The Portland daily press., 1869-01-05
Terms $500 per annxns, Ia, odrance.

ed that the road will pay commercially. The
whole talk is fcontracts-contracts II is seor
that the plumber will be immense, and hungry
plunderers are already 1ocking in like vul-
lures to a carcass. An Ottawa dispatcb
says:
1t is now well understood here that the mis-.
sion ofthe commissioners ofSt. John has refer
nee tothe question whether the eastern extcn-
sion of the line shall be made part of the In
tercolonial or not. Sanford FleIning is strongly
opposed to it. He says that the line is badly
built, besides it increases the length of the
lines several miles. 1t is said that one ofthe
railway Commissioners is largely interested
in the adoption of this line.
As regards the contracts to be let, it is
stated here that the policy of Sir John will be
to give the Quebec contract to some one in
quebec; the New Brunswick contract to
some one in that Province, and so OF the
Nova Scotia contracts. If that principle be
carried out, the contractors in Ontario may
as wei stay at home. One thing is clear, by
Mr.. Bridges speech in Montreal, that Ameri-
can contractors are 10 be excluded altogeth
er.
THE HUDSON BAY coMPANY's LANDS.
The following, from an article in the Lon
don Times, gives general idea of the state
Of the negotiations in relation to the lands of
the Hudson Bay Company:
We understand that the Duke of Bucking-
ham has made some progress in the negotia-
tions provided for by the acts of last session,
He summoned representatives from the Can
adian government TO advise and assist him.
Sir George e. Cartier, Minister of Militia,
and Bon. William McDougall, Minister OF
Public Works, are now in this country as a
dnIn01tinn ha
obedience to his summons. They have come
| to arrange, if possible, tine terms on which
| the transfer OF all the lands and territories
| claimed by the company-Ruperts Land as
| well as the Northwestern territories-may
be accomplished. As it is not disputed that
the company have good understanding
| their charter to be valid as respects the Grant
OF land-to a considerable tract of country
round Hudson'S Bay, and as it is desirable
| that the authority OF the government of the
| New Dominion should cover the whole of
British America, there is something to be
| purchased which the company can rightfully
| SELL and perhaps i'll the purchase OF this terri
| tory the means may be found to extiDguish,
without further delay, their claims every
| where.
The resignation of the Ministry has arrest
ed the negotiations, which it is understood
were going on with some prospect of success.
This is, perhaps, to be regretted. 1t will de-
tain the Canadian Ministers until the new
government is installed and in working order.
But from the well-known views of Mr.. Glad
stone, as expressed in the report which he
proposed for the adoption of the Hudson's
Bay Committee of 1857, the new government
will not be adverse to the views and policy
which these gentlemen have come here to ad-
| vocate.
| ITEMS.
There are now thirty inches of snow on
an average throughout western Canada.
The recent declaration of Mr.. Joseph
Howe that a seat in the Dominion cabinet
had been offered to him as an inducemsnt to
withdraw his support from the Repeal move
ment, has created a considerable sensation in
government circles.
The Hon. VIM. McDougall, Canadian
Minister of Public Works, who went to Eng
land on government mission a few
weeks since, is seriously i'll il London. At
the same time his wife is lying dangerously
ill at Toronto; indeed, her life is despaired
OF. Yet, says the Canadian paper from
which we quote, this devoted wife has per-
emptoTiy refused her consent to her hus-
bands return, lest, pending his recovery, the
voyage might prove fatal to him.