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FpifiP Entered according to the Act of the Paiiiament of Canada, in the year one thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, by Hunter, Rose & Co., ir. the office of the Minister of Agriculture. Hunter, Rose & Co., Printers, Bookbinders, Electrotypers, &c. CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. Conduct of the Hudson's Bay Company Justified — Negotiations for the Transfer of the Territory to Canada— Meetings of French Half- Breeds— Col. Dennis— Hon. Joseph Howe on a Tour of Inspection— A Bebel Council Formed — Apathy of the English-Speaking Settlers- Arrival of Hon. Mr. McDougall|at the Frontier— The Taking of Fort Garry 1 CHAPTER II. Progress of the Insurrection— Correspondence of Mr. McDougall and the Governor of Assinniboia — Convention of Delegates — Proclamation of Governor MacTaviah 51 CHAPTER II r. Deliberations of the Convention — Diversity of Views between the English and French Delegates— Scott Fined for an assault on Mr. Snow —Major Wallace Acting the Spy— Public Meeting, Etc 71 CHAPTER IV. Arrest, by the Insurgents, of the Governor and Officials of the Hud- son's Bay Company — Confiscation of the Custom House Papers and Effects— Seizure of Government Stores— Bill of Rights— Queen's Pro- clamation 93 CHAPTER V. Appointment of Col. Dennis as Deputy-Governor- Suppression of the " Nor-Wester" and "Red River Pioneer"— Enrolment of Settlers, by order of Governor McDougall, to offer Armed Resistance to the Half- Breeds— Garrison at Stone Fort 122 iv CONTENTS. CHAPTER VI. Shawnian and tlio Sioux Indians— The Settlement Alarmed and Arming — Governor McDougall takes Possession of Rupert's Land as Part of the Dominion— Fort Garry Pillaged— Scott and others Arrested -Canadians in Schultz's House Besieged— After parley, their Sur- render and Imprisonment 14(J CHAPTER VII. Declaration of the Insurgents— Snow and Dr. Bown forced to leave the Settlement — Failure of the Attempt to free the Prisoners— Letters of Bishop Machray, Hon. Joseph Howe and Col. Dennis IGO CHAPTER VIII. Arrests Continue — Dejjarture of Col. Dennis — Hon. Mr. McDougall'a Letter to Riel— His Communication to Gov. MacTavish— Hon. Mr. Mc- Dougall and Party leave Pembina 182 CHAPTER IX. Riel Levies a Requisition on the Hudson Bay Company — O'Donoghue and the Fenians — Indian Scare — The Sioux in Council Assembled — Grand Vicar Thibault and Col. de Salaberry arrive as Commissioners- Letters of Instructions from Hon. Joseph Howe 193 CHAPTER X. Mr. Donald A. Smith Produces his Credentials as Commissioner — Riel attempts to obtain them by Force— A Mass Meeting is held, whereat Letters of Instnictions from the Governor-General and Hon. Joseph Howe are read — Delegates to be appointed from every Parish in the Settlement 218 CHAPTER XI. Americans Meeting at Winnipeg — Their Resolutions— Election of Delegates — Proclamation of the Governor-General — Meeting of the Delegates — List of Rights — Stormy Discussions thereon 243 CHAPTER XII. Riel Arrests Governor MacTavish ; Imimsons Dr. Cowan; and Threat- ens Mr. Bannatyne, who wished to visit the Prisoners — Meeting of the Delegates and Commissioners — List of Rights Discussed — Formation of a Provisional Government— Riel is Elected and proclaimed President... 2G2 CONTENTS. V CHAPTER *XIII. Appointment of Delegates to the Government of Canada— Moah Meeting of English Settlers at Kildonan School-House— Misa Mac Vicar and Mr. Bannatyne obtain the Release of the Prisoners — Sutherland is murdered by Parisien — Wm. Gaddee is reported to have been killed in Gaol— The Portage Party are Captured and Incarcerated 274 CHAPTER XIV. Major Boulton is tried, Condemned to death, but subsequently Pardoned— Commissioner Smith and Archdeacon M'Lean Pacify the En^rlish Settlers and induce them to Recognize the Provisional Govern- niont— Attempt to capture Dr. Schultz — His Departure for Canada— 'Hiomas Scott is shot by Orders of Riel— Great Indignation in the Settlement 2Ul CHAPTER XV. Winnipeg —Letters of Instructions from Hon. Joseph Howe to Bishop Tach<5 —The Bishop's Address to the Council -Departure of Delegates to Canada with Instructions 3C6 CHAPTER XVI. ( 'onstltution Adopted by the Council of Assinniboia— Causes of the Dissatisfaction existing in the Settlement— Letter from Riel to Gover- nor MacTavish, imposing terms on the Hudson Bay Company — Pro- clamation-Laws of Assinniboia 330 CHAPTER XVIL Biography of Governor MacTavish — Dr. Cowan's Career in the North- West— Return of the Delegates — Rev. Mr. Richot's Speech — Proclama- tion of Col. Wolseley— Letter of Gen. Lindsay— Letter of O'Donoghue. 373 CHAPTER XVIIL Arrival of the Troops at Fort GaiTy— Hasty Departure of Riel, O'Donoghue and Lepine — Conduct of the 60th Royal Rifles— Governor Archibald Commences his Administration— Retrospect — The Manitoba Bill 38S> X CJ CONDUCT FOR T OF FR ON A T OP TH m'dou( and hap form of relieved at the sa selection ests. It pany inv to the fit office ; ai men wh( were gen B THE CREATION OF MANITOBA. CHAPTER I. CONDUCT OF THE IIUDSON's BAY COMPANY JUSTIFIED — NEOOTIATIONH FOR THE TKANSFKR OF THE TERRITORY TO CANADA — MKETINGH OF FRENCH HALF-HREEDS — COL. DENNIS — HON. JOSEPH HOWE ON A TOUR OF INSPECTION — A REBEL COUNCIL FORMED— APATHY OF THE ENGLISII-SPEAKINO SETTLERS — ARRIVAL OF HON. MR. M'DOUGALL at THE FRONTIER — THE TAKING OF FORT GARRY. JHEN the people of tlie North-West were repre- sented as groaning under a yoke of oppression, they were in reality enjoying a degree of liberty and happiness unparalleled in any other country. Their form of government was a peculiar one, which, while it relieved the Red River settlers of a heavy responsibility, at the same time gave tijem an indisputable voice in the selection of the men appointed to watch over their inter- ests. It cannot be denied that the Hudson's Bay Com- pany invariably made it a point to consult the settlers as to the fitness of a councillor before appointing him to the office; and thus, although there were no elections, the men who were most popular amongst their neighbours were generally chosen to represent them at the Council B THK CURATION OF MANITOBA. Board. Ill tills way, the people had to a great extent a voico ill tlio niaiiagoinoiit of their own ati'aira ; but, bc- caiiso the HudHon's Bay Company also enjoyed the right of sending members to tlie Couueil of Assiniboia, it was reported al)r()ad tliat the whole government of the country was in tlu^ interest of that august body, and that the settlers had little, if any, chance to control their own affairs. Another erroneous idea was that the councillors were overawed by the weight and influence of the Com- pany ; wlieieas the power was an equally balanced one, — for the reason that the objection of one member of the Board was sufHcient to overthrow any motion before it. Had the Hudson's Bay Company men, therefore, endea- voured to carry a measure distasteful or detrimental to the interests of the settlers, any single one of their representatives had the power to defeat it ; and, although a majority of votes would have been the more correct way of carrying on the business of the Council, yet our readers can easily see that the plan adopted gave no balance of power to either side — the scales were evenly poised. Wo may here mention that the individuals chosen from amongst the settlers to act as councillors conjointly with those from the Hudson's Bay Company were, as a rule, men of integrity and high standing in the country, and, therefore, altogether above bribery and falsity to their people's interests. The taxation consisting of 4 per cent, on general mer- chandise imported into the country, and one shilling per gallon on liquors, was very small, and therefore hardly felt by the people. THE RED RIVER TROUBLES. 8 The Courts of Justice savored more of arbitration than of a mere attention to tljo technicalities of hiw ; and it generally Iiappenod that there were more cases decided outside the court-room tluui inside it. People at that period had learned to live on terms of friendship an=.-, . THE RED RIVER TROUBLES. M council that, until the actual transfer and proclamation, you are the legal rulers and responsible for the preserva- tion of the public peace. I am surprised to learn, from a communication brought by the bearer of this, that a few- rebels have been allowed to take your Fort unopposed by public protest. Of course I am not in the best position to judge or advise in such a crisis ; but, in the hope that, by some means, the people will find out what it is they are doing, aiid will shrink from the consequences of war and bloodshed and confiscation which «re sure to follow, T shall remain here until I hear officially of the transfer of authority and shall then be guided by circumstances as to what I shall say and do." There is one point observable in the above, which is worthy of mention, namely : that Mr. McDougall was urging upon Governor MacTavish a course of action, which afterwards proved his own ruin, and which has called down upon him the censure of all right-thinking people. We have reference to his suggestion that Gover- nor MacTavish should issue a Proclamation explaining the nature of the change in the Government, before there was any certainty of that change having taken place. In fact, the tone of Mr. McDougall's whole correspondence with, and regarding, the authorities in the Settlement, was one of irritability, censure and a want of confidence in their willingness to assist him in his j)redicament. Instead of writing to Mr. MacTavish in a friendly man- ner, he saw fit to insinuate that there was no apparent desire on the part of the authorities to put down the re- bellion ; and, moreover, he undertook to make suggestions 56 THE CREATION OF MANITOBA. as to what should have been done, under the cinsura- stances, by Mr. MacTavish, and found fault with what was done. When it is remembered that William IVIac- Tavish had spent the greater portion of his lifetime in the North- West — during a part of which he occupied the important positions of Governor of the Hudson's Bay Company and of the Colony of Assiniboia — when we re- collect that he was a man respected by all classes — a man of the strictest integrity, and, moreover, thoroughly acquainted with the people of the country, it must be admitted that, when Mr. McDougall set himself up as an adviser to such a man as to how he should act in the discharge of his duties, he certainly placed himself in a very ridiculous position. Let any one read the corres- pondence of the two men and give an impartial judgment. That of Mr. McDougall's is fretful, irritable, fault-finding, and altogether aimless in its general details ; while the letters of Governor MacTavish, although written from a sick bed, are expressive of deep sorrow at the unfortunate position of Mr. McDougall, with an earnest desire to as- sist him, if possible ; but, at the same time, they show that the good old Governor had no idea of risking a war of races and religions for the sake of carrying a point by force which he no doubt felt could ultimately have been aiTanged in a more peaceable manner, had not Mr. Mc- Dougall's actions prevented it afterwards. But Mr. Mc- Dougall, true to his colours, thought proper to consult other parties besides Governor MacTavish ; and, what is worse, he believed them in preference to him. Those individuals, so freely consulted, endeavoured to show that THE RED RIVER TROUBLES. 57 the Hudson's Bay Company were hand and glove with the insurgents, and therefore unwilling to act again? them. We will give a few examples of the informntion derived by Mr. McDougall from those he term loyal parties in the Settlement, and which, no doubt, influenced him in the rash conduct of which he was afterwards guilty :— "From Friends of Canada (???)— " The Hudson's Bay Company are evidently with the rebels, and their present rdle is to prevent your having any official intercourse with them." (From same letter) " Our opinion is that the Proclamation should be for- warded by the bearer, and we will see it placarded here." The following is said to be from Mr. Snow : — "Council in deliberation to-day on yourr,. Received all right. Decision not known. Saddle will fall on right horse. 'Call' made on the different parishes, by mani- festo of Kiel, who seized * Nor'-Wester' office, and by force used the press. English and Scotch parishes will not respond. Issue Proclamation, and then you may come fearlessly down. Hudson's Bay Companj'- evidenUy shaking. By no means leave Pembina." The following is said to be from Charles Mair : — " The Company beyond all question are deeply con- cerned in the matter. Half-breeds themselves declare that they have received assistance. Insurgents in quasi possession of Fort Garry, receive their supplies there. Yours received all right. Council in deliberation to-day. On no account leave. The English have not risen because they have not been called upon by the authorities, other- 58 THE CREATION OF MANITOBA. wise they ivould have risen. Issue your Proclamation and it will be responded to by 500 men." The latter is a queer contradiction of the statement made by Col. Dennis a short time before, that 50 men could not be found to support Mr. McDougall. The fact is Mr. Mair, as usual, exaggerated the state of affairs, and, instead of 50, wrote 500. The foregoing extracts will give our readers some idea of the information and advice sought after by Mr. McDougall, and to which he, unfortu- nately for himself, gave too mjch credence. The "Friends of Canada," in a communication to Col. Dennis, dated 12th November, state as follows : — " We will have a strong protest in to the authorities here at once against their inaction and embodying the suggestions made in the letter." Is it possible that either Col. Dennis or Mr. McDougall made any suggestions to be put in this roundabout way to Governor MacTavish? If so, one feature in the case was adhered to strictly by those who were prompted to get it up, namely, the round- about principle ; for the address to Governor MacTavish was signed by the " Friends of Canada " in the shape of a " round robin" — no one in the party appearing desirous of taking the initiative in signing the document. The address, however, as follows, signed in the way above described, was sent in to Governor MacTavish. It may be as well to give it in the sensational shape, in which it was first presented to the eyes of the Red River public, in the form of m extra issued from the office of the " Nor'- Wester" newspaper, viz. ;-— THE RED RIVER TROUBLES. 59 "The Nor'-Wester and Pioneer *' Extra. "Winnipeg, Wednesday, November 17th, 1869. "The Crisis. "Loyalty Triumphant. "The Governor's Proclamation. "On the 12th instant the following address was pre- sented to Governor MacTavish, signed by a large number of our most respectable inhabitants ; and on the I7th a reply was issued, which will be found below ; — " Town of Winnipeg, " November 12th, 1869. " To William MacTavish, Esq., " Governor Hudson's Bay Company, " Fort Garry. " We, the undersigned residents of the Town of Winni- peg, and loyal subjects of Her Majesty the Queen of Great Britain and Ireland, — Beholding with great alarm the unsettled state of feeling existing in this Territory and the threatening position assumed by a portion of its French-speaking population towards the Crown, in the person of Her Majesty's representative, the future Gover- nor of this Territory, and believing as we do that this 60 THE CREATION OF MANITOBA. disaflfection or dissatisfaction is the result of various slanderous interpretations having been from time to time disseminated among the people by persons unknown; We do therefore now demand that you, as the representa- tive of Her Majesty in this Territory, do proclaim among the people, either by convening a public meeting for that purpose, or posting in conspicuous places throughout the country, a full and correct exposition of the nature of the transfer of this Territory to the Dominion of Canada. We also request that you will explain, as far as lies in your power, the policy likely to be adopted by the Canadian authorities relative to the governing of the Ter- ritory ; also, that you deny the numerous libellous slan- ders which are in circulation regarding the purposes foi which the Territory was acquired. That you warn them of the danger they are incurring to themselves by persist- ence in their present violent course, thereby imperiling the future welfare of the country ; and that you do en- treat them to lay down their arms and return peaceably to their homes. " Here is the Proclamation drawn from Governor MacTavish on the present state of affairs :" — Then followed an imperfect copy of the Proclamation, the fifth clause contained therein having being left out altogether in the " Nor- Wester " Extra. We will have occasion further on to give the Proclamation in its correct form, and will, therefore, proceed to discuss the facts concerning the above address. In the first place, it can bt proved, that Governor MacTavish's Proclamatiuji was alread)? in the hands of THE RED RIVER TROUBLES. 61 his secretary, Mr. Hargrave, when the address from the " Friends of Canada " reached its destination. The state- ment, therefore, that the Proclamation was drawn from Governor MacTavish by the " round robin " address of the " Friends of Canada," is as false as it is ridiculous. It was really amusing to see the little editor of the " Nor*- Wester " hopping about from door to door on the evening of the 17th November, distributing the " extras " with his own hands. There, he roared, as he pitched in a few copies of his " Loyalty Triumphant " at one door, " See loliat we have done;' and at the next house, " We'll show you now, what we can do" and so on, in the same strain, from door to door. People smiled, and wondered if it was possible that there were many amongst the incoming Canadians like the little man who was then making such a fuss about nothing. Let us see now the view taken by Governor MacTavish, with regard to the propriety of issuing a Proclamation such as Mr. McDougall seemed so anxious to have produced. In his letter of the 9th of November to Mr. McDougall, he says : — " It appears you are under the belief that a Proclama- tion from this Government, explaining the late Imperial Act regarding the Territory, and warning the people of the consequences of steps tending to impede any action that might be taken under its provisions, would have a salutary effect in checking the present unlawful move- ment on the part of the French population. It is difficult, if not impossible, to say with any degree of certainty, how far that measure might have produced such a result ; but if due consideration be given to the peculiar circum* » . V ; 3 ( THE CREATION OF MANITOBA. stances in which the local authorities here stood, there will, perhaps, appear to be but little ground for su prise at a measure of that kind not having been adopted. The Act in question referred to the prvspective transfer of the Territor}'' ; hut up to this moment vjg have no official intimation, from^ England or the Dominion of Canada, of the fact of the transfer, or of its conditions, or of the date at which they were to take practical effect upon the Government of this country. In such a state of matters, we think it is evident that any such act on the part of the Red River authorities, as that to which you point, would necessarily have been marked by a great degree of vagueness and uncertainty. It was felt that it might affect injuriously the future as well as the present Government ; and we deemed it advisable to await the receipt of official intelligence of the actual transfer of the country and of all the details which it concerned us to know. But having every reason to believe from semi- official sources of information, that the transfer of the Territory would soon take place, I have not failed to take every proper opportunity of putting the matter before the public in that light ; and, although, we have not seen the expediency of issuing any such Proclamation as that suggested, yet, we have been incessant in our efforts to impress upon the leaders of these disaffected people, a just sense of the illegality and danger of the course upon which they had entered, and to dissuade them from the further prosecution of their unlawful purposes." Governor MacTavish shortly after this, thought proper to prepare a Proclamation which we will give hereafter, THE RED RIVER TROUBLES. 63 and, although the tenor of it is not as Mr. McDougall appeared to desire, it seemed to satisfy that gentleman, as we find from the following extract from a letter written by him on the 20th November, to Hon. Joseph Howe : — " I have not yet made any reply to the lengthy and somewhat extraordinary communication which the repre- sentatives of the Hudson's Bay Company at Fort Garry have thought themselves called upon to address to me, nor have I made any arrangement with a view to the ' movement ' (the propriety of Mr. McDougall's returning to Canada) which they recommended in its concluding paragraph. As the main object of my correspondence with them has been accomplished, to wit, the issue of a 'Proclamation ' against the insurgents, I shall await for a few days the effect of this proceeding before deter- mining upon the course of action -yhich I ought to adopt myself or recommend to others." Mr. McDougall's " mania," at that particular period of his life, seemed to have been " Proclamations." His friends in Red River appeared to be also troubled with the same complaint, for they on the one hand were incessantly urging upon Mr. McDougall the necessity for a " Queen's Proclamation," while he in return kept asking for a "Hudson's Bay Company Proclamation." After events will show that they both got their desire. Gover- nor MacTavish, to prove that he was desirous of meeting the wishes of Mr. McDougall, and being aware of the Con- vention about to take place on the 16th, prepared hia " Proclamation," which he entrusted to his secretary, Mr. Hargrave, to have it read before the delegates from the 64 THE CREATION OF MANITOBA. people, when they should meet together as proposed. The " round robin " address, however, came in too late, for the document which it desired had already been prepared, and Governor McTavish replied by letter to the " Friends of Canada," a fact, however, which the editor of the " Nor'-Wester " did not see fit to make public. During the morning of the 16th November, 1869, there might have been seen about 150 armed men around the Court House, adjoining Fort Garry. Those were stationed there by order of E,iel to receive the delegates from the people, and about noon the 24 members made their ap- pearance ; and, as they entered the building, a feu-de- joie was fired by the French half-breeds, and 24 guns were fired from the walls of the Fort, there being one for each delegate. Notwithstanding the assurance to the contrary of Mr. Snow and others to Mr. McDougall, each parish in the Settlement sent a representative, as follows : — ' ENGLISH MEMBERS, «T /.Trr- • ( Henry McKenney, lownoj Winnipeg { ^^ -r^ r^,^ I H. F. Lone. Kildonan James Ross. St. John's Maurice Lowm&n. St. Paul's Dr. Bird. St. Andrew's Donald Gunil. St. Clement's » Thomas Bunn. St. Peter's......... » Henry Prince (Indian Chief of the SaUltCux). St. James' Robert Tait. THE RED RIVER TROUBLES. 65 Headingly William Tait. St. Ann's Geo. Gunn. Poiiage-la-Prairie John Garrioch. FRENCH MEMBERS. f Frangois Dauphinais. St. Frangois Xavier ) Pierre Poitras. ( Pierre Lavieller. St. Boniface W. B. O'Donohue. . , f Andr^ Beaucheman. ! " (Pierre Paranteau, sen'r. „ j^ , ( Louis La Serte. '" ' 1 Baptiste Touron. , ( Charles Nolin. (Jean Baptiste Perrault. John Bruce, President. Louis Kiel, feretory. At the openir^ of the meeting, Mr. J. J. Hargrave, Secretary to Governor MacTavish, presented a letter (the Proclamation) to Mr. Henry McKenney, with the request that he should read it before the members present. The French delegates, however, opposed the reading of the document, while the English members insisted upon hear- ing it. This brought about a feeling of antagonism be- tween the two sides, which continued throughout until the end of the Convention. A compromise, however, was at last effected in reference to Governor MacTavish's let- ter, and it was agreed to by all parties that it should be read towards the close of the meeting. This being deter- F THE CREATION OF MANITOBA. mined upon, the council of delegates proceeded to busi- ness. There, however, seemed to be no union between the two sides ; the English-speaking members were not prepared to go in with those on the French side until they knew their real intentions. On the other hand, there appeared to be an evident desire on the part of Riel to conceal the policy of his party from the English-speak- ing members. In this way there seemed no chance of the two sides agreeing, and at last the Convention adjourned till the next day; but before doing so, Mr. McKenney read aloud the following Proclamation from Governor MacTavish to the Inhabitants of Red River Settlement :— " Whereas I, William MacTavish, Governor of Assini boia, have been informed that a meeting is to be held to- day of persons from the different districts of the Settle- ment for the ostensible purpose of taking into considera- tion the present political condition of the Colony and for suggesting such measures as may appear to be best adapted for meeting the difficulties and dangers connected with the existing state of public affairs : And whereas I deem it advisable at this conjuncture to place before that meeting, as well as before the whole body of the people, what it appears to be necessary for me to declare in the interests of public order and of the safety and welfare of the Settlement— "Therefore I notify all whom it concerns that during the last few weeks large bodies of armed men have taken up positions on the public high road to Pembina, and, contrary to the remonstrances and protests of the public authorities, have committed the following unlawful acts ; THE RED RIVER TROUBLES. 67 First, they have forcibly obstructed the movements of various persons travelling on the public highway in the peaceable prosecution of thf Ir lawful business, and have thus violated that personal liberty which is the un- doubted right of all Her Majesty's subjects : Secondly, they have unlawfully seized and detained on the road at La Riviere Sale, in the Parish of St. Norbert, goods and merchandise of various descriptions, and of very consider- able value, belonging as well to persons coming into the Colony as to citizens already settled here and carrying on their business in the Settlement, thereby causing great loss and inconvenience not only to the owners of those goods, but, as has formally been complained of, also to the carriers of the same and possibly involving the whole Colony in a ruinous responsibility : Thirdly, they have unlawfully interfered with the public mails, both outgoing and incoming; and, by thus tampering with the estab- lished means of communication between the Settlement and the outside world, have shaken public confidence in the security of the mails and given a shock to the trade and commerce of the Colony of which the mischievous effects cannot now be fully estimated : Fourthly, not only without permission, but in the face of repeated re- monstrances on the part of the Hudson's Bay Company's officer in immediate charge of Fort Garry, they have in numbers varying from about sixty to one hundred and twenty, billeted themselves upon that establishment, under the plea of protecting it from a danger which they alleged was known by themselves to be imminent, but of which they have never yet disclosed the particular na- 68 THE CREATION OF MANITOBA. tiirc; they have placed armed guards at the gates < f an establishment which, every stick and stone of it, is private property; in spi^e of the most distinct protestations against such a disregard of the rights of property, they have taken pos^^es.iion of rooms within the Fnrv , . nd, nVhruf-h ley a-r here 'is yet committed no direct act of violence t' I'-'/ion or property, beyond what has been enumerated, jet b ; '^heir presence in such numbers with arms for no legitimate purpose that can be assigned, they have created a state of excitement and alarm within ard around the Fort which seriously interferes with the regu- lar business of the establishment : Fifthly, a body of armed men have entered the Hudson's Bay Company's Post at Pembina, where certain gentlemen from Canada with their families were peaceably living; and, under threats of violence, have compelled them to quit the establishment at a season of the year when the rigors of winter were at hand and forced them to retire within American territory ; — and, in the last place, they have avowed it as their intention, in all those unlawful pro- ceedings, to resist arrangements for the transfer of the Government of this country which have been made under the sanction of the Imperial Parliament, and thus virtu- ally set at defiance the Royal authority. Instead of I adopting those lawful and constitutional means which, under the enlightened rule of Her Most Gracious Majesty I our Queen, are sufficient for the ultimate attainment of | every object that rests upon reason and justice, the per- sons who have been engaged in committing those unla\vfiil I deeds have resorted to acts which directly tend to involve THE RED RTvER TROUBLES. t' mselvos in consequences of tho gravest nature, and to I. . ig upon the Colon/ and the country at large the evils 0^ anarchy rid the horrors of /ar; Therefore, in the ji eresto of law and order, ir behalf of all the securities you have for life ".nd property — and, in a word, for the sake of the present and the future welfare of the Settle- ment and its inhabitants, I again earnestly and emphati- cally protest against each and all of these unlawful acts and intents. I charge those engaged in them, before the' are irretrievably and hopelessly involved, immediately tj disperse themselves and peaceably to depart to t^i•i;: habitations or to their lawful business, under the pttir •=; and penalties of the law ;'and, whatever in other res' ^ects may be the conclusions of those who meet to delibc-LUje upon the present critical and distracted state of public affairs, I adjure you, as citizens having the interests of your country and your kindred at heart, to ratify and proclaim, with all the might of your united voices, this pubhc notice and protest, and so avert from the country a succession of evils of which those who see the beginning may never see the end. You are dealing with a crisis out of which may come incalculable good or immeasurable evil; and, with all the weight of my official authority and all the influence of my individual position, let me finally charge you to adopt only such means as are lawful and constitutional, rational and safe. " Given under my hand and seal at Fort Garry, this sixteenth day of November, 1869. " W. MacTavish, ' " Governor of Assinihoia." m THE CREATION OF MANITOBA. A copy of the above was sent by Governor MacTavish to the office of the "Red River Pioneer" newspaper the same evening for publication ; but, in the morning, before Mr. Coldwell, the proprietor, could get off his proof-sheet, the " Nor'-Wester," having by some means* obtained an imperfect copy of the document, brought out the sensa- tional " Extra" to which we have already referred. That afternoon, however, Mr. Coldwell issued the " Proclama- tion" in perfect form, and it was distributed largely amongst the people. We will defer our remarks on the effect produced by the " Proclamation " until we have dealt with some minor matters which ought not to be overlooked. * The means used by the " Nor'-Wester" to obtain possession of a copy of Governor MacTavish'a Proclamation, were as follows :— Mr. Charles Garrett, happening to be standing near when Mr. Coldwell, sen'r, ot the "Pioneer" office, was striking off the proof-sheet, seized it and, without warning, carried it off to the '* Nor'-Wester" printing house. The proof, however, was imperfect, and hence the reason why the "Nor'-Wester" Extra left out the fifth clause of the Proclamation. Sharp but not very honest practice. THK RED RIVER TROUBLES. 71 CHAPTER III. DELIBERATIONS OP THE CONVENTION — DIVERSITY OF VIEWS BE- TWEEN THE ENGLISH AND PEENUH DELEGATES — SCOTT FINED FOR AN ASSAULT ON MR. SNOW — MAJOR WALLACE ACTING THB SPY — PUBLIC MEETING, ETC. ; MONGST the trustworthy information received by Governor McDougall, while at Pembina, we find the following in a letter dated 17th No- vember: — "Late in the afternoon of yesterday, the MS. of Gov- ernor MacTavish's Proclamation was handed in to the Assembly, and much discussion as to the propriety of doing so preceded its reading." The fact is, that the document in question was handed in by Mr. Hargrave between twelve and one o'clock, or about half an hour after the Assembly met. Some idea, therefore, can be formed of the reliability of Mr. McDou- gall's information. The same letter goes on to say : — "We have no faith in the sincerity of that Proclamation, but believe that the pressure brought to bear upon them HERE by the loyal party was such that they could no longer resist, and their own conviction of the utter help- lessness and impossibility of further resistance compelled them to issue it as much for their own safety as for the continuance of their authority, if any portion remains," I' • 72 THE CREATION OF M.VNITOBA. Hon. Mr. McDougall then makes the foUowinfj rathor remarkable statement in his letter of 2()th November to Hon. Joseph Howe : — " The confirmed belief of every person I have seen or whose testimony has reached me (ivhether in the confi- dence of the rebels — likely story — or friendly to Canada) is, that the Hudson's Bay Company's employees, with scarcely an exception, are either actively or tacitly encouraging the insurrection. It was the prevalence of this belief that determined me to force the authorities into a public declaration of some kind that would dispel this illusion — if such it should prove to be — or compel them to show their hand as abettors of the insuiTection. The 'appeal' of the loyal inhabitants, who had previoiishj opened correspondence with me, was the last screw APPLIED, and seems to have accomplished the purpose notwithstanding the * peculiar circumstances ' so strongly insisted upon in the enclosed letter to show that the issue of such a Proclamation * might affect injuriously the fu- ture as well as the present Government.' I feel also bound to state with reference to the ' serious occurrence ' detailed in the 10th and 11th paragraphs of Governor MacTavish's letter that I have the positive assurance of Major Wallace, who has just returned from Fort Garry, as well as the statements of the ' Friends of Canada,' that the Company's officers in charge of Fort Garry were told of the intention of the rebels to take the Fort the day before it occurred, and that the chief constable Mulligan, who is an old soldier, offered to raise a force, partly com- posed of * pensioners,' with which he declared he could THE RED RIVER TROUBLES. 73 hold the Fort against all the rebels who would bo likely to attack it ; but he was told by Dr. Cowan, the ofHcer in charge, that his services were not wanted." Now, in the above, Mr. McDougall makes two very direct misstatements — one knowingly, and the other, it appears, on the strength of the reliable information de- rived by him from his friends in Red River. In the first he says that " he forced the authorities into a public demonstration," whereas his own letters to Governor MacTavish show that he merely suggested and desired the issue of a Proclamation, and immediately afterwards he declares that in this forcing process the " appeal " of the (round robin) loyal inhabitants was the last screw applied. In this latter statement he plainly admits that he was a party to the roundabout method of drawing out the Proclamation. But as we have already shov/n the "appeal " had nothing to do with the matter since it did not reach Governor MacTavish until after the Proclama- tion had been determined upon by him, and, indeed, pre- pared with the assistance of the then legal adviser of the Hudson's Bay Company Government. Mr. McDougall, in his letter of 25th November to Hon. Joseph Howe, states : — " I have received a private note from Governor MacTav- ish informing m^ of his having issued a Proclamation, more, he observes, in deference to my opinion than from any expectation of a favorable result." This, indeed, was the fact of the case ; both Governor MacTavish and Judge Black saw no benefit likely to result from the course desired by Mr. McDougall, but, on 74 THE CREATION OP MANITOBA. being importuned by him, they decided upon meeting his wishes, and, knowing that there was to be a meeting of delegates from all parts of the Settlement on the lOth of the month, they deemed it best to issue it on that day, first presenting it to the representatives of the people for their consideration before making it public. The second misstatement made by Mr. McDougall, through malinfor- mation no doubt, was in regard to Constable Mulligan. In the first place it was not till after the Fort was in possession of the insurgents that Mulligan and Sergeant Powers made their appearance and expressed a desire to raise the British flag and protect it. On being asked how they proposed accomplishing the latter part of their offer, one of the two men answered : — " All it requires is ono man to hoist it, and another below to protect it." We have no desire to ridicule a sentiment like the above. Both were old and tried soldiers of Hor Majesty, and, undoubtedly, felt a just pride in the flag under which they had fought and bled ; and, we have no hesitation in saying, that it is our belief, had either of the two men above mentioned been called upoa, they would have acted as they spoke, and unhesitatingly sacrificed their lives in doing so. But, at the time of tKeir offer, the Fort was in possession of over one hundred men or more. What then could two persons have done under those circumstances ? Nothing ; and for that reason their services were not accepted. The "friends of Canada" and Mr. McDougall h.ive endeavoured to show that Mulligan, being aware of the intentions of the insurgents to take the Fort, offered to protect it, This was not the case, for neither Mulligan THE RED RIVER TROUBLES. 75 nor anyone else, except the insurgents themselves, had any idea that Rlel intended taking the Fort in the way he did. It has i iso been ascertained that it was not until the last moment that Kiel was able to obtain the concur- rence of his council in the step to be t^ken. At that time there was no desire on the part of the French to disturb the then existing authority in the country ; their sole purpose seemed to be the prevention of Mr. McDou- gall from entering the Territory. Kiel, therefore, had great difficulty in persuading the council at Riviere Sale to agree to the occupation of Fort Garry by the men ; and it was not until the last moment thac he succeeded in doing so. How then could ^Mulligan have known the day before that the Fort was about to be taken, when, probably, Kiel himself was not sure of it. Yv^e will, how- ever, proceed with other details, and may mention a strange case, showing that Mr. McDougall was very apt to misjudge those who, in reality, had a friendly feeling towards him. In his letter of November 5th to Mr. Howe, he says : — "The furniture, &c., for Government House having arrived at Pembina from St. Cloud, the person who had undertaken to deliver it at Fort Garry called upon me to know if he was to proceed with his freight, suggesting that it might be stopped on the way, and, perhaps, de- stroyed. I told him, as he had bargained to deliver it at Fort Garry, he must complete his contract. I had reason to believe that he was aware of the designs and move- ments of the insurgents, and was in their confidence, if not in their plot. He proposed to buy some of the pro- 7G THE CREATION OF MANITOBA. perty in his charge, the stores especially, in order to save it from destruction. I declined his proposal, with the remark that the rebels might as well destroy the stores as anything else ; but T would hold him responsible in the first place for their safe delivery at Fort Garry ; and I thought the farms and cattle of the half-breed settlers would ultimately be found sufficient to pay any damages they might inflict on public or private property." It is really laughable to read the above, when it is known that the very person referred to by Mr. McDougall was, and continued to be, one of his staunch supporters in the Settlement. The store proposition, was no doubt made in good faith, and it is rather amusing to read of Mr. McDougall consoling himself that he had not been frightened by a friendly inhabitant into selling Govern- ment property at a nominal price. The furniture, &;c. was afterwards stopped at Rivi5re Sale and taken possession of by Kiel and his men. On the 17th November, the delegates from the several parishes again met. Ten o'clock in the morning having been the hour aj)poiiited for their meeting, the English- speaking members were punctual, but it was nearly noon when the French made their appearance. The whole time was spent in " doing nothing ;" the only change observable from the previous day being an apparent better feeling on the part of the two sides towards each other — still, no definite result was arrived at. The French adhered to their seeming desire to conceal their policy from the other party, and the English would not commit themselves until they could see their way THE RED RIVER TROUBLES. 