Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1885-04-15
Canadian Troubles.

1t looks now as III Sanaua Woulu
have a big job on her hands to put
down the rebellion of half-breeds in
the Saskatchewan valley. Several Of
the Indian tribes have joined the
rebels. The Canadian government
has got about 1000 soldiers at or
near the seat of rebellion, but most
Of them are inexperienced in the kind
of warfare they will be engaged in.
The trouble appears to have arisen
out of the land question. The half
breeds are the original settlers, and
claim the government has not acted
Just with them in regard to lands they
have settled on. The accounts of
the cause of the trouble are conflict
ing. The Canadian government deny
that they have acted unjustly towards
the halfbreeds, and the Opposition
say the Government has not acted
Just towards the halfbreeds. A mer-
chant from Manitoba relates the fol-
lowing in the Detroit Free Press:
"The present state of affairs could
have been avoided if the government
had taken time to consider the mat
ter. The actions of carpet baggers
and spectators, coupled with the
troubles arising out of the location of
the lands belonging to the Hudson
Bay Company, have done much to
aggravatc the untutored half-breeds,
who imagine they are being swindlsd
out of their property. Riel came
among them and managed to so mold
their opinions that they made form.
al demand for justice. A meeting
was held at ST. Laurent in September,
1884. This bill demanded: First,
the subdivision into provinces of the
Northwest territories; second, the
half-breeds of the Saskatchewan dis
trict to receive the same grants and
other advantages as the Manitoba
half.breeds third, patents to be is
sued at once to the colonists in pos
session; fourth, the sale of 100000
acres of Dominion lands, the proceeds
to be applied to the establishment in
the halfbreed settlements of schools,
hospitals and kindred institutions and
to the equipment of the INDECENT of
the half.breed with seed, grain and
implements fifth, the reservation Of
100 townships of swamp land for dis
tribution among the children of half
breeds during the next 100 years /;
sixth, grant of 81 900 for the main
tenance of an institution to be con-
Quoted by the nuns in each half
breed settlement; seventh, provision
for the support of the Indians. This
bill of rights was supported by the
English halfbreeds as well as their
French brethren, but no notice of it
was taken by the government. They
simply asked for what belonged to
them"
The Detroit Free Press says:
"In 1869 the Hudson Bay Com
pany transferred to the Canadian
government its rights in the North
west Territory, and the government
Immediately set about the work of
surveying its new acquisition. In
making the survey the old French
system which had heretofore prevailed
of dividing the land in long strips
with water front-was ignored.
This aroused antagonism among the
settlers, who were already disaffected
because they had been transferred to
Canada without any consultation of
their wishes. Led by Louis Riel they
organized government of their own
and demanded recognition by the
Canadian Government at Ottawa.
The latter treated it as an insurrec-
ton and sent Sir Garnet Wolseley to
put it down; but by the time the
General reached Fort Garry Riel had
disappeared, taking his government
with him. The Canadian Govern
ment having its attention called to
the claims of the half-breeds under
took to adjust and satisfy them. An
act was passed providing for a grant
of 240 acres of land to each half
breed born before July 1, 1871.
But it has long been claimed that
the Canadian Government failed to
carry out its promises to the half
breeds. Complaints have been many
and bitter; and it seem to be gener-
ally admitted by the Canadian press
that the complaints are well founded.