The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-11-07
The nudsOn,s Day oompany Monopoly

The HudsOn's bay Company Monopoly.
From Me ~. Y. Times
It is now some four or five years since the
Hudson's Bay Company forecasting the cer-
tanty of the early termination of its territorial
sway in the Northwest, proceeded to reOr-
ganize itself, with the view, first, of increasing
the number of its stockholders, and thereby
enlarging its influence for the purpose of sell
ing out to good advantage.
1t issued stock in 1868 to the amount of two
millions sterling, which was readily taken up.
The late Mr.. Ellice was, at the time, the con-
trolling authority in the concern, as he had
been for forty years previously. He saw very
clearly that the substitution of q regularly
organized Government in British Columbia,
for the Company's patriarohal system, must
shortly apply to the whole of the Northwest
territory; and he concluded that, as a prepara-
tory step, he could dispose to good advantage
of considerable portion of his interest, and
allow the transfer to be made by company
in which he should not have so large stake.
The change was made with an adroitness
characteristic of the man. The reorganized
Company in its prospectus proposed to esta-
blish plan of colonization along the Southern
boundary line, wherever there was land to at
tract settlers. The directors proclaimed their
utmost readiness to surrender to cultivation
their hunting-grOunds as soon as they should
be required and to prepare the way for immi-
grafton as fast and on as liberal scale as
their means would afford, resigning their pro-
prietory rights-upon receiving reasonable
Observation-Disclosures the British Parlia-
ment should see fit to organize colony within
the territory. The Company's promises have
not been redeemed. The only show they have
made Of attracting settlement has been simply
to order surveys for the opening up of lines of
| telegraphic communication. And that work
has proceeded so slowly that the residents of
| the Red River country despair of ever seeing
it completed under the Company's direction.
The sparse population in the valley of the
| Saskatchewan are dissatisfied, and the move
ment in Vancouver's Island, looking to an
nexation to the United States, has given them
nerve to represent their grievances as in
| tolerable.
A change in their political relations is re.
| garded by nearly all the responsible residents
/ as an absolute necessity of their existence
| The newly confederated provinces have for the
time enough on hand, without attempting tC
take the northwest or the Pacific colonies in
| charge. The purchase of the former would
involve an outlay of at least $40, 600 900 before
| they could even set up feasible claim to 8
| title. As much more would be needed to oper
up communication with the northwest colony
| And even then, the question of permanent
possession would not be solved The settle
| ments in Northern Minnesota are advancing sc
rapidly towards the high lattitudes that the
| Hudson's Bay Company's subjects find al
| their material interests lie in the direction o
that prosperous State; and they would vote to
| morrow, had they the right OF voting, for an
| nexation to the United States.