77 clear ; in l^act, the hands of the latter were in a great mea- sure tied, f A they had received certain instructions from their several parishes, beyond which they could not go. It was late in the evening when the council broke up, and, as the 18th was the day appointed for the sitting of the General ^ Quarterly Court, the meeting adjourned till Monday, the 22nd instant. The general feeling amongst the English delegates when they separated on the evening of the I7th was, that they would be unable to come to any agreement with the French side. Henry Prince (Chief of the Saulteux) expressed very great dissatisfaction at his having been prevented from speaking in the Indian language on the previous day (IGth), and was with difficulty prevailed upon to go to the second meeting ; he also complained of the firing of big guns by the French, and small arms by the guard at the door of the council room. " When we hold a council of peace," he said, " we go without guns in our hands." There is no doubt that the presence of a number of armed men, standing on guard at the door of the council room produced a feeling of sus- picion on the part of the English delegates, and prevented that openness in discussion so necessary at the time. The eflfect of Governor MacTavish's Proclamation being presented to the council, and tlie warm debate which followed with regard to its being read at all, caused a feeling of antagonism from the outset between the two parties. Had no Proclamation been issued there is a great probability that some agreement would have been arrived at between the French and English, to treat with the Canadian Government, either through Mr. McDougall THE CREATION OF MANITOBA. or direct ; but as it was, neither side would give way, and the consequence was, the whole proceedings were unsatisfactory, and productive of no good. Kiel, certainly appears to have been anxious for the co-operation of the English Settlement in the movement, but he did not take the right way to secure it. Had he openly, and frankly, declared his intentions, there is every reason to expect, that he would have met with a response from the opposite party — had it been seen that he was working for the common benefit of the Settlement. There was little interest then felt throughout regarding the incoming Government, for it was generally felt, that the people of tht; country had not been sufficiently acknowledged in the matter. The great fault, however, with the Englisli side was, that they did not seem to take any steps to protest against the injustice ; but tacitly appeared to concur in it, although; within their hearts, they were dissatisfied. Kiel, before any rising took place, went about visiting the English settlers, asking them to take sou,ti united steps in company with the French, to protest against the policy proposed by the Canadian Government. There was nothing illegal nor wrong in this ; but he met with no encouragement from the English settlers, " one was too busy about his farm;" another thought "no good would come out of it ; they had petitioned before and never had been heard by the Imperial Government :" and so on, until there is no doubt Kiel, in consequence, adopted the different and unwise course of trying to force the English-speaking inhabitants into his views, thereby THE RED RtVER TROUBLES* 79 sowing the seeds of disunion and bad feeling which may take years to eradicate. The last General Quarterly Court under the Hudson's Bay Company's Government sat on the 18th and 19th November, 1869 — Judge Black presiding. One of the principal cases before the bench was that of Mr. Snow, Govern! lent Boad Superintendent, vs. his working men. Governor MacTavish, in a letter dated 12th October, 1869, to W. G. Smith, Secretary, Hudson's Bay Company, London, England, says : — " I am sorry to say that Mr. Snow, the Superintendent on the Canadian road to the Lake of the Woods, has had a serious disturbance with the people employed on the road, the most of whom are, however, strangers in the Settlement The men complain bitterly of their treatment ; but are, no doubt, in the wrong, as they used considerable violence in dragging Mr. Snow to a creek, into wh *ch they threatened to throw him, if he did not pay thom some few days' wages which they claimed, but which Mr. Snow considered not to be due them. The sum in question he eventually paid them under protest. Mr. Snow lai- i charge of robbery against the men, but the magistr- s did not consider that the facts justified such a charge uid committed the men for trial at the November Quarterly Court for assault." The reason given by Mr. Snow, for not having pjiid the men their full wages, was on account of a strike they had previously made ; and he, therefore, held that he had no right to pay them for the time during which they refused 80 THE CREATION OF MANITOBA. to work. On the otlier hand, the men complained that Mr. Snow had been making money out of them in furnish- ing their supplies ; and, therefore, that he had thereby- taken an unfair advantage of them. At last they took the law in their own hands, and seizing Mr. Snow they threatened to throw him into an adjoining creek if he did not pay them their wages. The Superintendent there- upon, acting upon the advice of his assistant, Mr. Hamil- ton, agreed to their demands. Immediately afterwards, however, he had the ringleaders arrested and held for trial. The men had a good case against Mr. Snow; but it was badly managed through the inexperience of their counsel (one Coombs), and the result was that two of those against whom Snow brought liis case were fined four pounds sterling each, and the Judge allowed them thirty" days to pay the amounL — Combs, their counsel, going their security. One of the two men thus fined (Scott, who was afterwards shot) stated, as he left the Court room, that it vras a pity they had not ducked Snow, for then thev would have got their money's worth. We have already referred to some of Mr. Snow's opera- tions with the half-breeds who worked under him ; and here we find him in trouble again with his own country- men. Surely something must have been wrong ; and by the way we understand that the Government price allow- ed for labor on public roads is eighteen dollars per month to each man. Mr. Snow paid the starving half-breeds (although he acknowledged them to be as good workers as ever he had under him) only fifteen dollars. What became of the three ? query. Surely the Canadian Gov THE RED RIVER TROUBLES. erament had no hand in beating down a starving people in the price of labour. On the 19th November, Major Wallace was about start- ing from the town of Winnipeg to rejoin his master at Pembina, who had sent him " to spy out the land," when the French seized two rifles and a shot gun from him, saying that he was at liberty to leave the country, if he wished ; but without arms. Mr. McDougall, in his despatch of 5th November to Hon. Joseph Howe, says : — " I have entrusted to one of my party (who got into the confidence of Stutzman, both being members of the same secret society, and obtained a pass from him) two communications addressed to Governor MacTavish, copies of which I enclose herewith, marked F and G. .• xight disagreement with this person on the journey'', whi<.'h caused some talk in our party, had reached Stutsman's ear, and made him the more ready to take this man into his confidence." Then again, on the 25th November, he writes again to Mr. Howe : — " I have the honor to forward a confidential report by Major J. Wallace, of Whitby, Ontario, who was sent from tliis place on 4th November, on a special mission to Fort Garry, and who returned on the 22nd instant. He is the person mentioned in my report of the 5th instant as being in the confidence of some of the conspirators here — so far as to obtain a " pass " from them. Major Wallace was employed by Colonel Dennis in his surveying operations last summer. He is a shrewd Scotchman ; has been many G 82 THE CREATION OF MANITOBA. years a resident of Canada ; and, though a little hot tem- pered, may be regarded as a trustworthy reporter of what he saw and heard." Major Wallace arrived at Fort Garry in due course, and immediately went to work ingratiating himself with all parties ; and no doubt thought that, by a course of scandalous abuse directed against Mr. McDougall, he would gain the good opinion of those whose confidence he sought; but he made a very great mistake, for although there was not certainly any great amount of good feeling for the would-be Governor, yet no one was prepared to acquiesce in the foul language which Major Wallace, in his capacity as spy, thought proper to use in connection with his master. He sought the society of men in t^.e Settlement, and became a guest in their houses. He received their hospitalities ; accepted their kindnesses ; and for what reason ? — that he might be able to pick up scraps of intelli- gence to retail to his master at Pembina. What am envi- abk character forsooth ! It is notorious that Major Wallace came to the Settlement, and sought by even' means to place Mr. McDougall in the worst position possi- ble. He called him overbearing and proud ; vain of his position ; and ready to assert his superiority over the people of the country; besides other abuse unmention- able here. He either followed this course to save himself, at the sacrifice of his master's reputation, from detection as an emissary of Hon. Mr. McDougall, or else he did it under the supposition that he could by that means draw out or lead people to speak against his master, and thus furnish him with a budget of news which Mr. McDougall, IS unnccoss THE BED RIVER TROUBLES. 83 unfortunately for himself, seemed too ready to grasp at. It is unnecessary to give quotations from the report prepared by Major Wallace. It is sufficient to know that a man, who could thus pursue such a course of deceit us he did during his short stay in Red River, is altogether unworthy of confidence or esteem, and any statements made by such an individual are totally unreliable. Major Wallace left the day after the French took his gun and rifles ; and wo are very sure that the account of his proceedings, whilst in the Settlement, is not s.ich as to raise him in the esti- mation of good honest Canadians. A guard was now kept by Riel in the town of Winni- peg, day and night, patrolling the streets. This was done for the ostensible purpose of guarding the property of the towns-people, but there is no doubt that Riel had another object in view at the same time — namely, a watch over the Schultz, Snow, Mair & Co., party who were known to be holding meetings and devising measures for bringing in Mr. McDougall, in opposition to the French. A great deal of discussion was being carried on in the streets — by the roadside — in the stores and in the private houses — iisid the general feeling on the English side was that the itwdson's Bay Company, being still the Government of ibe country, the people had no right to overthrow it. Hi*;^ on the other hand, contended that as the Hudson's Bay Company had sold out their right to the country the jiJiirggiii m his eyes being a coioplete one as soon as it was accepted on ml sides by the iioperial, Canadian, and Hudson's Bay G^rttmnenis), they than ceased to be the governing power of the North- West, and consequently 84 THE CREATION OF MANITOBA. it rested with the people to look af^er their own interests in the interim between that time and the actual transfer of the country. This view of the matter no doubt influ- enced the French in the course they afterwards adopted towards the Company ; and it was this point upon which the French and English could not agree. The latter felt that they had not been fairly dealt by in the proposed policy of the incoming Government, but they were not for that reason prepared to upset the existing one — they were rather inclined to allow the Canadian Government to come in, and then in a constitutional manner assert their rights and seek redress for any wrongs imposed upon them. The French, however, believed that, were Mr. McDougall and his party once allowed to enter and assume the reins of Government, he would, from his known connexion with parties in the Settlement who had already attempted the "lording over" process, be very likely to place those same persons in power; and the result would be that the people of the country would then be in their power, and the chance lost for placing the settlers in their proper position as free thinking, free acting British subjects. It will therefore be seen by our readers how entirely different were the two elements of which the Convention of delegates was composed ; and, for this reason, the meeting on the 22nd was looked forward to with interest by all parties. Another element, however, sought to, and did, interfere with the council — and this was the so-called " Friends of Canada" party. In one of their despatches to Mr. McDougall, dated 17th November, they THE RED RIVER TROUBLES, 85 say — " Can we inspire delegates in regard to what is pos- sible ? — reply by bearer." It was well known that the partizans of Mr. McDougall were tampering with several of the English delegates, and it was also well known that Dr. John Schultz was at the head and bottom of it all — a man who had been chief amongst those who had staked out the country in claims — who had been interested with Snow and Mair in their unjust proceedings — who had vaunted that half-breeds would have to fly before the face of civilized Canadians — who had defied the laws of the country from time to time — and who it was reported had such influence with the Can.idian Government that his friends would be well provided for — the same man who hoisted or caused to be hoisted the flag which caused so much injury to the cause of Canada — the one who, it was said, had already been promised the Shrievalty under the incoming Government. When it was known, there- fore, that the party headed by this man were tampering with the English delegates, it put the French " upon their mettle" and made it much more difficult for the two sides to come to any agreement. It is curious, at this stage, to look back on an adver- tisement that appeared in the " Nor'-Wester" (Schultz's organ) of July 24th, 1869, as follows : — " Notice. " We hereby give notice that a meeting will be held at the Court House, at Fort Garry, to consider the affairs of IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) A A f/. x9 1.0 I.I 1.25 Ui|28 12.5 iM lll!|2.0 1.8 U IIIIII.6 V] e n % ^ W % ^, A 5> n> /^ Photographic Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, NY. 14580 (716) 873-4503 A 5? ...W THE CREATION OF MANITOBA. the Settlement, on Thursday next, 29th inst., when we hope all the natives will be present. "William Dease, "Pascal Breland, "Joseph Genton, "William Hallet." And in the same paper, which contained the above advertisement, the following significant paragraph appears in an editorial : — " The question is, * To whom does the unoccupied land of the Colony belong?' " Then followed a long argument, the substance of which was that the rightful owners were the Indians. The next issue of the " Nor'-Wester" con- tained, as we will show, an erroneous report of the pro- ceedings at the meeting. We give the report as it ap- peared in print : — " The Public Meeting. '* Pursuant to a notice, signed by Messrs. William Dease, Pascal Breland, Joseph Genton, and William Hallet, and published in the * Nor'-Wester,* a meeting of the natives of the country was held in the Court House, on Thursday the 29th ult. The room was filled to overflowing ; and a large number had to be content with learning so much of the proceedings as could be gleaned through the open doors and windows. At about two o'clock, the gentlemen signing the notice took seats on the Bench, being accom- panied by Mr. Bannatyne. Mr. Dease stated that the object of their assembling there to-day was to consider THE UED RIVER TROUBLES. 87 the recent transfer of the country by the Hudson's Bay Company to the Canadian Government, and to call in question the right of the Company to dispose of any ter- ritorial claims without the consent of the natives of the country. The Company had received .£300,000 for the country ; and they were to consider whether this belonged to the Company or to the natives. He stated that, so far as regards this Settlement of Red River, the Hudson's Bay Company had bought it from Lord Selkirk, who had power from the English Government to barter with the Indians for it. But Lord Selkirk did not buy the Settle- ment — he merely borrowed it for a term of years from the Indians, paying them an annuity for it while he oc- cupied it. Mr. Dease further contended that it was necessary for the Company, before selling their rights, to have the consent of the half-breeds, as they were natives of the soil and were descended from the original posses- sors, and had families to provide for. The half-breeds wanted proof of the rights of the Company to sell the country. " Mr. Hallet, being requested to address the meeting, stated that they had merely to consider whether the lands belonged to the Company or to the half-breeds and Indians. The consideration of the question he would leave to the meeting. On suggestion of Mr. Dease, it was agreed that Governor MacTavish should be requested to attend the meeting in order to explain the action of the Company. On the arrival of Mr. MacTavish, he was asked in substance the questions contained in Mr. Dease's speech. The Governor rei)lied that the Company had 8d fHE CREATION OP MANiTOfi^ received from the English Government a charter of the country, and that the late sale embraced only the rights contained in that charter, whatever they were. Mr. Dease quoted from the report of the Canadian delegates to England to the effect that the territorial rights of the country had been disposed of The Governor stated that it was not true ; he further stated that this Settlement had been bought from Lord Selkirk, who had bought it from the Indians. " Chief Pa-bat-or-kok-or-sis was requested to explain what he knew of this purchase by Lord Selkirk. Reply- ing through an interpreter, he stated that the land was not sold, but leased for a number of years. Governor MacTavish asked him why the Company now paid him an annual gratuity ? The Chief replied that this was for work in procuring furs ; and that the land was only sold for 22 years. " An Indian stated that, when a boy, his grandfather told him that the land was not sold but only lent to Lord Selkirk to trade in for a period of 21 or 22 years ; and his grandfather requested him to state this, in case of dis- pute. Mr. Hallet mentioned that he had information to the same effect from chiefs whom he knew in his younger days. The Governor having retired, it was understood that no further proceedings should take place until the arrival of the Canadian Government." Now, what was the real object of that meeting ? First, — To endeavour to quash the payment of £300,000 to the Company and place it in the pockets of the natives. Secondly, — It was proposed at that meeting (which Dr. The red river troubles. 89 Bown, the editor, saw fit to conceal) that the half-breeds should seize upon the public funds of the Settlement and then set up an independent government of their own to treat with Canada or any other country. Thirdly, — It was brought about by the very men who then, and after- wards, staked out large tracts of country in the Settle- ment, thinkiog that their claims would hold good by the payment of a nominal sum to liquidate the right of the settlers or Indians — as they termed them — to the land. This movement was suggested and urged by the very men who have since termed themselves the "loyal party" of the Settlement. Mr. Wm. Dease, afterwards known as the " loyal French half-breed," was the prime mover in the concern, although he was prompted by others to do it. He thought to increase his own popularity thereby, but he unfortunately took too rash a measure to gain his point. The people were not willing to go into the whole- sale robbery proposed ; neither were they prepared to up- set in such a peremptory manner the only Government then in the country ; and Mr. Dease (a magistrate, for- sooth) found that he had lost the confidence of his own people, — we may say he has never since regained it completely. We mention the above as a curious incident in connexion with the troubles which afterwards followed. The "Nor'- Wester" endeavoured, by that meeting, to show to the world that the people of the country were then agitated by the land question against the Hudson's Bay Company ; but the people gave the lie to it by not countenancing the meeting at all. Pascal Breland, one of the finest French half-breeds in the country—an old man 90 THE CREATION OF MANITOBA. of known integrity — declared that he had never given his signature to the notice that appeared in the " Nor'- Wester." The fact was that the fears of the people were raised entirely by the large tracts of land claimed by Dr. John Schultz and others, many of whom were entire strangers in the country ; and it was feared that the natives in that way were not going to have fair play in the future. We will now, however, proceed with the subject with which we have to deal more directly at present. A petition was handed round for signature by Dr. Bown, on the morning of the 22nd, the principal object of which was the upsetting of Mr. H. McKenney* and H. F. O'Lone, as delegates for the town of Winnipeg. On its being presented to Mr. A. G. B. Bannatyne, he refused to sign it, and afterwards wrote the following letter which he sent to the council of delegates, to be read aloud before them. It was, however, suppressed at the council, and as it has some bearing on [the questions involved at the time, we give it below : — " A petition, written apparently by Dr. Schultz, signed principally by a number of strangers, and others, in the Settlement, and headed by James Stewart, has just been brought me by Dr. Bown, with a request I should sign it. I have refused to sign this document, because those engaged in getting it up have been, to a very great extent, the cause of all our present troubles. The course they have adopted, in their relations with the Canadian Dr. Schultz'a half-brother with whom he was not on good terms. THE RED mVER TROUBLES. 91 Government and its officials, is well known to all here ; and tlieir connection with the latter has not been fruitful of good to the country. The petition has been written by one who has broken our laws ; headed by one who has broken our laws ; and handed me by one who has broken our laws. I could not consent to mix myself with such people, and have on these grounds refused to sign it. Keports have of late been industriously circulated, reflect- ing both on my private and public character as Post- master. It has been said I have tissisted to raise the French half-breeds to resist Mr McDougall, and assisted, by providing provisions and otherwise, to maintain the prevailing excitement among them. The'truth of these slanderous rumours I totally deny. I coincide with the party of action, so far as they endeavour to obtain their and our rights ; — that I ever advised or encouraged them in any way to take up arms or to perform any illegal act, is false, and the man who utters such statements is false too. With regard to my character as Postmaster, the statements made against me are groundless, and any man who professes to have proof to the contrary should now come forward and produce it. I can solemnly swear that no letters have been tampered with, so far as my Post Office is concerned ; and, although the mail bags were detained a couple of times, for an hour or two, no man's letters were tampered with. My earnest wish is, that the Canadian Government should be established as early as possible ; only let us have our elective and other acknowledged rights. I have tried for this from the first, and will continue to do so. My own desire is that the 9S THE CREATION OF MANITOBA. French portion of the Settlement should now speak out their minds, on what they deem justly due them, in the new order of government. This once obtained by the Settlement generally, and found to be what every free people has a right to expect, my belief is, that those who have, as it were, fought our battles (although, perhaps, in a different way than we have done) will have the thanks, hereafter, of the people in the Settlement and their posterity ; and that their wishes will be the wishes of the rest of the Settlement ; and that all will combine in demanding our rights — the unassailable rights of a free people, worthy of having a thorough and complete voice in the management of their own affairs. " A. G. B. Bannatyne. "Winnipeg, November 22nd, 1869." Another petition followed, said to have been started by D. A. Grant, on Col Dennis' staff, to the effect that the signers were willing to arrange matters, and conciliate all parties as much as possible, and recommended the French to lay down their arms. Neither of those petitions were read ; but the fact of their being handed in to the Conven- tion had an injurious effect, for it was not the time for outsiders, mostly strangers in the country, to interfere with matters which they only looked upon from a one- sided point of view. THE RED RIVER TROUBLES. 93 CHAPTER IV. ARREST, BY THE INSURGENTS, OF THE GOVERNOR AND OFFICIALS OF THE Hudson's bay company — confiscation of the custom HOUSE papers and EFFECTS — SEIZURE OF GOVERNMENT STORES —BILL OF RIGHTS — QUEBN'S PROCLAMATION. jN the 22nd November the council of delegates again sat ; and, after debating nearly all day on the advantages and disadvantages of a connexion with Canada, nothing definite was arrived at. Towards the end of the meeting, Mr. Thos. Bunn arose and said that the three days which they had spent together had been productive of no good, so far as he could see. The two sides of the Convention were then as far apart as they had been at the commencement of their sittings. He proposed that the French should lay down their arms; and that then both sections of the Settlement would be on an equal footing to discuss the political state of the country. He also spoke in favour of allowing Mr. McDougall to enter the Territory, so that the settlers could then place their grievances before the new Governor personally and seek redress. Rial, upon this, arose and excitedly declared for his own part, and on behalf of the French people, that Mr. Mc- Dougall would never enter into the Settlement, either as a private individual or as Governor of the country. This broke up the council for that day. It was agreed, 94 THE CREATION OF MANITOBA. however, to meet again on the morrow. The effect of the day's proceedings was to cause a wider breacli tlmn ever between the French and English ; and very little hope now existed of their being able to come to an agi'eemont. The French up to this time had not declared their policy ; and the English were consequently pretty much in the dark as to their intentions. Col. Stutzman, of Pembina, who (although an American citizen living in the United States) took an active part in advising and otherwise aiding the insurgents, arrived from Pembina on the 22nd ; and, during the most of the day, remained in deep consultation with the leaders on the French side, when they were not in attendance at the council. This man having no stake in the country, and not being allied in any way with the natives of Red River Settlement, took upon himself the task of ** adviser" to the French in arms ; and there is no doubt that he did much harm by his culpable and unwise counsel. It was he who concocted the following address on behalf of the Indians around Pembina, which he wished them to pre- sent to Mr. McDougall on his arrival at the International line. The Indians, however, concluded not to take Mr. Stutzman's advice, and consequently the document we give below was never made use of : — " English Territory, near Pembina, " Sept. 26th, 1869. " His Excellency, Governor McDougall. " Sir, — The undersigned, representing the Chippewa Indians, who own and occupy a large portion of the THE RED RIVER TROUBLES. 95 country known as tho Hudson's Bay Company's Territory or Rupert's Land, take tho liberty to inform your Excel- lency that we have been delegated to meet your Excel- lency; to remain for a few days at or near the fort of tho Hudson's Bay Company (near Pembina), in order to afford our people the opportunity to meet your Excellency in general council ; that we may learn from your Excellency the intention of the Government you represent respecting our people and lands. We have heard that the said Government has purchased certain interests of the Hud- son's Bay Company ; but we have never been informed what interests — said interests could not have been lands, for the simple reason that said Company (according to the statement of old men) obtained only a right to occupy for a limited time a certain district of country. White men, said to be sent from the Government you represent, have commenced to divide our territory into small lots for the purpose, as we have been informed, of selling them to white people ; — and all this is being done without con- sulting us — without any treaty stipulations — and as though these lands belong to your Government ; hence do we insist upon a general council and a full and satisfac- tory understanding before your Excellency, in the name of your Government, assumes possession of the Territory. Our people greatly prefer to maintain friendly relations to your Excellency and the Government you represent ; and we well know that this can only be done by a thorough and amicable adjustment of our respective rights by a written treaty. We know that we have rights, and we are united as one man in the determination M THE CREATION OF MANITOBA. to defend them at all hazards ; and for the sake of our people, as well as for the best interests of your Excellency and the Government you represent, wo trust that our rights will be fully respected ; anc? that we may be able to extend to you the right hand of friendship. On our own behalf, as well as the people we represent, we beg that your Excellency will accept our kindest regards. "Pie-Wasch. " Cha-Wa-We-Ash." On the morning of the 23d November, news was brought to the town of Winnipeg by the son* of Rev. Geo. Young, who had escaped over the walls of Fort GaiTy, that Governor MacTavish, Dr. Cowan, and all the other Hudson's Bay Company's officers were taken prison- ers by orders of Kiel, and that the Fort was in full pos- session of the insurgents. It was also stated that the books and records of the Colony of Assiniboia had been seized, under threats of violence, from J. H. MficTavish, the accountant. This unexpected turn in affairs, greatly exaggerated as it was at the time, made people feel very uneasy. The English delegates were at first undecided whether to keep their appointment with the French, fearing lest an attempt might be made on their personal liberty and thus jeopardize the peace of the whole Settle- ment. They, however, decided upon attending the council as if nothing unusual had happened ; and, between ten and eleven o'clock in the morning, they met the French at the Court House for the fourth time. Employed at the time by the Hudson's Bay Company as a clerk. THE RED RIVER TROUBLES. 97 The proceedings resulted in the French membera de- claring their intentions to form a Provisional Government for the purpose of treating with Canada for the future government of the country, and at the same time they asked their English brethren to join them. As the Eng- lish delegates were not prepared to act in this emergency without first consulting the peo})le whom they repre- sented, it v/as decided that the Convention should bo adjourned till Wednesday, the 1st December. Riel and his followers, up to this time, had professed to respect the Hudson's Bay Company as a governing power; and had also, with the exception of what we have already described, refrained from any very serious act of trespass on public or private property. They now, however, un- dertook to overthrow the existing Government at one sweep; and, in seizing the books and records of the Colony, were interfering with the rights and privileges of the rest of the Settlement. It had been customary to keep a register of all lands sold by the Hudson's Bay Company to settlers, and all transfers of the same from one individual to another. This register was then in the hands of the French ; and, had it been destroyed, the title deeds to over one-half of the farms in the Settlement would have been lost. This, then, was considered by the English as a very serious trespass on the part of the French, and assisted in fanning the flame of bad feeling which was rapidly springing up between the two sections of the Colony. Riel took a very strange way to effect a union with the English — one which rather tended to separate than unite — and the closing of the gates of Fort H 98 THE CREATION OP MANITOBA. Garry to all ingoers or outcomers made matters still worse. The English delegates, before the end of the fourth day, had decided upon not pressing the question as to the propriety of allowing Mr. McDougall to enter the Settlement; but they went back to their several parishes, very much dissatisfied with the proceedings of the Convention, as far as they had gone ; and, at the same time, they were quite opposed to the formation of any Government in the place of the Hudson's Bay Company until arrangements had been made with Canada. On the 24th, Kiel sent a guard to the house of Mr. Rodger Goulait, the Collector of Customs under the Hud- son's Bay Company's rule, and demanded all the papers, cash and due bills connected with the department under his care. These Mr. Goulait was obliged to deliver up ; and, when we explain that it had been customary to ac- cept notes from merchants for the amount of their duties when it was not at times convenient for them to pay the cash, it wUl be seen that the act of seizing those notes, along with the other papers, looked very much as if the French were going to take the law in their own hands, whether the English liked it or not. Riel, all through the troubles, went step by step, and this was only a pre- lude to what was to follow ; but therein lay the great mistake of the leaders on the French side. While doing their utmost to induce the English settlers to join them, they at the same time committed acts that drove them farther apart. On the 24th November the last issue of the " Nor- Wester," in an entirely new form, appeared — (it only THE RED RIVER TROUBLES. 99 wore its new dress once, for it was shortly afterwards suppressed by the French) — and thought proper to find fault with the Proclamation of Governor MacTavish, say- ing that many things had been left out which ought to have been there ; and furthermore stated that the omis- sions complained of had been willingly made. It pitched into the Toronto " Globe" as having been one of the direct causes of the trouble in Red River ; whereas it ought to have looked into the private office of its own editor. It also took upon itself to speak (apparently without any authority) of the intentions of the incoming Government; and altogether, as usual, made a mess of matters — ^but it was the last dying gasp of the little sheet which had sown so much trouble and disunion amongst the people of the North- West, for it never appeared again in public. It was reported, on the 24th, that Riel had seized or attempted to seize the Canadian Government puvisions in the warehouse of Dr. Schultz ; and, on the strength of that, emissaries were sent down the Settlement by the " Friends of Canada" to raise the people to defend those stores. It was said in St. Andrew's parish, by some of those emissaries, that a large number of men were waiting in Kildonan (when such was not the case) to join in the movement, but the English settlers saw through the trick in time and did not answer to the " call." The pork question, however, was made to answer a purpose, which eventually caused a great deal of misery to the whole Settlement. The following is the statement of Mr. D. A. Grant, in a letter to Mr. McDougall, which plainly shows that 100 THE CREATION OF MANITOBA. a mountain had been made out of a mole-hill, to serve a purpose :— " To-day, about 4 p. m., we got information that the Government stores in Dr. Schultz's were being seized. Captain Boulton, Mr. Codd and self, proceeded imme- diately to ascertain the truth of the matter. We found Kiel and an armed guard coming out of the back store with Dr. Schultz. I went up and asked what particular business was going on ? The Doctor said, ' Mr. Riel is taking an inventory of the stores.' I replied, looking at Riel, * They are the Queen's property.' He turned about and stamped, exclaiming angrily, ' the devil's property,' moving away at the same time. On enquiring about the matter, the Doctor told us that his carts had been stopped at the Fort and he went down to see about them. Saw Riel, who said that it was * merely a matter of form,' but he wished to know * if the duties had been paid,' and ' there were no arms in the cases.' The Doctor answered * No, there were no arms.' Riel, however, accompanied the Doctor to his store, for the purpose of examining them. On entering the store Riel said, ' Are these all your goods V Doctor replied ' No, Government property.' Riel then said ' By-the-by, that reminds me I may as well take an inventory of them, in case any parties should remove any portion and it would be laid to us.' In the meantime an armed guard of four men had come up (as Dr. S. says, ' a sly mode of getting access to the store '). Riel put two of them in charge and went off intending to return." The letter then goes on to show how Riel did not take an mven THE RED RIVER TROUBLES. 101 an inventory on being resisted by Dr. Schultz, and after stating a proposition to remove the stores, Grant says : — " If we meet opposition we will defend the stores, and remove them against all comers. This will have the effect, perhaps, of precipitating matters." A postscript is added as follows : — " P. S. — It is understood that, if we act in this matter, we act upon our own responsibility. Not wishing to compromise authority, we only desire to have advice." The advice of Mr. McDougall was to refrain from bringing on a collision with or between the settlers. Riel did go to the store of Dr. Schultz with the view of taking an inventory of the Government provisions ; for as he said, " We (the French) being the party in arms, it will be said, should anything happen to those provisions, or should any of them be removed, that we, or some of us, did it. 1 wish to know what is in the store, and then I will be able to answer for my men." Mr. Grant, however, plainly shows that this step on the part of Riel was construed by Dr. Schultz and his party into another meaning altogeth- er, so that matters might be precipitated and a row ensue. In fact, the Proclamation ])lan not having answered their purpose, Mr. McDougall and his friends seemed to have turned their attention altogether towards getting up a row, as they called it. Mr. McDougall, in his despatch to Hon. Joseph Howe, on 29th November, says (speaking of the provisions) : — " They cannot eat them up at once, and if the measures I have taken to organize an armed force to seize Riel and his colleagues and disperse the rank and. file of his 102 THE CREATION OF MANITOBA. followers should prove successful, the provisions will soon again be in our possession." We w^ll, however, leave the provision question for a time as we will have occasion to turn our attention to it again. Still, we cannot help saying, that it was made use. of by the "Friends of Canada," to effect their purposes, and there is no doubt, that in it lay the commencement of many of the serious consequences that afterwards followed. About this time an effort was made i induce the French to consent to a medium course, which it was considered ought to satisfy all parties. It was this : — First, that the Hudson's Bay Company should continue on in its government of the country, until the settlers came to some arrangements with Canada : Secondly, that a committee should then be formed of members chosen from amongst the people, to treat with Mr. McDougall on behalf of the Canadian Government, or with the Dominion direct. It was thought that this plan would answer all the purposes and allay the ill feeling existing amongst the settlers. The proposition was first made to the French party, and on its being favorably entertained by them, messengers were sent to the English parishes to sound them on the subject ; and it was found that they heartily concurred in the idea. Matters looked very promising at that time towards a settlement of the diffi- culties, and great hopes were entertained that the country would be saved any further serious trouble. The English settlers had made up their minds not to send representa- tives to the Convention appointed for the 1st December ; but, on the foregoing plan being placed before them, they THE RED RIVER TROUBLES. 103 agreed, once more, to send delegates to see what could be done in the matter. About this time, it was observed that Dr. Schultz was removing a large quantity of goods from his store to different parts of the Settlement — some towards Portage LaPrairie and others in the direction of the Stone Fort, or Lower Fort Garry. A good deal of speculation was rife amongst the neighbours as to the meaning of this move on the Doctor's part ; but after occurrences told the tale, and showed plainly that he and his party had it in view to make his store (or as it was afterwards misnamed Fort Schultz) a stand-point against the French. Dame rumour now began to use her power, and it must be said that she added greatly to the complications of the time. Reports began to fly about in all quarters and on all subjects ; and it was greatly owing to this that the excitement was kept up to such an extent as it was. One of those injurious reports, circulated about this time, was to the effect that the Canadians in Winnipeg were going to make a dash upon Fort Garry, and take it out of the hands of the French. There was no foundation for this rumour ; but the consequence of its being afloat caused the French to be more on the alert, and to have suspicions of those who had not joined them, and tended to widen the breach then existing between the two sides of the Settlement. That our readers may have some idea of the state of feeling around Fort Garry, we may here give a short description of a couple of meetings that took place, about this time, in the town of Winnipeg. On the evening of ' ^ •! 104 THE CREATION OF MANITOBA. 26th November, a meeting was held in the engine house, town of Winnipeg, for the purpose of hearing the reports of the delegates, and, also, to determine on the future action of the citizens, in reference to the then political state of the country. The meeting was packed by Dr- Schultz, with a number of men mostly hailing from Canada, very few of whom had any stake, whatever, in the country ; a portion of them having been working on the Lake of the Woods road, under Snow. The object of the Doctor seemed to be to break up the meeting ; and, as there were a large number opposed to him (both sides being armed with revolvers), it looked very much as if the meeting would end in a free fight. Riel, towards the middle of the meeting, made his appearance and spoke for some time to those present. He said, that the idea of having a provisional government was, because the Hudson's Bay Company's rule was too weak, and, perhaps, biassed as matters stood; that the movement was altogether a French one, and that they merely invited the English side to join them. They did not intend to attempt coercing anyone into their views, neither was it their intention to interfere with any person's rights in the Settlement. This was the substance of his speech. Soon afterwards he left, and other speakers took his place, but nothing definite was arrived at, as it seemed quite evident that Dr. Schultz and his party were deter- mined to break up the meeting. The opposite side, there- fore, on the excuse that the chairman of the meeting, Mr. Bannatjme, had been insulted, ran in the engine, and thus dispersed the members in every direction. The next day THE RED RIVER TROUBLES. 105 invitations, as follows, were sent to all the householders in the town ; and this plan was adopted, so that parties having no stake in the town might be excluded. The following is a copy of the notice : — " Sir, — You are respectfully requested to attend a meet- ing of householders of the town of Winnipeg, to decide the question before the meeting of last evening as to who are to be considered as entitled to vote. The meeting will be held at Geo. Emerling's Hotel, at 3 o'clock p. m. . "A. G. B. Bannatyne, " Chairman. "Town of Winnipeg, Nov. 27, 1869." At the second meeting, Dr. Schultz had not the same chance to interfere, although he tried hard to carry a motion to the effect that a three weeks' resident might have the right to vote. This was lost, and the following motion carried : — " That all householders, property owners, and seven months' residents, be allowed the right to vote." About this time, it was rumored that the Queen's Pro- clamation had arrived, and some said it was in the hands of Governor MacTavish ; but this was not generally believed. On the 30th November, it was found that the French would not agree to the proposition to allow the Hudson's Bay Government to remain in power, and form a committee of members from the people to treat with Canada. The gentlemen, therefore, who had interested themselves amongst the English settlers in the matter, were placed in a very awkward position, especially as ■(,« 106 THE CREATION OP MANITOBA. they had been instrumental in bringing the English dele- gates together to meet the French on the subject. On the 1st December, therefore, when a number of the Eng- lish delegates were assembled together, it was intimated to them that their trip to Fort Garry was likely to turn out a useless one, as the French would not agree to the proposition which they (the English) had come prepared to agree to. And now, during all this time, what was Mr. McDougall doing at Pembina ? An extract from a letter, dated 29th November, from him to Hon. Joseph Howe, gives some light upon the subject : — " Sir, — I have the honour to report that I am still at Pembina, in the territory of the United States (Messrs. Richards, Provencher and Begg, being with me), and un- able, in consequence of the continued occupation of the road by armed men, to proceed to Fort Garry. I have further to report that I have not received any instructions for my guidance on and after the day of the transfer of the Territory to Canada, nor any notice of the Order in Council, which has no doubt been passed to effect it. In these circumstances, I am compelled to act upon the general powers and directions of my commission, and of the Acts of Parliament, Canadian and Imperial, which seem to bear upon the case. / have accordingly prepared a Proclatnatioriy to be issued on the first day of December, reciting so much of the several Acts of Parliament as seemed necessary to disclose the requisite authority ; and stating, by way of recital, the fact of surrender by the Hudson's Bay Company, acceptance by Her Majesty ami THE RED RIVER TROUBLES. 