The Red Cloud chief., 1885-05-08
WHAT THE REL REBELLION IS.

Which Precipltated II.
The Toronto Mail wa not disposed to
believe the first reports Of the Carleton
uprising. putting the blame on st. Paul
newspapers. anxious 10 score a poin,
against the Northwest in the race fol
the seasons immigration. Bythls time
it will know that the troubles have as
sumed a really serious aspect, and that
there is little hope now that they will
be suppressed without loss of life. Our
Toronto contemporary proceeds to state
the grievances of the Saskatchewan set
tiers. putting them in the light not I'M
favorable TO the men who are now in
open rebellion. 1t says:
Under the Manitoba act of 1870 each
half-breed born in that province before
July l of that year was granted two
hundred and forty acres of land free. in
satisfaction of wha: may be termed the
half-breed title. But beyond the con-
fines of Manitoba lay u few half-breed
settlements. for the inhabitants of which
no provision was then made, nor. in
deed, was any demand ut the time.
st. Laurent, one of these. was estab-
lished rs long ago as 1867. and is Il
fairly prosperous place. The first de-
mand for consideration was preferred
by the cOlOnists ten years ago. when
they asked to be placed on the same
footing as regards free hOmcsteals as
the Metis of Manitoba. Later on.
when the Dominion surveyors appeared
in the country n fresh grievance sprang
up. The alf-breetis, as was the
French custom. had settled along the
rivers. each farm having a narrow
water frontage. and extending far back
in the form OF a long paraIlelosram.
The surveyors were. of cOure. COM
PEELED to DESTROY this arrangement Of
the holdings. and the people earnestly
protested against il. They also
renewed their claim for grants of
two hundred and forty acres PER
capita. and from that day to
this the agitation has been maintained.
Riel's arrival from Montana last spring
giving it the semblancc of a general and
united movement. The Bill Of Rights
adopted by tae half-brceds at a public
meeting ut st. L.aurent's in September
demands U) the subdivision into PROV
inces of the Northwestern Territories;
(2) the half breeds to receive the same
grants and other advantages rs the
Manitoba half breeds; (3) patents to
be issued at tnce to the cO.onist. in
possession: a. the sale Of five hundred
thousand acres IF Dominion lands. the
proceeds to be applied to the establish
mont in the half-breeds settlement Of
schools, hospitals and such like institu-
tons. and to the ecu pmcnt OF the poor
er half-brecds with SEED grain and i'm
p!emcnts: 90 the reservation Of one
hundred townships Of SWAMP land for
distribution among the children of hall.
breeds during the next enc hundred and
twenty years; (6) a grant of ut least
one thousand dollars for the maintain
ance OF an institution to be conducted
by the nuns in each half-brecd settle.
ment; and az better provision for the
support of the Indian. This last item
was inserted by Riel in order 10 please
Poundmaker. q turbulent Indian chief.
whose band has since made common
cause with the half-breeds- 1t will be
observed that the original claims have
assumed fanciful proportions, Riels
rule being to :sk more than he is en-
titled to. in order to better his chances
Of getting his due. The ha!f-brceds will
be satisfied. however. if they obtain tho
patents for the farms which they have
been c~ultivating all these years. with
grants Of two hundred and forty acres
for those among them who have not
taken up land. Monsignor Grand n.
the Roman Catholic b shop Of that re-
gion. supports the Bill OF Rights to that
extent, and so do the vast majority Of
the English-speaking settlers WInni-
PEG IInaeS.