r, NJ
1863; and, of course, that IS inc Iilli' u, pb;nh ;s
becoming So large an object in the eyes OF some
genllemea. Certainly, il must be admi.eo 10 NC
very different thing from the perpetual nav'g s
lion offered in 1926. and the @ucre,gnty OF Inc
rioh, hanl, of the river dema nded by Inc BRUSH
since so MANY wears. The year 1863 is Inc Inn
lation Of lhe navigation now granted; ana 'nose
who do mol Weld to The reading oil The IiealY, , %
il now stands. will only have 10 wal! ,iii loo',
when Time will bring all argument which ~ o'o
can misunderstood.
The Union makes the following comments
upon the above extract from Col. Benton's speech.
They strike us as being conclusive;
As these remarks were calculated 10 auac.
some attention, We have mace inquiries nv .,'e
subject. the resnlt of which will be found IN Inc
following statement. showing, as we THINK ina.
there is but one Hudson Bay Company. Inc
statement made in the speech, arises, prooaoiy,
from the Circumstance, that certain privileges IN
The country West of the Rocky Mountains were
temporarily granted TO this body by the hfi'ish
government
The Hudson Bav Company was formed unoef
charter from King Charles lne 1econu VI Lug
IL,
co,.panu Of o9rsntuyefs n England trading tn!0
Hudson's Tau" and endowinS them WIN perPelu,
al possession trade and almost sovereignty ol all
the countries drained by streams falling INTO
Hudsons bay: which countries, win The excep-
lion OF small norton of The valley OF the Red r.
yer Of Lake Winnipeg, included IN Inc unilea
States, by the convention OF 1918, that company
sill holds. on The same terms, no alteration hay-
ing been made in its charter. After the cesson
of Canada 10 England, by France, in 1863, many
priyale associations were formed there Tor carry
ing on The fur trade in The countries GAINED as
Canada; and some ot those associations, III ueIl-
ance OF The charter OF the Hudson bay company
advanced their posts through The territories Of lhe
latter, to such an extent, as almost 10 drive Inc
legitimate owners from them. Among these pri-
vale associations. the principal was The North
west Company, OF Montreal composed ol Inc
MacTayishes, MacGillvrays, Frazers, and other
en,erprisng persons, mostly OF Scoicn descent
which, in time, extineuished or absorbed all lis
private rivals, and overran, moi only large pof-
lion OF The countries belonging 10 the HUDSON
Bay Company East Of The Rocky MOUNTAINS
but even extended itself West Of that cham, 10
The Pacific, through the valleys OF Frazei's river
and The Columbia. II was this private assocla-
lon-the Northwest Company - which pur-
chased the establishments and stock on hand OF
the Pacific or Astoria Company, in 1913, ana
founded Fort Vancouver, few years afterwards.
The British Government inerlered bnt liltle
in the dispute between this association and the
Hudson Bay Company, until The Two parties had
taken up arms, and battle had been fought on
the Red river, in 1916 in which many lives were
lost The question was then brought before Far
Lament, and al length, in 1921, a compromise was
effected lhro' the mediation VI the colonial Office.
The Northwest Company was combined VIII, or
rather absorbed by, the Hudson Bay Company !;
To which il transferred all its posts and properly
wheresoever situated on certain conditions, name
ly: The payment Of a certain amount Of money
10 the Northwest Company; The reception OF the
people Of the later into the service ol The Hud-
son Bay Company; and the assurance oi a
share of the profits Of this company TO the ex-
linct association, which was 10 be represented
by three persons, &C. AT the same time, and
as part o the same arrangement, the famous
acl OF Parliament Of July 2 1921, was passed.
empowering the Government 10 grant by license
10 any company or person the trade, IN exclusion
of all other British subjects, for not more than
twenty-one years, Of all The territories in North
America not embraced in Canada or in The IL I'D
sons Bay possessions or in any organized Stale
or Territory of the United Saes-under which
act such license of exclusive trade IN all such
countries was Immediately granted Tor twenty
one wears 10 The G0Ucrn0r anil compdnyo ~ al
rcnfnyers trading 10 the Hnds0ns Bay and 10 W.
J7ac Giltrray, s. Mac GiH,rraV and T.. EHicc,"
The three representatives OF The late Northwest
Company
The Hudson Bay Company, according 10 this
license and 10 the agreement with The Northwest
Company. entered into possession OF all The posts
and property OF the latter in 1921. few years
after an agreement was made by which all the
interests o. the Northwest Company ceased and
before the termination Of The 81 years-in 1888 =
the Hudson Bay Company surrendered It's IL
ccnsc. which authorized il 10 trade in the coun-
tries above mentioned, as well as in lis own ter
rory. and received new license for The exclu-
sive trade in those countries; also, "ior The iuli
period Of twen,y-one years from the date OF this
our grant" under which il now acts.
Thus il would appear that there neither is, nor
ever has been, any other Hudson Bay Company.
than the one created BY the charter oil Charles me
Second in 1870 which, under that chai'ei, noids
perpetual possession ofal the countries drained oy
streams entering Hudsons bay; and now also
holds fer twcnty-one years from 1856, unaer spe-
cial license from the Brish government, the trace
in exclusion OF all other British subjects, oil all the
countries claimed By Great Britain west oil It's
own proper possessions.
The great importance OF having correct iueds
and none bu, correct ideas-dissenlihdseu 'nio
The country, as TO the treaty recently cohcluaeu'
has induced us 10 make these Suggestions, wnich
so far from weakening, are calculated 70 cohhim
The general conclusion 10 which Col. benton at
riyes in relation TO the temporary navigation, en-
urne 10 the Hudson Bay Company under the re-
cent convention.