107 Transfer to Canada from and after the 1st December, A.D. 1869. These facts / gather from the newspapers; from a private letter to me of the Deputy-Governor of the Company ; and my own knowledge, before I left Ot- tawa, that the 1st of December had been agreed upon as the date of the transfer. In the present state of affairs in the Settlement, it is of the utmost importance to announce the transfer of authority in the most authentic and solemn manner possible, in order to give confidence and the protection of legality to the acts of the loyal and well-disposed, and to put the malcontents and their American advisers and sympathisers publicly and techni- cally in the wrong," &c., &c. In strange contrast with the above action, on the part of Mr. McDougall, we find the following extract from his letter of instructions, dated 28th Sept., 1869 : — " Sir, — As you have been appointed Lieutenant-Gover- nor of the North-West territories, in anticipation of the formal transfer of those territories by Her Majesty to the Dominion of Canada, and as it is expected that such transfer w'Xl he made within the course of the next two or three months, I have the honour, by command of His Excellency the Governor-General, to inform you that it is desirable that no time should be lost in making the necessary preliminary arrangements for the organization of the government of the temtories. " 2. With this view, I am to instruct you (at Mr. Mc- Dougall's own request) to proceed with all convenient speed to Fort Garry, in order that you may effectually 1 .« * ! 108 THE CREATION OP MANITOBA. superintend the carrying out of the preliminary arrange- ments indicated in the preceding paragraph, atic? he ready to assume the government of the territories ON their ACTUAL TRANSB'ER TO CANADA." Mr. McDougall seems to have been once more seized with his mania for Proclamations, as we read the follow- ing in his next letter, of 2nd December, to Mr. Howe :— " I enclose (paper B) copy of a second Proclamation, which I deemed it my duty to issue." At the same time he appears to have had doubts, re- garding the propriety of the course he was pursuing, for he adds : — " I hope I am right in using the name of Her Majesty as prominently as I have done." The English delegates, being assembled together, were discussing the change in the feelings of the French, in having refused to agree to the plan of allowing the Hud- son's Bay Company to remain in power, when word was brought in that Col. Dennis had arrived from Pembina, at the Stone Fort, with the Queen's Proclamation in his pocket, and that it would be issued during the course of that day. Mr. Robert Tait (one of the delegates) soon after came in and gave the startling, but at the same time welcome, information that he had in his possession a copy of the important document, which had been entrusted to him to be made public at the first opportunity. Here, then, seemed a solution at last of all their difficulties — no one present, with the exception of Mr. McKenney, doubting the genuineness of the document. The French council THE RED riveh troubles. 109 being then in session, it was resolved that some one should be sent to place the said copy of the Proclamation before them; and Mr. Bannatyne was selected as the proper person to do this. Tliat gentleman, therefore, proceeded alone to Fort Garry, having the Proclamation with him ; and, when he reached the council chamber of the French, he at once made known his mission and ear- nestly entreated them to consider well before taking any further steps in the movement which they had under- taken. The greater part of the French council seemed inclined to regard the Proclamation favourably ; and Mr. Bannatyne thought that, if the English delegates were to meet them, the whole aflfair could be arranged satisfac- torily and an end put to the troubled state of the country. He therefore addressed the following note to the English delegates, who had remained behind in the town of Win- nipeg to await the effect produced on their French brethren by the Proclamation. The note read as follows : — " To Dr. Bird, Mr. Bunn, Messrs. W. & R. Tait, Mr. Gunn, and all the English delegates. I have shown the Proclamation to all the French delegates who are here now; they will be glad if you come up ; all are quiet and pleased, and I believe much good can be done by coming here at once. " Yours sincerely, "A. G. B. Bannatyne." The English delegates, in accordance with the above note, immediately proceeded to Fort Garry, where they remained in council with the French until 4 p.m. The 110 THE CREATION OF MANITOBA. latter then asked to be allowed to deliberate among.st themselves for a couple of hours — so the meeting ad- journed till 6 o'clock. In the meantime, huge copies of the Proclamation in English and French had been written out by the clerks in Col. Dennis' office ; and these, being certified to by D. A. Grant, were posted up on the several store doors in the town — Dr. Schultz' doors being literally covered with them. It certainly did not reflect much credit upon those who wrote these copies, for more miser- able daubs could hardly have been produced. At 6 o'clock, p.m., the French and English delegates again met according to appointment, when the former presented the following Bill of Rights, v;hich, after being discussed by both sides, was finally agreed to on nearly every point by all parties present. There was, of course, some difference of opinion in regard to one or two of the clauses ; but, on the whole, there was only one part of the Bill which met with any decided opposition from the English side. The following is a copy of the Bill of Rights as it was then presented to the council of dele- gates : — " 1st. The right to elect our own Legislature. " 2. The Legislature to have power to pass all laws, local to the Territory, over the veto of the Executive, by a two-thirds vote. " 3. No Act of the Dominion Parliament (local to this Territory) to be binding on the people until sanctioned by their representatives. " 4. All sheriffs, magistrates, constables, &c., &c., to be elected by the people — a free homestead pre-emption law. THE RED niVER TROUBLES. Ill " 6. A portion of the public lantJH to be appropriated to the benefit of Hchools, the building of roads, bridges, and parish buildings. " 6. A guarantee to connect Winnipeg by rail with the nearest line of railroad — the land grant for such road or roads to be subject to the Legislature of th(^ Territory. " 7. For 4 years the public expenses of the Territory, civil, military and municipal, to be paid out of the Dominion Treasury. " 8. The military to bo composed of the people now existing in the Territory. " 9. The French and English language to be common in the Legislature and Council, and all public documents and Acts of Legislature to be published in both languages. " 10. That the Judge of the Superior Court speak French and English. "11. Treaties to be concluded and ratified between the Government and several tribes of Indians of this Territory, calculated to insure peace in the future. " 12. That all privileges, customs and usages existing at the time of the transfer, be respected. " 13. That these rights be guaranteed by Mr. McDougall before he be admitted into this Territory. " 14. If he have not the power himself to grant them, he must get an Act of Parliament passed expressly securing us these rights ; and, until such Act be obtained, he must stay outside the Territory. " 15. That we have a full and fair representation in the Dominion Parliament." It was then proposed sending delegates from the coun- 112 THE CREATION OF MANITOBA. •■■I cil, consisting of two from the French side and two from the English, to confer with Mr. McDougall at Pembina. Kiel, however, arose and said that the rights demanded had to be secured to the people of the country by an Act of Parliament; and that until Mr. McDougall could show such an Act, he would not be permitted to enter the Territory ; and, furthermore, that no verbal or written promise, that the said Act would be granted thereafter, be accepted from him. This at once put an end to the idea of sending the delegates, for the English said it would be a useless mission on the terms proposed by Kiel — Mr. McDougall having no power to produce an Act of Parliament [Note by author — although he had concocted a Queen's Proclamation] at a moment's notice ; nor could he give any guarantee that such an Act would be passed at all. The meeting then broke up, and thus ended the 1st Convention. The English delegates afterwards met together and discussed at length the propriety of sending delegates to confer with Mr. McDougall; but they finally agreed that there would be no use in doing feo, and sepa- rated to go to their several homes, feeling that their time had been so far spent uselessly, and impressed with a keen sense of the difficulties before the settlers of Red River generally. It was currently believed that Stutz- man, from Pembina, had a gi-eat deal to do with framing the foregoing Bill of Rights ; and the fact of there being Americanisms in its composition plainly shows that par- ties having predilections in favour of Uncle Sam had at least something to do with it. Until this time, however, the Americans in the Settlement, with the exception of THE RED RIVER TROUBLES. 113 one or two, had not come out openly in the movement, although it was well known that Stutzman was interest- ing himself greatly behind the scenes. It will also be observed that there was no word as yet on the part of the French with regard to a land grant to the natives of the country ; but there is every reason to suppose that it was being held as a point in reserve for a future day. When Mr. Bannatyne went down to the French council, at the request of the English delegates, with the Procla- mation, the most of the members then sitting were in- clined to receive and respect it as coming from and with the sanction of Her Majesty ; but Riel, from the first, doubted its genuineness. If, however, it is the Queen's Proclamation, he said to his French associates, I would advise you to be careful how you act ; at the same time we have rights which, even allowing that the transfer of authority to Canada has been accomplished, we are in duty bound to try for. We will now give a copy of the document, prepared by Mr. McDougall and hoisted upon the settlers as a veritable Queen's Proclamation, but which, as we have already shown by his own letter, was nothing more nor less than a creation of his own brain : — " William McDougall. L. S. 1 " Victoria, by the Grace of God, "The North West > of the United Kingdom of Great Territories. ) Britain and Ireland, Queen, De- fender of the Faith, &c., «Sz;c., «Sz;c. " To all to ivhom these presents shall come, Greeting : I 114 THE CREATION OF MANITOBA. n " PROCLAMATION. " Whereas by the ' British North America Act, 1867,' it was (amongst other things) enacted, that it should be lawful for Her Majesty, by and with the advice of Her Majesty's most Honourable Privy Council, on address from the Houses of Parliament of Canada, to admit Rupert's Land and the North Western Territory, or either of them, into the Union or Dominion of Canada, on such terms and conditions as are in the address expressed, and as Her Majesty thinks fit to approve : And whereas for the purpose of carrying into eftect the said provisions of ' The British North America Act, 1867,' 'The Rupert's Land Act, 1868,' enacted and declared, that it should be competent for ' the Governor and Company of Adventurers of England, trading into Hudson's Bay,' to surrender to ' Her Majesty and for Her Majesty, by any instrument under Her sign manual and signet, to accept a surrender of all or any of the lands, territories, powers, and authorities whatsoever granted, or purported to be granted, by certain Letters Patent of His late Majesty King Charles the Second, to the said Governor and Company within Rupert's Land, upon such terms and conditions as should be agi'eed upon by and between Her Majesty and the said Governor and Com- pany': Aiid whereas by the 'Rupert's Land Act, 1868,' it is further enacted that, from the date of the admission of Rupert's Land into the Dominion of Canada as aforesaid, it shall be lawful for the Parliament of Canada to make, ordain, and establish, within the Land and Territory so admitted as aforesaid, all such laws, institutions and ordinan< may be : ment oi And wh that, unt Canada, several < Land ar magistral limits, si: And wh( surrender a surrend liberties, purportec certain te Her Maj( And whe of Her Mf an Addres Canada, ii section of declared i Tenitory ; year of Oi nine, be ac of Canada, the said 1 ♦ind Kupei tory are a part of t] THE RED RIVER TROUBLES. 115 ordinances, and to constitute such courts and officers as may be necessary for the peace, order, and good govern- ment of her Majesty's subjects and others therein: And whereas it is further provided by the said Act, that, until otherwise enacted by the said Parliament of Canada, all the powers, authorities and jurisdiction of the several courts of justice now established in Rupert's Land and of the several officers thereof, and of all magistrates and justices now acting within the said limits, shall continue in full force and effect therein: And whereas the said Governor and Company have surrendered to Her Majesty and Her Majesty has accepted a surrender of all the lands, territories, rights, privileges, liberties, franchises, powers and authorities granted, or purported to be granted, l)y the said letters patent, upon certain terms and conditions agi'eed upon by and between Her Majesty and the said Governor and Company : And whereas Her Majesty, by and with the advice of Her Majesty's most Honourable Privy Council, and on an Address from both the Houses of the Parliament of Canada, in pursuance of the one hundred and forty-sixth section of * The British North America Act, 1867,' hath declared that Rupert's Land and the North Western Tenitory shall, from the first day of December in the year of Our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty- nine, be admitted into and become part of the Dominion of Canada, upon the terms and conditions expressed in the said Address of which Her Majesty has approved, and Rupert's Land and the said North- Western Terri- tory are admitted into the TTnion, and have become part of the Dominion of Canada accordingly : And 116 THE CREATION OF MANITOBA. whereas the Parliament of Canada, by an Act en- titled *An Act for the Temporary Government of Rupert's Land and the North Western Territory when united with Canada/ enacted that it should be lawful for the Governor by any order or orders to be by him from time to time made with the advice of the Privy Council, (and subject to such conditions and restrictions as to him should seem meet) to authorize and empower such officer as he may from time to time appoint as Lieutenant Governor of the North West Territories, to make provision for the administration of justice therein, and generally to make, ordain, and establish, all such laws, and institutions, and ordinances, as may be neces- sary for the peace, order, and good government of Her Majesty's subjects and others therein: "Now KNOW YE, that WE have seen fit by Our Royal Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty- ninth day of September, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, to appoint the Honourable William McDougall, of the City of Ottawa, in the Province of Ontario, in our Do- minion of Canada, and member of our Privy Council for Canada, and Companion of Our most Honourable Order of the Bath, on, from, and after the day to be named by us for the admission of Rupert's Land and the North Western Territory aforesaid, into the Union or Dominion of Canada, to wit : on, from, and after the first day of December, in the year of Our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, to be, during our pleasure, the Lieutenant Governor of the North West Territories ; And we did thereby authorize, and empower, and THE RED RIVER TROUBLES. 117 require, and command him in due manner to do and to execute in all things that shall belong to his said com- mand and the truth we have reposed in him, according to the several provisions and instructions granted or appointed him by virtue of Our said Commission, and the Act of the Parliament of Canada herein before recited, and according to such instructions as have been, or may from time to time be given to him, and to such laws as are or shall be enforced within the North West Territor- ies. Of all which our loving subjects of our said Territories, and all others whom these Presents may concern, are hereby required to tako notice and to govern themselves accordingly. "Tn Testimony whereof, we have caused these Our Letters to be made Patent and the Great Seal of our said North-West Territories to be hereunto affixed. Witness, our Trusty and Well Beloved William McDoTJGALL, member of Our Privy Council for Canada, and Companion of Our Most Honourable Order of the Bath, Lieutenant-Governor of our North- West Territories, &c., &c., &c., at the Red River, in our aforesaid North- West Territories, the first day of December, in the year of Our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty -nine, and in the thirty-third year of Our Reign. " By Command. " J. A. N. Provencher, " Secretai'y. " God Save the Queen. " Winnipeg, December 1st, 1869. " Certified a true copy. " D. A. Grant." 118 THE CREATION OF MANITOBA. On the 2nd December, tLe Proclamation mood seems to have been still upon Mr. McDougall, for we find hiin issuing the following document, supplanting Governor MacTavish in a very unceremonious manner : — " The North-West Temtories. (( Proclamation By His Excellency the Honourable William McDougall, a member of Her Majesty's Privy Council of Canada, and Companion of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath, Lieutenant Governor of the North-West Territories, &c., &;c., &c. " To all to whom these presents shall come — Greeting : "Whereas Her Majesty the Queen, by Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the Dominion of Canada, bearing date the twenty-ninth day of September, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the thirty-third year of Her Majesty's reign, has been graciously pleased to constitute and appoint me, on, from, and after the day to be named by Her Majesty for the admission of Rupert's Land and the North- Western Ter- ritory into the Union or Dominion of Canada, to be Lieutenant Governor in and over ' The North-West Territories' during Her Majesty's pleasure, and did thereby authorize and empower and require and command me, on, from, and after the day aforesaid, to do and execute uW things in due manner that shall belong to my said command and the trust reposed in me, according to THE RED RIVER TROUBLES. 119 the several powers and instructions granted or appointed me by that Her Majesty's Commission and of the Act of Parliament passed in the tliirty-second year of Her Majesty's reign, intituled ' An Act for the Temporary Government of Rupert's Land and the North-Western Territory when united with Canada/ and the instruc- tions given me with such Commission, or by such further instructions as may hereafter be given me in respect of the North- West Territories and the Government thereof by Her Majesty's Governor-General in Council, under his sign manual, or through one of Her Majesty's Privy Council of Canada, and according to such laws as are now and shall hereafter be in force in the said North- West Territories : And whereas Her Majesty has de- clared and named the first day of December instant as the day for the admission of Rupert's Land and the North-Western Territory into the Union and Dominion of Canada : And whereas, by virtue and in pursuance of ' The British North America Act, 1867,' * The Ru- pert's Land Act, 1868,' the said ' Act for the Temporary Government of Rupert's Land and the North-Western Territory when united with Canada,' and the said Decla- ration and Order of Her Majesty, Rupert's Land and the North-Western Territory have been admitted into union with and have become and are now part of the Dominion of Canada, and are henceforth to be styled and known as 'The North- West Territories :' " Now Know Ye that I have thought fit to issue this Proclamation, to make known Her Majesty's said ap- pointment to all officers, magistrates, subjects of Her J.'- 120 THE CREATION OP MANITOBA. Majesty, and others within the said * The North-West Territories ;' and I do hereby require and command that all and singular the public officers and functionaries holding office in Rupert's Land and the North- Western Territory at the time of their admission into the Union as aforesaid, excepting the public officer or functionary at the head of the administration of affairs, do continue in the execution of their several and respective offices duties, places and employments, until otherwise ordered by me, under the authority of the said last-mentioned Act ; and I do hereby further require and command that all Her Majesty's loving subjects, and all others whom it may concern, do take notice and govern themselves ac- cordingly. " Given under my hand and seal-at-arms, at Red River, in the said Territories, this second day of December, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, and in the Thirtj^'-third year of Her Majesty's Reign. "Wm. McDougall. " By Command. " J. A. N. Provencher, " Secretary" his formi events, ai Mr. Mc for such a (see his U comraittei "Off w "1 Mr. McDougall adds the following postscript to the above when forwarding a copy of the document to Hon. Jos. Howe — said postscript, however, did not appear in public to the settlers of Red River : — " I have asked Mr. Provencher to sign, as Secretary, THE RED RIVER TROUBLES. 121 his formal appointment depending upon the course of events, and the requirements of the Act. "Wm. McDougall." Mr, McDougall, having employed his spare moments for such a length of time in abusing Governor MacTavish (see his letters), no doubt at last became desperate and committed the foregoing outrageous blunder, exclaiming — " Off with his head — so much for MacTavish." !' 122 THE CREATION OF MANITOBA. CHAPTER V. APPOINTMENT OP COL. DENNIS AS DEPUTY-GOVERNOR — SUPPRESSION OP THE "nOR-WESTER" AND "RED RIVER PIONEER" — ENROL- MENT OP SETTLERS, BY ORDER OF GOVERNOR MCDOUGALL, TO OPPER ARMED RESISTANCE TO THE HALF-BREEDS — GARRISON AT STONE FORT. [N the 2nd December, there were two rumours in circulation about the Settlement, the first of which was to the effect that Col. Dennis had been appointed Deputy-Governor until Mr. Mc- Dougall should arrive ; and the second was, that the new Governor was actually in the Settlement. Three French half-breeds, named Augustin Nolin, Francois Nolin, and one Perrault, called on Mr. A. G. B. Bannatyne, on the same morning that these rumours were rife, and asked his advice and opinion regarding the state of affairs. Mr. Bannatyne pointed out to those men that the course Kiel was pursuing would very likely bring the country into serious trouble ; and, further, that an Act of Parliament was a tedious thing to obtain. He recommended them to accept a guarantee from Mr. Mc- Dougall that the claims of the people would be respected, and that he would use his influence in their behalf. The Nolins and Perrault, on the strength of Mr. Bannatyne's advice, declared that they would support the plan of sending delegates to see Mr. McDougall; and that, if he (Mr. McD right, the; ment in s In the received a they wish he placed Proclamat to Fort Gi ing to in with thei: ceeded so inclined tc McDougal Mr. Banna a settlcHK before lea^ Proclamat: say, had 7 a party of sleds towa Col. Denni town, it A between t going on i for several aloof from them. Th newspaper Kiel, and a THE IIKI) RIVER TROUBLES. 123 (Mr. McD.) would satisfy them that everything would be right, they would guarantee to bring him into the Settle- ment in safety. In the midst of their conversation, Mr. Bannatyne received a message from the French council, saying that they wished to see him ; and, hoping to do some good, he placed a copy in French and one in English of the Proclamation in his pocket and went down immediately to Fort Garry, where he remained till evening endeavour- ing to induce Kiel and his associates to send delegates with their Bill of Rights to Mr. McDougall. He suc- ceeded so far, towards evening, that the council were inclined to adopt his views ; and a communication to Mr. McDougall, to be sent him by the delegates, was suggested. Mr. Bannatyne returned to the town, feeling hopeful that a settlement of the difficulties was not far off; and, before leaving the Fort, he left the English copy of the Proclamation with Governor MacTavish, who, strange to say, had not as yet seen the document. The same night a party of the Canadians from the town started down in sleds towards the Stone Fort for the purpose of joining Col. Dennis there ; and, as Kiel had a strong guard in the town, it was feared that a collision would take place between the two parties. The fact of this movement going on only tended to strengthen the hands of Kiel; for several French half-breedc, who had until then kept aloof from the insurgents, now came forward and joined them. The " Nor'- Wester " and ''Red River Pioneer" newspapers were about this time stopped, by orders of Kiel, and a guard placed in each of their printing offices. 124 THE CUEATION OF MANITOBA. As the "Red River Pioneer" never appeared in public, we will give a few extracts from one of the few copies printed, but which were not allowed to be circulated in the Settlement: — "General Quarterly Court. " This Court sat in the Court House, Upper Fort Garry, on the 18th and 19th inst., — Judge Black presiding, witli Dr. Cowan and Mr. Robert McBeath aa associates. "Selling Liquor to Indians. "Judge Black, in opening the proceedings, said tliat he had received a letter from Mr. Hall (who had not put in an appearance), relative to n case of appeal which had been fixed for that court. He had been charged with having infringed the local law which prohibits the fur- nishing of intoxicating liquors to Indians, and judgment was given against him in the Petty Court. Mr. Hall, continued ^^e Judge, subsequently wrote to me on the subject, desiring a re-hearing of the case. I informed him by letter that I had made the inquiry into his case which he had proposed, and had decided that the proper course would be for him to appear before the General Court on the 19th August, and there make application, stating the grounds of appeal. The Court would thus be in a proper position to determine whether the case should be heard at the November Court, or whether the applica- tion ought to be dismissed. In the meantime, execution of the Court was stayed. I think it is necessary here to refer to one or two points in connexion with this case. THE RED RIVER TROUBLES. 125 Mr. Hall urged that, as he supplied the liquor to Indians while he waa in the employ of Dr. Schultz, he (Hall) was exonerated from responsibility. He also urged that, according to the law of Canada in such cases, the em- ployer and not the employee was held liable. It is very- clear that no such distinction is regarded by cur local laws. The law does not inquire whether the act has been done in one capacity or another. It says, ' Any person' furnishing intoxicating liquors to Indians shall bo punished. With regard to the law of Canada being so and so, it is only necessary to state that we are not under the law of Canada, but our own laws and the laws of England, except in so far as they are altered by local enactment. • * * * ^ " Mr. Hall stated, in regard to it, that, if he were allowed a little time, he would be enabled to bring witnesses to show that all the evidence was not true ; he has now the opportunity he asked for ; but, instead of coming for- ward, he writes to me, saying that ' Owing to the present unsettled state of the country, I trust you will not think it disrespectful in me not to appear to-day. While such is not my wish, I feel satisfied, no matter how well dis- posed your worship is, that justice, under existing cir- cumstances, be meted out. I trust to your clemency not to have that unpleasant case against me called till it can be done with a prospect of fairness to all concerned.' Now, I know nothing in the circumstances of the country to make it unlikely, much less impossible, that justice should be done to Mr. Hall; and I cannot see why he should be so apprehensive of injustice. * 126 THE CREATION OF MANITOBA. The Court then affirmed the judgment of the Petty Court, and ordered payment of the line, £20 15s. 6d. and costs." " Past — Present — Future. " Events have succeeded one another so rapidly oi late that we hardly know how to chronicle them. The armed rising of the 22nd October, when 1 20 French half-breeds barred the entrance into the Settlement of the Hon. Mr. McDougall, has been followed by occurrences unlooked- for, even in a frontier section such as this. Upper Fort Garry is garrisoned by Frenchmen ; the public documents were seized, and a French Provisional Government pro- claimed. All this has been done in order to secure cer- tain rights and liberties, of which our French-speaking fellow-settlers believed they were about being unjustly deprived. A convention of English and French delegates, which met at Fort Garry to take into consideration the present state of political affairs, sat for four days without being able to agree on any common platform ; and now the entire English-speaking population of the Settlement are arming for self-defence. They state that they will not join in the Provisional Government, but that they desire to continue under the Hudson's Bay Company's Government until another is legally appointed. What is to be the upshot of the present state of things, who shall tell? "As we go to press, the French Provisional Government is about to meet ; and the Queen's Proclamation, declaring Rupert's Land and the North-West Territory annexed to the Dominion of Canada, had arrived in the Settlement. THE RED RIVER TROUBLES. 127 late The first inst. (to-day) is fixed as the date of annexation. The date of the Royal Letters Patent, appointing Hon. W. McDongall, C. B., Lieutenant-Governor of this Terri- tory, is the 29th September." "Official Protest. " We direct attention to the very important Proclama- tion, signed by Governor MacTavish, which will be found in our advertising columns to-day. Coming from such a source and at such a time, it deserves the most careful and respectful attention. An incomplete and imperfect copy, surreptitiously obtained and prefaced by remarks altogether unwarranted, has been printed in the office of our contemporary ; and unfortunately for its reputation, even this introduction, brief as it is, contains a mis-state- ment. The protest, our contemporary Sciys, was 'drawn out' of the Governor by a petition presented to him by several towns-people a few days previously. That this was not the case, our contemporary knows perfectly well. The truth is, that the Governor had some time before determined on sending this letter ; and not only so, but the deputation were distinctly informed of this." The following is reported as having been the portion of the newspaper objected to by Riel, and the cause of his stopping the issue thereof : — "We, the inhabitants of St. John's and Kildonan p.irishes, being loyal to our Queen's Government and throne, and being desirous in all things to respect the laws of the land ; therefore, " Resolved, That we cannot approve of the course of 128 THE CREATION OF MANITOBA. our French -speaking fellow-settlers in resorting to arms to resist the establishment of Canadian authority in this country, as such authority has the sanction of the Queen and the Imperial Parliament ; that we regard the exist- ing Government of the Hudson's Bay Company as the only legal Government in this country at present ; and, as law-abiding subjects, we cannot be parties to the for- mation or carrying on of any Provisional Government intended to supplant it ; that it is inexpedient to seiid any delegates to communicate these views, but that they be made known in writing, and that the signatures of the people of these parishes be appended to the document transn-'tted; that the course pursued by our delegates, Messrs. Maurice, J. G. Lowman, and James Ross, at the recent Conference, is hereby cordially approved, and our thanks are tendered for their faithful discharge of duty as our delegates. "Mr. John Matheson, seconded by Mr. Selkirk McKay, moved the adoption of the following letter to Governor MacTavish. The motion was carried unanimously. The letter set forth that, at a public meeting of the two parishes, it was unanimously resolved to make known to you (the Governor) * that the said inhabitants sincerely tender you their sympathy and support in the present critical condition of public affairs, and that tliey deem the Governor and Council of Assiniboia as constituting the only legal and responsible Government in the country ; and will therefore hold the said Governor and Council — acting in behalf of the Hudson's Bay Company, and with the sanction of the Imperial authorities — responsible for any loss place.' " On th Fort Gar sitting c favourab communi in course the Cana settlers, t all the g( tality of council 1 and start walls of men. M vinced th ment of i up the 65 of the in1 by the rel night to and then until the coramitte less chan meeting of Canad ment wi working J THE RED RIVER TROUBLES. 129 any loss of property or injury to person that may take place.' " On the 3rd December, Mr. Bannatyne again visited Fort Garry on invitation of the French, and attended the sitting of their council. He found the members still favourably inclined towards sending delegates ; and the communication, to be forwarded to Mr. McDougall, was in course of preparation, when word was brought in that the Canadian party, assisted by a number of the English settlers, were going to attack Fort Garry. Like a flash, all the good that had been done, through the instrumen- tality of Mr. Bannatyne, was entirely frustrated — the council broke up in confusion — Kiel mustered his men and started out towards the town with a guard, while the walls of Fort Garry were manned by over two hundred men. Mr. Bannatyne returned to his home, fully con- vinced that no good could be done in the way of a settle- ment of the difficulties, so long as the Schultz party kept up the excitement by such demonstrations. The rumour of the intended attack turned out to be a false one, caused by the return of the men who had gone down the previous night to join Col. Dennis. It appears he enrolled them, and then sent them back with instructions to remain quiet until they heard from him. The evil, however, had been committed ; the opportunity was lost ; and there appeared less chance than ever of persuading Riel to consent to a meeting with Mr. McDougall. In this way the " Friends of Canada" stepped between the chances for an arrange- ment with the very ma:i whom they professed to be working for. In the first place, Mr. McDougall was J . 1: 130 THE CREATIOIT OP MANITOBA. n knowingly overstepping his power, and his friends in the Settlement were exceeding the bounds altogether by attempting to further what he desired to initiate, namely — a civil war in the Territory. During the night on which the party started for the Stone Fort to join Col. Dennis, Riel, with a guard, went round and searched a number of houses for the purpose, as it was stated at the time, of finding one George Klyne, who was supposed to have brought in despatches from Mr. McDougall. In the course of their search, they entered the house of Dr. Schultz, and unwarrantably dis- turbed the privacy of his home. This act on the part of Riel was not only an unwise one, but also a trespass on everything right and just. The capture of despatches from Mr. McDougall was not a sufficient reason for invading the sanctity of a man's home, at the probable risk of seriously disturbing the peace of his family. Dr. Schultz was not at home during Kiel's visit, which made the matter appear still worse. ' The following is the Commission given to Col. Dennis by Mr. McDougall, under which so much folly was com- mitted, and which, after all, was the cause of so much misery and trouble in Red River Settlement : — 'The North-West Territories. ii S. } r " By His Excellency, the Honourable William "^"^^ McDougall, a Member of Her Majesty's Privy Council for Canada, and Companion of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath, Lieutenant-Governor of the North-West Territories. THE RED RIVER TROUBLES. 131 "To John Stoughton Dennis, Esq., " Lieutenant- Colonel, Military Staff, Canada, "GreetiiIgj "Whereas large bodies of armed men have unlawfully assembled on the high road between Fort Garry and Pembina, in the Colony or District of Assiniboia ; and have, with force and arms, arrested and held as prisoners numerous private and official persons, and preventing them from proceeding on their lawful journey and busi- ness, and have committed other acts of lawless violence, in contempt and defiance of the magistrates and local authorities; And whereas William MacTavish, Esq., Governor of Assiniboia, did, on the sixteenth day of November last, publish and make known to these armed men, and all others whom it might concern, that the law- less acts aforesaid, and which were particularly set forth in his Proclamation, were * contrary to the remonstrances and protests of the public authorities,' and did therein himself protest against each and all of the said unlawful acts and intents, and charged and commanded the said armed persons to immediately disperse themselves and peaceably to depart to their habitations or lawful busi- ness, under the pains and penalties of the law ; and whereas, since the issue of the said protest or Proclama- tion, certain of the armed men aforesaid have taken pos- session of the public records and papers at Fort Garry, and have seized and held as prisoners the public officers or persons having charge of the same ; and, as I am credibly informed, still keep unlawful possession of the -said records and public property, and with force and 132 THE CREATION OF MANITOBA. » -.)■ arms continue to obstruct public officers and others in the performance of their lawful duty and business, to the great terror, loss, and injury of Her Majesty's peaceful subjects, and in contempt of her Royal authority ; And whereas Her Majesty, by Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the Dominion of Canada, bearing date the twenty- ninth day of September, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, has been gra- ciously pleased to appoint me to be, from and after the first day of December instant, Lieutenant-Governor of the North- West Territories, and did authorize and command me to do and execute all things in due manner that shall belong to my said command : "Know You, that reposing trust and confidence in your courage, loyalty, fidelity, discretion and ability, and under and in virtue of the authority in me vested, I have nomi- nated and appointed, and by these presents do nominate and appoint, you, the said John Stoughton Dennis, to he my Lieutenant and a Conservator of the Peace in and for the North-West Territories, and do hereby authorize and empower you as such to raise, organize, arm, equip and provision a sufficient force within the said Territories; and, with the said force, to attack, arrest, disarm or dis- perse the said armed men so unlawfully assembled and disturbing the public peace ; and for that purpose, and with the force aforesaid, to assault, fire upon, pull down, or break into any fort, house, stronghold, or other place in which the said armed men may be found ; and I do hereby authorize you, as such Lieutenant and Conservator of the Peace, to hire, purchase, impress and take all necessary clothing, arms, ammunition and supplies, and THE llED IIIVER TROUBLES. 133 all cattle, horses, waggons, sleighs or other vehicles which may be required for the use of the force to be raised as aforesaid; and I further authorize you to appoint as many officers and deputies under you, and to give them such orders and instructions from time to time as may be found necessary for the due performance of the services herein required of you, reporting to me the said appoint- ments and orders as you shall find opportunity for con- firmation or otherwise ; and I hereby give you full power and authority to call upon all magistrates and peace officers to aid and assist you, and to order all or any of the inhabitants of the North- West Territories, in the name of Her Majesty the Queen, to support and assist you in protecting the lives and properties of Her Majesty's loyal subjects, and in preserving the public peace, and for that purpose to seize, disperse or overcome by force the said armed men and all others who may be found aiding or abetting them in their unlawful acts; and the said persons so called upon, in Her Majesty's name, are hereby ordered and enjoined, at their peril, to obey your orders and directions in that behalf; and this shall be sufficient warrant for what you or they do in the premises, so long as this Commission remains in force. "Given under my hand and seal-at-arms, at Red River, in the said Territories, this the first day of December, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, and in the 33rd year of Her Majesty's Reign. " By Command. "William McDougall. "J. A. N. Provencher, Secretary y 134 THE CREATION OF MANITOBA. " By virtue of the above Commission from tlie Lieu- tenant-Governor, I now hereby call on and order all loyal men of the North- West Territories to assist me by every means in their power to carry out the same, and thereby restore public peace and order and uphold the supremacy of the Queen in this pai-t of Her Majesty's dominions. " Given under my hand, at the Stone Fort, Lower Settlement, this sixtii day of December, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine. " J. S. Dennis, " Lieutenant and Conservator of the Peace in and for the N.- W. Territories'' Had Mr, McDougall, in the first place, been wise enough to refuse to ally himself to any party in the Settlement, and had he also refused to be guided by their views in regard to issuing a Proclamation at the time he did, and had he not afterwards given Col. Dennis the foregoing Commission, there is every reason to believe that the misery and troubles which followed would never have taken place ; and had the " Friends of Canada" refrained from taking vne steps they did, where would have been the cause for trouble ? It is well known chat the English settlers were resolved to merely stand on self-defence in case the French should endeavour to act on the aggressive ; and it is also well known that they repeatedly refused to take up arms in order to bring either Mr. McDougall or the Canadian Government in. They said, what was very true, that, if Mr. McDougall or the Canadian Government wished to rule in the country, they ought to establish THE RED RIVER TROUBLES. 135 themselves without asking the aid of others to do it for them. They would not, however, put any obstacle in the way of the new Governor nor new Government, and wcro ready to support them as soon as they wore established. Under these circumstances, and when it is also considered that many amongst the French were favourably inclined towards meeting Mr. McDougall, it will be seen how unfortunate it was for the fortunes of that gentleman that he allied himself to the party he did in Red River Settle- ment. Had the Schultz party remained quiet, and refrained from keeping up an excitement between the French and English sections of the Settlement, it would have followed that Riel, without opposition, would never have been the Riel he turned out to be. The French are naturally order-loving people, and would have insisted upon Riel coming to some arrangement before long ; and the Act of Parliament plan would have been laid aside in the meantime. We say this from our know- ledge of the character of the French half-breeds. Mr. McDougall can therefore well exclaim, " Save me from my friends." Had he followed his instructions from Ottawa, instead of listening to the advice of interested parties whose very existence seemed to rest upon his assuming the reins of government, he would never have compromised himself with his own Government; and the probability is that he would be the Lieutenant-Governor of the North -West Territories at the present day, instead of being, as he is, "left out in the cold." ' There was no direct opposition ou either the French or 13G THE CREATION OF MANITOBA. Englwh side — only a desire for better arrangements than had been proposed for the " temporary government of the country." There was a general feeling that, under that temporary government, certain men in the Settle- ment (who had boasted thereof beforehand) would bo raised above their fellows, through the partiality of Mr. McDougall, to the detriment of the country generally; and there is no doubt had that been done, a great deal of dissatisfaction would have followed amongst a large class of the settlers, which might have resulted in a more general, and therefore worse, rebellion than the one which did take place. Had the people been satisfied that such would not have been the case, and that the future Govern- ment would have been conducted for the benefit of all ])arties, there would have been no opposition to Mr. McDougall , and, had that gentleman and his friends not acted in the way they did, there is reason to suppose that the difficulties of his position might have been got over. Instead of seeking, as he ought to have done, an inter- view with the malcontents, in order to explain to them the position of affairs, and, if possible, remove their pre- judices, Mr. McDougall stood on his dignity and issued an illegal Pioclamation, under which he proclaimed a course of war and destruction against those opposed to him, sufficient, of itself, to damn him in the estimation of all right-thinking men. About this time the following poetical effusion appeared in the Settlement — its circula- tion,^however, being chiefly amongst the French : — THE RED IIIYER TROUBLES. 