The Nevada Democrat., 1858-08-11
Thc Hudson Bay Company.

A recent English paper thus describes this
huge monopoly.
A line drawn across the map of North Amer
lea, about the 49th degree of latitude, separates
the British possessions from those of the United
States as far as the head of Lake Superior
Then comes an irregular crust or strip of land
which forms the colony of Canada. All the
vast territory to the north of Canada, and the
frontier line, is claimed by the right of "usage'
for very curious company of fur traders We
say curious because unlike other joint stock
companies, II has never made call; its profits
on the el0,500 originally embarked have been
so enormous, that its capital has been doubled
and trebed, aud doubled and trebled again, out
of their profits, and now is said TO amount to
e400000 paying fabulous per centsge. Nc
one can tell who are the managers, who is its
broker, or where is its transfer Office. No one
has ever seen its shares in the market, OIL
can name the price Of its rsmuncratve stock
1t has ever opposed colonization, yet demands
EST 900 compensation for its outlay in coloniz
ing Vancouvers Island. 1t was granted char
ter on condition of undertaking expeditions tC
discover a northwest passage. Yet in 200 years
1t sent out but four expeditions of discovery
two of which were organized when it was anX-
ions to renew its exclusive charter. 1t profess
es to keep away all settlers from its domain,
lest the Indians should be corrupted by ardent
spirits, yet all the "fre water" imported is i'm
ported solely by ITSELF 1t is trading compa-
n.y. but of very medieval character for even
now, in this age of commercial enterprise, it fits
out four ships yearly, two to Hudson's Bay,
and two to the shore line of the Pacific to sup
ply wares &c The inhabitants of four millions OF
square miles; precisely one chip of 400 tons 10
a million of miles Yet this wonderfully ener-
getc company claims absolute sovereignty
over q region larger than Europe, and as extern
sve as the great Australian continent. What
do they DO with it
1t is refreshing absolutely, in the wreck of
monopolies, to find one or two grand old mo-
Ropolies still remaining with all their selfish
attributes intact The Hudson Bay Company
are traders-traders in furs, and the enormous
region is sentenced to unvarying desolaton
that it may form one vast preserve for the fox
the sable, the marten, the beaver, and the
moosc-deer. These wild creatures retreat as
the clearings advance they are scared by the
sound of the woodmans axe among the giant
woods They fly far from human habitations.
Where man builds his shanty and sows the little
patch of virgin earth, there springs up the
homestead, and by and bye the village, with
its schools and churches, mills and forges, its
bleating focks and lowing kline. The fur
bearing animals are banished, and the compa-
ny's dividends diminished. This would be a
frightful violation Of all right by usage" and
so this considerate company forbid the emigrant
to settle in that noble country. 1t must be
consigned to uncnding silence and desolatioa.
No eye must wander over its CLASSY slope, save
that of the wild savage, looking round the
prairie for the animals, whose skin will pur-
chase the "fre-water' and ammunition from
his masters, the company Of Hudson Bay.