The Nevada journal., 1858-06-11
II. ?. Brown & Co.

Frazier RVer--Gadsol Bay Company,
AS public attention is excited at this
time in regard to the newly-discovered
diggings on Frazer River, and as most
Of the daily journals Of the State have
contributed already to the stock Of
knowledge collected pertaining to the
country in which the new mines are
found and the monopolizing Company
governing it, we propose TO add few
facts, drawn mostly from areported de-
bare IN the English House of Commons,
i'll the winter Of 1867. An inquiry
was instituted as 20 The tenure of the
grant by King Charles II. to the Hud-
son Bay Company, and subsequent
grants, and also the policy of the Gem
pany and the effects of that policy A
number Of speakers took part in the de-
bate-among the rest Mr.. Labonchere,
(who took the nitative-introduce the
resolution out of which grew the discus
sion) BIZ. Roebuck, Gladstone and 9th
ers, well known in British councils
We gather the following facts from the
speeches nf the gentlemen: The char
ter from King Charles, a portion of
which has been published in the Alta
ard LRt0n, was granted in 1870, to
Prince Rupert and others, and only ex-
tended over the country known as
Prince Rupert's Land. which was con-
fined TO the region watered by the riv-
ers that fall into Hudson's Bay. In
reference to the validity Of this grant,
Mr. Gladstone stated that at first there
was condition attached TO i,-,hat the
Company should prosecute the discov-
cry afa new passage to the South Sea-
The condition had never been perform
ed by 7ho Company, although they had
ever since retained their privileges
The LEGALITY Of the charter was soon
called IN question by Parliament; and
twenty years after the grant was issued
in 1690-an Act was passed reciting
The various powers and privileges grant
ed in the charter, and confirming them
But The duration Of the Act itself was
limited to seven years. All the gentle
men of the House of Commons who
took part in the debate, with ono excep-
tion and he was known to be in the in
terest Of the Hudson Bay Company,
were favorable to opening up the wilds
Of British America to colonization, with
ont regarding the pretensions of the
Company. The idea seemed to prevail
that the grant extending over Prince
Rupert's Land was invalid and of 70
binding force on the British Govern
ment.
The righ: of the Company to the
western coast of America is held by a
different tenure, and amounts to nothing
more than license to trade with the In-
dams for term of years, expiring in
1859. To British Oregon the license
extended to 21 years. The grant to
Vancouver's Island was for / years,
necessarily terminable in 1888, but at
any time by giving years notice.
The dominion of the Hudson Bay Com
pany over the region in which the new
gold fields have been discovered ceases,
therefore, next year; and the tone OF
the British House Of Commons rore
than year since WIS decidedly against
renewing to the Company their priv
ileges. The rich deposits of Frazer
River viii terminate the rule of the mo-
nopollzing Company to a certainty, and
open up a vast region to colonization.-
What that region is it is worth while to
examine. 1t is stated by men who
have been in the employ of the Hudson
Bay Company that the country north
west of the great lakes has far more
genial climate than the regions in the
same latitude on the Atlantic coast:
and as proof of this ii is given as a fact
that on the plains lying along the east
ern 5ase of the Rocky Mountains the
climate is mild enough to grow vines
and corn to the SD parallel of latitude,
andwheat to nearly the Goth. Buffaloes
do not range south during the winters,
but remain north of the line of the
United States. The country west of
the Rocky Mountains is more humid
and subject to frosts.
The discovery of immense gold
fields north of our territory, taken in
CONNECTION with the resources and ad-
vantages of the country intervening
between Puget Sound and Canada, fur
nishes ore of the grandest themes for
speculation. The questions come home
IL