137 CHANSON DEa TllIBULATIONa d'uN ROI MALUEUKEUX. Est il rien sur la terro Do plus inturessant Quo la tragiquo histoiro Do McDougall ot ses gens 1 Jo vous la conterai ; Veuillez bien in'ecouter. Sur notre territoiro, Devenu ses Etats, II vonait ce bon pfere, Regner en potentat ; Ainsi I'avait r6gld Le Ministre Cartier. Le cceur gros d'esp6rance, Partant du Canada, II dit, J'ai coniianco Qu'on vivra bien Ik-bas. Ah ! quel bonheur ! ! ma £oi ! Jo Buis done enfin Roi ! I I Comptant sur les richesses Qu'il trouverait chez nous, II out la maladresse Do no pas prendre un sou, M6me pour traverser Un pays stranger. Le Juif errant, plus sage, En portait cinq au moins Dont il faisait usage Dans un cas de besoin. C'etait mieux fait, on dit. Que de prendre k credit. Mais trbve de remarques, Allons droit au plus court, Suivons notre Monarque Entoure de sa Cour ; Ce bon roi Dagobert TraY West, that we have, on the said 24th November, 186.9, above mentioned, established a provisional government, and hold it to be the only and lawful authority now in existence in Rupert's Land and the North -West, which claims the obedience and respect of the people. " That, meanwhile, we hold ourselves in readiness to enter into such negotiations with the Canadian Govern- ment as may be favourable for the good government and prosperity of this people. " In support of this declaration, relying on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge ourselves on oath, our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honour, to each other. " Issued at Fort Garry, this 8tli day of December, in the year of our Lord, one thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine. "John Bruce, President. "Louis Riel, Secretary." There ai'e evident marks of Americanism in the above. A guard of about forty men were despatched by Riel, immediately after the surrender of the Canadians, with THE RED RIVER TROUBLES. 171 orders to occupy Pcmbiiica Post, and prevent Mr. Mc- Doiigall, or any of his party, from entering it. About this time, Mr. Snow, road superintendent, re- ceived two weeks' notice from Riel to arrange his business matters and leave the Settlement ; and Dr. Bown, the editor of the " Nor- Wester," having left the town of Winnipeg in disguise, turned up at the Stone Fort, from which place (after the departure of Col. Dennis for Canada) he went farther into the interior, to a post called " Eagle's Nest," belonging to the Hudson's Bay Company, where he remained during tlie balance of the winter, Hving most of the time at the expense of the very parties ho had so long abused in his newspaper. Soon after the surrender of the Canadian party, mat- ters quieted down very rapidly, and a great many of the French half-breeds returned to their homes. In the meantime we will see what Col. Dennis was doing all this time in his capacity of " Conservator of the Peace ;" and, judging from the following extracts taken from his report, it is quite plain that, although he did his best, in order to raise a force to rescue the party in Schultz's house, he was unsuccessful in his attempt. " She (Mrs. Black) brought a verbal message from Dr. Schultz to me, as he told her he was afraid to trust a letter, to the effect that some forty Canadians were in a state of siege in his house ; that they could not go out either to get food, wood or water, and begged for help. This, it is clear, luould not have occurred had my pre- vious orders, repeatedly given, for the Canadians to Jmce the toivn, been obeyed. My force in the Settlement 172 THE CREATION OF MANITOBA. msssfr.m^ ■H^j ^ :"■ ^^'.«i ' ■,■" mM ^P'W^'^it^ ■m^ was not as yet organized ; and not having heard so fur from Captain Webb, I felt that the crisis was one involv- ing very great consequences. " Thinking, however, on the moral effect of the object I had in view, should the Canadians be captured, it seemed a duty to relieve them, if possible ; and believing, as Mrs. Black said, the French in the town were not more than fifty in number ; that on the appearance of a considerable body of men coming up from the direction of the Lower Fort, the French guard would fall back on Fort Garry, and so leave time for the besieged party to come out and return with us; and that the relief could be effected in this w?y without necessarily having a col- lision, I determined on that course. " About forty men of the company, the head quarters of which are at Stone Fort, were drilling at the time, and expressed their readiness to go, and I then got a sleigh and drove up the Settlement to gather, if possible, sixty additional volunteers from among the enrolled men, believ- ing that I should have little or no difficulty in getting that number in St. Andrews. I found, however, that the requisite force would not be forthcoming. Indeed there appeared to me to be an entire absence of the ardour which existed previously, and it became evident that the project for the relief of the Canadians must fall to the ground. " Sent off at 3 a.m. a verbal message, to be conveyed, if possible, to the besieged party, telling them of my inability to relieve them, and that, if obliged to surrender, they must only get the best terms they could." THE RED lUVEll TROUBLES. 173 And then, after hecaring of the capture of the party, he says, " As regards this unfortunate affair, there was no force with which the party could have been relieved, and, the French party being in overpowering numbers, there was no alternative but to surrender. Indeed it was an act of folly their remaining there to be made prisoners of, as I have reason to believe they could have made their eacaioe a fevj hours jjveviously without danger or diffi- cidtyy This seems to prove conclusively 'that the object of Schultz and Lynch must have been to bring on a general fight, and that, after all, the 'provisions and property was a secondary object altogether. And at the same time it is strange, when we remember that, before Schultz assembled the men in his house, he removed a large por- tion of his own goods to distant parts of the Settlement. On the 8th December, Col. Dennis received the ToUow- ing from Bishop Machray, which throws a gou(f deal of light on the feeling of settlers generally a,t the time : — " Bisi s Court, Dec. Gth, 1869. '' Dear Colonel Denni I grieve to say that the state of things is assuming dail; i graver aspect. I am greatly disappointed at the manifestations of loyalty and a deter- mination to support th government of Mr, McDougall, on the part of the English population. Instead of a breaking down of the forct of the insurgents, I feel certain, from my observations at Fort Garry to-day, and from information from Mr. MacTavish, and others I can fully rely on, that over 600 men are now in arms, and they are 174 THE CKKATION OF MANIT013A. well armed. I see no reason to depend on want of coin- age or determination on the part of these men. In addi- tion to this strong exhibition of force, there is a belief, apparently on good authority, of a determination to avenge loss of life, if they are attacked, by house to house massacring, or at any rate, by individual assassination. " I feel, therefore, that success in an attack with siieli forces as you can bring together, with nothing of the common action the insurgents have, is very problematical, and that the warfare is likely to be such, that a victory will only be less fattd to the Settlement and the interest of the Canadian Government than a defeat. " You must not suppose that this comes from one who is t'morous ; though I never said it before, I went to the first meeting of the Council of Assinniboia, prepared to recommend a forcible putting down of the insurrection, and when you came in I hoped that the exhibition of force would be sufficient ; but the force of the insurgents has only grown with opposition, and is now, I believe, quite a match for all that can be brought together against them. I would earnestly advise, therefore, the giving up of any idea of attacking the French position at Fort Garry at present, and also any idea of seizing, by stealth, on any rebel. Put away such counsel, for a time at least. I feel that the result to be anticipated would be very disastrous. I see everything to be gained by delay ; at any rate there would be some opportunity, perhaps, of brinjxinfr about some direct communication between Go- vernor McDougall and thu disafiected people. I think you should on every account bring that about. Further, it would mind of of settlh TO THE ] am at t the chan I do not the Quee managen there is i is what i setting f( meeting, by the di to Canad whole gr: " This is a grav I would present feasible, be made enter in attack. do this, J luas to c( thing mc T1[E RED RIVER TROUJJLES, 175 it luould be well not to act till you ascertain clearly the mind of the Canadian Ministry and 'people, on the luay of settling this affair, and I think something is due TO THE people FROM GOVERNOR McDoUGALL. I for one am at this moment perfectly ignorant of any detail of the character or policy of this government. Personally I do not care for this. I am not only fervently loyal to the Queen, but I have unquestioning confidence in the management of Canada. I know all will be right ; still there is not less a great want, a very conciliatory attitude is what is wanted from Governor McDougall, and a plain setting forth of how the government is to be conducted, meeting, as far as possible, any of the wishes expressed by the disaffected verons, and perhaps referring others to Canada, but promising a generous consideration of the whole grievances. " This may not be altogether palatable, but tho crisis is a grave one for Canada, and much wisdom is needed. I would not so write did I not feel certain that, if the present numbers of insurgents keep up, an attack is not feasible, and did I not also feel that some attempt should be made by those having authority and knowledge to enter into explanations with, them before making any attack. The late Government of Assinnihoia could not do this, for it had no information, all that could he done ivas to counsel loyal obedience ; but at this time some- thing more is called for than that. " With kindest regards, "I am, &c., -^ *'R. RuPERi's Land." 170 THE (JUEATION OF MANI'l'OBA. The above letter needs no comment ; it clearly shows that Mr. McDougall, instead of waiting for orders from Ottawa, as he had been instructed to do, went deliberately to woik to proclaim war on the people, upon the strength of his illegal Proclamation and Commission to Dennis, and that, too, without any attempt on his part to seek for a more peaceful solution of the difficulty with the disaffected persons. It shows also the absurdity of all the buncombe asserted by Mr. McDougall, regarding the complicity of the Hudson's Bay Company, for it is plainly acknowledged by Bishop Machray (a member of the Coun- cil of Assinniboia") that the authorities had no informu- mation on which to base their actions in the matter. And it is quite perceptible that, had the Hudson's Bay Company made a call upon the English settlers to put down the French, it womld most likely have not been answered ; and, if it hac, Mr. McDougall would, in all probability, have come in to reign over a country laid waste, or else a settlement (from the mode of warfare, spoken of hy Bishop Machray, as likely to have been carried on) of assassinators and murderers. We will now refer once more to tlit /--iport of Col. Den- nis, and see the great change which had come over the " spirit of his dream :" — "Having become convinced that it is xamleHH to entertain any expectation of being enabled t« get * iHfSMh foree with which to put down the party in arms, deeided t- abandon the call upon the English-speaking people, and take [advantage of the disposition of the French, as ex- pressed by them, to send delegates to the Lieutenant Gov- THE RED RIVER TROUBLES. 177 tertain fore- >le, and as ex- it Gov- ernor, and so withdraw from a situation which the change in sentiment, during the last few days, has rendered a false one. I, therefore, this morning, issued a notification marked ' P,' sending a manuscript copy early in the day to Mr. Bannatyne, at Winnipeg, with a note (see copy marked K 5), asking him to lay it before the French council." That same evening (9th), Mr. Bannatyne received the note mentioned by Col. Dennis, which read as follows : — "Lower Fort Garry, Dec. 9th, 18G9. " A. G. B. Bannatyne, Esq., " Winni'pec) : "Dear Mr. Bannatyne, — I hope the enclosed will satisfy the French party of my desire not to see the country made desolate upon a question, which, I am convinced, admits of a peaceful solution. " Be good enough to make it known to the parties in arms. If I can contribute in any way to bring about a settlement, I shall be glad to do so. The paper will be printed and distributed to clay. " Believe me, dear Sir, " Yours, &;c. " J. S. Dennis." • We l»vc it to our readers to judge how far Col. Den- nis was sincere in writing as above. For wlien it is re- membered tfcat, only a few days previous, he hud beon doing i..is utmost to raise a force amongst the settlers, for tlte |Hi*fyr)He of burning and destroying, it must seem 178 THE CREATION OF MANITOBA. strange to find him writing immediately afterwards (when his warlike intentions had been frustrated), that he had no desire to see the country made desolate. The follow- ing is the paper referred to in the note to Mr. Bannatyne, and which was afterwards circulated throughout the Set- tlement by Col. Dennis, in printed form. It is known in the Settlement as the — PEACE PROCLAMATION. "Lower Fort Garry, " Red River Settlement. " Dec. 9th, 1869. " To all whom it may concern : " By certain printed papers of late put in circulation by the French party, communication with the Lieuten- ant-Governor is indicated, with a view to laying before him alleged rights on the part of those now in arms. I think that course very desirable, and that it would lead to good results. Under the belief that the party in arms are sincere in their desire for peace, and feeling that to abandon, for the present, the call on the loyal to arms would, in view of such communication, relieve the situ- ation of much embarrassment, and so contribute to bring about peace, and save the country from what will other- wise end in ruin and desolation, I now call on and or- der the loyal party in the North West Territories to cease further action under the appeal to arms made by me ; and I call on the French party to satisfy the people of their sincerity, in wishing for a peaceful ending of all these troubles, by sending a deputation to the Lieutenant- Governor at Pembina, without any unnecesKsary delay. THE RED RIVER TROUBLES. 179 "Given under my hand, at the Lower Fort Garry, this 9th day of December, 1869. " J. S. Dennis, "Lieut, and Consei'vator of the Peace, " in and for the North- West Terntorles." The issuing of the above resulted in nothing — no- body believed in it. It may be interesting to our readers to ascertain the Hght in which the Canadian Government viewed the pro- ceedings of Mr. McDougall and Col. Dennis, and on this account, we give below a few extracts from a letter writ- ten to Mr. McDougall, by the Hon. Joseph Howe, on the 24th of December : — " As it would appear, from these documents, that you have used the Queen's name without her authority — at- tributed to Her Majesty acts which she has not yet per- formed — and organized an armed force within the Terri- tory of the Hudson's Bay Company, without warrant or instructions, I am commanded to assure you that the grave occurrences, which you report, have occasioned here great anxiet3^ ♦ * * # * But as the organization, and use of such a force by you, was, under the circumstances, entirely illegal, the Gover- nor General and Council cannot disguise from you the weight of responsibility you have incurred. ** Acting on the belief that the country would be quietly transferred with the general assent of the inhabitants, all the preparatory arrangements were made, as you were aware, in anticipation that on or about the 1st December, IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 I.I 14 i ■ 50 1^ IS 20 1.8 11-25 11.4 11.6 % ^ /< /, '?i .^ ''> ';^ /^ > » '■^ 7 PhotDgraphic Sciences Corporation 33 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, NY. 14580 (716) •72-4503 180 THE CREATION OF MANITOBA. itjcl the Territory would be surrendered by the Company to the Queen; and that thereupon Her Majesty would issue Her Proclamation fixing a day for the union of the coun- try with Canada. "The Proclamation, when officially communicated to you, would enable you under the Commission and author- ity given in anticipation of that event, to enter legally upon the appointed day, on the discharge of your official duties as Governor of the North-West. "In the Commission issued on the 28th September, you were empowered to enter upon the duties of govern- ment only, " on, from and after the day to be named" in the Queen's Proclamation ; and in the instructions han- ded to you with the Commission, you are directed to pro- ceed to Fort Garry, and be ready to assume the govern- ment of the Territories on their actual transfer to Can- ada. ***** " I wish I could inform you, that this report had en- tirely relieved the Governor General and Council from the anxiety already expressed. It is true that no blood had been shed up to the 6th, and you had not carried out your intention of occupying the stockade, near Pembina, with an armed party ; but the proceedings of Col. Dennis, as reported by himself, are so reckless and extraordinary that there can he no relief from solicitude here, while an ofUcer so imprudent is acting under your authority." "Had the inhabitants of Rupert's Land, on the breaking out of the disturbances, risen and put an end to them, or had Governor MacTavish organized a force to occupy his forts and maintain his authority, all would have been THE RED RIVER TROUBLES. 181 Lny to . issue coim- :ed to uthor- egally official ember, ;overn- iied" in ls han- to pro- jovern- ,0 Can- ad en- •om the ►od had ed out mbina, Dennis, :dinary >hile an ty." reaking hem, or upy his ^e been well ; and Kiel and his people would have been responsi- ble for any bloodshed or property destroyed. But Col. Dennis, with no legal authority, proceeds to seize the fort not in possession of the insurgents, but of the Hudson's Bay Company, and to garrison it with a mixed force of whites and Indians, and proposes to give battle to the insurgents, should a junction be formed with some forces which he has ordered to be drilled on the Assinniboine. He appears never to have thought that the moment war commenced, all the white inhabitants would be at the mercy of the Indians, by whom they are largely outnum- bered, and divided as they would be, might be easily overpowered. " It is impossible to read the Colonel's account of his at- tempt to persuade Judge Black to aid him in proclaiming martial law, without strong feelings of regret, that you should have been represented in the Settlement by a per- son of so little discretion. It is no wonder that Judge Black was * frightened' at the proposal, as ho must have known that Col. Dennis would have to answer, at the bar of justice, for every life lost by such an assumption of authority ; and that the illegal seizure of an American citizen would at once provoke interference in the quarrel and lead to very serious complications. " I have, &;c. "Joseph Howe." 182 THE CREATION OF MANITOBA. CHAPTER VIII. ARRESTS CONTINUE — DEPARTURE OP COL. DENNIS — HON. MR. MCDOUOALL's letter TO RIEL — HIS COMMUNICATION TO GOV. MACTAVISH — HON. MR. MCDOUOALL AND PARTY LEAVE PEM- BINA. ■■i ►lEL and his party continued to arrest suspected persons, until they had over sixty prisoners in Fort Garry ; and a search was also made by the French guard, in several houses, for arras. These precautions were said to be taken in order to pre- vent any attempted rescue of the men imprisoned. On the 10th December, the French provisional flag was hoist- ed for the first time in Fort Garry, amidst the shouts of the men assembled to witness it. The flag consisted of a white ground, on which was worked a representation of the fleur de lis and shamrock combined, the latter being in honor, it was said, of W. B. O'Donohue, a young man who, having thrown off the soutane, left the college of St. Boniface, where he had been studying for the priesthood, and joined the insurgents. He was an Irishman by birth, having lived, however, for some time in the city of New York, and was suspected of possessing strong Fenian pro- clivities. He afterwards became a leading spirit in the insurrection, and we will often have occasion to speak of him in connection with some of the most important actions of the insurgents. As the flag was hoisted on the pole, a THE RED RIVER TROUBLES. 183 volley was fired in its honor, and the band from the Col- lege of St. Boniface being present played several tunes, the French, in the meantime, cheering lustily ; after which Kiel made a speech to the crowd. As this was going on, the prisoners were peering out upon the scene from the windows of the rooms into which they had been crowded, — indeed, there were so many of the prisoners confined together, that fears at last began to be felt lest sickness might creep in amongst them. On this account, about one-half of those confined in Fort Garry were removed outside the walls to the old jail, or court house, adjoining. The French now, with the exception of about sixty men, returned to their homes, on the understanding that those remaining in the fort were to be relieved at regular periods. Riel, therefore, on the 12th Dec. (Sunday), made a call at the church door, at St. Boniface, for a fresh guard to take the place of the men then on duty. This was promptly responded to from amongst the French ; and Riel stated that he intended, in this manner, to guard Fort Garry till the spring, unless circumstances should occur to require a larger body of men. During all this time, Governor MacTavish, who was in a decline, remained very ill in his house, being only able at times to move from his bed ; and the events occurring in the Settlement tended to make him a great deal worse than he otherwise might have been. On the 11th Dec. (the day after the hoisting of the pro- visional flag). Col. Dennis left the stone fort for Pembina, in order to rejoin his superior, Mr. McDougall. In his re- port he says : — 184 THE CREATION OF MANITOBA. '.,1 " Having received, on the evening of the 10th instant, a message from Mr. Sutherland, to say that there was no prospect of getting the French leaders to agree to a meet- ing, I decided to leave the following day to report to you in person, in accordance with my instructions, and com- pleted the necessary arrangements, engaging a guide, &;c., &c. " During the night, a report reached me that a body of Sioux, said to be 500, were on their way to the Settlement, and had gone as far as Poplar Point, bent upon commenc- ing war * upon their own hook.' " Believing that matters in the Red River Settlement were sufficiently complicated, without adding in a raid from the Sioux ; and fearing that, should the report have had good foundation. Major Boulton, who left at 4 a.m., on the 10th instant, might not meet the ' war party,' as he was to go straight through to the Portage by the 'Grosse Isle,' I decided to investigate the matter, and, if the report proved true, to use my best endeavours to turn the Indians back, and thus prevent a calamity in which, probably, French and English might be involved. I therefore left the fort at 2 a.m., changed horses at the Town of Winnipeg, and drove through, without meeting interruption of any kind, to Poplar Point, arriving at Mr. George Taylor's about 1 p.m. " The report which has reached the Settlement, as to the Sioux, was entirely without foundation. They as- serted themselves as on the Government side, but said they had had no intention of 'making war' w^ithout being first asked to do so by the Governor." THE RED RIVER TROUBLES. 185 d they Col. Dennis afterwards reached Pembina on the 15th, having had a very hard trip over the Plains. In the mean- time, Kiel was using his utmost endeavours to prevail upon the English settlers to join in with the Provisional Government, but with very little success. They wished first to be acquainted with the intentions of the French, in thus setting up a temporary government ; and, as Kiel did not properly satisfy them upon that point, they de- termined to have nothing to do with it. Matters, there- fore, remained in a very unsettled state, — one side of the Settlement professing to have a government of its own, while the other section had no head, no law, and no order ; and, at the same time, it was fully expected that some cause for open disagreement would follow such a dis-unit- ed state of affairs. The Americans in the Settlement about this time seemed to be interesting themselves a good deal in the affairs of the country, and this gave rise to the report that Kiel and his council had in view annex- ation to the United States. The project of starting a newspaper, in the interests of the insurgents, was also spoken of, with Major Robinson, an American citizen, as editor and manager of the same. These things tended the more to keep the English settlers at a distance, and was only another proof that Kiel, while endeavouring to in- duce them to join him with one hand, was pushing them off effectually with the other. Stutzman, of Pembina, was also spoken of as likely to be Major Robinson's part- ner, and there is little doubt that at one time it was so intended, but after-occurrences took place to prevent it, to the salvation, probably, of the Settlement. About this 186 THE CREATION OF MANITOBA. time, President Bruce was said to be very ill, and did not, therefore, appear in public. It was currently reported, however, at the same time, that he was only feigning sickness, so as to have a plea to resign his position amongst the insurgents — a thing which he soon afterwards did, in favour of Riel. A party of Indians, somewhere about the 17th or 18th of December, broke into the storehouse belonging to the works on the Lake of the Woods road, at Oak Point, and threatened the man in charge that if he did not give them some of the provisions, they would help themselves with- out his leave. Mr. Snow thereupon appealed to Riel, and the latter immediately started for the scene of the trouble, and succeeded in quieting the Indians, and satisfied Mr. Snow that he need have no further fears for the safety of the provisions, they having been, in the meantime, stored in «ome of the neighbouring houses for better protection. Mr. McDougall now began to entertain the idea of re- turning to Canada ; but, before quite making up his mind to that course, he thought proper to address the following note to Riel, it being the only attempt (as far as we know) on his part to communicate with the insurgents, and find out the true cause for their grievances : — " (Private.) " Pembina, Dec. 13th, 1869. "Louis Riel, Esq. " Sir, — I hear from the Hudson Bay Post that you are expected to arrive there from Fort Garry to-night. I send this note to inform you that I am anxious to have a con- THE RED RIVER TROUBLES. 187 versafcion with you before answering despatches which I have recently received from the Dominion Government. I have not yet had any communication from you, or from any one else, on behalf of the French half-breeds who have prevented me from proceeding to Fort Garry, stating their complaints or wishes in reference to the new govern- ment. As the representative of the Sovereign to whom you and they owe, and, as I am told, do not wish to deny allegiance, it is proper that some such communication, should reach me. It will be a great misfortune to us all, I think, if I am obliged to return to Canada, and hand over the powers of government here to a military ruler. This will be the inevitable result, unless we find some so- lution of the present difficulty very soon. " I have full powers from the Government, as well as the strongest desire personally, to meet all just claims of every class and section of the people. Why should you not come to me and discuss the matter ? " I beg you to believe that what occun*ed will not afffect my mind against you, or those for whom you may be au- thorized to speak. The interview proposed must be with- out the knowledge or privity of certain American citizens here who pretend to he en rapport with you. I trust to your honor on this point. " Very faithfully yours, "William McDougall." Mr. McDougall waited in vain for the interview. Riel did not accept the proposition ; it had come too late in the day, and had been preceded by too many unmistak- 188 THE CREATION OF MANITOBA. able proofs that the man seeking the meeting was alt'^^ gether unfit to govern with either impartiality or moder- ation. The disappointed would-be-governor, therefore, took up his pen, and vented his spleen upon the head of the man at Fort Garry, whose authority he had so wan- tonly and utterly destroyed. It is not only curious, but highly absurd, to read what Mr. McDougall wrote to Gov- ernor MacTavish on that occasion, as follows : — " I observe, by a paragraph in the Montreal Gazette, that the Dominion Government have telegi'aphed their agent in London to withhold payment to the Hudson's Bay Company of the purchase money agreed to be paid to them for the transfer of their rights in Rupert's Land. I have no official confirmation of this statement, but will not be surprised if it should prove true. Under these cir- cumstances, it becomes important to consider carefully the legal position of all parties in the present crisis. I ven- ture to submit my view of the c«ase, as it stands, in the North-West Territories. " If, in consequence of the action of the Dominion Gov- ernment, the surrender and transfer of the country did not take place on the first day of December, as previously agreed upon, then you are the chief executive officer as he- fore, and responsible for the preservation of the peace, and the enforcement of the lav). [Note. — How easy it appears now-a-day : to take a man's head off", and plaster it on immediately afterwards.] If, on the other hand, the transfer did take place on the first day of December, then, I take it, my commission came into force, and the notice, in the form of a proclamation, issued by my authority on THE RED RIVER TROUBLES. 189 L3 alt'- moder- erefore, lead of 5 wan- US, but io Gov- Qazette, i their udson's 56 paid \ Land, ut will lese civ- illy the I ven- in the n Gov- did not viously as he- ce, and appears ' it on nd, the sr, then, notice, irity on that day, correctly recited the facts, and disclosed the le- gal status of the respective parties." Then follows an attempted justification of his conduct in having supplanted Governor MacTavish, and sent Col. Dennis into the country in the way he did. The plain English of the above is, that if the transfer had not taken place on the 1st December, then Mr. MacTavish was gov- ernor, and responsible for all the troubles and hubbub caused by Mr. McDougall and his emissary. Col. Dennis> in the country, as well as the acts of the French, in re- sisting them ; but if, on the other hand, the transfer had taken place, then Mr. McDougall was governor, and every- thing that had been done was right. So that, whether the transfer had or had not taken place, Mr. McDougall had done no wrong, and Mr. MacTavish had, — that was Mr. McDougall's view of the case. He does not seem to have considered that there was anything out of the way in having issued a proclamation to the people that their chief was no longer at the head of affairs (when such was not the case) ; and he apparently saw no harm in having issued another proclamation, in the shape of a commission, calling upon the people to rise in civil warfare, and thus destroy all hopes of a more peaceful arrangement with the French. Those acts were nothing at all, so long as Mr. McDougall was governor (that being his plan for subject- ing the people) ; but, if Mr. MacTavish was governor, then the responsibility rested upon him for having allowed either Mr. McDougall or Col. Dennis to usurp such au- thority. Our readers will no doubt admit that all this is " very funny," say the least of it ; but we can assure them 190 THE CREATION OF MANITOBA. » .• it was very serious for the Red River Settlement. And yet, in the face of all this, the opponents of the Canadian Gov- ernment see fit to endeavour to screen Mr. McDougall (he having joined their ranks), at the expense of his late col- leagues, to belie the Red River authorities, and to tra- duce the Red River people for the acts of one whom, hav- ing adopted, they seem bound to protect at any risk. Mr. McDougall, having bestowed his parting benedic- tion upon Governor MacTavish, sat down and wrote to the Hon. Joseph Howe as follows : — " Events have occurred since that despatch was written, which, when the account of them reaches you, will justify, I think, the decision which I have arrived at, to return as far as St. Paul, and communicate with you from that point." Accordingly, in a couple of days afterwards (18th Dec), Mr. McDougall and his party, having procured sleds, packed up their baggage, and left Pembina for St. Paul via Abercrombie. Captain and Mrs. Cameron left some time after, in company with Dr. Tupper, member of the Dominion Parliament, who came to bring them back (Mrs. Cameron being his daughter) ; and we may mention here that Dr. Tupper had occasion to visit Fort Garry, in order to procure Mrs. Cameron's luggage, which had been seized along with Mr. McDougall's government property, &;c. ; and, while on that mission, he was obliged to call and see Riel, with whom he had a short interview, the result of which is not properly known ; but it is said that it re- ferred principally to the baggage which Dr. Tupper wished to have released. About the time of Mr. Mc- THE RED RIVER TROUBLES. 191 Dougall's departure from Pembina, it became pretty gen- erally known throughout the Settlement that the procla- mation which he had isaued ns coming from the Queen was a false one, and it was strange to perceive the com- plete revulsion of feeling that took place amongst the settlers generally. If there was one thing more than an- other that assisted to strengthen the hands of Kiel, it was that. People who professed to be supporters of the in- coming government, at once cooled in their ardor, and this led the way, more than anything else, to place Riel in the position which he afterwards held. The prisoners in Fort Garry felt themselves, to a great degree, sold, especially when they heard that Col. Dennis had fled from the country ; and the settlers generally could hardly credit the reality of the position in which the country had been placed. T!ie English settlers felt more than ever at a loss what to do, and thus Mr. McDougall, having sown the seeds of disunion and ill-feeling, left the Settlement, figuratively speaking, in a state of chaos, out of which the way did not seem at all clear. There was, notwithstanding, a feeling of relief experienced by all par- ties when he did leave the borders, as it was plainly seen that so long as he remained there, the likelihood of an ar- rangement of the difficulties was not at all probable. He, however, left the dregs of future trouble behind him, which developed themselves after his departure, but which, it is true, might have lain dormant had not Riel and his associates pursued a course and committed acts which brought them to life with renewed vigor. We may from this time date the wise policy adopted 192 THE CREATION OF MANITOBA. . *: V'-: by the Canadian Ministry, — a policy, in fact, which has saved the country, and placed it, at the present day, in as prosperous and promising a position as any other part of the Dominion. KIEL THE RED RIVER TROUBLES. 193 CHAPTER IX. KIEL LEVIES A REQUISITION ON THE HUDSON BAY COMPANY — o'dONOOHUE and the FENIANS — INDIAN SCARE— THE SIOUX IN COUNCIL ASSEMBLED— GRAND VICAR THIBAULT AND COL. DE SALABEBRY ARRIVE AS COMMISSIONERS — LETTER OF INSTRUC- TIONS FROM HON. JOSEPH HOWE. |NE fact is noticeable in the history of the troubles, that Kiel never deviated from his plan of forming a provisional government ; and, in order to make this a success, his whole aim seemed to be to induce or compel the English settlers to join it. This idea, apparently, was that, were the settlers once united under a government which i »ey could call their own, they would be in a proper position to demand those rights which were felt to be necessary for the happiness and future prosperity of the country There is no doubt that, had Mr. McDougall come in with the powers he was possessed of, the result would have been a general dissatisfaction and discontent ; so much so that it might have led to serious troubles, and would have at all events prevented the progress of the country, by placing men in power who would have served their own ends and disregarded the interests of the people com- pletely. It may be said, in defence, that such things always regulate themselves. In this case it was different, -—the trouble would have commenced from the outset, and the seeds of future ill-feeling would have been sown. It would have taken some time to repair the injury done; N i 1 i' 1 194 THE CREATION OF MANITOBA. and many yeara would have elapsed ere the evil effects of a bad commencement would have been entirely eradi- cated. Under these circumstances it is as well, perhaps, that Mr. McDougall left for Canada, not to return as Governor, for he could not have been popular, except amongst the few " friends," who were to be benefitted by his getting into power, and who therefore felt so much zeal in his behalf (as well as their own) that they entirely fiiistrated the end they were aiming at, and proved the ruin of the very man who was to be their benefactor. Matters in the Settlement had quieted down very much since the capture of the Schultz party, and the departure of their master, Mr. McDougall, from Pembina, especially as it was generally believed that the prisoners confined in Fort Garry were likely to be released. But day after day elapsed and still no word of the expected release, until a bitter feeling sprang up amongst the English, at what seemed to them such unnecessary cruelty. It was here again that Riel made a great mistake. Had he liber- ated the men captured in Schultz's house on their parole, that they would not again interfere with the affairs of the country, it is most probable that he would have com- manded the respect of the English settlers ; and it is also more than certain that, had Schultz or any of that party attempted to create further disturbance amongst the set- tlers, they would not have been successful. It appears, however, as if Riel intended to make use of the capture of the prisoners in order to bring about a union of the people, and therein he failed ; for although a union did afterwards take place, it was neither a sincere one, nor one that would have lasted for any time. ii THE RED RIVER TROUBLES. 195 We will now proceed to describe occurrences as they took place in order. On the 22nd of December, a bargain was arranged between Major Robinson and Mr. Cold well, the proprietor of the " Red River Pioneer " newspaper, for the purchase of the press and plant, &e., belonging to the same. Mr. Cold well had gone to a good deal of expense in bringing in the necessary material for starting a first-class journal ; but, before he could issue the first copy, he was stopped by Riel, and therefore the property was, as it were, dead on his hands. He therefore had no other alternative left than to sell out at the first opportunity; and, conse- quently, closed with Robinson for £550, sterling. Stutz- man, by this time, had given up the idea of coming to live in the Settlement, and, therefore. Major Robinson re- solved upon carrying on the affair on his own account. That same afternoon, Riel went to Governor MacTavish and demanded the loan of a large amount of money from the Hudson's Bay Company, — two thousand pounds of which he required to be paid down at once. This Gov- ernor MacTavish promptly refused ; and, thereupon, Riel, in company with O'Donoghue and an armed guard, with fixed bayonets, entered the public office of the company, and demanded the contents of the safe from the account- ant, J. H. MacTavish. This rather peremptory procedure decidedly startled the clerks in the office ; but, more so, when Riel, upon MacTavish 's refusal to comply with the demand, ordered the guard to advance, to prick, to pierce him if he would not open the safe. Mr. MacTavish still refused, and, thereupon, O'Donoghue stepped forward and .•,;| 196 THE CREATION OF MANITOBA. said that he would be under the necessity of searching him for the keys. This MacTavish could not prevent ; but, when the keys were discovered, he still refused to show them how to open the door of the safe — the lock being a curious and difficult one to manage. O'Donoghue then tried to overcome the difficulty, — but, for a long time, did not succeed — Kiel, in the meantime, walking up and down, and, just as he w*as losing patience a the de- lay, O'Donoghue accidentally hit upon the secret of the lock. The money was then taken out and counted, and Mr. MacTavish was obliged to make a memorandum of the amount, after which the guard walked off with the safe and its contents to the office of Mr. Riel, in another part of the Fort. It was a singular coincidence that the above should have taken place on the afternoon of the same day on which Major Robinson made the bargain with Cold well for the printing press. It was currently reported at the time that the money seized from the Hudson's Bay Com- pany was intended to pay for the printing press of the " Pioneer," — the newspaper to be conducted in the inter- est of the French party. Be that as it may, the money was not paid over to Coldwell till after the seizure. This occurrence of taking the Company's cash -box created some excitement among the English settlers, and was the means of causing Riel to lose several of the best men among his councillors, — they not being prepared to go to such lengths. On Christmas Eve, the French soldiers were paid for their services in goods taken from the Hudson's Bay THE RED RIVER TROUBLES. 197 arching nevent ; used to ,he lock anogliue a long iking up the de- st of the [ted, and ndum of with the another e should e day on Coldwell d at the lay Com- ss of the ,he inter- le money ire. This ^ted some he means mong his to such paid for ion's Bay Company's store. In fact, Riel now had no hesitation in taking what he wanted inside the Fort, although an ac- count was kept up to this time of everything thus seized. Midnight mass was celebrated as usual in St. Boniface Cathedral ; but it was observed that there were very few men present, the bulk of the congregation being females. At twelve o'clock, p. m., on the 24th, a salute of 18 guns was fired from the walls of Fort Garry, thus ushering in Christmas in true military style, and, for some reason, Dr. Schultz, about the same time, was separated from his wife and confined with the rest of the prisoners. It is said that the parting between the Doctor and Mrs. Schultz was a very trying scene, and that Riel had some difficulty in pei'suading his men to take part in it. Cer- tainly it must have appeared as if something serious was about to happen. The men in the Fort were at the time running out the guns, and a good deal of noise and hubbub arose from doing so ; and, just at that moment, Riel and his guard appeared to take the Doctor to his other quarters. It was enough to make a stout heart quail, and the bosom of a wife to be torn with apprehen- sion for her husband. There was no intention, however, on the part of Riel to harm Dr. Schultz, — only, it is said, fearing lest he might escape through the instrumentality of his wife, he had him removed into what was consid- ered more secure quarters. At this stage, several rumors were afloat in the Settle- ment regarding O'Don .