New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-04-24
c4NAnnS NEK AcouLSLT1ON.

The IIudson's Bay Company, the last of the
great English commercial associations has finally
relinquished the claims il stubbOnly maiH-
tanned for more than 200 years, surrendered its
trade monopoies, and coded its territorial
rights to Canada for the consideration of E3OO,-
900 and one-twentieth of the land that shall
hereafter prove cultivable AT first view the
advantage of the bargain appears wholly on the
side of Canada, for the tract of which that Do
minion becomes possessed is enormous, includ-
ing at least 200 millions of acres of fertile SOIL
beside vast metallferous regions; but we find, on
examination, that the position of the Company
was such as TO virtually force it TO sale OF
some sort, and that the inevitable future
expense for colonization and settlement
which the purchase entails upon tho
new pOssessor will be 80 vast that no larger
immediate outlay could be safely risscd. The
privilege of colonization was open to the pro-
pretors themselves, but under restrictions
that would have impaired, rather than added
TO the value of their possessions, and the rea-
sonable circumstances of the British provinces
against the continued mOnopolies of commerce
and exclusive territorial claims had become too
pressing to be longer resisted by the Home
Government. The Company has no cause to
complain. 1t receives in ready cash sum
equal TO one-fourth of the highest estimate OF
its entire property, for giving up tract to
which it was by 10 means certain that it had q
legal right it retains the fur trade, hitherto
the only source of its prosperity; it is relieved
of all expenses of government, and it holds
future claim upon the twentieth part Of lands
which would never have become salable I'M
.,;, Int mill i'm
the course of time, rise to great value.
Whether Canada has done rs well as 1t
might, is another question. There Is strong
reason to believe that if the charter of the
Company had been subjected to strict legal in
vestigation, it would have been found defective
to an extent warranting the occupation of the
desired tract. without any compensation at all ;
and, even if it had proved valid, no other Gus
toner was at hand, and the sale, as we have
said had become positive necessity.
We are not informed as to tho precise
amount of territory which Canada secures.
The limits of the Company's possessions have
never been very accurately fixed According
to the original grant of 1910 Rupert's Land
included the entire region the rivers OF
which flowed into Hudson's Bay or Hudson's
Straits, but the incurslons or the french, up W
the time Of the cession Of Canada to England,
showed how powerless the owners were to sus-
tain so vast claim. Rival trading companies,
too, began to dispute their supremacy in the
early part of the present century, and sanguin-
airy conflicts were frequent until a general con-
solidation was accomplished in 1921. At that
period new lease was granted for term OF
years, giving the Company control of the EN-
tire American territory north of the
United States and Canada, excepting that
held by Russia. This lease expired in
1862 and was not renewed and the
proprictors were thrown back upon the
conditions of their first charter. Their greedy
Interpretation of this instrument was disputed
by Canada and for the last ten years the re-
sbective rights of both parties have been
subject of controversy. 1t is now settled upor