The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1875-07-13
The Okla Indians and the Sem.
mary of st. Sulpice.

iIohS lline ugO Tue DtmlnaIy OF OF Sul-
pice cautiously abstained from pressing
their pretentions as Seigniors over the Is.
land Of Montreal, Isle Jesus and Lake of
Two Mountains. They never demanded
lads et rentes, in fact many buyers of
landed estate utterly ignored their rights
and set them at defiance, while on the
other hard the Seminary gladly accepted
five per cent. on sales as discharge in full.
At tne period the landed proprietors Of
Montreal sent delegate (Mr. Grey to
the colonial office, asking the liberation
Of the Island Of Montreal from the feu-
dal tenure and protesting against the
pretentions Of the Sulpicians. The Brit.
ish Government submitted the dispute to
the law officers Of the Grown, and the
attorney general, 6ir Zachary Gibbs, re.
ported that the Sulpcians had not sha.
dow Of title to the seigniories above de-
scribed. The affair continued to slumber
for years, the Seminary not daring to
press its legal rights against purchasers
OF real estate refusing to pay lOdSet renteS,
until 1887 was reached. In that year
the French. Canadian population rose in
revolt, and entered into struggle with
the British Crown. The crisis was seri.
Gus. There were the elements of pro.
longed and sanguinary struggle. 1t was
at this juncture tnat the Seminary priests
played their trump card. Looking at the
sympathizers south of the border who
were anxious to aid the revolution and
Amercanize the province, they dreaded
such volunteer allies more than the
British Crown. BE that as it may-they
cast their lot with the Governor. General
and supplied the place oia army Of
detectives. Every nascent conspiracy in
the most remote hamlet was discovered
and revealed to the authorities The
leaders OF The revolution were traced out,
the ubiquitous ears and eyes of the
priests Of the Seminary everywhere gath
cred important information which poured
into the executive and was acted on.
Such service,so secret and so effective en-
titled the St. Sulpicians TO the generous
consideration of the Crown, and it was
in acknowledgment of such service that
Lord Sydenham, while declaring that
the st. Sulpicians had not shadow of
title to their Seigniory confirmed the
title, though prior to that period the Okla
Indians had acquired constructive title
to their property at the Lake of Two
Mountains from Sir j. johnson. who ac-
ted under the authority Of and with the
sanction Of the British Crown.
1t is quite certain that prior to the
date when Lord Sydenham confirmed
the title of the St Sulpcians, the Okla
Indians enjoyed privileges and immuni-
ties which :he Seminary now deny them,
and in order to deprive the luckless In.
dians of the benefit of Sir j. Johnson's
gift, they are cutting and selling thous-
ands OF cords Of irewood on lands long
possessed and enjoyed by the aborigines
these Okla Indians There is no excuse
Tor this grasping, avaricious conduct
The St. suIpicians have clear income
exceeding hundred thousand dollars
month they are rolling in wealth. They
acquired that wealth as a reward for
their service to the Crown during the
rebellion, but the Okla Indians were
equally if not more loyal, because they
served the Crown without asking or ex-
pecting the gift of seigniories. The
Federal Government is bound to intervene
in this matter; the gift made by Lord
Sydenham did not extinguish the rights
previously acquired and enjoyed by the
Okla Indians to the forest lands at the
Lake Of Two Mountains - Canadian
paper.