^hue, and his connection with the Fenians, — one being that he was about to start for r :• 198 THE CREATION OF MANITOBA. Chicago and New York, in order to organize a regiment of those men and bring them to Red River to take part in the troubles on the side of the French. It was also re- ported that a portion of the money seized from the Hud- son's Bay Company was to go towards paying O'Dono- ghue's expenses to the States. It is not known, however, whether O'Donoghue had any real intention of leaving the Settlement at the time or not, as he never went on the expected trip ; but it is quite certain that the report of his wish to raise the Fenians caused a good deal of anxiety and trouble in the Settlement, and served in pre- venting the chances of a union between the English and French settlers. In fact, amongst the latter there was a very strong feeling against this seeming inclination to bring strangers into the quarrel. From this time the probability of an agreement between the two sides of the Settlement appeared to diminish every day, — the English settlers now feeling that they could not join hands with those who, in their eyes, were committing such barefaced robbery as that which was being practised every day on the Hudson's Bay Company. It is unaccountable why Riel pursued this course, when he must have known that a different one was far more likely to secure for him suc- cess in his project ; and there is no doubt that the union of the whole Settlement was the paramount object by which to obtain that success. Christmas Day brought with it the resignation of President Bruce, as the head of the French provisional government, and the exaltation of Riel to that position. The ex-president, however, still retained a place amongst ' ^ .ip! , *Hr: THE RED UIVER TROUBLES. 199 regiment take part is also re- the Hud- O'Dono- however, aving the tit on the report of I deal of id in pre- glisli and 3re was a nation to time the es of the 5 English nds with 3arefaced y day on ible why own that him suc- ,he union bject by lation of ovisional position, amongst the councillors. Christmas Day also brought news that Grand Vicar Thibault was hourly expected to arrive, in the capacity of a Commissioner, from Canada ; his com- panion. Col. de Salaberry, having remained at Pembina, till it could be ascertained whether he would be allowed to enter the Settlement. Stutzman, at Pembina, endea- vored to persuade Riel to hold the conference with these Commissioners on the frontier, in case Grand Vicar Thib- ault, who was very much beloved by a large class of the French half-breeds (having at one time resided a num- ber of years in the Settlement), might succeed in influ- encing them against him (Riel). Riel, however, did not listen to this counsel, but allowed the Grand Vicar to enter the Settlement, and also sent oif a party of men to bring in Col. de Salaberry. It was on the 2Gth December when Grand Vicar Thibault arrived at Fort Garry, and we will quote his own words, from his report to the Government at Ottawa, to describe his reception : — " In compliance with instructions furnished to us, by the Canadian Government, Lieut.-Col. de Salaberry and myself left Ottawa on the 18th December, f^v Red River. About midway between Georgetown and Pembina, we met the Hon. Wm. McDougall, '"rho had left the latter place some days previous, and who was on his way to Canada. "We immediately handed him papers which we were directed to give him, and we informed him, in a few words, of the object of our mission, which did not pre- vent him from continuing his journey. The circumstances of his departure changed almost entirely the nature of our 200 THE CREATION OF MANITOBA. mission, which was to endeavor to procure his admission into the country, by pacifying the people. We, neverthe- less, continued our journey, and arrived in Pembina on the 24th December. We there found the people full of distrust against all persons coming from Canada — in fact oven against us, notwithstanding that they had been for a long time aware of our entire devotion to the interests of the country. It is probable that orders had already been given to arrest us on the frontier, for we had trouble in finding a guide to conduct us to St. Boniface. In view of these manifestations of feeling, and, in accordance with the sound advice of Messrs. Cameron and Provencher, we decided that it would be more prudent were Col. De Sala- berry to remain there with all the papers with which the Government had entrusted us, and I entered alone into the territory. " Accordingly, at 10 o'clock at night, I started on my journey, with an employe of the provisional government, who accompanied rae as far as St. Norbert, where I met Kiel and some of his employes. As I was much fatigued, having travelled night and day in a very uncomfortable vehicle, I obtained permission, but not without difficulty, to sleep at the house of the curS of St. Norbert, and to present myself next day. I at once informed the presi- dent that I was sent by the Canadian Government, with Col. de Salaberry, and that I wished to know at once whether that hon. gentleman would be permitted to enter Red River. After some moments' reflection, and in view of the assurance that I gave him, that his integrity might be relied on, I was told that he would be sent for, and THE RED RIVER TROUBLES. 201 that he might enter as soon as possible ; and, accordingly, on the 6th of January, I had the pleasure of welcoming my companion." Both Grand Vicar Thibault and Col. de Salabeny re- mained at the Bishop's palace, St. Boniface, and did not, at the express desire of Riel, visit among the people for some time after their arrival. It was now generally feared that the Americans in the Settlement, in connection with those at Pembina, had a great influence over the French party ; and annexation to the States was freely discussed as likely to be the next move. Riel, however, declared that he had no such in- tentions, and that the American party had not and never would have any influence over his actions. And it certainly appeal's now as if he had only been making use of them to answer his own purposes; but it would have been better if he had kept aloof from them altogether. On the 27th of December, Donald A. Smith, in com- pany with Mr. Hardisty, of the Hudson's Bay Company service, arrived at Fort Garry, and were met at the gate by Riel, who demanded to see their papers before he would admit them. Mr. Smith, having left his principal papers at Pembina, showed those he had in his possession, which were found to have little, if any, connection with the affairs of the country ; and, on declaring that these were the only documents he had with him, he was ad- mitted into the Fort. It was not until some time after- wards that it became known that Mr. Smith was a Com- missioner from Canada, although Riel had some idea that he knew more than he would disclose, and therefore kept 202 THE CREATION OF MANITOBA. W'.^^, .■JT ' a strict watch over his movements, ami would not allow him outside the Fort walls. Mr. Bannatyne, about this time, consented to carry on the Post office, and did so from a feeling that, should it be taken from him and placed in the hands of another, it might entail a great deal of trouble and ill-feeling. The private correspondence, between the English settlers and their friends abroad, would, in that case, have to pass through the hands of the French ; and the result would have been that no one, in the excited state of the coun- try, would have felt his letters safe. Mr. Bannatyne had kept the Post office for years under the Government and Council of Assinniboia, and, with the exception of a few grumblings on the part of some certain parties who were antagonistic to him personally, there was no feeling of dissatisfaction with him in his position. He, therefore, retained the office during, and after, the change in the affaiis of the country, for the sake of peace and security to all parties. Another consideration, inducing Mr. Ban- natyne the more readily to retain the position, was this — it was well known that certain Americans in the Settle- ment were endeavoring to induce Kiel to put them in places of power, and the Post office was one of the de- partments desired by them. Kiel, however, had no wish to see any foreigner in the place which belonged by right to a British subject ; and had he given the office to an American, the Settlement, generally, would have been at the mercy of the Pembina clique, and there is no saying what would have been the result. Mr. Bannatyne, there- fore, resolved to hold on to the Post office, and, by doing THE RED RIVER TROUIJLES. 203 SO, prevented a great deal of trouble and complication that would, most assuredly, have arisen ; and when he did this, he was perfectly well aware that he was giving his enemies a weapon to use against him thereafter. Be- fore taking the stop, however, Mr. Bannatyne went to Mr. MacTavish, and ])laced the matter before tliat gentle- man. The Governor told him that, if ho thought it would do any good, each and every man ought to do all in their power, to keep peace amongst the people ; and under the circumstances, as the Council of Assinniboia had been rendered powerless, he did not see that &.ny harm, but perhaps much good could result from holding on to the office, although it was a delicate step to take at that time, for he said, while your motives may be good, it is doubtful whether the world will give you that much credit. Frequent threats were now being made amongst the English settlers, to set the prisoners at liberty by force, if Riel did not do it very soon ; and this helped to keep up the fever of excitement, for it was known that, as soon as any attempt of the kind was made by the Eng- lish, the French would join Riel to a man to resist it, and the result would have been a general fight. . The reports, regarding Sioux Indians again began to circulate, and the uncertainty as to the truth of those rumors, made people extremely anxious and watchful. About the same time, the following was issued by Riel, to the several saloon keepers in and around the town of Winnipeg : — •* .♦ 204 THE CREATION OF MANITOBA. " Fort Garry, 27th Dec. 1869. " Mr. " Sir — I do hereby respectfully pray you to let no- body have any liquor at your place, from this date up to the tenth of January next. In so doing, you will grant the country a great favor, and very likely preserve it from great misfortune. " Yours very respectfully, "Louis Riel." The above, in connection with the Indian and other rumors, caused a good deal of conjecture as to the mean- ing of the order, and led people to think that some move- ment was on the tapis. On the 30th December, Pierre Laveiller came into the town, and reported that about fifty Sioux Indians were on the road down from Portage La Prairie, and that a larger number were coming on be- hind them ; and further, that they had been met and ad- vised to turn back, but they insisted upon coming as far as the town. When this became known, and also, that the Indians were well armed, and refused to give a pro- per account of themselves, it produced quite an excite- ment in Winnipeg. A meeting of the towns-people was held in the engine-house, and every man able to shoulder a gun was armed. Officers were appointed, and then the men were dismissed to their homes, with instructions to be ready at a moment's warning to turn out. The next day, the reports regarding the Indians were confirmed, and immediately the volunteers were called out. Scouts were sent to reconnoitre ; and it was resolved that if the THE RED RIVER TROUBLES. 205 Indians peruisted in coming farther than a inilo from the town, they would have to fight for it. Several of the scouts went as far as Silver Heights, the intended resi- dence of Governor McDougall, which is about five miles from Fort Garry, and there remained all day on the look out. Towards evening, the advance party of three Sioux made their appearance, and stopped at the residence of Mr. James McKay, who is said to exercise a good deal of influence over them. There a number of Biel's council- lors were in waiting to meet the Indians, and find out their intentions. When the three Sioux entered the house of Mr. McKay, he asked them where the rest of the band were ; but, Indian like, they endeavored to con- ceal the truth, and answered that they were camped some distance up the road, where they intended to remain till next day. Hardly had they finished speaking, when the house was surrounded, and Mr. McKay, singling out the chief, immediately proposed a grand council. This wiis agreed to ; and while Mr. McKay was clearing out his large dining room, the chief took a seat in the parlor and handed his pipe to one of his braves, who filled and lighted it, and then returned it to his leader. The chief then smoked some time in silence, until Mr. McKay hav- ing invited all, or as many of the Indians as could crowd into the room, pronounced the council ready to proceed with business. Riel's councillors then ranged themselves along the wall on chairs, while the Indians squatted be- fore them on the floor, as closely as they could pack them- selves ; the chief, however, occupying a chair. A num- ber of speeches were then made by the French councillors. 206 THE CREATION OF MANITOBA. Mr. James McKay acting as interpreter, in which they told the Indians, that, as there was trouble amongst the whites in the Settlement, they had better keep away and not mix themselves in it. The chief then arose, and taking the ornaments from his head, he placed them in the hands of one of his braves, and then spok* as fol- lows : — " That he and his warriors had no wish to hurt their white brethren in the Settlement ; that they were merely on their way to pay their annual visit to Fort Garry, in order to obtain their New Year's presents ; and that they would go back — but they did not wish to do so empty handed." While speaking, the chief pointed to a large silver medal having the Queen's head upon it, which he wore suspended from his neck, and under which he said both he and his band had received protection during the last eight years. When the chief sat down, Mr. McKay gave him a quantity of tobacco and other things ; and Kiel, about this time, made his appearance, and also handed the chief some more tobacco ; telling him, at the same time, that the people of the Settlement wished to remain on good terms with all Indians, and advised him not to go towards the town, but turn back from Mr. McKay's, as there was danger of their getting into trouble if they did not do so. The Indians now appeared to be well pleased with their treatment, and in order to show their gratification, they cleared the centre of the room, and danced for over half an hour, to the music of a drum and the ginints of two braves. Mr. McKay, for the sake of a little merri- THE RED RIVER TROUBLES. 207 ;h they gst the ay and 58, and hem in ! as fol- to hurt jy were to Fort bs ; and li to do pointed ipon it, r which )tection i down, [ other laranee, telling ilement ns, and :n back getting d with ication, or over 'unts of merri- nient, then produced a galvanic battery, and gave several of the Indians shocks from the same. One of them, being in ill health, fainted from the effects, which caused for a time some excitement as well as suspicion amongst the other savages. When the council was over, the Indians repaired to their camp, and Riel and his councillors re- turned to Fort Gany. Thus ended the last Indian scare of the season. Two of the same band, however, came as far as the town that night, determined to see for them- selves, and report to their companions. After which, the whole party of Indians returned to Portage La Prairie. The people in the town now disbanded their company, and the men returned to their homes, thankful that the whole affair ended only in a scare. On the 2nd of January, a prisoner named William Nimmons, escaped from Fort Garry ; and on the 3rd, six or seven were released on the strength of the promise contained in the orders issued on the 27th, ult. ; the bal- ance having been set at liberty a few days afterwards. Another effort was made about this time, to unite the French and English, in order to hear the Commissioners from Canada. It was contended by Riel, that the set- tlers, when united, would be in a better position to place their rights before those gentlemen for their considera- tion. If they were authorized to guarantee what the people demanded, then an arrangement could at once be made for the Canadian Government to come in without delay. If, however, the Commissioners could not grant the bill of rights, then the duty of the people would be ' 1. ■ r 208 THE CREATION OF MANITOBA. illiP' to send them back to Canada, with a proposition from the Red River settlers to the Canadian Government; and, during the interval, until an answer could be received from the Dominion, the people of Rupert's Land could form a provisional government for the protection of law and order in the Settlement. This plan found favor in the eyes of a great many of the settlers. It was felt that, should the Commissioners go back to Canada, without being able to come to any terms with the people, a very important opportunity would be lost to arrive at a solution of the difficulties ; and, at the same time, it was quite plain that the Com- missioners could not deal with one section of the Settle- ment, and neglect the other; so that a union of the whole people seemed absolutely necessary for the success of any negotiations with Canada. Thus matters stood ; a favorable impression having been made upon a number of the settlers who had here- tofore stood aloof, and the prospects of a union of the whole Settlement never appeared better. When the news- paper, edited by Major Robinson, came out for the first time under the name of the " New Nation," brimful of annexation ideas — the result of which was to once more throw the English settlers back ; and, in one day, the hope entertained of a speedy union of the Settlement was almost totally destroyed. We will merely give the headings of a few of the arti- cles contained in the number of the paper we have refer- ence to :— ) success THE RED RIVER TROUBLES. " CONFEDERATION ! 209 The British American Provinces. — Proposed Annex- ation TO THE United States, &c., &c." « ANNEXATION ! " British Columbia Defying the Dominion ! " "Annexation our Manifest Destiny!" The above is enough to show which way the wind blew ; and, although Riel stated that the paper would change its views before very long, still the fact of its having expressed them at all in favor of Uncle Sam, while professing to be the organ of the French party, was sufficient to damn them in the eyes of the English settlers. Col. de Salaberry having arrived on the even- ing of the 5th January, we will continue our quotation from the report of the Grand Vicar Thibault : — " We immediately communicated our instructions to the President and his council, and they were taken into consideration. Some days afterwards, we were invited to appear before the council, and the President then said he was soiTy to see that our papers gave us no authority to treat with them ; but that they would, at the same time, be very glad to hear us, trusting that we had only good news to tell them. * Since you have done us the honor of hearing us,* said we to them, 'we will commence, by telling you, that we are in truth, bearers of good news ; and we are enabled to assure you, that the inten- o !■!' ■ . . ' 210 THE CREATION OF MANITOBA. 1 * tions of the Government, who have sent us, are altogether those of peace and good will. It desires to respect your persons and your rights ; to labor for the improvement of your country, by making a road in order to communicate more easily with Canada, &;c. It admits that it may have been mistaken in its choice of employSs, whose extrava- gant conduct may possibly have compromised it in this territory ; but, it strongly condemns the arbitrary acts of such emjdoySs as have wantonly abused its confidence.' " At the close of this conference, which lasted some hours, during which we were listened too with much at- tention and respect, we ventured to take upon ourselves to propose a delegation, as being the surest means of ar- riving most speedily at a conclusion satisfactory to both parties. Then the President, after thanking us very courteously, without, indeed, giving us any official assur- ance, gave us to understand that we were likely to arrive at a satisfactory settlement ; telling us he would look into the matter with his council ; which also had seemed well disposed throughout our interview; and that he would give us an answer later. What contributed, not a little, to inspire us with hope, was a few words which the President whispered to Col. de Salaberry, as he was leav- ing the hall. — * Colonel,' said he, 'don't be in a hurry to leave, I think of charging you with a commission, which can't but be agreeable to you." It may interest our readers to read a copy of the in- structions given to Grand Vicar Thibault and Col. de Salaberry, as Commissioners ; and for that reason, we annex the letter of Hon. Joseph Howe, in relation to them : — THE BED RIVER TROUBLES. 211 "Ottawa, Dec. 4th, 1869. " The Very Reverend Grand Vicar Mr. Thihaidt. " Sib, — Referring to the conversation held with a Com- mittee of the Privy Council, yesterday, and to your kind consent to undertake the delicate task of representing, in conjunction with Col. de Salaberry, the views and policy of this Government to the people of the Hudson's Bay Territory, I am commanded by His Excellency, the Gov- ernor General, to convey to you, in the form of instruc- tions for your guidance, the grounds of hope entertair J here, that your mission of peace and conciliation will be entirely successful. " You will not fail to direct the attention of the mixed society, inhabiting the cultivated borders of the Red River and Assinniboine, to the fact which comes within your daily knowledge and observation, and is patent to all the world, that in the four Provinces of this Domin- ion, men of all origins, creeds, and complexions, stand upon one broad footing of perfect equality, in the eye of the Government and the law ; and that no administration could confront the enlightened public sentiment of this country, which attempted to act in the North West, upon principles more restricted and less liberal than those which are firmly established here. " So far as you may have intercourse with the Indian chiefs and people, you will be good enough to remind them that, while bloody and costly Indian wars have raged often for long periods in different sections of the United States, there has been no war with the Indians in 212 THE CREATION OF MANITOBA. any of the Provinces of British America, since the con- quest. For more than a century, the Micmacs, of Nova Scotia, have lived in peace; while the rights of the Mili- cetes, of New Brunswick, have been respected. Every- where within the Canadas, the progress of settlement, while it furnished new employments to the Indians, was rendered practicable by treaties and arrangements, mutu- ally satisfactory, that have formed the secure basis of the sympathy and co-operation which have distinguished the Canadians and Indians, not only since the Treaty of Paris, but from the earliest exploration of the country. " It may fairly be assumed that the just and judicious treatment of the Indian tribes forms the brightest page in the history of British America. Canadians cannot afford to sully it by any ungenei'ous treatment of the Indians in the North West. That the disturbances which have taken place at and around Winnipeg and Fort Garry, have grown out of vague apprehensions of danger, incident to the transition state of things, which the action of the Imperial Government and Parliament rendered inevitable, there is no reason to doubt ; but it is quite apparent that, underlying what is natural and pardonable in this move- ment, there have been agencies at work, which loyal sub- jects cannot countenance ; and that artful attempts have been made to mislead the people by the most flagrant and absurd misrepresentations. Had the Queen's Government, or the Government of the Dominion, imitated the rash and reckless conduct of some of those who have taken part in this disturbance, there would, ere this, have been bloodshed and civil war in Rupert's Land, with the pros- THE RED RIVER TROUBLES. 213 the con- )f Nova he Mili- Every- tlement, ms, was 3, mutu- s of the ahed the :eaty of Lintry. udicious b page in ot afford Indians ch have Garry, incident n of the evitahle, •ent that, is move- )yal suh- 3ts have rant and ernment, the rash ,ve taken ave been the pros- pect of the flame spreading along the frontier, as the fire spreads over the prairie. Fortunately, calmer counsels have prevailed, both in England and at Ottawa. The Proclamation of the Queen's representative, with copies of which you will be furnished in French and English, will convey to her people, the solemn words of their Sov- ereign, who, possessed of ample power to enforce her au- thority, yet confided in their loyalty and affectionate attachment to her throne. " The instructipns issued to Mr. McDougall on the 28th of September, long before there was any reason to appre- hend serious opposition on the Red River, will show how utterly groundless were the suspicions and apprehensions of unfair treatment which have been wddely circulated in the North- West, and to which, unfortunatly, some of the Canadian newspapers, for party purposes, at times gave the mischievous color of their authority. " You will perceive that at no time was the absurd idea entertained of ignoring the municipal and political rights of the people of the North-West ; that the only two per- sons that Mr. McDougall was formally instructed to call to his aid were Governor MacTavish and Judge Black, who were known to be universally respected ; and, that any subsequent selections were to be first reported here, with grounds of his belief that they stood equally high in the confidence and afiections of the people. " All the Provinces of the British Empire which now enjoy representative institutions and responsible gov- ernment have passed through a probationary period till the growth of the population and some political training prepared them for self-government. !l . • 214 THE CREATION OF MANITOBA. 4 li;M'' " In the United States the Temtories are ruled from Washington till the time arrives when they can prove their fitness to be included in the family of States, and, in the halls of Congress, challenge the full measure of power and free development, which American citizenship includes. " It is fair to assume that some such training as human society requires in all free countries may be useful, if not indispensable, at Red River ; but of this you may be as- sured that the Governor-General and his Council will gladly welcome the period when the Queen can confer? with their entire approbation, the largest measure of self- government on her subjects in that region, compatible with the preservation of British interests on this conti- nent, and the integrity of the Empire. " I think it unnecessary to make more than a passing reference to the acts of folly and indiscretion attributed to persons who have assumed to represent the Dominion and to speak in its name, but who have acted on their own responsibility, and without the knowledge or the sanction of this Government. " In undertaking, at this season of the year, so long a journey in the public service, you display. Venerable Sir, a spirit of patriotism which, I am commanded to assure you, is fully appreciated by the Queen's representative and by the Privy Council. " I have the honor to be, " Your most obedient servant, "Joseph Howe, " Secretary of State" THE RED mVER TROUBLES. 215 We will again have occasion to refer to the mission of Grand Vicar Thibault and Col. de Salaberry ; and, in the meantime, we will pass on to other events happening about this time. On the 9th January, a number of the prisoners escaped through a window of the Court House, where they were confined. Amongst others, Mr. Charles Mair, who had neither cap nor coat when he got away; he, however, procured the necessary articles at the house of a friend, Mr. Wm. Drever, and started out again in the direction of Portage La Prairie, where he said the rest of the escaped prisoners intended to go also. As soon as the absence of those men was discovered, a guard of Frenchmen started in pursuit ; and, as the night was cold, thus preventing the prisoners from travelling as well as they might otherwise have done, some of them were overtaken and captured the next day. One of those thus re-taken, Mr. W. F. Hyman, had his feet so badly frozen when he was caught, that it was feared that he would lose the use of them. It was at this time also that Mr. Thos. Scott escaped from prison, and was not re-taken till some time afterwards. Stutzman again made his appearance in the Settlement, on the 10th January ; and, on this occasion, it was re- ported that he intended to remain and take up his resi- dence in Red River ; but, as will be seen, this expectation was afterwards frustrated. His arrival, however, was the signal for renewed efforts, on the part of the Americans, to get into power, which, happily, did not succeed. It was about this time that two correspondents of 210 THE CREATION OF MANITOBA. v> ili^ Canadian newspapers arrived at Fort Garry, — Mr. Robert- son, of the Toronto " Telegraph," and Mr. Cunningham, of ** The Globe." They were at once taken into custody, and were not allowed to go at large, except on one occa- sion, when Major Robinson, of the "New Nation," inter- ested himself on their behalf, and obtained permission to show them some hospitality in the town of Winnipeg, which he did in regular editorial style. A new move, about this time, was made by a few per- sons, in favor of forming the Settlement into a " Crown Colony;" but it died a natural and sudden death, as nothing important was ever afterwards heard about it. Messrs. Cunningham and Robertson received orders from Riel to leave Red River on the 14th January; and, accordingly, they hired men to take them ^o Pembina, and left not at all well pleased with the treatment they had received. Matters were in such a confused state at the time that strangers coming into the country were looked upon with suspicion ; and Riel, doubtless, felt that the correspond- ence of Messrs. Cunningham and Robertson, at that period of the troubles, might tend to do more harm than good — at least such is the only reason that can be offered for his peremptory orders to them to leave the country. Rumors were now afloat that a good deal of ill-feeling existed amongst Riel's councillors towards each other; and, that general dissatisfaction was felt by a large num- ber of the French towards Riel. It is certainly the case, that several of his supp'^rters left him about this time, and matters looked very dubious, as far as he was concerned. THE RED UIVER TROUBLES. 217 In the meantime, the idea of a union of French and English was still being entertained in the Settlement, by parties on both side ; but nothing definite was done re- garding it, as there was a feeling of want of confidence in the future intentions of Kiel. And what added not a little to this opinion, was his reputed complications with the Americans, as well as the reported disunion in his coun- cil. At this stage, Donald A. Smith stepped upon the scene as a Commissioner from Canada; and, as it was really the turning point of the Red River troubles, we will devote a chapter to its recital. 218 THE CREATION OF MANITOBA, m ' CHAPTER X. MR. DONALD A. HMITH PRODUCES HIS CREDKNTIALH AS COMMISSION- ER — RIEL ATTEMPTS TO OBTAIN THEM BY FORCE — A MASS-MEET- ING IS HELD, WHEREAT LETTERS OP INSTRUCTIONS FROM THE GOVERNOR-GENERAL AND HON. JOSEPH HOWE ARE READ — DELE- GATES TO BE APPOINTED FROM EVERY PARISH IN THE SETTLEMENT. iiil H'l iiiiiii^-5 JE have already mentioned that Mr. Donald A. Smith left his papers behind him at Pembina on entering the Settlement. It now appears, that, while in Fort Garry, he was watched so closely by Kiel and his men, that he almost gave up hope of being able to make use of the documents, entrusted with him by the Canadian Government, in such a way as to com- municate their contents to the English as well the French. At last he had a. Interview with Kiel, who expressed a desire to see his credentials and instructions from Canada. Mr. Smith stated that they were at Pembina ; but that, if he would allow him to send a friend for them, he would produce the papers, and place before him and his people the views of the Imperial and Canadian Governments. Kiel then agreed that Mr. Hardisty should be sent for the documents, but insisted at the same time that one of his men should accompany him. It is said that Riel prom- ised Mr. Smith to deal fairly with him in his capacity as Commissioner. The papers had been left with Mr. Pro- vencher, at Pembina, with instructions not to give them THE RED RIVEU TROUBLES. 219 up to any person, except Mr. Hardisty or Mr. Smitli himself. Mr. Hardisty, therefore, left Fort Garry with a guard, and set out on his important mission. They had not gone far, however, when Governor MacTavish, on hearing of the departure of Mr. Smith's messenger, and fearing, from certain circumstances, that Riel intended foul play with the papers, mentioned his doubts to Mr. Angus McKay, and })roposed that a party should stiirt off in pursuit, and get possession, if possible, of Mr. Smith's papers, for the purpose of having them placed in that gentleman's hands, to be made public to the whole people. Mr. Pierre Laveiller and Mr. John F. Grant, two influen- tial settles, volunteered to accompany Mr. McKay in this undertaking ; and so the three hardy and courageous men started off with fleet and powerful horses, to carry out Governor MacTavish's ideas. They travelled as fav as Scratching River, and there they resolved upon lying in wait for the parties they were watching for. Towards midnight Mr. Hardisty and the man accompanying him came along, and immediately Mr. Angus McKay demand- ed the papers from him. At first he appeared surprised, but ultimately gave up the documents, on being assured that they would be placed in Mr. Smith's hxnds as soon as they reached Fort Garry. The man who had been sent with Mr. Hardisty now endeavored to escape ; but Grant, levelling his pistol at him, declared that if he should move a step he would shoot him down. This brought the individual to a stand-still, and he afterwards remained a passive spectator of the movements of the party. As soon as they had obtained a little rest at '0. 220 THE CREATION OF MANITOBA. Scratching River, the party of five persons proceeded on towardfs Fort Garry, and that night they stopped at the house of one Laboncan Dauphinais, where a dance was going on at the time, and where they had supper. Some time after they had finished their meal, and while they were enjoying a smoke, a loud knock came to the door, and a couple of men appeared, who demanded the man they bad taken prisoner. Pierre Laveiller, hearing the altercation, went to the door to find out the meaning of it, and on seeing the two men, he asked them who sent them. " The Council ! " was their reply ; but on being pressed by Pierre Laveiller, who knew that such could not be the case, they answered, "Riel!" "Then go back," they were told, " and say to Kiel, that Pierre Laveillei- has Hardisty and the papers, as well as the guard, and that if he (Riel) wants them let him come and take them." Upon this the door was shut in the faces of the two men, and, as it turned out afterwards, on Riel's also, for, it appears, he was standing in the gloom at a distance of only a few feet from the door, pistol in hand, and a listener to the whole of Pierre's conversation with the two men. During all this time dancing and merrymaking continued in the house as if nothing important was going on, and the prisoner (Hardisty's guard) requested leave to join in the festivities, which was granted, and, imme- diately forgetting that he was a captive, he became as merry as a guest. The next moining, word was sent round to the well- disposed amongst the neighbors, to collect together and THE RED RIVER TROUBLES. 221 eded on I at the nice was . Some lile they he door, the man ring the aning of irho sent on being ch could ro back," Laveiller iard, and md take the two also, for, stance of d, and a with the ymaking vas going I leave to d, imme- lecame as the well- ither and accompany the party to Fort Garry. Messengers were also sent ahead to notify parties along the road, and the consequence was, that a long train of sleighs followed Messrs. McKay, Laveiller and Grant which continued to swell in numbers as they approached the end of their journey. Soon after they left Laboncan Dauphinais' house, Riel made his appearance in a cutter, and endeav- ored to pass the party, putting his horse at full gallop in the attempt, but he was prevented from accomplishing his object, as Laveiller, who was foremost in a sleigh with Mr. Hardisty beside him, would not allow him to do so. Before reaching Riviere Sale they met Rev. M. Richot, who stopped Laveiller, and endeavored to reason with him, but all to no purpose — the rev. gentleman was told to stand to one side, and the cavalcade passed on. At Riviere Sale an altercation took place between Laveiller and Riel, when the latter wished to go on ahead to Fort Garry — the result of this was, that, in a scuffle which ensued between the two men, Laveiller drew a pistol, and, had not Grant and several others stepped in between them, Riel would doubtless have been shot on the spot, Riel, however, threw wide his arms, declaring that he was unarmed, and consented to follow as one of the party. They then moved on in line, I^aveiller and Mr. Hardisty still leading the way ; and when they had reached within a short distance of Fort Gar /, Riel managed to get in first, and summoned his mc^ to the gate. After a little parleying, however, Riel ordered the guard to admit Laveiller and the rest of the party, and the papers were then handed to Mr. Smith. Judge Black, who was pre- 222 THE CREATION OF MANITOBA. *'"''■ -m sent at the time, opened the papers, while Riel was having an interview with Mr. Smith. At this period Kiel's position was a very doubtful one ; his council was split into two parties, and a strong oppo- sition had risen against him amongst his own people. Important papers had been put into the hands of Mr. Smith, evidently against his (Kiel's) wishes, and the opposition insisted upon their purpo fc being made known to the whole Settlement. In the meantime, messengers were despatched all over the country, calling upon the people to assemble the next day at Fort Garry, to hear the papers read ; and Laveiller and his part^ insisted upon remaining in the Fort, as a bc-iy-guard to Mr, Smith until this should be done. Accordingly the next day, 19th January, a grand mass meeting of the inhabitants of the Settlement, including all classes, was held at Fort Garry. So many were pre- sent, that the assembly had to be held in the open air, and this when the thermometer stood at about 20 deg below zero. The meeting lasted some five hours. On motion of President Kiel, seconded by Pierre Laveiller, Mr. Thos. Bunn was called to the chair. In opening the meeting the chairman expressed it as his opinion that this was the most important meeting ever held in the Settlement. The most vital interests were at stake, and he, therefore, hoped that the utmost order and good humor would prevail. Mr. Kiel was elected interpreter ; and, on the motion of Mr. Angus McKay, seconded by Mr. O'Donoghue, Judge Black was appointed secretary to the meeting. Col. de Salaberry was present both days. THE RED RIVER TROUBLES. 223 The Chairman introduced to the meeting Mr. Donald A. Smith, who came forward and read the following document, which, he said, had been handed to him in Canada : — Ottawa, Dec. 10th, 1869. " Sir, — I have the honor to inform you that His Excel- lency, the Governor-General, has been pleased to appoint you Special Commissioner to inquire into and report on the cause and extent of the armed obstruction offered at Red River, in the North-West Territoiy, to the peaceable entrance of the Hon. W. McDougall, the gentleman selected to be Lieut.-Governor of the Territory, and to bring a,bout its union with Canada : also to inquire into and report on the cause of the discontent and dissatisfac- tion at the proposed changes which now exist there : also, to explain to the inhabitants the principle upon which the Government of Canada intend to govern the country, and remove any misapprehensions which may exist on the subject : and also, to take such steps, in concert with Hon. Mr. McDougall and Governor Mac- Tavish, for effecting the peaceable transfer of the Govern- ment from the Hudson Bav authorities to the Government of the Dominion. " You are to consider this communication as a letter of appointment as Government Commissioner. With this letter you will receive a copy of the letter of instructions given to Mr. McDougall on leaving Ottawa, dated the 28th September ; also a copy of a further letter to Mr. McDougall, dated the 7th inst.; and a copy of a proclama- tion issued by His Excellency, the Governor-General, 224 THE CIIEATION OF MANITOBA. .;'*' hi ' .«'' addressed to the inhabitants of the North-West Territory, by command of Her Majesty. " You will proceed with all despatch to Pembina, and arrange with Mr. McDougall as to your future course of action, and then go on to Fort Garry, and take such steps as, after such consultation, may seem most expedient. You will, of course, consult with Governor MacTavish and endeavor to arrange one concerted scheme between Mr. McDougall, the Hudson Bay authorities, and your- self, for the pacification of the country. " As the information coming here is necessarily imper- fect, and the circumstances at Red River are continually changing, it is not considered expedient to hamper you with more specific instructions. " You will, therefore, act, according to the best of your judgment, with Mr. McDougall, and keep me fully informed as to the progress of events there. You will also offer suggestions as to the best mode of dealing with the Indian tribes in the country. " I have the honor to be, &c., " Joseph Howe, " Secretary of State for the Provincesy Mr. Riel translated the letter into French. Mr. Smith then read the following letter sent by the Governor-General of Canada, to him (Smith) personally. It was handed to him at Ottawa : — Ottawa, 12th Dec, 1869. " My Dear Mr. Smith, — 1 learn with satisfaction that you have placed your services at the disposal of the THE llED IIIVER TROUBLES. 225 Canadian Government, and that you are proceeding to Red River to give the parties that are at variance the benefit of your experience " Mr. RiEL — " Is that letter public or private ? " Mr. Smith — " It is a letter to me as Commissioner." Some confusion ensued, several people spoke at the same time, and ultimately the Chairman ordered silence, and said that the document was public and ought to be read. Mr. Smith continued the reading of the letter : — " Give the parties that are at variance the benefit of your experience, influence and mediation. " In my capacity as Her Majesty's representative in the British North American possessions, I have addressed letters to Gov. MacTavish, the Protestant Bishop of Rupert's Land, and the Vicar- General, who acts in lieu of the Roman Catholic Bishop, during his presence in Rome. I have sent them copies of the message received by telegraph from Her Majesty's Secretary of State, which forms the staple of the proclamation addressed to her subjects in the North-West Territory. You will observe that it calls upon all who have any complaints to make, or wishes to express, to address themselves to me as Her Majesty's representative. And you may state with the utmost confidence that the Imperial Govern- ment has no intention of acting otherwise — or permitting others to act otherwise — than in perfect good faith towards the inhabitants of the Red River district of the North-West. " The people may rely upon it that respect and protection 22G THE CREATION OF MANITOBA. |i; ' hi :'! will be extended to the different religious persuasions — (loud cheers) — that titles to every description of property will be perfectly guarded — (renewed cheers) — and that all the franchises which have existed, or which the people may prove themselves qualified to exercise, «hall be duly continued or liberally conferred. "In declaring the desire and determination of Her Majesty's Cabinet, you may very safely use the terms of the ancient formula, that 'Right shall be done in all cases.' " Wishing you a prosperous journey and all success in your mission of peace and good will, " I remain, faithfully yours, "John Young." Mr. Kiel— " It is not signed ' Governor.' " Mr. Smith — " It is written and signed ' in my capacity as Her Majesty's representative.' " Mr. Riel translated the letter into French. Mr. Smith then asked Vicar-General Thibault for some letters from the Government of Canada to Gov. MacTavish and the Bishop of Rupert's Land, which had been confided to his (the Vicar- General's) care in Canada. " F," said Mr. S., "have been authorized by Gov. MacTavish to make this request. The document I ask for is an officical one, addressed by the Governor-General of Canada to Mr. MacTavish. In explanation I would say, that the Vicar- General and Colonel de Salaberry preceded me from Canada by a few days. It was intended that we should have had communication on the way ; and that being the THE RED RIVEIl TROUBLES. 