The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1858-06-28

of an independent party, which will take care
that good ticket is elected next November.
All mere party questions all outside issues, all
partisan lkings and prejudices, must give way
to the one grand subject of reforming our city
government, turning all the rogues and rascals
out of Office, and putting good, honest, taxpay-
ing citizens in their place. 1t is neither Lee
compton, nor Utah, nor the right of search we
have to deal with in the next election, but the
vital question, how we are to put stop to steal
ing the public money and reduce the taxes.
That is the true issue, and we must stand by it.
The TROUBLE AT FRAzERs RIvER-Our &C
counts of the mines at Frazer's river, which
come from California, confirm in every particu-
lar the previous announcements of gold disco
veries. Letters from persons well known in
California, who have gone to the mines, state
that the gold on Frazer's river and in the ada
cent country is even more plentiful than it was
in California, and that gold seeking will be
more profitable there than it was in the early
days of the California diggings Accordingly,
the excitement in the Pacific States is rather on
the increase than on the decline, and no doubt
thousands of miners are by this time either on
their way to the British possessions or prepar
ing to 60 thither.
Meanwhile difficulty has arisen. Governor
Douglas, of the Hudson's Bay Company, has
issued proclamation warning all persons that
the exclusive right of trading in and about
Frazer's river and in the British possessions on
the northwest coast of America belongs to the
Hudsons Bay Company, and that any vessels
found in Frazers river or any other river, bay
or creek of the British possessions will be for
feited, If they have not q license from the COM
pany and clearance from the Collector at Vic
toria. In other words, this Governor intends,
30 far as In him lies, to reserve the gold for the
Hudson's Bay Company. The company is, sc-
cording to his view, the complete master of the
situation, and has the right of selling licenses
at any price 1t plcases, and refusing clearances
whenever 1t thinks fit. This intelligence has,
naturally enough, created no little stir and
aroused some indignation in California
1t is plainly contrary to common sense to
stretch the provisions Of an Indian trading
monopoly so as to cover gold seeking. The
charter of the Hudsons Bay Company confers
on 1t the exclusive right of trading with the In
dams for furs; it was never intended to invest
it with more extensive privilege than this. II
the company has, Ia practice, stretched its
trading monopoly till II has amounted to a
species Of actual dominion, the reason is simply
that no one has had interest enough in the mat
ter to contest the usurpation. These gold dis
coveries, and the influx of population they are
likely to cause will lead to a testing Of the
question, and II is pretty certain that the au-
thorities In England will not sustain the posi-
ton taken by Governor Douglas. indie
pendently Of this, the Hudsons Bay Company's
charter expires next year. Already Parliament,
on the solicitation of Canada, has set It's face
against its renewal This new evidence of the
hostility Of the company to healthful deve-
lopement of the country will destroy the last
chance of perpetuation Of the monopoly.
In the meanwhile, Il is hardly likely that
the Hudson's Bay Company's officers will
be able to enforce Governor Douglas
proclamation. There is no force, under the
control Of the company, which could for day
hold a thousand miners in subsection. Indeed
IL is more than likely that by this time the hand
full of men on whom Governor Douglas may rely
to execute his behests, have followed the general
example and gone a gold hunting.
Should further explorations verify the indica-
cations already obtained, the discovery Of gold
on Frazer's river will prove an event only
second In Importance to the like accident in
California. II Is in the power Of the English to
retard the Development Of this great resource,
and partly to neutralze its benefit by adopting
stringent license systems, such as have been en-
forced in some parts Of Australia, ami such as
Governor Douglas seems to desire in his terri
tory. Time will prove whether the British au-
thorities have learned wisdom enough from the
example of California to pursue the only system
which is calculated to ensure to the new FL Do
RADIO prospect ofspeedy and general settlement
and commercial prosperity.