New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1859-05-05
CANADA.


We Indian territories, which they hold by lease
which expires next menth has lately been laid before
The Legislature. The Imperial Government of
iered to renew the lease for two years, but the
Company declined to accept renewal for so short
aperiod. They offer TO accept d lease for twenty
enc years, subject to termination, on two years
sOtiee, at the Will Of the Government. But, to
This proposal, Sir E. d. Lytton, Colonial Secretary,
refuses to accede. The dispatches show that,
when two Of the Canadian Ministers were in Eng
land last Summer, they gave the Colonial Secre-
tary to understand that it was the intention OF
Canada TO commence proceeding by setre taeias to
test the validity of the Company Charter. Sir i.
B. Lytton subsequently wrote to the Governor
General, urgently nquiring whether it were
intended that the Canadian Government
would take any such step; and the answer
returned is that they do not. Thus the wholeques-
toA il in a. unsettled state as possible. BY the
end Of Dext month the Compsny's license OF ex-
elusive trade in the Indian territories expires.
They are taking steps for reducing their establish
Dept TO the extent that such vacation would re-
CURES and il they about TO quit the Indian ter
rtories abruptly, il does not seem possible that any
other authority can at once be substituted for
theirs. Sir f. i LyttOD refuses to renew the b.
eense of trade on the conditions proposed by the
Company on the ground that it is necessary to set
Ne other and more important questions when the
question Of new lease is disposed Of OF these
questions the most important relates to the exclu-
sive right of trade claimed by the Company in their
chartered territory. 1T the general opinion of law
yers that that claim invalid, being contrary to pub
lie policy and the British statute against mODopolies.
But even So il seems to be admitted that the Com
Ill -. [..
simple, could prevent trespassers upon their estate,
which if their claims az ~ boundaries be admitted,
covers over q third of the continent. 1t s the de-
termination of Sir 4. Il. LyttOD to settle this ques
ton Of exclusive trade, along with that of renewal
of the lease of the Indian territories. In January,
1865, the Palmerston Government proposed to refer
the question Of the COmpaDys boundaries, separate
BY, TO the Privy Councils but the Canadian Govern
nent refused to be any party TO SO limited meas.
are. Sir +. b. Lytton does not hold himself bound
BY the proposal Of his predecessor, for be is I'M
wiling to assent to any proceeding which sup
pOses in advance, the validity Of the charter. If
the Canadian Government now refuse to impeach
the Charter, it is on the ground that the territory
which il covers il not Canadian, and that If they
succeeded they would not have been fighting their
own battle, but merely wrestling fro the Company
territory which belongs to the British Empire at
large.
into the Legislature some resolutions this subject,
with view Of basing on them an address ~ the
Imperial Government. In those resolutions the
claim Of Canada that her western frontier extends
10 the Rocky Mountains il entirely abandoned;
and although no specific line of boundary is stated,
The Legislature 10 told that vast space intervenes
between Canada and Britisb Columbia. Some two
years ago the Canada Government claimed jurs-
diction to the Pacific. Now it is probsble that
they will be content with line produced due north
from tho upper branches Of the Mississippi that
being the line given, though not with much dis.
tinctnesp, in the Quebec act of IVA, as the first
Imperial act relating to the government OF Canada
IL called. When the company comes to vacate the
Indian territories, the question Of their boundary
will have to be determined. In the leases these
limits are given loosely that nobody can undertake
70 say whose they are. The Company claim all the
territory watered by rivers that run into Hudsons
Bay; this claim Is of quite modern date. They
we're previously much more moderate in their pre-.
tensions, having, in 1850, given the upper end OF
the lake Winnepeg as the limit of their southern
BOUNDARY. As many Of the rivers flowing into the
Hudson take their rise In the Rocky Mountains.
the COmpanys present claim leaves no spot on
which We can locate the Indian territories, ex-
eept the country wstered by the Mackenzie, the
Coppermpe and the Great Fish Rivers, which
empty into the Polar Ocean This Pretenslon Is one
which must be dealt with, however extravagant 1T
may be. 1t will probably soon transpire what the
PROPOSAL of the Imperial Government with regard
10 the entire question, will be. In the resolutions
now before the Canadian Legislature, the Home
Government 10 asked to erect the Red River and
Saskatchewan districts into separate colony;
and as Sir 4. B. Lytton is anxious to make con-
pection between Canada and British Columbia,
this will probably be done.
The new tariff has for some time been
law, and most of the other Government
measures have advanced different stages. The
new tariff will probably revive the direct
trade between Canada sud the West Indies,
which existed under difierentia duties and expired
when they were withdrawn. 1t does not establish
diferential duties directly but by charging i'm
porte with duty on their value, in the place they
were last brought FROM it gives premium upon
direct importation, which ia the same as premium
upon the st. Lawrence route. l hear that two ves-
sells are about to leave this city for the West
Indies, for cargOes Of sugar. In this way the new
tariff must have the effect Of diminishing trade
with the United States. Ii is probable that Ger.
tain amount Of West India produce will beimported
in bond, through the United States, as European
goods new are; but in that case, the trade will be
Seat to the New-York merchants. When the i'm
ports are by the ST. Lawrence the same result will
follow. This new tariff is exceedingly unpopular in
Upper Canada, where it deraDges business to an
extraordinary extent, cutting of old connections,
and turning much of il into new chanoe
From all parts of the country the accounts OF
the growing crops are exceeding encouraging.
The Fall wheat promises larger yield than there
has been for years past but 1t is of course prob
iemstical whether this promise will be realized.
A good harvest is certainly much wanted, for the
country is stil suffering severely from the effects
of the late crisis. In several of the western
counties it had been found necessary to authorize
loans with which to purchase seed Spring whest,
q condition of things similar to what existed in