227 asions — property I that all 3 people be duly L of Her terms of ae in all luccess in ^'OUNG." \j capacity t for some ^acTavish n confided ," said Mr. to make im official da to Mr. |the Vicar- me from we should being the case, for convenience sake, the letters were given to the Vicar-General. The letter to Mr. MacTavish is explana- tory of the views of the Canadian Government, and shows what the Queen wished to say to her faithful subjects here." Mr. RiEL — " I do not want the documents to be read." (Cries of " We will have it," and cheers.) Chairman — " Silence." Judge Black protested against the document being withheld from the meeting. A VOICE — " Who has the documents ? " (Cheers.) Another voice — " Mr. O'Donoghue has them." (Cheers.) Chairman — "The Vicar-General states that Mr, O'Dono- ghue seized them, and has got them." A VOICE — " We want them." (Cheers.) Mr. RiEL — " I ask the Vicar-General if either of the letters alluded to belong to Mr. Smith ? " The Vicar-General—" No." Mr. Smith — " Mr. MacTavish authorized me to ask for his letter." Bishop Machray — "I will ask my letter from Mr. O'Donoghue, and I think he will give it." Judge Black urged the production of the letters. Mr. Riel replied that the Judge was out of his role as secretary in addressing the meeting. Judge Black said he had no idea that Mr. Riel could teach him his duty. The Chairman addressed the meeting, and Mr. O'Dono- ghue protested. 228 THE CREATION OF MANITOBA, .m Wm Judge Black — " If business is not allowed to proceed regularly I will resign." Mr. O'Donoghue complained that the Chairman would not allow him to address the meeting. The Chairman said he had no objection to Mr. O'Dono- ghue doing so, when in order. Mr. Bannatyne — "is a Red River settler I ask the Chairman to put the question to the meeting as to whether Mr. O'Donoghue is to be requested to produce the letters." The Chairman put the question in the form of a resolu- tion, and it was carried amid cheers. Mr. Bannatyne, in the name of the people of Red River, then demanded of the Vicar-General that he should a^k Mr. O'Donoghue for the letters. Mr. Riel seconded the demand. The Vicar-General made the required demand. Mr. O'Donoghue — " Since the demand is made in its present form, I may say that I took the letters by order, and delivered them to Secretary Schmidt." Some debate er.^ued as to whether it would not do to hunt up these letters next day. But ultimately Mr. O'Donoghue and Pierre Laveiller went in search of the documents to the secretary's desk, and found them. He then delivered them up at the meeting. Before reading any additional documents, Mr. Smith said he wanted one which was in Mr. MacTavish's posses- sion, and had been sent for. Mr. Riel moved that any other documents Mr. Smith had to produce should be read in the meantime. THE RED RIVER TROUBLES. 229 Bishop Machray moved in amendment that, if it diil not suit Mr. Smith to proceed with the reading, iie bo allowed to wait the anival of the document he wanted. Rev. Mr. Black seconded the amendment. Mr. Smith — " The paper I want is a proclamation from the Governor-General, copies of which came into the Settlement, but where they are T do not know." Archdeacon McLean said that, if Mr. Smith was willing, it might be well to hear what he had to read at once. Mr. Smith — " One of the documents I have is a copy of a paper delivered to me. It is a communication from the Queen, our Sovereign. It is the telegraph message referred to in one of the papers addressed to me, and which was put into my hands in Canada, very shortly after being received from England. It is a message from Earl Granville to Sir John Young, dated ' Nov. 26.' " ' Make what use you think best of what follows : — 'The Queen has heard with surprise and regret that certain misguided persons have banded together to oppose by force the entry of the future Lieut.-Governor into our territory in Red River. Her Majesty does not distrust the loyalty of her subjects in that Settlement; and can only ascribe to misunderstanding or misrepresentation, their opposition to a change planned for their advantage. " ' She relies on your Government to use every effort to explain whatever misunderstandings may have arisen, — to ascertain their wants, and conciliate the good will of the people of Red River Settlement. But, in the mean- time, she authorizes you to signify to them the sorrow and displeasure with which she views the unreasonable 230 THE CHKATION OF MANITUIJA. i'i "7^" ■ 1 •« 'm'v and lawless proceedings which have taken place ; and her expectation that if any parties have desires to express oi" complaints to make, i-especting their condition and i)r(is- pects, they will address themselves to the Governor- General of Canada. " ' The Queen expects from her representative that as he will be always ready to receive well-founded grievances — so will he exercise all the power and authority she entrusted to him, in the support of order and the sup- pression of unlawful disturbances.' " (Cheers.) On motion of Mr. Robt. Tait, seconded by Mr. Mercer, the meeting adjourned till ten o'clock the following day. At the close of the meeting Mr. Burke jumped up, and demanded the release of the prisoners. Kiel, in answer cried out, " Not just now ! " Somebody in the crowd then shouted, " Yes ! yes ! " Upon this Kiel's men flew to their arms, and, as the other party were unarmed, the matter dropped without any further trouble, and the assemblage dispersed. At noon the following day a still larger assemblage gathered at Fort Garry, further to hear Mr. Commissioner Smith. Mr. Thomas Bunn was again called to the chair. Messrs. C. Nolin, Grant, Jose Milien, Toussaint Lucie, Vermet, C. Leronce, Xavier Paget and C. Lafontaine were appointed to keep order in the crowd. Mr. Kiel moved that Judge Black resume the office of secretary. Judge Black declined. THE KED IIIVEU TROUBLES. 231 On motion of Mr. R. McBeatli, seconded by Mr. A. Dahl, Mr. A. G. B. Bannatyne was appointed .secretary. Father Lcstanc came forward and said, amid clieers — " We have been good friends to this day in the whole Settlement ; and I want to certify here that we will be good friends to-nij^ht." Mr. Riel translated the remarks into French, and Rev. Hy. Cochrane into Indian. Mr. Smith again came forward, to finish reading the documents. This, he said, is a letter from the Governor General to Mr. MacTavish : — " Government House, Ottawa, Dec. C, 1869. " W. MacTavish, Esq., Governor of Assinniboia. " Sir, — T had the honor to address you in my capacity as representative of the Queen and Governor-General of Her Majesty's British North American possessions, and enclosed for your information a copy of a message received from Earl Granville, in reply to the account which I sent officially of the events occurring in Red River Settlement. The message conveys the mature opinion of the Imperial Cabinet. The proclamation I have issued is based on it ; and you will observe that it refers all, who have desires to express or complaints to make, to refer to me, as invested with authority on behalf of the British Govern- ment. And the inhabitants of Rupert's Land, of all classes and persuasions, may rest assured that Her Majes- ty's Government has no intention of interfering with, or setting aside, or allow others to interfere with the religions, the rights, or the franchise hitherto enjoyed, or 232 THE CREATION OF MANITOBA. 'tfll m> ..|i|ii!iiiiej^ to whicli they may licrcafter prove themselves e(iual, "Make what use you think best of this communication, and of the enclosed. " I have the honor to be, " Your most obedient and humble servant, "John Young." Mr. Smith — " The roxt document I will read is a com- munication from Mr. Howe to Mr. McDougall. I read it, not because I have any connection with Mr, McDougall, but because it is referred to in my commission : — " * Office of the Secretary of " ' State for the Provinces, " ' Ottawa, Dec. 7, 1869. " ' Sir, — I had the honor to address to you despatches addressed to you on the 19th and 20th of November, but for fear they have miscaiTied I duplicate them to you. I have the honor also to send you an Order in Council, passed this day, on the subject of customs duties. " * You will now be in a position to assure the residents of the North-West Territories — " * 1. That all their civil and religious liberties will be sacredly respected. " ' 2. That all their properties, rights and privileges of every kind, as enjoyed under the Government of the Hudson Bay Company, be continued. " ' 3. That in granting titles to land now occupied by the settlers, the most liberal policy will be pursued. " ' 4. That the present tariff of customs duties will be continued for two years from the 1st of January next, THE IlKD lUVEIl TROUHLES. 233 t'xce[)t in the case of sj)intiK)iiH Hfjuors, as specified in the Order in Council above alluded to. *"5. That in forming your Council the Governor-General will see that not only the Hudson Bay Company, but the other classes of the residents are fully and faiily represented. " * G. That your Council will have the power to establish municipal self-governnient at. once, and in such manner as they may think most beneficial for the country. " ' 7. That the country will be governed, as in the past, by British law,and according to the spirit of British justice. " ' 8. That the present government is to be considered as mei oly provisional and temporary ; and that the Government of Canada will be prepared to submit a measure to Parliament, granting a liberal constitution, so soon as you, as Governor, and your Council, have had the opportunity of repoi-ting fully on the wants and require- ments of the Territoiy. "'You had, of course, instructions on all the above mentioned points, except the tariff, before you left Ottawa. But it has been thought well that I should repeat them to you in this authoritative form. " * Trusting that before long you may be enabled to carry these liberal propositions into practice, in adminis- tering the affairs of the North-West, ' " * I have the honor, tfec, " ' Joseph Howe, " ' Secretary of State for the Provinces. " ' Hon. W. McDougall, Pembina.' " Mr. Kiel translated the above. 234 THE CUEATION OF MANITOBA. ■ I Mr. Smith said — "As reference has repeatedly been made in these papers to Mr. McDougall, I may say, that neither with that gentleman nor any of his party have I any, even the slightest, acquaintance, having never seen him nor any of his people, save for a few minutes on the road from Pembina to Georgetown — (Cheers) And at this pre- sent moment I have not written a single word either to him or any of his party. My commission is simply, alone, from the Government of Canada. Though personally unknown to you, I am as »nuch interested in the welfare of this country as others. On both sides I have a number of relations in this land — (cheers) — not merely Scotch cousins, but blood relations. Besides that, my wife and her children are natives of Rupert's Land — (Cheers). Hence, though I am myself a Scotchman, people generally will not be surprised that I should feel a deep interest in this great country and its inhabitants — (Cheers). I am here to-day in the interests of Canada, but only in so far as they are in accordance with the interests of this country — (Hear, hear, and cheers). Under no other cir- cumstances would I have consented to act — (Cheers). As to the Hudson Bay Company, my connection with that body is, I suppose, generally known ; but I will say that if it could do any possible good to the country, I would, at this moment, resign my position in that company. I sincerely hope that my humble efforts may, in some measure, contribute to bring about, peaceably, union, and entire accord among all classes of the people of this land." (Cheers). THE RED RIVER TROUBLES. 235 )een made it neither ,'e I any, seen him . the road ,t this pre- either to 3ly, alore, personally e welfare a number ly Scotch wife and -(Cheers). generally nterest in 5). I am in so far of this other cir- ers). As vith that say that I would, pany. I in some nion, and lis land." Mr. Smith next road the following document, which was printed in English and French : — " Office of the Secretary of State for the Provinces. "Sir, — As you have been appointed Lieut -Governor of the North- West Territories, in anticipation of the formal transfer of these Territories by Her Majesty to the Dominion of Canada, and as it is expected that such transfer will be made v/ithin the course of the next two or three montas, I have the honor, by command of His Excellency the Governor-General, to inform you that it is desirable that no time should be lost in making the neces- sary preliminary arrangement for the organization of the Government of the Territories. , " 2. With this view I am to instruct you to proceed with all convenient speed to Fort Garry, in order that you may effectually superintend the carrying out of the preliminary arrangements indicated in the preceding paragraph, and be ready to assume the government of the Territories on their actual transfer to Canada. " 3. On your arrival at Fort Garry, you will place yourself in communication with Mr. MacTavish, the Gov- ernor of the Hudson Bay Company, and notify him of your appointment. You will, at the same time, offer seats in your Council to Mr. MacTavish and to Mr. Black, or other chief judicial officer of the Hudson Bay Com- pany now in the Territory. And, should either or both of these gentlemen decline to accept office, you will sub- mit, for the consideration of His Excellency, the names of 336 THE CREATION OF MANITOBA. one or two other officers of the Company whom you consider eligible to act as members of the Council. You will at the same time submit the names of several of the residents, and of their character and standing in the Ter- ritory, unconnected with the Company, qualified to act as councillors, giving partictdars respecting them, and stating their comparative merits. " 4. You will have the goodness to report with all convenient speed, for the information of His Excellency, on the state of the laws, now existing in the Territories, transmitting copies of any laws, ordinances or regulations of the Company now in force there, together with a full report as to the mode of administering justice, the organ- ization of the courts, number and mode of appointment of Justices of the Peace, and the plans, arrangements and means adopted for keeping the peace there. " 5. In preparing the report on the matters referred to in the preceding paragraph, it will be well that you meet and confer with the chief judicial officer of the Company in the Territories. " 6. You will have the goodness to report also upon the system of taxation, if any, in force in the Territories, the system of licensing shops, taverns, &c., the mode of regu- lating or prohibiting the sale of wines, spirituous and malt liquors. Further, as to the mode of keeping up the roads ; and, generally, on the municipal organization, if any, existing in the Territories. " 7. You will also make a full report upon the state of the Indian tribes now in the Territories, their names, num- bers and claims, the system heretofore pursued by the THE RED RIVER TROUBLES. 237 Hudson Bay Company in dealing with them, accom- panied by any suggestions you may desire to offer with reference to their protection and the improvement of their condition. " 8. You will have the goodness to report also on the nature and amount of the currency or circulating medium now employed in the Territories, and of the probable requirements of the Territories in that respect for the future. " 9. You will also report on the system of education, if any, which obtains in the Territories. " 10. You will also please to report as to such lands in the Territories as it may be desirable to open up at once for settlement, transmitting a plan of such survey as may be necessary, with an estimate of the cost of survey, a statement of the condition of grants of land and settle- ment. The plan should show the number of townships it is proposed to lay out at once, the size and position of the townships, and the size of the lots, marking the necessary surveys for churches, schools, roads and other purposes. "11. You will also report upon the regulations at present existing between the Hudson Bay Company and the different religious bodies in the Territories. " 12. You will also report as to the number of officers now employed by the Hudson Bay Company in the administration of their Government of the Territories, stating the duties and salaries of such oiKcers, and speci- fying those who should, in your opinion, be retained. You will also report as to the number of persons whom it will be necessary hereafter to employ in the adminis- 238 THE CREATION OF MANITOBA. 'A' tration of the Government ; and you will report generally on all subjects connected with the welfare of the Terri- tory, upon which it may seem to you desirable to com- municate with the Government of the Dominion. " 13. It is desirable that you should take immediate measures for the extension of the Telegraph system from the Territories to Pembina, and for its connection at that place with the system of the American Telegraph Com- pany or Companies, making any provisional arrangements for that purpose which may be necessary, and forwarding a copy of such arrangements to this Department for con- firmation by His Excellency. " I have the honor to be, &c., "E. A. Meredith, " Secretary of State. " Hon W. McDougall, C.B., Ottawa." After the reading of this document an adjournment for half an hour was proposed and adopted. Business being resumed, Mr. Kiel, seconded by Mr. Bannatyne, moved that 20 representatives shall be elected, by the English population of Red River, to meet 20 other representatives of the French population, on Tuesday, the 25th inst, at noon, in the Court House, with the object of considering the subject of Mr. Smith's commis- sion, and to decide what would be best for the welfare of the country. — Carried. Cheers were then given for Father Lestanc, Bishop Machray, Father Richot, Mr. Riel, Mr. O'Donoghue, and the Commissioners. THE RED RIVER TROUBLES. 239 A VOICE — " That resolution seems to cast a doubt on Mr. Smith's commission. We do not doubt it." Mr. RiEL and Mr. O'Donoghue — " We accept the com- mission as genuine, and are merely to consider what is to be done under it." On motion of Judge Black, seconded by Mr. O'Dono- ghue, it was resolved that a committee, consisting of Thos. Bunn, Rev. J. Black, the Bishop of Rupert's Land, John Sutherland, and John Frazer, be appointed to meet and apportion the English representatives for the different parishes in the Settlement, and to determine the mode of election. Committee to meet to-morrow, at noon, at the Bishop's. Father Richot said — "That he was glad to be present, with the Bishop of Rupert's Land, and the clergy of various denominations. All, he believed, came there with the best interests of the people at heart. They came there to see that order and good feeling prevailed, and to influence people as far as they could in the direction of what was right and just — (Loud cheers). The clergy were also citizens, and, as such, they were glad to be present and promote those objects." — (Cheers). Bishop Machray was sure that every one would heartily respond to the kind feeling expressed, and do what was possible to promote union and concord — (Loud cheers). The rights of all present were the same, and on all reason- able propositions, there could not be very much difference of opinion — (Cheers). For his part he had the greatest hope that their coming together on that occasion, and their gathering next week, as proposed, would lead to a 240 THE CREATION OF MANITOBA. ' «■■ • ' ■■■' happy settlement of public affairs — (Cheers). And, there- fore, he hoped we would be as united in the future as we had been in the past — (Loud and repeated cheers). Mr. RiEL then [addressed the meeting as follows : — " Before this assembly breaks up, I cannot but express my feelings, however briefly. I came here with fear. We are not yet enemies — (loud cheers) — but we came very near being so. As soon as we understood each other, we joined in demanding what our English fellow-subjects in common with us believe to be our just rights — (Loud cheers). I am not afraid to say our rights ; for we all have rights — (Renewed cheers). We claim no half rights, mind you, but all the rights we are entitled to. Those rights will be set forth by our representatives, and, what is more, gentlemen, we will get them." (Loud cheers). The meeting then adjourned. Immediately after the close of the proceedings on the second day, the utmost good feeling appeared to exist amongst all classes towards each other. Caps were thrown in the air, cheers after cheers were given. French and English shook hands over what was then considered the happy prospects before the country, as most parties looked upon the difficulties as next thing to being settled. Certainly, the 20th January, 1870, was a happy day in the Red River Settlement ; but, alas ! that happiness was destined to be of short duration. On the 21st, the gentlemen appointed for the purpose met at Bishop Machray's residence, to make the allotments of members to each parish in the Settlement, on the English side, and the following is the result : — 11^ I id, there- re as we (Hows : — press my ear. We ime very other, we ibjects in s — (Loud )r we all Etlf rights, 0. Those ,nd, what cheers). ;s on the to exist aps were re given, was then untry, as thing to JO, was a tlas ! that e purpose allotments t, on the THE RED RIVER TROUBLES. 241 Town of Winnipeg 1 delegate. St. John 1 Kildonan 2 " St. Paul's 1 St. Andrew's 3 " St. Clement's 2 " St. Peter's 2 St. James' 2 Headingly 2 " St. Ann's 2 « St. Margaret's 1 " St. Mary's 1 20 delegates. Kiel had promised to disband the most of his men in Fort Garry, but Dame Rumor again indulged in one of her pranks, which so often did harm during that eventful winter. On this occasion a report reached the ears of the French that the English and Scotch settlers were coming up, in force, to release the prisoners. Now, no such idea was in existence ; but the rumor, in connection with the demonstration made at the close of the first day of the mass meeting, had the effect of increasing, instead of decreasing, the number of armed men in Fort Garry. Kiel now bestirred himself to such a degree anion o-st the French half-breeds, that he succeeded in getting the men he wished to be elected as representatives at the approaching convention, and, by that means, he once more regained the power he had lost, and, at the same time, defeated La.veiller's party. Q mi 242 THE CREATION OF MANITOBA. On the 22nd January, Kiel committed another act of trespass on the Hudson's Bay Company, by taking pos- session of the mess room and adjoining apartments, and Dr. Cowan, who resided in the building, was obliged to move to other quarters. As there are several incidents connected with the elections of the English delegates to the approaching convention, which are deserving of notice, we will deal with them in the following chapter. ■i ' THE RED RIVER TROUBLES. 243 CHAPTER XI. AMERICANS MEETING AT WINNIPEG — THEIR RESOLUTIONS — ELECTION OF DELEGATES — PROCLAMATION OP THE GOVERNOR-GENERAL — MEITTING OF THE DELEGATES — LIST OP RIGHTS — STORMY DISCUS- SIONS THEREON. HE " New Nation " still continued its advocacy of annexation, and the consequence was that a large number of copies were returned to the office by many of those to whom they had been sent ; and, in fact, the newspaper was generally un- popular throughout the Settlement. In the paper of the 21st January, there appeared the following paragraph, more in the shape of news than a formal notice : — " The primary meeting, for the election of the delegate from Winnipeg, will be held at the engine-room on Satur- day evening, the 22nd inst." On account of this, a large number of the inhabitants of the town did not attend the meeting on the day men- tioned, although it was held as proposed, and was densely packed, chiefly by Americans. Major Robinson was chosen chairman, and Mr. Cold well, secretary ; and then Mr. R. C. Burdick arose and presented the following resolutions for the consideration of the parties present : — " Whereas, the present state of affairs that now exists in our colony is not one that is calculated to insure public 244 THE CREATION OF MANITOBA. confidence and prosperity, and, for the purpose of devis- ing some measure to restore the same, a council of forty delegates from diiTerent portions thereof is to assemble on Tuesday, the 25th instant : " And, whereas, we learn that Mr. Smith is empowered, upon the part of Canada, to make to this people certain concessions, or guarantee to us certain rights which we ask, and which we hope will be conceded : and, whereas, we, the individuals comprising the meeting, fully believe that in these concessions being made, upon the part of Canada, lies all our hope for a speedy relief from the pre- sent existing state of confusion, and looking to a proba- bility of the council deciding that Mr. Smith's promises may not be such as will warrant the possession immedi- ately of this country by the Canadian Government, in which event it will be necessary for that council to decide upon some form of government to administer the execu- tive during the time intervening between this and the ultimate adoption or rejection by Canada of our offers : " And, whereas, it being the opinion of the individuals comprising this meeting, that the restoration by the public of Governor MacTavish to the executive, to be aided by a council, elected by a popular vote ; therefore be it resolved, — " The delegate, who shall be chosen by the meeting to represent us in that council, be instructed to use all honorable means, that may lay in his power, to bring about the result above mentioned." A division of the house was then made on the above, and on account of the preponderance of the American THE RED RIVER TROUBLES. 245 party, they were lost ; but Mr. H. McKenncy then moved, in addition to the above resolutions given, that, — " In the event of that object being unattainable, that our delegate be instructed to use his best j'xdgment in obtaining such other form of government as may be, in the meantime, effective in maintaining peace and good order in the Settlement, and the restoration of its pros- perity." This answered the views of the American party ex- actly, and the consequence was that the resolutions, with McKenney's addition tacked on, were adopted by a ma- jority. Mr. Alfred H. Scott was then proposed as the delegate, and, in amendment, the name of Mr. A. G. B. Bannatyne Wiis put forward. The former, however, had a majority amongst ^he parties present, although the whole proceed- ings were protested against, as no regular notice had been given of the meeting, except to the American party in the town. The friends of Mr. Bannatyne afterwards obtained the signatures of most of the responsible men in Winnipeg, desiring him as their delegate ; whereas Mr. Scott showed a much smaller number of names, composed chiefly of parties who had little, if any, stake in the country, and most of whom owed allegiance to Uncle Sam. Yet, in the face of this, the convention afterwards decided against Mr. Bannatyne, because that gentleman, for the sake of peace, preferred not having another election, as there was every probability of a serious row, should one take place. 24G THE CREATION OF MANITOBA. r^i I! M II d t In this way the American party, at that time, carried mattera with a high hand in the town. The following were the views of the Bishop of Rupert's Land on the subject : — "Dear Mr. Bannatyne, — In claiming the seat for Winnipeg, it would be well to demand that it be settled by the English representatives, or by the committee ap- pointed to determine the mode of election. The com- mittee coulu meet and examine the votes tendered for the candidates in a disputed election, hold security, and reject or receive any votes as may seem to them just. " I am, " Very sincerely yours, "R. Rupert's Land." On Sunday night, the 23rd January, Dr. Schultz suc- ceeded in making his escape from prison, by opening his window and letting himself down with strips of buffalo hide, which he had cut from the robes that constituted his bed. He then managed to climb the wall, and, ob- taining the use of a horse and sleigh from a friend, he fled in the direction of the Stone Fort. The next day a party of Frenchmen were sent off in pui'suit of him, but did not succeed in finding him. On Tuesday, the 25th January, the first meeting of the convention took place ; but, as all the French coun- cillors were not present, it was adjourned till half-past three o'clock in the afternoon, when it was again post- poned till one o'clock the next day for a similar reason. That evening Mr. Thos. Spence, one of the delegates THE RED RIVER TROUBLES. 2t7 from tho Parish of St. Peter's, was arrested for somo reason or another by Riel, but soon afterwards liberated. This was an unfortunate occurrence at tho time, and pro- duced an evil effect. On tho next day, at the hour appointed, tho French and English delegates, as follow, met for dispatch of business : — French Representatives. St. FauVs Pierre Thibert. Alex. Pagee. Magnus Birston. St. Frangois Xa we?*.... Xavier Pagee. Pierre Poitras. St. Charles Baptiste Beauchemin, took his seat afterwards, as the election was contested. St. Boniface W. B. O'Donoghuc. Ambroise Lepine. Jos. Genton. Louis Schmidt. St. Vital Louis Riel. Andr^ Beauchemin. St. NorheH Pierre Parranteau. Norbert Caronce. B. Touron. Foinie Coupee Louis Lascerte. Pierre Delorme. Oah Foint. Thos. Harrison. Charles Nolin. Fointe a Gvouctte George Klyne. . I' 248 the creation of manitoba. English Representatives. St. Peter's Rev. Henry Cochrane. Thos. Spence. St. Clement's Thos. Bunn . Alex. McKenzie. St, Andrew's Jud^e Black. Donald Gunn, Senr. Alfred Boyd. St. Paul's Dr. Bird. Kildonan „. John Fraser. John Sutherland. St. John's.... ....... .......James Ross. St. James' Geo. Flett. Robert Tait. Headingly ...John Taylor. Wm. Lonsdale. St. Mary's Kenneth McKenzie. St. Margaret's Wm. Cummings. .*^t. Anne's Geo. Gunn. D. Spence. Winnipeg Alfred H. Scott. On the motion of Riel, Judge Black was appointed chairman, and then the meeting selected Mr. Coldwell as secretary on the English side, and Louis Schmidt on that of the French. It was then agreed, as the room in which they had met was a smal? one, that only the clei'gy and newspaper reporters should be allowed access to the convention, it being deemed sufficient that the public should learn the THE RED RIVER TROUBLES. 249 ippointed )ldwell as t on that they had ewspaper ention, it learn the result of each day's proceedings through the columns of the newspaper. The next question brought up, was that of the con- tested elections, which were ultimately decided against the following parties : — John F. Grant. Angus McKay. A. G. B. Bannatyne. Mr. Smith's papers were then sent for, and, after some discussion, these were placed in the hands of Louis Schmidt, for the purpose of translating them into French. This closed the second day's proceedings, and the meet- ing adjourned till the next morning. Governor MacTavish, having occasion to send some letters to the Stone Fort, entrusted them to a messenger, who succeeded in leaving Fort Garry with them without being detected. He had not gone far, however, when a guard from Kiel overtook him and brought him back. Riel then demanded the papers from the man, and, on receiving them, returned them to Governor MacTavish, unopened. This circumstance shows how strictly the doings of the Hudson's Bay Company, as well as other parties, were watched ; in fact, it seemed, at that time, almost impossible to do anything without the fact being immediately afterwards communicated to Riei. Spies were everywhere, and no man felt sure of even his dearest friend. The revolutions in France hardly offer a parallel to the state of affairs then existing in the neigh- borhood of Fort Garry. About noon on the 27th, the convention again sat, and 250 THE CREATION OF MANITOBA. m 1 Mr. Smith's papers were read and liscussed, during which the following document was called for by Mr. Ross ; but, as it could not be found, having gone astray, or been designedly put away by some party or parties, it was passed over and never afterwards appeared in public in Red River. The paper thus called for was a proclamation, issued on the 6th December, based on the cable telegram sent by Earl Granville to Sir John Young, Governor-General of Canada : — "PROCLAMATION. " By His Excellency the Right Honourable Sir John Young, Baronet, a member of Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, Knight Grand Cross of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath, Knight Grand Cross of the Most Distinguished Order of St. Michael and St. George, Governor-General of Canada. " To all and every the loyal subjects of Her Majesty the Queen, and to all to whom these presents shall come Greeting : . " The Queen has charged me, as her representative, to inform you that certain misguided persons in her Settle- ments on the Red River have banded themselves together, to oppose, by force, the entry into her North- Western Territories of the officers selected to administer in her name the government, when the Territories are united to the Dominion of Canada, under the authority of the late Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom ; and that THE RED RIVER TROUBLES. 251 those parties have also forcibly, and with violence, pre- vented others of her loyal subjects from ingress into the country. Her Majesty feels assured that she may rely upon the loyalty of her subjects in the North -West, and believes those men, who have thus illegally joined to- gether, have done so from some misrepresentations. The Queen is convinced that, in sanctioning the union of the North- West Territories with Canada, she is promoting the best interest of the residents, and, at the same time, strengthening and consolidating her North American possessions, as part of the British Empire. You may judge, then, of the sorrow and displeasure with which the Queen views the unreasonable and lawless proceed- ings which have occurred. " Her Majesty commands me to state to you, that she will always be ready, through me, as her representative, to redress all well-founded grievances ; and that she has instructed me to hear and consider any complaints that may be made, or desires that may be expressed, to me, as Governor-General. At the same time she has charged me to exercise all the powers and authority with which she has entrusted me, in the support of order, and the suppression of unlawful distiu'bances. " By Her Majesty's authority, I do therefore assure you that, on the union with Canada, all your civil and reli- gious rights and privileges will be respected, your pro- perties secured to you, and that your country will be governed, as in the past, under British laws, and in the spirit of British justice. ** I do further, under her authority, entreat and com- 252 THE CREATION OF MANITOBA. S.. 'm * mand those of you who are still assembled and banded together, in defiance of law, peaceably to disperse, and return to your homes, under the penalties of the law, in case of disobedience. " And I do lastly inform you that, in case of your im- mediate and peaceable obedience and dispersion, I shall order that no legal proceedings be taken against any parties implicated in these unfortunate breaches of the law. " Given under My Hand and Seal-at-Arms at Ottawa, this sixth day of December, in the year of our Lord, one thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, and in the thirty- third year of Her Majesty's reign. /- , — " — > ^ " By Command, I Seal. I » John Young." " H. L. Langevin, " Secretary of State.'' The reason that the production of the above document was not insisted upon was, that it might prevent a har- monious action of the two sides of the convention, and result in destroying the chances of settlement between them. Mr. Smith was, shortly afterwards, requested to attend the meeting, and, upon his doing so, and after having been formally introduced to the delegates, he stated that Canada was prepared to respect the people of the country, and grant them everything that was fair. It was then proposed that the original list of rights should be handed to Mr. Smith, so that his views might THE RED RIVER TROUBLES. 253 d banded )erse, and be law, in your im- on, I shall ainst any hes of the it Ottawa, Lord, one bhe thirty- Young." document rent a har- jntion, and it between i to attend ter having tated that le country, it of rights iews might be obtained as to the likelihood of their being granted by Canada. As that list, howevei', necessarily was im- perfect, having been framed without sufficient considera- tion, it was deemed proper that a committee should be appointed to frame a new list, to be first presented to the convention, as a body, for their approval or alteration ; and, when finally agreed upon by the majority of the 40 delegates present-, to be then laid before Mr. Smith, and his views taken upon it; and then the extent of his power to grant or guarantee the several clauses in it could be ascertained. Mr. Smith having then retired, the following gentle- men were appointed to form a committee, for the purpose of framing the proposed new Bill of Rights : — Louis Kiel, Louis Schmidt, Charles Nolin. — -French. James Ross, Dr. Bird, Thos. Bunn. — English. The above committee was formed altogether of natives of the country, it having been so desired by the general voice of the meeting. The convention did not again meet for business until the 29th, so as to allow the committee sufficient time to frame their list of rights. Li the meantime an interesting individual arrived in the Settlement, who is bound to figure rather conspicu- ously in the after events of this history. The following paragraph, which appeared in the " New Nation," will throw some light on the subject: — "Arrival. — Capt. J. E. Gay, R.S.C., from Paris, France. The captain comes to tl .is country simply as a sight-seer, 254 THE CREATION OP MANITOBA. and proposes visiting the various interesting localities in these parts." Now the captain arrived in rather a mysterious sort of manner ; his residence in the Settlement was of rather a mysterious character; and the mode of his departure from Red River was still more difficult to comprehend ; but, as we will frequently have occasion to mention the gen* tleman hereafter, we will pass him over for the present, merely stating that, on his arrival, he was, immediately, taken prisoner b}'^ order of Riel, who, shortly afterwards, however, released him ; and the gay captain, having ob- tained his liberty, succeeded in raisin^ "/U sorts of con- jectures amongst the people, as to who he could be, and what was his errand at that particular time- -some hav- ing it that he was a Canadian spy ; others, that he was an emissary from Bishop Tach^, and others, that he was a gentleman of means in search of adventure. All this, however, afterwards dwindled down to a report that he was merely a schoolmaster in search of something to turn up. What was he ? Query ? The " New Nation," about this time, began to change its tone in regard to its annexation views ; and did not come out so strong in that respect, as it did at the com- mencement of its career. Americans, generally, began to feel that they were losing ground amongst a people who, in reality, felt no desire to change their allegiance as British subjects. Our ;eaders must not imagine that we are at all in- clined to censure the American people generally, or even all the American residents in Red River, for the acts of THE RED RIVER TROUBLES. 255 a few who, residing in a foreign country, thought proper to interfere in matters which neither concerned them nor their nationality ; on the contrary, there were Americans living in Ked River, and also at Pembina, who did not agree with the doings of their fellow-countrymen ; and had the acts of the few, whom we have reference to, been known in the United States, they would have met with universal condemnation ; and, for this reason, we are not disposed to place them in any other light than the per- nicious effect of the acts committed upon the oft attempted settlement of the Red River difficulties. While the convention of delegates was in session, a rumor was circulated that Bishop Tach^ was on his way from Rome, to use his influence in bringing about some peaceful solution of the troubles ; and, it is needless to say, that all classes earnestly hoped that it might prove true, as it was believed that his influence would have great weight in restoring order and harmony amongst the people generally. The committee on the list of rights finished their labours on the 29 th ; and the convention then discussed the articles of the Bill, one by one, taking until the 3rd February to do so. It is unnecessary to give the debates that accompanied the consideration of the bill of rights, it will be suffi- cient to give our readers the complete list as it passed in the convention : — "List of Rights* " 1st. That, in view of the present exceptional position 256 THE CREATION OF MANITOBA. of the North- West, duties upon goods impoi 'd into the country shall continue as at present (exce}>^ in the oaf- ; of spirituous liquors) for three years, and for ich larther tii^e as may elapse, until there t' a imtorn-pted railroad cr 1 imuni ;ation between Red River Settlement and St. Paul, and also steam commuri 'nation between Red River Sei^^ement and Lake Superior. "2nd. As long as this country remains a territory in the Dominion of Canada, there shall be no direct taxation, except such as may be imposed by the local legislature, for municipal or other local purposes. " 3rd. That, during the time this country shall remain in ^he position of a territory, in the Dominion of Canada, all military, civil, and other public expenses, in connec- tion with the general government of the country, or that have hitherto been borne by the public funds of the Settlement, beyond the receipt of the above-mentioned duties, shall be met by the Dominion of Canada. " 4th. That while the burden of public expense in this territory is borne by Canada, the country be governed under a Lieutenant-Governor from Canada, and a Legis- lature, three members of whom, being heads of depart- ments of the Government, shall be nominated by the Governor-General of Canada. "5th. That, after the expiration of this exceptional period, the country shall be governed, as regards its local affairs, as the Provinces of Ontario and Quebec are now governed, by a Legislature by the people, and a Ministry responsible to it, under a Lieutenant-Governor, appointed by the Governor-Genelral of Canada^ THE RED RIVER TROUBLES. 