The Portland daily press., 1867-08-17

sl At the present rate OF admitting States into
the Union, Uncle Sam must soon sit him
down on the shores of the Pacific, or of Lake
Superior, and weep because there are no more
territories to organize. The distress of the
national Alexander will be more keen than
his historic prototypes, bee ause there are fair
domains with in easy reach which he is for
bidden by the troublesome regulations of
modern civilization to grasp. He cannot OBJ
tain them by purchase and to take them by
violence he Is ashamed, II not afraid. There
fore, unless something unexpected occurs, and
that speedily, he win soon be past the heyday
Of youth and must settle down, like any re-
spectacle elderly individual, with all his chill
dren grown up and married, leaving him
nothing to do but to go into that decline
which ever attends upon ancient respecta-
biity. ~. s... NJ. ....-.l,,s,.5 w. .,.f5.r.r
] But there Is one delectable little morsel OF
North America, not much larger than one
half of Europe, which viii occasion sharp
conflict in the national mind before the idea
of letting it remain forever under the control
of England, or a sleepy old corporation like
the Hudson's Bay Company, can be fully en-
tertained. This is what is called Rupert,s
Land, comprising the fertile belt Of country
between Canada and British Columbia
Travellers describe the fertility and beausy Of
this region as equaling that of our own West
ern States. But unfortunately, being owned
in fee simple by the Hudson's Bay Company
to which in 1880 the Merry Monarch trans
ferred it, for the annual tribute of two elks
and two black beavers whensoever and as often
as we, our rheirs and successor S, shall happen to
enter into these said territories, countries and
regions" it is not open to emigration or i'm
provement. 1t is In the hands OF one of those
grand old English monopolies, which make
our Camden and Amboys seem like lnconsid-
erable tbree-penny affairs in comparison with
their greater attitudes. 1t is the sole surviving
brother Of the defunct East India Company
Till near the beginning of the present cen
tury its profits were enormous, sometimes
rising as high as sixty or seventy per cent,
the reservation OF the two elks and two
beavers" having been made, it must be, in
one of King Charles merriest and most
liberal moods. Since 1888, when its
preserves were entered by formidable
rival corporation, the North West Fur Com
pany, the dividends have not been so large.
The shares are selling at figure consid-
erabIy below par The affairs of the Com
pany might be brought back to their old con
dition of prosperity If the forty millions of
acres OF "as good land as lies out OF doors
could be put into the market. 1t Is estimated
that sales could now be made at 81 25 per
acre, and in few years at $40 or SIS per
acre. But the proceedings of an old and
wealthy monopoly are as llliberal and stupid
as those of Democratic convention. The
old Hudson's Bay corpor ators would sell no
land, and why should their successors try to
improve upon established regulations" and
the "wisdom of our ancestors? r...
But while the proprietors of the Fertile Belt
are studying, in their English way, show not
to do it," the hardy and irrepressible frontiers
men OF Minnesota and Dakota are acting, IN
their American way, and dong IL. They
have reached the Western limit of arabic land
in the Northern part of the United States; so
thew disregard the invisible line which separ-
otas them from the pleasant fields belonging
to Her Majesty's subjects. They find there
only dimutive colony Of about ten thousand
people, At the point where the Asslniboine
joins the Red River of the North before it
reaches Great Winnipeg Lake. Destiny seems
to have given II into their hands. 1t is not
easily accessible from any part of the Domin-
ion of Canada, and 1t seems inevitable
that it must be settled by emig-
rants from the United States
This Northward movement of the Western
pioneers is not unobserved by the English