Boon's Lick times. [volume] (Fayette, Mo.) 1840-1848, 1846-05-23
HUDSON'S BAY COMPANY.

The history of this company has become
interesting on account Of its intimate con-
nexon with the Oregon territory. AcCor
ding to the Cleveland Plaindealer, a hun.
dred and forty years ago, or more, Charles
II, chartered the "Hudson's Bay Company"
and gave it exclusive privileges OF eslab.
fishing trading factories on Hudson's Bay
and its tributary rivers. 1t took possession
OF the territory, and enjoyed its trade with
out opposition, till 1897, when a rival COM
pany,-the North American Fur Compa.
ny OF Canada" sprung up. This latter
was composed entirely Of Canadians, and
was noted for its energy and enterprlse.--
The iealousies naturally arising between
rivals, led to the most barbarous battles, and
the sackiug and burning OF each other 5
posts. In 1921 Parliament Inter!ered and
consolidated them into one, under the title
OF the "Hudson's Bay Company" They
occupy vast country, and their operations
are those OF vast monopoly. All the Bril-
fish possessions north of the Canadas to the
Arctic ocean are their hunting and trapping
grounds. They have leased for twenty
years from 1910, all OF Russian America,
except the post of Sitka. Thus this power
III SOilbl VI t4ulI ~
the soil OF the globe. Its capitalists are in
England, and its board Of managers trans.
act their business at the "Hudson's Bay
House," in London. This board buy all
goods and ship them TO the territory, sell
the iurs and transact all the affairs OF the
company, except the actual business of col.
Iecting iurs in the territory. The annual
value Of their peltries is about million Of
dollars.
The nett profit Of the fur trade is immense.
The shares of the co,npany'S stock which
originally cost one hundred pounds, are al
one hundred per cent. premium, and the
dividends range from ten per cent. upwards.
and this, too, while they are creating an i'm
mense fund, to be expended in keeping 9TH
er persons out Of the trade.
In 1911, the American Pacific Fur Com.
pany, of which John Jacob Aston was the
prime mover, built Astoria, near the mouth
of the Columbia. la 1918, during the last
war, the American Company sold all lis eS
Enlistment in Oregon to the British com
pany-now the Hudson's Bay Company.
In the same year British sloop Of war en-.
tered the Columbia, and formally took pos
session Of Fort Astoria, and changed lis
name to Fort George. In 1918, by the trea,
ty OF Client, England surrendered this fort
to our government. Then it was, by the
same treaty, that British subjects were gran
ted the same rights Of trade and settlement
in Oregon as belonged to the citizens OF this
republic, for ten years. In 1927, this stip-
ula.on was indefinitely extended, and can
not cease to be in force till after twelve
months notice.
This is the manner in which the Hudson s
Bay Company came into Oregon. The val.
ue of furs which are annually collected in
Oregon by this company is about Si40 ,0OC
in the London market. Parliament exten.
ded the jurisdiction OF the Canadian courts
over the country occupied by these fur.tra
ders, whether it were owned or claimed by
Great Britain. Under this act, certain gen.
temen Of the Fur Company were appoint,
ed Justices, and empowered to entertain
prosecutions for minor offences arrest and
send TO Canada criminals of higher order
TO try, to render judgement, and grant exc
cution in civil suits, and TO imprison debt
ors in their forts and jais,
So it is that the trade, and the civil and
criminal jurisdiction in Oregon, are held by
British subjects; that American citizens are
deprived by a monopoly of their CONNER
cal rights that they are liable to be arres.
ted on their own territory by officers OF Bri
fish courts, tried ia the American domain
by British judges, imprisoned or hung fo
acts done within the jurisdiction Of our o wi
Ircpubic'