257 into the the ca>:-! I larther railroad and St. ed River ritory in taxation, gislature, II remain ' Canada, n connec" y, or that Is of the aentioned ise in this governed a a Legis- )f depart- (d by the iceptional s its local c are now Ministry appointed " 6th. That there shall be no interference by ti' -> Do- minion iarliament in the local affairs of this territory, other than is allowed in the provinces, ard that this territory shall have and enjoy, in all respects, the same privileges, advantages and aids in meeting the public expenses of this territoiy, as the provinces have and enjoy. "7th. That, while the Nort^ T." t remains a territory, the Legislature have a right ' "^ pr all laws, local to the territory, over the veto of *^' e T.leutenant-Governor, by a two-thirds vote. • " 8th. A homestead and ' ^-e^nption law. " 9th. That, while the North-West remains a^territory, the sum of $25,000 a year be appropriated for schools, roads and bridges. " 10th. That all the public buildings be at the expense of the Dominion Treasury. "11th. That there shall be guaranteed uninterrupted steam communication to Lake Superior, within five j'-ears ; and also the establishment, by rail, of a connection with the American railway as soon as it reaches the interna- tional line. " 12th. That the military'- force required in this country be composed of natives of the country during four years. [Lost by a vote of 16 yeas to 23 nays, and consequently struck out of the list.] " 13th. That the English and French languages be com- mon in the Legislature and Courts, and that all public documents and Acts of the Legislature be published in both languages. R 258 THE CREATION OF MANITOBA. I- " 14th. That the Judge of the Supreme Court speak the French and English languages. "loth. That treaties be concluded between the Do- minion and the several Indian tribes of the country, as soon as possible. " 16th. That, until the population of the country en- titles us to more, we have three representatives in the Canadian Parliament ; one in the Senate, and two in the Legislative Assembly. " 17th. That all the properties, rights and privileges, as hitherto enjoyed by us, be respected, and that the recog- nition and arrangement of local customs, usages and privileges be made under the control of the Local Legis- lature. " 18th. That the Local Legislature of this territory have full control of all the lands inside a circumference having Upper Fort Garry as a centre, and that the radius of this circumference be the number of miles that the American line is distant from Fort Garry. " 19th. That every man in the country (except uncivil- ized and unsettled Indians) who has attained the age of 21 years, and every British subject, a stranger to this coTintry who has resided three years in this country, and is a householder, shall have a right to vote at the election of a member to serve in the Legislature of the country, and in the Dominion Parliament ; and every foreign sub- ject, other than a British subject, who has resided the same length of time in the country, and is a householder, shall have the same right to vote, on condition of his taking the oath of allegiance, it being understood that THE RED RIVER TROUBLES. 259 this article be subject to amendment exclusively by the Local Legislature. " 20th. That the North-West Territory shall never be held liable for any portion of the £300,000 paid to the Hudson's Bay Company, or for any portion of the public debt of Canada, as it stands at the time of our entering the Confederation ; and if, thereafter, we be called upon to assume our share of said public debt, we consent only, on condition that we first be allowed the amount for which we shall be held liable." As soon as the last article had been carried, Kiel pro- posed that, as they had fully discussed the terms upon which they would become a territory in the Dominion of Canada, the delegates ought now to consider the advan- tages of entering Confederation as a province. This ques- tion was accordingly fully discussed during Friday, Feb- ruary 4th, and resulted in the opinion of the meeting being in favour of becoming a territory. It was then proposed that Mr. Smith should be re- quested to attend the meeting on the next day, when Kiel rose and said that he had still another clause which he wished to be added to the list of rights, and which he would proceed to place before the delegates, for their consideration, namely : — " That all bargains with the Hudson's Bay Company, for the transfer of this territory, be considered null and void ; and that any arrangements, with reference to the transfer of this countiy, shall be carried on only with the people of this country." The next day, after Kiel's proposition had been dis- 200 THE CREATION OF MANITOBA. cussed at some Icngtli, it was finally put in the form of a motion, and lost, by 17 yeas and 22 nays. Kiel, when this result was ascertained, jumped up, and, with great warmth, while marching up and down the council room, said : — " Tho devil take it : we must win. The vote may go as it likes ; but the measure, which has now been defeated, must be carried. It is a shame to have lost it ; and it was a greater shame, because it was lost by those traitors" — pointing to Nolin, Klyne and Harrison. Mr. Nolin jumped up and said, with indignation, in French — " 1 was not sent here, Mr. Riel, to vote at your dictation. I came here to vote according to my consci- ence. While there are some things for which we blame the Company, there is a good deal for which we must thank them. I do not exculpate the Company altogether; but I say that, in time of need, we have often been in- debted to them for assistance and kindness." Mr. Riel. — " While I say this matter must be carried, I do not wish to speak disrespectfully to the convention. But I say it will be carried at a subsequent stage. You must remember," he added, angrily, " that there is a pro- visional government, and, though this measure has been lost by the voice of the convention, I have friends enough, who are determined to add it to the list, on their own responsibility." Turning to the French section of the convention, he said, speaking rapidly, and with great vehemence, and pointing threateningly to those he ad- dressed — " As for you, Charles Nolin, Tom Harrison, and Geo. Klyne — two of you relatives of my own — as for THE RED RIVER TROUBLES. 201 rm of a up, and, wn the may go iefeated, ; and it ,raitors" ition, in at your Y consci- 7Q blame we must ogether; been in- ) carried, ivention. . You is a pro- has been enough, heir own n of the th great se he ad- ison, and I — as for you, your inHuence, as public men, is finished in tliis country. Look at the position in which you huvo placed yourselves. You have lost your influence," he added, emphatically, " forever." Mr. NoLiN. — " Let mo tell Mr. Riel that I was sent here by my parish. I never sought the position, and, personally, if I am lost to public affairs, I would be rather glad of it. You, Mr. Riel, did what you could to prevent my coming hero, and failed ; and, if it suited my pur- ])Ose to come back again, I would come at the call of my parish, in spite of you." The meeting then broke up in some confusion, it hav- ing, at one time, appeared as if there would have been a serious row. An adjournment was arranged till the next day, when it was proposed that the convention should hear Mr. Smith's views on the list of rights. On the evening of the 4th February, just after Riel had made his proposition, to annul all bargains with the Hudson's Bay Company, for the transfer of the country, he entered the sick chamber of Governor MacTavish, and, it is said, abused him in harsh terms, for some reason or another that is not known. This act, to say the least of it, was cruel, since it was directed against a man enfeebled by sickness ; probably it proceeded from excitement on Riel's part, over an ex- pected opposition, the next day, to liis proposition, in- tended to prevent, if possible, the paymeu'i of the £300,000 to the Hudson's Bay Company. 262 THE CREATION OF MANITOBA. CHAPTER XII. KIEL ARRESTS GOVERNOR MACTAVISH ; IMPRISONS DR. COWAN ; AND THREATENS MR. BANNATYNE, WHO WISHED TO VISIT THE PRISON- ERS — MEETING Ol THE DELEGATES AND COMMISSIONERS— LIST OF RIGHTS DISCUSSED — FORMATION OF A PROVISIONAL GOVERNMENT — RIEL IS ELECTED AND PROCLAIMED PRESIDENT. jN several occasions, it appeared as if Riel was attempting to force his views upon the conven- tion, and this report, being circulated amongst the people, caused a good deal of dissatisfac- tion. Coupled with this, the non-release of the prisoners excited feelings amongst the English settlers not at all friendly towards Riel and his party, especially when it became known that Mr. Wm. Hallet had been put in irons for some breach of his prison discipline. We must say that, under the circumstances, it was a piece of unneces- sary cruelty, placing a captive in irons when there were so many men in the Fort for the purpose of guarding the prisoners. It should have been remembered that Mr. Hallet had a family living in the Settlement, who, doubt- less, would feel very anxious regarding his fate, on hear- ing of the extreme rigor of his position. Although (as it was reported), a few of the prisoners may have created a disturbance, and, by doing so, irritated their guards al- most beyond patience, that of itself was no excuse for the harsh measures inflicted upon William Hallet. THE RED RIVER TROUBLES. 263 ^AN ; AND B PRISON- — LIST OF *,NMENT-- iliel was conven- amongst satisfac- )risoners it at all when it ; in irons mst say unneces- sre were ding the ihat Mr. ), doubt- on hear- th (as it reated a lards al- je for the Riel, at that time, seemed to be constantly in a state of extreme excitement. His tret^.tment of Governor Mac- Tavish — denouncing and quarr&iling with Nolin — and putting Wm. Hallet in irons — all tended to show that an undue influence was being exercised over his better judg- ment. About this time, it became known that Mr. Jos. Monk- man, bearing a commission from Mr. McDougall, was on his way to the interior to treat with the Indians. Mr. Monkman had been a firm, friend and supporter of Dr. Schultz for some years. Is it, then, to be wondered at if people attributed his appointment as an Indian commis- sioner pro tern, to the influence Dr. Schultz professed to have with Mr. McDougall. Mr. Monkman had orders from the expectant governor to the officers in charge of the several Hudson's Bay Company's posts along his route, to supply him with provisions or other necessaries. This, say the least of it, was cool, especially when we consider Mr. McDougall's want of authority in the matter. Mr. Monkman found, however, that Mr. McDougall's word, as far as the procuring the requisite necessaries was con- cerned, vras not quite as good as his bond, and ascertain- ing that Governor MacTavish's order was the only one that would be taken in the matter, Mr. Monkman return- ed to the Settlement without having fulfilled any part of his mission — a fortunate thing, as it turned out after- wards, both for the sake of the Dominion as well as of Red River. On Saturday night, the Gth Feb., Riel, after having been defeated in his measure to make null and void all bargains 2C4 THE CREATION OF MANITOBA. with the Hudson's Bay Company, entered the sick cham- ber of Governor MacTavish, and, it is said, used very harsh and abusive language towards him. He then placed guards in the house to prevent any one from going in or coming out of it ; and thus actually held the inmates as prisoners. Dr. Cowan was next taken, and placed in the same room with Wm. Hallet. The effect of such acts as those, on the part of Riel, can hardly be imagined ; it in fact, at one sweep, counteracted any good that may have been attained, and left the English settlers and their re- presentatives still more distrustful of Kiel's intentions. No other reason can be found to account for this strange conduct on the part of the leader of the French party, un- less it was, if possible, to overawe the English delegates, and force them into the course laid out by Riel. On the evening of this outrage on Mr. MacTavish and Dr. Cowan, Mr. Hargrave, the Governor's private secretary, hurried to Mr. Bannatyne, and informed him of what had taken place. That gentleman immediately took steps to find out how far the safety of the families in the Fort was im- perilled ; and meeting Riel, was ordered by him not to go near the Fort, Mr. Bannatyne, however, feeling still more anxious from this circumstance, determined, if possible, to gain access to Mr. MacTavish's residence, and that night had so far accomplished his design, that he was in the act of climbing over the Avail of Fort Garry, and just dropping down on the inside, when he was perceived by one of the guards, and the next moment a heavy stick of wood flew past his head. Mr. Bannatyne then, finding himself dis- covered, and knowing that it would be useless to attempt THE RED RIVER TROUBLES. 2G5 k chain- ry harsh L placed ig in or aates as d in the acts as d ; it in ay have their re- tentions, strange arty, nn- ielegates, On the Cowan, hurried d taken to find was im- Lot to go till more ssible, to at night n the act Iropping [le of the ood flew .self dis- attempt carrying out his purpose, resolved upon waiting till the next morning. Accordingly, the following day (Sunday), in company with Mr. Henry McDermott, Mr. Bannatyne went to the Fort, and succeeded in passing the guards, and obtained an entrance into the Governor's house. Til ere he found Mrs. MacTavish in a dreadful state at the condition of her husband. In the meantime, however, several of the French in the Fort, having perceived Mr. Bannatyne enter the gate, ran across the river on the ice to St. Boniface, where Kiel was attending church, and in- formed him of the fact. Kiel thereupon immediately re- turned in haste to Fort Garry, but found that Mr. Banna- tyne and Mr. McDermott had left on their return to the town. A guard was at once sent after them, and they were brought back. Kiel then, walking up to Mr. Banna- tyne said, — " Did I not tell you that you v*'ere not to enter this Fort?" Mr. Bannatyne replied that he had done so, and would do so again if necessary. Kiel then said that he was to consider himself a pris- oner, and accordingly he was placed under arrest, Mr. Mc- Dermott, however, being set at liberty. About the same time, it was rumored that Kiel purposed taking Charles Nolin prisoner ; and, on that account, a number of men, amongst others, Nolin's brothers, determined to defend him. A guard did leave Fort Garry to carry out Biel's intentions in this matter, but, meeting one of the Nolin's, accompanied by some friends, a scuffle ensued, during which the enraged man (Nolin) snapped his pistol once or 2G6 THE CREATION OF MANITOBA. r^ twice in the face of one of his antagonists, and, finding the weapon useless as a fire-arm, he used it as a club, giv- ing several ugly cuts with it, and finally wound up by running the barrel into the mouth of the individual he was struggling with, endeavouring at the same time to fire it off. The guard then returned to Fort Garry, on finding that Nolin's friends were gathered in force to re- sist them. Two of Kiel's men, the next day, endeavored to interfere with the mail as it was entering Winnipeg, but were prevented by several inhabitants of the town. It may be imagined that times were somewhat lively around Fort Garry during this stage of the troubles. As- suredly they were ; and Kiel's life was never in so much danger as during the last few days of the convention, which fact he was evidently aware of, as will be seen by the following incident : — One evening (7th Feb.,) Kiel went out, and called upon a brother of Charles Nolin, it is said, for the purpose of explaining matters, and to effect a recon.ciliation, if possi- ble. While he was sitting in the house eating supper, a man having a gun passed the window ; upon which Kiel sud- denly threw down his knife and fork, and declared that he was about to be shot. Nolin answered that he never would be shot in his house, and immediately went out to see who the man was. It appears that he was an Indian, seeking the way to a comrade's lodge, and perfectly inno- cent of any attempt on Kiel's life. Almost immediately after this occurred, about forty men from the Fort arrived, and accompanied Kiel back to his quarters. It is quite evident that the leader of the French party was in a fear- id, finding a club, giv- ind up by [ividual he le time to Garry, on oree to re- endeavored Winnipeg, the town, ivhat lively )ubles. As- in so much convention, be seen by called upon purpose of ion, if possi- apper,aman ;h Kiel sud- clared that at he never went out to IS an Indian, rfectly inno- immediately ITort arrived, It is quite vas in a fear- THE RED RIVER TROUBLES. 2G7 ful state of excitement, as not long afterwards he was threatened with an attack of brain fever. On Monday morning the English delegates were undecided whether to attend the convention after the occurrences which had taken place, and which we have already described — but finally they resolved to go. Grand Vicar Thibault, Colonel de Saiaberry, and Mr. D. A. Smith, having been requested to attend, were present, and spoke in regard to their powers as Commissioners, from which it appeared that the two former gentlemen were sent merely as peace messengers, which has already been shown, and that the latter was invested with a little more authority to deal with the difficulties. Riel thereupon pressed Mr. Smith to give a guarantee that the list of rights, or even a part thereof, would be granted by Canada, which, however, that ,^en- tleman did not feel sufficiently authorized to do. The result of this was that the bill of rights was reviewed clause by clause by Mr. Smitl^ and his opiiuons taken upon the several articles coi. aed in it, so fai aj the probability of their being _ anted by Canada v/as concerned. This took up the whole of that day, and resulted in an invitation on the part of the three Com- missioners that two or m tc delegates should be sent by the people of Red River oo Canada to confer with the Government at Ottawa as to ^he best plan to be pursued for the future government of the country. The next day the question as to whether the invitation of the Com- missioners should be accepted or not was brought up. 2G8 THE CREATION OF MANITOBA. and, after some discussion on the subject, it was re- solved : — " That inasmuch as the Canadian Commissioners invited delegates from this country to Canada to confer with the Canadian Government as to the affiiirs of this country, and as a cordial reception has been promised to said delegates, Be it therefore resolved that the invitation be accepted, and that the same be signified to the Com- missioners." - Messrs. Tait and Laronce were then appointed to convey the resolution to the three Commissioners. It may be here mentioned that Colonel de Salaberry, on behalf of the Canadian Government, had agreed that the Dominion Aould pay the expenses of the delegates to Ottawa. This being settled, Kiel's all-important point, which he had never lost sight of throughout the different stages of the troubles, was brought up, namely, the formation of a Provisional Government. The English delegates were not prepared to take any decided steps in this matter without first consulting the people who sent them to the convention. It must here be said that the limited powers vested in their delegates by the English and Scotch settlers was the cause of a gi'eat deal of trouble, misunderstanding, and want of harmony in the convention, and to say the least of it, was a singular method of sending representatives to take part in any matter concerning the popular welfare. When they decided upon sending delegates it would have been far better, and, at all events, more complimen- y © ^ 1.0 I.I 1.25 i:^ 1^ 12.5 2.0 1^ 111 ^ 1.4 1.8 1.6 V] /i ^> M 4V^ 7 Photographic Sciences Corporation 33 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (716) 872-4503 4^ 4S > 5 274 THE CREATION OF MANITOBA. CHAPTER XIII. APPOINTMENT OP DELEGATES TO THE GOVERNMENT OF CANADA — MASS-MEETING OP ENGLISH SETTLERS AT KILDONAN SCHOOL-HOUSE — MISS MACVICAR AND MR. BANNATYNE OBTAIN THE RELEASE OF THE PRISONERS — SUTHERLAND IS MURDERED BY PARISIEN — WM. GADDEE IS REPORTED TO HAVE BEEN KILLED IN GAOL — THE PORTAGE PARTY ARE CAPTURED AND INCARCERATED. I \l ' lit •■ ' 5HE convention, however, had not finished its labors. The question of " who were to be the delegates, and how they were to be appointed?" had to be settled. And in this case Riel com- mitted a very great blunder, by nominating the men, and afterwards pushing their appointment to such a degree as to secure it. Amongst those named, and afterwards elected, was Mr. Alfred H. Scott, a young man with little, if i^^ny, stake in the country, and who, in fact, represented only the small party of Americans in the town of Winnipeg. Certainly, it was not following out a consistent course, by placing such a man, allied, as he was, to foreigners, in a position which affected so deeply the common interests of the Settlement. It would have been far better had Rev. Mr. Richot and Judge Black been the only ones chosen, — this, at all events, would have shown a firmness that other- wise was not shown to be the case. As it stood, there were, in reality, two delegates from the French and one from the English, as Mr. Scott proftised, openly, to be in THE RED RIVER TROUBLES. 275 CANADA — lOOL-HOUSE RELEASE OF ISIEN — WM. GAOL — THE nished its 5 to be the ppointed?" Kiel com- 3 men, and 1 a degree d, was Mr. y, stake in T the small Certainly, by placing a position ists of the d Rev. Mr. >sen, — this, hat other- tood, there •h and one [y, to be in the confidence and on the side of the former party. The appointments, however, were made and confirmed; but subsequent events, as will be shown, prevented their de- parture for Canada till some time afterwards. Towards the end of the convention, Kiel stated that the English members would not be held responsible for any previous acts of the French party. He also declared Dr. Schultz to be an exile, and liable to be shot, wherever found inside the limits of the country ; his property was confiscated, and the proceeds were to be used in paying his debts. He also repeated his assurance that the pris- oners would shortly be released. In regard to Dr. Schultz, it was felt, amongst the Eng- lish settlers, that the course pursued towards him was unnecessarily harsh; and, although it was well known that the Doctor had tended very considerably, by his un- authorized attitude towards the French, to excite them, still, in the face of the late arrangements, it was deemed not only tyrannical, but contrary to all justice, to de- nounce him as Kiel did. The English delegates were told, however, that they were not asked to share any re- sponsibility in the action taken regarding Schultz, — it being the last act of the French provisional government. This ended the convention of delegates that ushered into existence the Provisional Government of Rupert's Land, — Riel's long-looked-for aim and object, out of which so much good was to arise. The English delegates, before leaving for home, ar- ranged that the following should be the proportion of delegates from each parish to make up the twelve : — ;t 270 THE CREATION OF MANITOBA. St. Peter's 1 St. Clement's 1 St. Andrew's 2 St. Paul's 1 Kildonan 1 St. Margaret's 1 St. John's, and Town of Winnipeg 1 St. James' 1 HeadiDgly 1 St. Ann's 1 St. Mary's 1 On the 10th February, the report was circulated that from fifty to one hundred men had come down as far as Headingly, from the Portage, with the avowed purpose of liberating the prisoners by force, — and this too before the delegates sent by them to the convention had returned to their homes. Kiel, however, so far kept his word, notwithstanding this apparent breach of good faith, on the part of the Eng- lish, that he liberated sixteen of the prisoners on the 12th February, amongst whom was Mr. Wm. Drever, who had been arrested, for some reason or another, only a few d&ys previous. While these prisoners were being released, a young man named Davis succeeded in effecting his escape, by mixing in with those who had been set at liberty as they were leaving the Fort. Intelligence having been received by Kiel that a move- ment was on foot in connection with the party from the Portage, to raise the English portion of the Settlement, as well as part of the French, a guard was sent off on the strength of information obtained, and six prisoners were captured in the house of Wm. Dease — ^amongst others, Wm. Gaddee, of whom we will have more to say here^ after. Scouts were sent out to watch the proceedings of THE RED RIVER TROUBLES. 277 £»•• • • • ated that I as far as purpose of before the jturned to ihstanding f the Eng- 1 the 12th , who had I few days released, a his escape, liberty as at a move- Y from the settlement, off on the oners were gst others, say here* jeedings of the party at Headingly, and thus every exertion was used by Riel to prevent or frustrate an attack on the Fort, — and, at the same time, a large number of French continued to arrive, armed and ready to take part in any fray that might occur. In the meantime, all the prisoners, except twenty-four, were released ; those remaining having, from some mis- understanding, refused to sign or take the oath not to take up arms against the Provisional Government. While all these occurrences were taking place, Riel began to furnish and arrange Dr. Cowan's house, inside the Fort, as a government-house ; and, for that purpose, removed a large quantity of the furniture belonging to Dr. Schultz to Fort Garry. Rumors were now continually being heard, regarding the movements of the Portage party, and their intentions. One of their delegates, Mr. McKenzie, a sensible and good man, met them and strongly advised them to turn back, as they were liable to cause a great deal of trouble, if they continued on their course. He also told them that the prisoners were being released, or about to be so. Not- withstanding this good counsel on the part of a thor- oughly honest and reliable man, they persisted in holding on their way, their strength increasing as they went, un- til they numbered somewhere about one hundred men. To say the least of it, their taking the step they did was not only uncalled-for, at the time, but one that risked the peace of the whole Settlement, to serve their own motives of revenge. We cannot look upon it in any other light, as it is well known that they started upon their expedi- , • ' 278 THE CREATION OF MANITOBA. P ' tion before the return of the delegates they had sent to the convention. They ought to have heard their report first concerning matters, before rushing rashly into an un- dertaking which was likely to cause ruin and desolation to so many homes in the neighborhood of Fort Garry. We do not seek to palliate Kiel's course in having de- tained the prisoners as long as he did. On the contrary, we condemn it altogether ; but, at the same time, we are as ready to censure the acts of the Portage party for their hastiness in doing as they did. While they were camped at Headingly, it was reported that Schultz was raising a force in the neighbourhood of the Stone Fort, to co-operate with them; and it was said that the Indians were to be once more called upon the scene of action. All this had the effect of collecting together large bodies of armed men on the French side, especially when it became known that the English people had repudiated the acts of their delegates at the convention, and were gathering for the purpose of releasing the prisoners by force, and overthrowing Kiel and the Provisional Govern- ment. What a change from only a few days previous ? Then there were sounds of rejoicing at the prospect of peace ; now there was naught spoken of but war. Early on the morning of the 15th February, the Port- age party passed through the town of Winnipeg, on their way towards the Stone Fort. They were in sleighs, and had with them, it is said, ladders to scale the walls of Fort Garry. Kiel and his men were watching them from THE RED RIVER TROUBLES. 279 \ sent to sir report to an un- lesolation jiarry. aving de- contrary, le, we are f for their s reported ►urhood of nd it was tiled upon ther large ally when repudiated and were Lsoners by al Govem- bs? Then of peace ; the Port- g, on their leighs, and e walls of them from the walls of the Fort, and the leader of the French had the greatest difficulty in keeping his soldiers from break- ing out and attacking the party. He succeeded at last in quieting the men, telling them that it would be time enough when the others came to attack the Fort. In the meantime, the Poi*tage party stopped at a house in the town occupied by Henry Cotu, where Kiel had been in the habit of staying overnight sometimes, and demanded to know if he was there. The inmates answered that he was not ; but the party outside insisted upon searching the house, which they did, without suc- cess — the man, they were seeking for, being at that very time in Fort Garry, urging his influence to restrain the French from attacking their party. The night was cold, and they had driven far; they therefore must have been chilled through, and could not have been in a pro- per state to defend themselves as far as loading and firing their guns was concerned. On the other hand, the French, who, it has since been learned, knew of their coming long before they came in sight of Fort Garry, were warm, and, at the same time, more accus- tomed to handle guns in cold weather ; they also would most likely have attacked on horseback, and the Portage party, being in sleighs, would have been almost at their mercy. The latter, as soon as they had ascertained that Kiel was not at hand, moved on down the Red River, and camped at Kildonan school-house, where they raised a flag, and messengers were despatched to raise the set- tlers in every direction. Almost every hour, reports were received in the town of the numbers of men collecting at 280 THE CllEATION OF MANITOBA. , » I • h ■''' I! !*► Kildonan from all parts ; and, at the same time, small squads of French were seen driving furiously into Foi't Garry. At last it was said that between six and seven hundred men were gathered together around the Scotch church, and that their intention was to make a descent on Fort Garry that night, the 15th February. It was also re- ported that about five hundred French were inside the walls of the Fort, so that a lively time was fully ex- pected. As a proof that the whole aflfair was a preconcerted plan, we may say that the party from the Portage only passed through the town on the morning of the 15th, and, that same night, over six hundred men collected together at Kildonan school-house, from all parts. Agents must have been at work for some time ; and foremost amongst those were Dr. Schultz and Mr. Charles Mair. The former was either refused a command, or he would not accept one in the expedition, as he was only known as a private soldier in it. He, however, made himself very conspicuous in driving about, exciting the people, and taking an active part in the several councils of war that took place, — at one of which it was proposed to bum down the town. And, now, let us say one word in regard to the conduct of the men who engaged in this expedition. In the first place, the movement did not originate with the settlers themselves ; but, being urged, by a few fire- brands, to rush, without forethought, into an undertaking which was likely to destroy, at one sweep, their labors of THE RED RIVER TROUBLES. 281 years in the Settlement, they forgot their homes, their families, and their better judgment, to plunge prematurely into a civil war. The prisoners were being released — that was well known; and, although the process, it is true, was slow, much slower than it should have been ; yet the movement amongst the English was sufficient to stop at once the liberty, and even jeopardize the lives of the prisoners, had Riel thought proper to accept the challenge and give battle. So far as the excited gathering of armed men is concerned, we feel that the worst dispositions of an otherwise calm and peaceful people were aroused by designing men ; and, for the time being, calm, deliberate judgment gave place to blind, excited passion. But there is one point in which we feel that the English settlers did not act in a proper nor discreet manner, and that is this : — At the mass-meeting, it was agreed between all parties, seconded by the most influential men in the Set- tlement, that a convention of twenty French and twenty English delegates should assemble for the purpose of making arrangements for the entrance of the Canadian Government. Twenty delegates were accordingly F^nt by the English settlers ; but they were vested with little power, if any, to act. That showed no wish to mtet the French on a fair footing, and gave Riel the opportunity to have it pretty much his own way in the convention. Then, when the English representatives returned to their several parishes, their acts were repudiated. The days spent at the convention were rendered fruitless; and, at one sweep, the Settlement was thrown back in a worse posi- tion than it was before the mass-meeting took place. It I" 282 THE CllEATION OF MANITOBA. A% must not bo forgotten, at tho same time, that tho Englisli had learned to place little, if any, confidence in Riel and his party, by the acts committed by them on several oc- casions, and by tho rough, overbearing manner in which affairs had been conducted on tho French side. Yet, in the face of all this, would it not have shown better judg- ment had the English said, — " The interest is a common one ; we will fairly and squarely contend with the French at the council-board ; we will not allow ourselves to be brow-beaten, but will send our representatives, with full powers to act on our behalf, and, to tho best of their abil- ity, uphold our dignity." Tho result of this would have been that, by a united and dignified action on the part of the English delegates, at the convention, the views of both sides of tho Settlement would have had a fair hear- ing, and the Provisional Government would have been formed without all tho heart-burnings which it after- wards occasioned. This was not done, however; and the consequence was, that such men as Schultz and Mair, and others of that stamp, stepped upon the scene, took advantage of the position of affairs, and, for the second time, nearly succeeded in desolating the Settle- ment. The Portage party movement was tho last of the evil effects occasioned by tho rash conduct of Messrs. McDou- gall and Dennis. Nay, not the last ; for since then there have been jealousies, bad feelings, hatred and strife of every description engendered between and amongst all classes in the Settlement, — the whole originating from the doings of the " Conservator of the Peace," his master THE RED RIVER TROUBLES. 283 and his " friends " in the Settlement. We may add, in con- nection with this, that the Portage movement was ar- ranged first, and carried out principally by members of Col. Dennis' surveying party, who had been left behind by the Conservator when he started back with Mr. Mc- Dougall for Canada. We will now resume our description of the exciting events that took place in connection with the rising amongst the English. On the evening of the 15th February, Miss McVicar, a young lady from Canada, whose name ought to be ever remembered in Red River with respect and admiration, nobly came forward for the purpose, if possible, of pre- venting bloodshed. Her first step was to call upon Mr. A. G. B. Bannatyno, whom she asked to accompany her to Fort Garry to see Riel, and endeavor to persuade him to release the prisoners, and thus prevent a collision be- tween the two sides. Mr. Bannatyne accompanied the lady to the Fort, and gaining admission within the walls, had an interview with Riel, who told them that he had given the prisoners an opportunity to be released, but that, for some reason, they would not sign the agreement he had prepared. Mr. Bannatyne having asked permis- sion to see the prisoners, it was granted, upon which he went to them and spoke in favor of their signing any reasonable paper, to keep the peace, as by doing so, their being set at liberty would likely be the means of pre- venting a great deal of trouble. He then returned to where Riel was, and the prisoners, one by one, were brought in. The first one, on being asked to sign the 284 THE CREATION OF MANITOBA. "■fe.;: agreement, asked if all the rest of his comrades in prison were to be allowed the same privilege. This showed that some compact existed amongst the twenty-four prisoners, that they would stick together, and what one refused to do, all would refuse. Mr. Bannatyne, however, put the pen in the man's hand, and told him to sign — saying that both he and Miss McYicar would stay till the last, and see fair play to the rest. The man then signed and was liberated immediately. The two next prisoners brought in spoke in the same way as the first one ; but ultimately they also signed, and after that, there was no difficulty with any of them. It was observed that when the men hesitated to sign, Riel lost patience with them ; and it is doubtful whether they would have been released as they were, had not Miss Mc Vicar and Mr. Bannatyne been present. Be that as it may, all the prisoners were released ; one of them (Hyman), who had his feet injured by frost in his attempt at escape, was taken away in a sleigh. Miss Mc Vicar and Mr. Bannatyne returned to the town, and the former drove down in company with Mr. William Drever, to an- nounce the fact of the prisoners being released, to the party congregated at Kildonan school-house. In the meantime, prisoners had been taken by both sides, on suspicion of being spies. One by the French, and three by the English ; and amongst the latter, was one Parisien, who had been dodging about the Lower Settlement for some time. The chances for peace now appeared to be good ; when the next morning information was received, that changed, THE RED RIVER TROUBLES. 285 es m prison ihowed that ir prisoners, ) refused to 'er, put the saying that he last, and led and was ers brought t ultimately 10 difficulty ted to sign, ful whether re, had not it. Be that ne of them his attempt Ic Vicar and the former ever, to an- ased, to the e. In the ih sides, on 1, and three ne Parisien, )tlement for ^ood; when at changed. for a time, the whole aspect of affairs — namely, that young Sutherland had been shot by Parisien ; who, hav- ing succeeded in escaping from his guard, and meeting his victim riding along the river on the ice, fired on him, wounding him in^ the wrist. Young Sutherland then partly fell from his horse, when Parisien again fired at him, this time i.itlicting a moital wound. The object of the murderer must either have been to obtain the horse to facilitate his escape, or else he must have been actuated by a dread that Sutherland intended to intercept him ; whereas the young man was merely riding down to the English camp, to see what was going on ; he never having mixed himself up in any way in the rising on either side. The avengers, however, were soon on the track of the murderer, for hardly had he fired at young Suther- land the second time, and before he could cr^-pture the horse, his pursuers from the English camp, were close upon him. Parisien, on seeing this, darted into the woods, but was soon afterwards overtaken, and, in the struggle that ensued, he received injuries from which he died some days afterwards. Mr. Fraser from Kildonan, went up at once to see Riel about what had happened ; but, it appears, was not re- ceived very cordially, being told that Parisien, as a pris- oner escaping, had a right to fire upon his pursuers. While Mr. Fraser was in Fort Garry, Mr. Norquay, a messenger from the English party arrived, bearing a let- ter, in which it was stated that the English portion of the Settlement tvould not recognize the Provisional Gov- 28G THE CREATION OF MANITOBA. ernment ; and also referred to the shooting of young Sutherland. Kiel, on receiving this epistle, became very much excited, and tore up the letter in pieces ; at the same time turning to Mr. Fraser, who was present, he said : ** Go back to your people and tell them what you have seen." Norquay was then detained as a prisoner, and Mr. Fraser left the fort, but did not act as Kiel had desired him, for he knew that it would only tend to excite those assembled around Kildonan school-house. Mr. Sutherland, the father of the boy who had been shot, now sent word to the English camp, that it was his ear- nest desire that no blood should be shed on account of what had happened to his boy, as it would only make his bereavement the harder to bear, if, through it, other innocent lives should be lost. In the meantime the excitement around Fort Garry, became intense. Shops were shut — men on horseback were riding here and there. O'Donoghue, at the head of about fifty men, searched every place for powder and ammunition of all kinds ; and succeeded in obtaining a large quantity. Horses were pressed into service where- ever found ; and, altogether, everything took a war-like appearance. The walls of Fort Garry were crowded with arroed men, and scouts were flying in and out of the gates continually, while every moment fresh squads of French half-breeds were arriving. While this was going on, the English were holding councils and deliberating on the course they were to pursue. They received the fol- lowing letter from Riel : — THE RED RIVER TROUBLES. 287 " Fort Garry, Feb. IGth, 1870. "Fellow Countrymen: " Mr. Norquay came this morning with a message, and even he has been delayed. He will reach you time en- ough to tell you that for my part I understand that war, horrible civil war, is the destruction of this country ; and Schultz will laugh at us, if after all, he escapes. We are ready to meet any party ; but peace, our British rights, we want before all. Gentlemen, the prisoners are out — they have sworn to keep peace. We have taken the responsibility of our past acts. Mr. William MacTavish has asked you, for the sake of God, to form and complete the Provisional Government. Your representatives have joined us on that ground. Who will now come and de- stroy Red River Settlement ? "Louis Riel." Norquay was liberated at the same time. The English party continued to go on with their preparations to attack Fort Garry. They levied provisions from the neighbor- ing houses, and endeavored to form some sort of order amongst the people collected around the church. On the evening of the 16th, however, it was decided to disperse to their homes ; it being aiTanged that Henry Prince, and fifty of his Indians, should remain at the Stone Fort to guard it ; and the disbanding of the English party once more placed matters on a peace footing. A horrible rumor now was ciraulated to the effect that William Gaddee, the prisoner, a noted brave man, had been murdered at Fort Garry in his cell ; and all 288 THE CREATION OF MANITOBA. ii ' ' sorts of versions of the deed were retailed from mouth to mouth. At last it was felt to a certainty that the man had been killed, and great fears were felt as to the effect the news would have on the English half-breeds ; and also, on the Indians at the Portage, by whom Gaddee was very much liked. Nothing authentic could be learned as to the manner of his death; and thus it remained for some time, a horrible mystery to all outside, as well as most of those inside Fort Garry. Another event happened about this time, which served to attract attention from the Gaddee affair, and that was the capture of the Portage party. On the m5ming of the 17th, word was received that the English settlers had disbanded, and were returning to their homes. Soon after this, a small party of men — some in sleighs and others on foot, were seen to verge off across the prairie, from St. John's school-house, appearing as if they wished to avoid the town. As soon as this party was discovered, a body of horsemen emerged from Fort Garry, and started out for the purpose of intercept- ing them. People in the town, crowded every available spot overlooking the prairie. Faces thronged the win- dows. Wood piles and fences were crowded with sight- seers, all expecting to behold a miniature battle. When the Portage party discovered the French coming out of the Fort they halted, and appeared to hold a consultation; after which, they moved slowly on — the depth of snow impeding their progress. The Fi*ench, at the head of whom was O'Donoghue, continued to gallop over the snow drifts, halting nc ■.i' and again foi* stragglers* At last the THE llED RIVER TROUBLES. 289 mouth to i the man the effect jeds ; and iddee was learned as aained for IS well as ich served 1 that was eived that etuming to of men — ,0 verge off , appearing on as this erged from ' intercept- y available i the win- with sight- ble. When ning out of )nsultation; h of snow he head of jr the snow At last the two parties met, but instead of a fight, they mixed to- gether for some minutes, and then they all started in the direction of Fort Garry. They have been taken prisoners, was the conclusion by the lookers-on, and so, indeed, it turned out to be. Several of the Portage party refused at first to give up their arms ; but ultimately they consented to do so, and were all taken to Fort Garry, where they were imprisoned in the same rooms which had only recently been vacated by the first lot of prisoners. It is said that the Portage party gave themselves up, on the understanding that Kiel merely wished to speak to them and explain matters. If this is the case, they were not justly dealt by, for imme- diately upon their amval at Fort Garry, they were put in prison, and Major Boulton, their leader, placed in irons. What a singular change in affairs this occasioned; — twenty-four prisoners liberated on the 1 5th, — forty-eight prisoners taken on the 17th. The following are the names of those captured in the way we have described : Major Boulton. John McLean. Robert McBain. Wilder Bartlett. James McBain. Dan Sissons. A. Murray. W. Farmer. Lawrence Smith. Charles McDonald. R. Adams. J. Paquin. M. McLeod. Archibald McDonald. James Jock. Thomas Scott. James Sanderson. George Wylds. D. Taylor. A. Taylor. 