New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-01-31
CANADA.
Ffom 0s1 Own Correspondent.


TORONTO, January 70, l,j7.
There IL no doubt believe, that steps viii BE-
taken With all possible dispatch 70 assert the claim
Of Canada 70 the HUdsOns Bay TERRITORY The
chances are that COMMITTEE Of the Hou,c Of ON
mons in England viii be- charged with The investi-
gaiion Of the subject next session. and II viii Of
ceurse be competent 10 offer every pos-bl" eVl-
dence and 20 urge the claim OF Canada in the
strongest way TO the territory before that Commit
tee. The policy Of The Company will be 10 yield
what they must, and 10 retain as mucn a. they can.
They will no doubt reject their claim, IN Fee "a all
that portion oi the territory covered by NE charter
VI Charles H., but il Is hardly possible that they
can succeed. IIOucyer the last time the question
was before q g British Parliament some seven years
age the extreme claims OF the Company 70 me "h be
OF the lands embraced within the chartered limits,
with the exclusive right Of trade and criminal iu-
risdic,iOn therein was admitted by the la" officers
Of the Crown TO v nom II was submtre by the
Colonial Cffce. Their report o. Earl Grey, then
Secretary Of the Colonies, declared: That hay
"inp regard 20 the srrcdrS, in respect Of territory,
"trade, taxation aud government, claimed by the
"HudsOn's Bay Company, IN the statements ilr-
"nisbed to your Lordshp by the Chairman Of that
Company, We are Of opinion that the rgh'' a.
"claimed by the Company do properly belong to
Chem On this subject We entertain no d0uOt.
The law officers of the Crown of course looked az
the Guesti IN in mere legal point 81 view; but
committee of the House OF Commons VIII be guided
by principles Of public policy. There are not
Wantitg abundant precedents "a the revocation OF
such prsnts--as only the reader of Bancroft must be
aware: and the political expediency which dictated
the revocation Of those grants in previous times not
q thing which has gone out Of fashion IN our
day In fac. IL has acquired increased force and
and yipOr. The chances are then, thdt the cDartcr
of Charles II. will be held TO small value, IN any
case and especially if 1t was not legally granted IN
the first instance. There seems every reason 10
believe that al the time when this charter was
GRANTED the territory in question formed part of
New France, and that tt fur trading company
already exercised their proper functions IN and over
IT, Ii is curious fact and one which nave not
seen noticed in the discussion OF the question: that
the cOmpany's charter was once incidentally recog
Dized by the Imperial Parliament since the con-
quest Of Canada by England. The first constitu-
tiODal act of Canada in describing the boundaries
Of the Province its northern limit is stated TO be
the Hudson Bay Company possessions. sus-
meet however, that, except rs mere legal
technically, that acknowledgment Will be Of
no importance. The part of the territory
of most importance 10 Canada IS not under
charter at ALL and ia merely held by the
company by d royal license, the expiration OF which
is not far distant. This portion Of the Territory
forms the boundary line of Minnesota, and Is, ac-
cOrdiDg to all evidence, admirably suited to cult
yatiOn As 10 aDnexIng the entire Territory at
once to Canada, that would seem too pondyOus an
undertaking when it is considered that the Terri
toIy il about twelve times the size Of Canada. 1t
might not be 20 difficult an enterprise as would the
attempt of the United States to swallow the whole
of Mexico at a mOuthful; for in the latter case 1t
would be no easy task to Americanize at once the
Heterogeneous population In the other case, Can
ada might be troubled with the Indian tribes and
border wars, from which We are now happily ex-
tempt.
The grant by the Legislature last session of four
millions of acres of land toward building railroad
from the Ottawa River to the Georgian Bay, has
so far borne no fruit. The country IL entirely un-
settled, and, | suspect, that it is found impossible
TO raise the money in England ON the security of
fered Although there il railroad along the south
shore of the st. Lawrence, from Montreal to
Quebec, the inhabitants along the line are anxious
TO desperation for another on the north shore; and
this, regardless of the fact that the one now IN eN-
stence gives no prospect of paying expenses. This
new projected road is 10 be continuation OF the
one above, to which 1900, 600 Ol land have heen
granted. The Commissioner OF Crown lands has
lust made great commOtiOn below, by recon-
mending the municipalities TO tax thenselvcS for
the enterprise as has been done to great an ex-
tent in Upuer Canada. His recommendation has
provoked, not very reasonably an immense amount
of hostile criticism which shows, if it shows any
thing. little dir position TO accept his advice.
The Winter has been one Of the steadlest and the
most severe ever known.