The Washington union., 1857-08-29
FUTURE POLICY OF GREAT BRITAIN IN RESPECT
TO THE INDIANS OF CANADA


reply to call for copies extracts of recent cores
pondence respecting alterations in the organization OF
the Indian department in Canada The Indian sta
tstics of northern neghbor exhibit generally, ON
the part of the provincial government, humane and
liberal disposition to afford protection to the scat
tered remnants of the aboriginal owners of the soil
who still inger about the abodes Of the white man in
the province of Canada but it would that the /
home government is no longer disposed to continue
the large annual appropriations for these Indians
from the imperial treasury, and that after the year
1858 such appropriations shall cease altogether. The
expenditure of the Indian Department for Lower
Canada in 1854 sc, 1886. The Provincial Parlia-
ment, besides an endowment of $3.50 each to three
schools, makes an annual grant of $4,000. The st.
Regis Indians own about 1900 acres of land, and
there reserved for cultivation future surrender
230 900 to the different tribes of Lower Canada
The department expended for the benefit of the
Indians of Upper Canada, in 1854, $l0,56l. The SUI
perintendent of Indian affairs, Mr.. Ophant, suggests
various alterations in the administration of the de-
partment the chief of which are to substitute the pay
ment of annuities in money instead of in goods, and
to grant to the Indians the same privilege of re-
sponsibe ownership to land as they possess with re-
gard to personal property. The annuties received
by the tribes in Upper Canada amount to $33270,
which, with interest amounting to S44,420 to which
they entitled makes total of $T7,690. OF this
there is expended for the support Of missions,
schools, salaries, &C., $ls,72l-leaving net annual
mented by the annual interest accruing from $5OOOOO
the estimated price Of territory recently surrendered
by the Saugean and Owen Sound Indians--making in
all the annual income of the Indian tribes in Upper
Canada Sss,969. Out of this the superintend-
ent proposes that Upper Canada tribes should be re-
quired to pay, proportonaby to their incomes, the
expenses at present charged against the imperial
government, and which incidental to the support
of the Indian department in Canada
To these suggestions of Mr. Oliphant, commun-
Gated to the home government by the Earl of Elgin,
then governor general, Sir B. Head, in despatch
dated December l5, 1855, strongly objected, submit
ting, with his approval, report of Lord Bury, inn
bodying scheme for gradually effacing from the
estimates Of the Imperial Parliament all charges for
the Indians of Canada. The policy adopted in ref
to the aborgines of America by Spain, Great
Britain and the United States is contrasted by Lord
Bury in this report. Spain it alleges assumed that
the Pope had granted all their lands to the Span
iards and this ground, refused to recognise any
rights whatever in the Indians. The Spanish colo
niss, in consequence, took little further trouble
about them, except to ensave them, and to defend
themselves from constant and harassing attacks.
The United States, according to Lord Bury deports
whole tribes to distant huntinggrounds, by
peaceabe means, if possible, but if necessary, by
force, often the increasing tide of white emgra-
ton appears to demand wider limits His lordship
evidently has but imperfect knowledge of the In
dian policy of the United States.
From these two systems, that Of Great Britain is
represented differing much in practice, but still
more in theory. She acknowledges qualified right
of property in the red by the act of purchasing
his lands She does not insist on her rights as cons
queror, but, in addition to the money consideration
for the territory ceded extends protection and as
sstance when required. Lord Bury differs from Mr..
Olphant in regard to the question of continuing the
Indian department under the control of the imperial
government. He proposes, however, that sum equal
to the amount expended in seven years-say $387-
O00--should be invested by the imperial government
in Canadian debentures, guaranteed by the provincial
government, about $23225 annually The report pre-
sents glowing picture of Indian life in Canada In the
opinion of Lord Bury the only obstacle to intellectual
equality between the white and red races is to be
found in the difference of language as there is no de-
ciency of mental capacity to be found in the Indian
In Lower Canada the Indians are mostly Roman Catho.
lies, though the missionaries of the Church of Eng
land represented extremely successful wherev-
er they have once obtained foothod On the bay
of Quiente and among the Six Nations their influence
has been chiefly felt though their converts are not
so numerous as those of the Methodists in Upper
Canada.
On the 21st February, 1885, the Right Honorable
a. Labouchere transmitted despatch to the Gov
ernor General, Sir f. Head, informing him that the
home government had long since decided that the
presents to the Indian tribes would cease in 1858
While he acknowledges the propriety of continuing
the Indian department, he could not approve of
Lord Bury's proposal of parliamentary grant Of
1887 900 to be invested in Canadian debentures Il
is probable, however, according to Mr. Labouchere
that for two three years subsequent to the cessa
ton of the Indian presents Parliament will not object
to an application for q sum not to exceed Sl5 O0O
per annum in aid Of the department; bat after this
period the funds for its support are to be derived
by the more efficient and profitable management of