The Bad Lands cow boy. [volume] (Little Missouri, Dakota [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-1886, 1885-04-09

the government of the Hudson Bay COM
pany's territory, and Dec. l, 1859, was sub
,sequently fixed as the date of the transfer
As the expiry Of. the charter had only de-
priyed the company, sof its special licenses,
and privileges, and not of its original terri
tory, 1t was necessary for the government to
purchase the territory The price agreed
upon was $500, 900, swhtohl looks like q very
small sum IN view of the Immensely :of the
possessions involved These proceedings
half breed settlers whose rude houses lined
the banks of the Red and Assinaboine rivers.
These people were mainly the descendants
Of the early traders, trappers and employees
Of the Hudson's Bay company They were
such instruction as they received from their
priests. Each head Of family had his little
strip of land which he cultivated, and the
dwellings, OF the people were prlnci-
pally log huta. The titles under which
from the Hudson's Bay company,
where they had titles. but in 5.s;.H cases It
Kapla st CLAIM to tie land
However, for years they had remained In
undtsturbed possession of the property on
which they had built their cabins, and felt
perfectly secure in the possession thereof
Their state had been the Hudson's Bay COM
5pany. The rule Of the company had been in
the main mild and bene fcent; and, although
there had been occasional complaints against
the company for arb itrariness in connection
with trading-for 1t fixed its own prices, and
hunters and traders were compelled to ac-
cept them or:nothing- people were gen.
orally well comtentaYith their lot The pro-
posed transfer of the company's possession
gave promise Of an entirely new and untried
condition Of thingH re
,@s TIE CAUSE oFfAI.ARsL
I The settlers felt insecure In their posses-
sions and In regard to their OWL righta The
course OF the British government In placing
them under the. dominion5 of the Canadian
government seemed to them arbitrary. Their
voice had not been heard in the matter.
They knew not what to expect There was
much murmuring, and 5as the time APP
proached, when tho transfer was to be COM
Eliminated, the settlers Of the Assinaboine and
Red River districts began to- organize, with.
Louis Riel at their head. They drew:up o
bill Of rights in which they put forth, among
other demands, the following: h b z
First, the right to elect their own legislature:
second this legislature TO have power to pass all
laws Of q localnature by two1thirds vote over
the veto Of tho executive; third : free homestead
and presumption law, similar to that of tho
United States: fourth,a portion Of the public
land to be donated to the support Of schools and
construction Of roads and bridges: fifth, treaties
with the Indian tribes calculated to secure peace
In the future .q,EI''s.' l.
william MeDougalI,F VIC had been ap-
pointed az governor of fheRheWly organized
territory, arrived there In Qctobes He found
the roads Il pehsession of: the insurgents,
suite, and for some time lived in camp near
Pembtna, on this aide;of the line. This was
the first act of war on the part of the rebels
They irnmed iately obtained possession of all
the posts and sfertstapd were the masters Of.
organized e Fos GARY Viz JOIN saSu gas
as president, Louis Riel commander-in-chicf
of the armies, and the young priest and pa-a
triot o. onog hne was virtually secretary Of
state and secTetary OF war The governor
!selors, twelve selected from among the
French half breeds and twelve from among
the English and Scotch element The:
capture OF Fort Garry had s been easily
accomplished and without bloodshed In
ed to interest the Indians in his cause, and
tmndeA some futile attempts to gain posaes--
5Eton OF his province "A counter -reyO1utio
was also attempted by the Loyalists and one
James Scott was shot BY order OF Riel The:
eGunslI o. Ss the
elements coming into EoecagQna conflict
with the French, and at HIdeG there seenedg
to be danger that tie government would
peter out altogetheE retained Possession,
summer Of 1870. until sir Garnet, Woiseley's
arrival with British troops iSS5i8tt
~ Instead Of holding their ground, Riel :sand
his compaMiots fled from Fort Garry and
crossed the United States line, leaving their
Garnet, on the Oath Of August took peace
able possession OF thu Fort and Issued his
famous orders Riel whsh forward DAN.
{ished for five yeaIss Such was the:
4 Red river rebellt tsof ~ 1S69-70.
and con5emp orary history 1T Il vi reiatss many
{ acts Of clemency and kindness nn the partof
the rebel leader, who did not seem disposed