290 THE CREATION OF MANITOBA. I John Switzer. H. WiUiams. Alexander McPherson. W. G. Bird. Alexander McLean. Joseph Paqnin. William Paquin. George Sandison. J. Dillworth. William Dillworth. Thomas Baxter. John Taylor. John McKay. G. Parker. George Newcomb. H. Taylor. J. B. Morrison. W. Salter. Magnus Brown, N. Morrison. W. Sutherland. Robert Dennison. Joseph Smith. Charles Millan. Alexander Parker. Sergt. Powers. John Ivy. One name unknown. Kiel, after the capture of the Portage party, sent out about twenty men to reconnoitre down the English Set- tlement, but they found everything quiet. Parisien, the man who shot young Sutherland, was taken to the Stone Fort, from which he was afterwards removed to his own house, and where he died in a short time of his wounds. This ended this mad-like expedition from the Portage ; the immediate results of which were the loss of two lives and the capture by the French of forty-eight prisoners. THE RED RIVER TROUBLES. 291 Dmb. n. 7n. CHAPTER XIV. id. lison. h. an. Parker. rs. .nknown. rty, sent out English Set- Parisien, tLe to the Stone d to his own his wounds, the Portage ; of two lives prisoners. MAJOR BOULTON IS TRIED, CONDEMNED TO DEATH, BUT SUBSEQUENT- LY PARDONED — COMMISSIONER SMITH AND ARCHDEACON m'lEAN PACIFY THE ENGLISH SETTLERS AND INDUCE THfiM TO RECOGNIZE THE PROVISIONAL GOVERNMENT — ATTEMPT TO CAPTURE DR. SCHULTZ — HIS DEPARTURE FOR CANADA — THOMAS SCOTT IS SHOT BY ORDERS OF RIEL — GREAT INDIGNATION IN THE SETTLEMENT. I OUBTS were now beginning to arise regarding the fate of Gaddee. It was said that he was confined in one of the bastions of the Fort in order to keep him out of the way of some of the French half-breeds who had a spite against him and wished to kill him. Others declared that he had escaped — no one, however, could tell apparently what had become of him. To add to the feeling of horror which this mys- terious affair occasioned amongst the community gene- rally, it became known that four of the prisoners taken the day before had been condemned to death. This created a good deal of excitement, and would have caused more had people believed it ; but there were many who said that Kiel would not dare to commit such an act — others, however, feared lest he might be in earnest, and consequently steps were taken to turn him, if possible, from his purpose. Mr. and Mrs. Sutherland, the father and mother of the young man who was sh ot, went to Fort Garry to plead 292 THE CREATION OF MANITOBA. Al'i , « 4 t for the lives of the condemned men. Riel granted- the lives of three, but Major Boulton, he said, would have to die that night. It now began to look very serious. Archdeacon M'Lean was called upon to attend the con- demned man during his last moments, and a feeling of oppression was felt by all at the thought of a human beins: to be thus sent to his last account on such short notice, at midnight, too (the hour appointed for the execution) — midnight — the very thought of a man being brought out in the stillness of the night to be shot like a dog was horrible in the extreme. Still there were no lack of interceders, although little hope was now enter- tained of Major Boulton being spared. People retired to their homes that evening with mingled feelings of hope and uncertainty, mixed with horror at the deed about to be committed. And how was the prisoner during all this time ? Calm and resigned to his fate. After writing a few lines to his friends in Canada, he called for a basin of water and a towel with which to wash his face and hands, and a glass of wine to prevent him, if possible, from shivering when passing into the cold night air, in case people might attribute it to fear. He spoke quietly and calmly of the fate before him, and acted altogether as a soldier should do in the face of death. In the mean- time the French councillors were sitting in deliberation on Boulton's sentence, the result being that his life was spared. This was communicated at once to the prisoner, who received the information as calmly as he had done the sentence of death, but no doubt his heart leaped with joy at the glad tidings of hope that he might live to see k THE RED RIVER TROUBLES. 293 ;ranted- the lid have to ry serious, id the con- \ feeling of )f a human I such short i,ed for the I man being } shot like a jre were no now enter- le retired to ngs of hope 3ed about to r during all Lfter writing i for a basin his face and , if possible, night air, in Doke quietly d altogether In the mean- deliberation his life was the prisoner, he had done b leaped with live to see his friends and relatives once more on earth. The news of Major Boulton's life having been spared spread like wildfire the next morning, it seemed as if a heavy cloud had been lifted from the public mind — all parties felt re- lieved, and from gloomy thoughts men's minds were i-aised to those of thankfulness. Had Kiel known the bitter feeling that was felt towards him by people throughout the length and breadth of the land, he would have trembled for his owq life, but so great was the sudden change from gloom to brightness in the morning that people were almost ready to bless him. The " New Nation," about this time, fell under the dis- pleasure of Kiel, having given a burlesque description of the capture of the Portage party; and the consequence was that the issue of the paper was stopped on that oc- casion, and it was ordered that none should leave the country. We give the following rather laughable extract from the suppressed paper : — "CHARGE, CHESTER, CHARGE! "Winnipeg was all excitement once again. On the house-tops, in the road, at the windows, on the fencing — everywhere — the townsmen, and those who happened to be in town at the time — watched intently the two parties as they closed. Our office became completely de- moralized for the fourth or fifth time this week — devils, printers, reporter and editor — all — having rushed out to see the fight. From a wood-pile we viewed the collision. The horsemen swept over the plains furiously until thej'' headed off the English brigade. The latter cocked and / 294 THE CREATION OF MANITOBA. I presented their guns. The cavalry prepared to return the salute. But just as we expected the carnage to begin, — it didn't. The guns were lowered. Nobody was hurt; but the calling was tremendous — for the Portage detachment was 'gobbled up.' They were dis- armed and escorted as prisoners to the Fort. What is to be done with them, we have not yet heard. The flag brought down from the Portage was among the trophies of this engagement," Then here is another to be found in the same paper written upon the capture of the party, amongst whom was William Gad dee, in the house of William Dease : — ** WILLIAM LE ROL "Ze Roi est mort; vive le Roi. The end has come. The kingdom of Point Coupee has evaporated. The King has retired over the back road and his subjects are gobbled. The new leggings are confiscated, and the flag of the empire is made into a stair carpet. And this is Point Coupee, that sat upon her level plain, and from her throne of beauty (didn't) rule the world. Poor "William ! no more shall thy vassals assemble at the call of thy tin horn, nor thy edicts be paramount to the Papal Bull. How have the mighty fallen ! Thy Prime Minister is masticating the pemmican of the Provisional Govern- ment, and thy subjects are private soldiers thereof. True, thou hast embalmed thyself in history, and wrapped thy- self in the mantle of immortality. It happened thusly : — On Sunday last, President Riel sent a squad of men to surround, capture, gobble, and otherwise deprive of liberty THE RED RIVER TROUBLES. 29o tlie 'loir subjects of that warlike empire. The squad took possession of the kitchen of the Dease mansion, whereupon William retreated into the dining room and barricaded the door. Ex-President Bruce, one of the besieging party, endeavoured to hold a parley with him, but the valiant William pointed a pistol at his head and fired. His arm, however, being thrown up at the moment of firing, the bullet only damaged the ceiling. After this sanguinary attempt, the royal personage took to the timber in the rear of his house and made good his escape. Most of his party were captured, but were liberated after taking the oath of allegiance. * Sic transit gloria regis.'*' The whole tone of the paper, and who can wonder at it after reading the above, displeased Kiel, and the con- sequence was his edict against it. About midnight on the 19th, a squad of nearly fifty men on horseback, under charge of Lepine and Isiore Goulait, were sent by Kiel down the Settlement to search for Dr. Schultz, but they returned the next morning without having been successful, bringing with them, however, Mr. John Tait, on suspicion of knowing where the Doctor could be found. It seemed about this time as if Kiel was anxious to bring on a civil war instead of preventing one, by the course he pursued in sending bodies of armed men amongst the people who had disbanded and returned to their homes, and were, therefore, not in a position to resist an attack, but who might have been easily ex- asperated to rise again. !■: 2!)G THE CREATION OF MANITOBA. The men inside Fort G.arry, about this period of tlie troubles, seemed to have become completely demoralized. Liquor, seized from the Hudson's Bay Company, was freely supplied to them by their leaders to such a degree that it was handed round in buckets and tin pails, and, consequently, a large quantity was wasted — pity it hadn't all been. The keys of the Hudson's Bay Company's warehouses had been forcibly taken from the Company's officers and the goods freely used, whether required or not ; in fact, the pillage went on to such an extent that the account kept at first of the goods taken had at last to be abandoned, and finally no regular record was kept. The French now appeared to be extremely bitter against Schultz, and vowed that they would have him dead or alive, if he was in the Settlement. We have already mentioned one expedition down the Settlement in search of the Doctor; and now we have to record another, which took place on the 22nd February — Kiel this time accompanying the party. They took with them Mr. John Tait, whom they restored to his home, and then they went as far as the Stone Fort, which they searched throughout nearly every nook and corner for the man they wished to find. Henry Prince and his Indians had left the Fort some time previous ; and, there- fore, there was no resistance to the entrance of Eiel and his band. These expeditions down the Settlement tended greatly to embitter the minds of the English settlers, as it looked more like a defiance to them after the late rising against the French. THE RED niVER TROUBLES. 297 otl of the moralized, pany, was h a degree pails, and, I — pity it ivarehouses ifficers and )t; in fact, ,he account last to be was kept, iter against ! him dead we already element in to record niary — Kiel took with > his home, which they corner for Lce and his and, there- of Riel and nent tended settlers, as er the late During all this time the Commissioners were remaining idle, their hands being completely tied, and little hope of their mission resulting in any good. It was an important epoch in the hist ry of Red River ; and a false step taken was as likely to cause the loss of the country to Canada as it was to desolate the Settlement itself. Every one felt it important that delegates should be sent to negotiate with the Dominion ; and it was also admitted that, unless both sides of the Settlement would agree, this could not be done satisfactorily. The prisoners had been the stick- ing point on previous occasions, and they were now likely to be the same in the future. It was therefore desirable, nay, it was necessary, that all classes of the settlers should agree on some common platform, so as to bring about peace and open negotiations with Canada. Riel still in- sisted upon the Provisional Government plan, and at last it was deemed best for all parties to agree to it. Mr. D. A. Smith then consented to act as a pacificator, in order to obtain the release of all prisoners, to bring about peace, and unite the people ; so that some definite result could be arrived at to effect a peaceable union with Canada. He therefore started down the Settlement on his mission ; and, through his exertions, the English settlers agreed to send councillors to take part in the Provisional Government. Archdeacon M'Lean accompanied Mr. Smith up the Assiniboine River, and the result was that the whole Settlement agreed to join in the government as agreed upon at the last convention. At the same time Judge Black was pressed by the people to go to Canada 208 THE CREATION OF MANITOBA. as a delegate, which for a long time lie refused to consent to do. Stories arising in connection with the late Portage party, regarding Indians, were now freely circulated to the effect that they intended to make a descent upon the Settlement; and, in consequence, a i)arty of men were stationed at Lane's Fort on the Assinniboine River by Kiel, in order to afford protection to the inhabitants in the neighborhood. These men had also instructions to stop all passengers to and from Portage La Prairie, unless funiished with a pass from Riel. Several parishes had now elected their representatives for the Provisional Government ; and, at a meeting held in the school-house, Mr. A. G. B. Bannatyne was elected for the parish of St. John's and town of Winnipeg. Archdeacon M'Lcan occupied the chair at that meeting and stated that it was the best course to join in with the Provisional Government, which, after all, was but a temporary matter, to secure peace and order in the country, and facilitate the incoming of the Canadian rule. On the 25th, men and horses were sent off to bring in Bishop Tachd, whose arrival in the Settlement was anxiously looked forward to by all parties. One of Major Boulton's guards, who was sleeping in his room, died suddenly about this time, and was the only death in the Fort known to h.ave taken place since the commencement of the troubles. The prisoners taken in the Portage affair were much more rigorously dealt by than those captured in Schultz's house, and no one, with the exception of Rev. George THE RKD RIVER TROUBLES. 291) Young, was admitted to sco tlicin; in fact, Riel carried matters with a high hand, and even went so far as to say that Bishop Tachd, unless he recognized the Provisional Government, would be held as a prisoner on his arrival in Red River. Not only had tlie keys of the warehouses in Fort Garry been taken possession of, but Riel now began to kill the cattle belonging to the Hudson's Bay Company, in order to feed his men both at Lane's Fort as well as Fort Garry. Word was also sent out to the winterers not to sell their provisions, such as pemmican and dried meat, to the Hudson's Bay Company, as the Provisional Govern- ment would buy it; and they were also told to come in prepared to take part with their brethren in the Settlement. Matters certainly looked very gloomy in Red River at this juncture, notwithstanding that the English had con- sented to join in the Provisional Government. No word was heard of the delegates leaving for Canada ; no council was called j Bishop Tache did not arrive as it was expected he would ; nothing, in fact, seemed to be tending towards a settlement — everything appeared at a stand-still, and a deep gloom rested upon people's minds. Reports were constantly being heard legarding the hardships of the prisoners, and the common exclamation was, " God knows where all this is going to end ! " Was it a forerunner of the terrible deed which was afterwards committed ? Was it the foreshadowing of an act which inseparably plunged the whole Settlement into distress — that almost wiped out any good and made the 300 THE CREATION OF MANITOBA. I *l • bad still more prominent in the occurrences that had taken place ? It seemed like it. It felt at that time as if a terrible! storm was brewing, and a deep oppression rested upon the public mind. On the 1st of March, Thos. Scott was put in irons for some misunderstanding with his guards, in which, being a passionate man when once aroused, he became very violent. While all this was going on — while people outside were full of dread regarding the future, Riel had his quarters in Fort Garry sumptuously furnished, Mr. M'Dougall's government furniture being used for the purpose. It was now reported as a certainty that Dr. Schultz had left the country for Canada by way of Lake Superior. Mr. Charles Mair also left Portage La Prairie bound for the Dominion — indeed, a large number of Canadians, principally those who had been imprisoned, spoke of leaving the Settlement, and old settlers declared that they would remove to the United States early in spring, rather than remain longer in the state of insecurity they had for some time experienced. On the 4th of March a deed was committed that struck horror into the minds of all classes in the Settlement — an act of cruelty tliat can offer no palliation for its com- mittal, and one which suddenly plunged the whole community into mourning. Nothing transpired to pre- pare the minds of people for what was going to take place — rumor, generally so ready to make use of her pliant tongue, was in this instance silent ; the deed was as sudden as it was horrible. No time was given to allow of any steps being taken to prevent it. A human being THE RED RIVER TROUBLES. 301 that had it time as oppression of March, srstanding nan when itside were is quarters rDougall's se. )r. Schultz e Superior, bound for Canadians, , spoke of clared that J in spring, [jurity they that struck jttlement — for its com- the whole red to pre- ing to take use of her le deed was ven to allow uman being was tried at night, told to prepare for death the next morning, and shot at twelve o'clock that day. Oh ! shame on the spirit that prompted such an act ; was Mercy blind ? Had Justice fallen asleep and Wisdom turned her back upon the men who thus so unhesitatingly steeped their hands in blood ? - On the morning of the 4th of March it was reported, but not credited, that Thos. Scott had been condemned to death, and was to be shot that day at twelve. Few believed that the execution would take place ; although there were others who held that, as Boulton had been spared, Scott was likely to suffer. This latter idea proved to be a correct one. Several interceded for the life of the unfortunate man, and none more so than Mr. Smith, but all to no purpose. Kiel seemed determined this time, and accordingly at twelve o'clock, a large crowd having assembled outside the Fort, Scott was led out, his eyes being bandaged, and he was told to kneel at a spot a few yards distant from the postern gate. Before coming out he had bidden his comrades in prison a long good bye, and had written, it is said, letters to his friends in Canada. Until shortly before the hour of his execution, it appears, that he did not believe that he would be shot; but, when the guards came to lead him out, he began to realize the terrible position he was placed in ; yet he did not shrink, but acted in every way as one not afraid to meet death. It is horrible to think of the feelings the unfortunate man must have experienced — away from his friends — in the prime of life to be thus suddenly cut off — never again to see those he loved on earth. Oh ! why did not Pity 302 THE CREATION OF MANITOBA. I* » and Charity strike into the hearts of those who were thus wantonly destroying his life. It has been said that he was violent — that he had threatened the life of Riel if ever he escaped from prison ; was it not well known that he was a passionate man when aroused, and that probably his tongue got the better of his judgment while in that state. It has also been said that he had exasperated the guards to such a degree that they were becoming uncontrollable, and were liable to break out upon the prisoners ; even then, was there no other method of quieting him than by taking his life ? Why was he not kept strictly under guard, and removed from the rest of the prisoners ? That treat- ment might have been called severe ; but to kill him, as was done, in cold blood, was a wanton act of cruelty, and one that made every honest heart in Red River shudder at the thought of it. When Scott had knelt, a firing party of six men having been picked out, the signal was given, and immediately afterwards the unfortunate victim fell, pierced in one or two places, but not killed outright. One of the men then advanced, and drawing his revolver, shot the quivering man throuojh the head. The rude coffin was then brought out, and Scott, still breathing, was placed in it and carried into the Fort. Some of the men who had been detailed as part of the firing party withdrew the caps from the nipples of their guns and therefore did not fire upon the condemned man. All, however, were more or less under the influence of liquor, and hardly knew what they were doing. THE RED RIVER TROUBLES. 303 Frightful stories regarding the dying moments of Scott were now circulated around the Settlement, some of them almost too honible to mention ; the whole matter, how- ever, was so much involved in mystery, after the body had been carried into Fort Garry, that people hardly knew what to think of it : many believed, in fact, that Scott had not been killed but merely wounded, and would yet turn up alive. So strong, indeed, was this feeling amongst some that all sorts of rumors in support of it were afloat. Bishop Machray went to Kiel on the 5th and asked for the body of Scott, that it might be interred in a Christian manner; but the request was refused, and that same day a grave was dug in the court-yard of Fort Garry, and a cofiin supposed to contain the remains of the unfortunate man was buried in it. This, it has since been found out, was only a sham burial, the corpse having been made away with ; and it is now generally believed that it was dropped into the river; but all is surmise as it is not known, except amongst those immediately concerned in the affair, where Scott's body was placed. Thus ended this dreadful tragedy, and with it was lost all hope of a sincere union between the French and English ; from that day, also, Kiel's power amongst his own people decreased gradually, until at last he was left almost alone ; and he could not have taken a surer step to give his enemies a victory over him, than when he caused Scott to be shot. The feeling of horror at the deed was as strong amongst a large portion of the French as it was with the English ; and it must not be thought that it was the desii-e of the French people that Scott should suffer, S04 THE CREATION OF MANITOBA. I for such was not the case. One can hardly imagine the degree of indignation which swept over the Settlement when news of the deed spread abroad. The feeling to a great extent was subdued, but not the less strong on that account. Men gathered together, and with gloomy- countenances conversed on the terrible event. Those who had been in prison almost feared to remain in the neighborhood of Fort Garr}'', and a number left for distant parts of the Settlement where they could feel safe. Kiel, who professed to be working for the good of his country, had in cne day brought a curse upon it — a dread- ful blot on the name of his countrymen, and a lasting disgrace upon himself. Had he but refrained from blood- shed — had he followed out the course to the last which he commenced, that of peace, and not allowed himself to be led by the dictates of passion, he would, instead of being an exile to-day, have been a man of high standing amongst his people and respected by all classes. Although there were many acts committed during the course of the troubles that are to be condemned, still they were not so heinous that they could not be forgiven; but the crime of taking a man's life, especially in the way it was done, is one that can command no other sentiment than that of horror. The "New Nation" contained an account of the execution, but it was not permitted by Riel to be sent out of the Settlement. A new issue of the paper, having the tame date, but containing no reference to the shooting of Scott, was printed and distributed for trans- THE RED RIVER TROUBLES. 305 magine the Settlement feeling to a •ong on that ith gloomy ent. Those nain in the )er left for uld feel safe, good of his it — a dreacl- id a lasting from blood- e last which i himself to d, instead of gh standing es. during the ed, still they jrgiven; but the way it sr sentiment mission abroad. Wm. Gaddee, whcsc fate caused so niucli conjecture in the Settlement, turned up safe and sound, as it will be seen hereafter. Thus ends this chapter of horrors, the blackest page in the history of the Red River troubles. s lunt of the 1 to be sent the paper, jrence to the id for trans- U 300 THE CREATION OF MANITOBA. CHAPTEK XV. WINNIPEG — LETTERS OF INSTRUCTIONS FROM HON. JOSEPH HOWE TO , I- \m BISHOP TACHE — THE BISHOP S ADDRESS TO THE COUNOIL- PARTURE OF DELEGATES TO CANADA WITH INSTRUCTIONS. -DE- HE following was printed and circulated, by orders of Riel, on the day of the shooting of Scott : — OFFICIAL ORDERS. "It is hereby ordered that the town of Winnipeg be, and shall be, hereafter, the Capital of the North- West. That the bounds of said town be as follows : — The As- .sinniboine River on the south ; Red River on the east ; McDermott's Creek on the north ; and, on the west, by Spencer's Creek. "In response to a petition, from the citizens of the town of Winnipeg, asking for a separate representation in the Provisional Government, and protest against hav- ing said town consolidated with St. John's Parish ; That the said town of Winnipeg be entitled to a representa- tion by two members in the Provisional Government ; and that the election for said members be held at the engine- house, between the hours of three and five o'clock p. m., on Saturday, March 5th, 1870. " By order of the President. "Louis Schmidt, " Assistant Secretary." THE RED RIVER TROUBLES. 307 >H HOWE TO JUNOIL— DE- •NS. ulated, by ihooting of innipeg be, [orth-West. :— The As- n the east; le west, by zens of the )resentation igainst hav- arish; That representa- ament; and he engine- clock p. ni) The above proved that the American party had been successful at last in their endeavors to obtain two repre- sentatives for the town (i. e. themselves) ; and, accord- ingly, a meeting was held the same evening, at the place appointed^ Few men of responsibility attended; and, therefore, H. F; O'Lone and Alfred H* Scott were elected as councillors. This step on the part of Kiel, in giving way to the Americans, caused a good deal of dissatisfaction to all parties, and showed an undeniable wish to secure a ma- jority in the council on the part of the French ; as, in fact, Messrs. O'Lone and Scott both openly declared their sym- pathies to be against the English. Captain Gay now began to take an active interest in affairs at the Fort, — remaining most of his time within the walls. A good deal of speculation was, therefore, afloat regarding him and his errand to Bed River. Charles Nolin was kept a prisoner, about this time, for several days at Fort Garry, on account of his opposition to Riel at the last convention ; but at last, on account of his many powerful friends amongst the French, he was released. Rumors were also afloat that another of the prisoners was likely to suffer as Scott had done, on account of vio- lent behavion The non-arrival of Bishop Tachd now caused a good deal of anxiety, as it was feared if he did not come soon that Riel might be tempted to use other extreme meas- ures ; and it was felt, at the same time, that, with Bishop Tach^'s presence in the Settlement, a more moderate N Secretary' I 308 THE CREATION OF MANITOBA. course would at least have been pursued by the leader of the French. At last, on the evening of the 8th March, word was brought in that his Lordship was at Riviere Sale ; and, immediately afterwards a number of people went to meet him — in all about two hundred persons — who accom- panied him to the cathedral first, and then to his palace. For some days after his arrival Bishop Tachd did not appear in public, which gave rise to the report that he was kept as a prisoner in his own house by Riel. The following notice now appeared in the " New Nation": — " A meeting of the Council of the Provisional Govern- ment of Rupert's Land is hereby ordered to be held at Fort Garry, on Wednesday, 9 th inst. " By order of the President. "Louis Schmidt, " Assistant Secretary ." - ^ And, accordingly, on the day appointed, those of the representatives who had seen the notice attended at Fort Garry ; but, as there were very few of the English pres- sent, the meeting was adjourned until the 15th inst., im- mediately after the following speech had been delivered by Riel : — " Gentlemen, — We have been assembled in this cliam* ber on several occasions, having been sent here by the people to deliberate on the political state of the country, and to adopt such measures as would secure the pros- perity of the present and future generations. But all 3 leader of word was Sale; and, nt to meet ho accom- lis palace, h^ did not jrt that he el the "New lal Govern- 1 be held at THE RED RIVER TROUBLES. 309 icretary.' hose of the ded at Fort Qglish pres- ,h inst., im- !n delivered this cham* lere by the the country, •e the pros^ As. But all that has been done so far has resulted only in what wo have to-day. Yet that only is a very comprehensive word. It includes your work during that period — the work of the people in fact. We have worked here in the past in anxiety and fear. But we have worked conscien- tiously. That the majority, at least, have done so, I fully believe. One result of our labors is, that the people gene- rally now have, for the first time in the history of this land, a voice in the direction of public affairs. They have here a full representation. Herein we may congratulate ourselves that our work has been a good one ; and, indeed, it may almost be said to be the only result we have ar- rived at as yet. At present, we are not, perhaps, in a position to proceed to business. But, at the same time, we have arrived at that stage when there is some public security. Let us then see to it that the public are no more allowed to rush together, on one side or the other, in such a manner as they have gathered of late. Let us be friends, and let our friendship be hearty and sincere. On many occasions, since last fall, I have heard profes- sions of friendship in this chamber, and I must say, I was sorry to hear those professions, for I knew they were, as they afterwards proved to be, insincere. There was too much of fear and estrangement to allow of that friendship being hearty. But now that we have come together once more, I believe we are actuated by such feelings as will lead to a thorough union. We have come here to decide on that which we believe to be our duty, and will do it honestly. We are here as the public authority. We are here to act in that capacity. I-. 310 THE CREATION OF MANITOBA. 4 Some of you were in the old government of the country, and are familiar with the conduct of public proceedings. You have your ideas of what is best for the public. The councillors, as a body, have their ideas on the same sub- ject. Well, then, let us act, — that is our motto. Let us not confine ourselves to thinking or speaking. We must act inside this chamber, as well as outside. The work is urgent, — is one of the utmost consequence to ourselves and our people. In this council, and outside, that work awaits us, and we will not be faithful to ourselves or our country if we shirk it. As to the business before us, I may say that, in the first place, the government must be completed as soon as possible. This must be done in order to promote union in the Settlement, and give that feeling of security which will encourage our business men to start afresh and infuse new vigor into the community in general. We must help the country at this crisis ; and, if we do so in the way I have pointed out, I feel that we will secure general sympathy and support. The people will support us if we support them. There are, I know, some diflferences between the residents of different locali- ties — and perhaps the easiest way to dispose of them would be that each side would concede something. A spirit of concession, I think, ought to be manifested on both sides ; and if it is, we will be cordial and united. If we were so united, — as was said long ago, — the people of Red River could make their own terms with Canada. We ha%'e had already three commissioners from the Do- minion ; and now, perhaps, we have another come amongst us, in the person^of His Lordship the Bishop of St. Boni- U' .' \ ( THE RED RIVER TROUBLES. 311 he country, )roceedings. ublic. The e same sub- tto. Let us We must rhe work is bo ourselves 3, that work jelves or our ; before us, I ent must be lone in order ; that feeling a ess men to )mmunity in crisis ; and, feel that we The people are, I know, ferent locali- ►ose of them mething. A anifested on and united. , — the people vith Canadca. from the Do- ome amongst of St. Boni- face, one who is generally beloved and esteemed in the land, and to whose mission, I doubt not, the highest at- tention will be paid. For my part, I would certainly like to see, in the person of His Lordship, a Commissioner invested with full power to give us what we want. But we have to be careful ; for we do not know what that power is ; and we must not rush blindly into the hands of any commissioners. Let us act prudently — that is all I urge ; if wo do so, we will be safe enough. This, gentlemen, is all I have to say. You cannot, of course, do anything to-day, in any way, even if all the members were present. Before we separate, let me say one word. Let us try to be more friendly. Why not ? We are not going to fight any more — not at all. And I cannot, in this connection, but express regret at hearing unpleasant rumors from the Portage. These rumors cause fear all the time at the White Horse Plains. The ])cople there are led to believe that they are going to be crushed some day or other. There is a want of assur- ance among our people, which has led to a guard being stationed in that qui^rter. I hope the Portage people will be able to disavow any such intentions, and give such assurances as will lead to a better state of things. If it is not fully according to the mind of the people, let not any one from that section deny the rumors. But if, on the contrary, the Portage people do not harbor the designs attributed to them, I hope it will be stated, so that a feel- ing of tranquillity and security may be diftused." It will be observed that no allusion was made by Kiel, in the above speech, to the shooting of Scott, — in fact it 312 THE CREATION OF MANITOBA. is pretty certain that the deed liad hardly been committed when it was repented of, and the serious consequences it miglit lend to were seen. John F. Grant and Angus McKay were next taken prisoners, it is supposed, on account of their action in pre- serving Mr. Smith's credentials as Commissioner. It is certain, however, that Kiel never forgave the part they took in that affair ; but it was a short-sighted policy ar- resting them at that time, as it only tended the more to retard than to forward a settlement of the difficulties. On the 9th March, the following was sent round in the shape of printed notices to the several councillors on the English side : — "M. "You are hereby summoned to attend a meeting of the Council of the Provisional Government, to be held at Fort Garry, on Tuesday, 15th inst "t 10 o'clock, a. m. " By order of the President. " Thos. Bunn, "Secretary. "Headquarters Provisional Government, "Fort Garry, 9th March, 1870." The position of Bishop Tache, as a Commissioner from Canada, was much discussed amongst the people, and there was some word of getting up another mass meeting to hear him ; but this was abandoned, as it was thought best to wait until the 15th to see what would be done in the council on that day. THE RED RIVER TROUBLES. 313 Lot lis now SCO what wore tho views of the Canadian Government, as transmitted to Bishop Tachd, in u letter from Hon. Joseph Howe, dated IGth February : — " The Very licverf.nd the Bluhop of St. Boniface : " My Lord, — I am commanded by His Excellency tho Governor-General, to acknowledge and thank you for tho promptitude with which you placed your services at the disposal of this Government, and undertook a winter voyage and journey that you might, by your presence and influence, aid in the repression of tho unlooked for disturbances which had broken out in the North-Wost. (Here follows a memorandum of enclosures). " Copies of the proclamation issued by Mr. McDougall, at or near Pembina, and of the commission issued to Colonel Dennis, having been printed in the Canadian papers, and widely circulated at tho Red River, are, it is assumed, quite within your reach, and are not furnished ; but it is important that you should know that the pro- ceedings by which the lives and properties of the people of Rupert's Land were jeopardized for a time, were at once disavowed and condemned by tho Government of this Dominion, as you will readily discover in the de- spatch addressed by mo to Mr. McDougall, on the 24th of December, a copy of which is enclosed. " Your Lordship will perceive in these papers the policy which it was, and is, tho desire of the Canadian Govern- ment to establish in the North-West. The people of Canada have no interest in the erection of institutions in Rupert's Land, which public opinion condemns ; nor c^ ■ * 814 THE CREATION OF MANITOBA. ' ♦ ' would they wish to see a fine race of people trained to discontent and insubordination, by the pressure of an unwise system of government, to which British subjects are unaccustomed or averse. They look hopefully for- ward to the period, when institutions, moulded upon those which the other provinces enjoy, may be established, and, in the meantime, would deeply regret if the civil and religious liberties of the whole population were not adequately protected by such temporary arrangements, as it may be prudent at present to make, " A convention has been called, and is now sitting at Fort Garry, to collect the views of the people, as to the powers which they may consider it wise for Parliament to confer, and the local legislature to assume. When the proceedings of that conference have been received by the Privy Council, you may expect to hear from me again ; and, in the meantime, should they be communicated to you on the way. His Excellency will be glad to be favoured with any observation that you may have leisure to make. " You are aware that the Very Reverend the Vicar- General Thibault, and Messrs. Donald A. Smith and Charles de Salaberry are already in Rupert's Land, charged with a commission from Government. Enclosed are letters to those gentlemen, of which you will oblige me by taking charge ; and I am commanded to express the desire of His Excellency, that you will co-operate with them in their well-directed eflforts to secure a peace- ful solution of the difficulties in the North- West Terri- tories, which have caused his Excellency much anxiety. THE RED RIVER TROUBLES. 315 e trained to jssure of an tish subjects opefuUy for- Dulded upon 3 established, if the civil ion were not rrangements, ow sitting at pie, as to the L* Parliament When the eived by the m me again ; nunicated to glad to be have leisure d the Vicar- Smith and pert's Land, t. Enclosed u will oblige id to express 11 co-operate cure a peace- -West Terri- uch anxiety, but which, by your joint endeavours, it is hoped may be speedily removed. "I have, &c., "Joseph Howe." , Bishop Tachd, on Sunday, the 13th, delivered an elo- quent sermon, principally upon the state of affairs in the country ; stating that it had been with sorrow that he heard of many of the acts committed by his people dur- ing his absence ; and that Canada was prepared to grant them everything that was right. He referred to his long and arduous trip from Rome ; and hoped that now he would see moderation and union amongst the people, with the common object in view, of doing what was right. He recommended charity and forbearance towards each other ; and said that it was a time when Catholics and Protestants should put their religious differences aside, and work together for the common good. The church was crowded to excess, and it was felt that the exhortation of His Lordship would have a beneficial effect on after events. This latter proved to be the case, as from the day of the arrival of Bishop Tachd in Red River, excitement calm.ed down to a great extent, and gave place to calmer judgment in dealing with the troubles of ^he country. Ever since the seizure of the Hudson E-^y Company's cash box by Riel, the Company had refused to grant bills of exchange on London, and this caused a great deal of inconvenience and annoyance to merchants ; at the same time, the circulation of small change, as well as Hudson's '^i.^-^ m\'A 816 THE CREATION OF MANITOBA. I Bay notes, became so limited, that trade suffered very much thereby ; and parties doing business, had to manu- facture "shin-plasters" or "due bills," for "three-pence" and upwards, to facilitate trading operations. These "shin-plasters" took the place of regular currency, for the time being ; but the plan was felt to be neither a sat- isfactory nor a secure one. A large company of Canadians, principally those who had been in prison, left the Settlement about this time, in company with Rev. Mr. Fletcher, Presbyterian minis- ter ; most of them being men who, through the troubles, had been thrown out of ei ployment, and, therefore, dreaded renifiining in the country in its unsettled state. The second meeting of the council of the Provisional Government, took place on Tuesday, 15th, and the English members were punctual to the hour appointed ; but the French did not make their appearance till about 10 o'clock, p. m. Two notices of motions were given, which, after some discussion, were canied in the following form : — "1. That we, the representatives of the inhabitants of the North- West, consider that the Imperial Government, the Hudson's Bay Company, and the Canadian Govern- ment, in stipulating for the transfer of the government of this country to the Dominion Government, without first consulting, or even notifying the people of such transfer, have entirely ignored our rights, as people of the North- West Territory. "2. That notwithstanding the insults and sufferings borne by the people of the North -West heretofore ; which sufferings they still endure— the loyalty of the people of THE RED RIVER TROUBLES. 317 iffered very id to manu- hree-pence" >ns. These urrency, for either a sat- yr those who it this time, erian minis- he troubles, i, therefore, tied state. I Provisional the English ed; but the 1 about 10 1, after some • [habitants of overnment, ian Govern- vernment of vithout first ich transfer, the North- d sufferings (fore; which he people of the North- West, towards the Crown of England, remains the same, provided the rights, properties, usages, and cus- toms of the people be respected ; and we feel assured that, as British subjects, such rights, properties, usages, and customs will undoubtedly be respected." During the interim between the giving of the notices of motion, and their ultimate adoption as above, — Bishop Tach^ was introduced to the council, and spoke as fol- lows : — " I can well understand the anxiety of the people at the crisis in public affairs with which we have to deal. I believe it to be an anxiety deep and wide-spread. Let me express the hope, however, that all feeling of this kind will cease. It is a hope grounded on my own conviction, that this anxiety is now needless, and that a brighter and better day will speedily dawn on this land. I do not come back, gentlemen, in any official capacity. When I arrived in Canada, it was understood that the people of Ked River were sending down delegates ; and hence it was not thought necessary to invest me with any powers as Commissioner. The Government pressed me to remain until the arrival of the delegates, but my anxiety of mind Was such that I could not delay. I desired to be with my people at a period such as this, and hence I left Can- ada with all convenient speed. Short as my stay was, however, I had ample opportunity for becoming acquain- ted with this fact, that the intentions of the Canadian Government, as far as the people of this country are con- cerned, were good and praiseworthy. I can testify that they have no desire to overlook the political rights of the 318 THE CREATION OB' MANITOBA. people here. As an evidence of this, I will, with permis- sion, read a telegram from the Hon. Joseph Howe, which I received since my arrival here. It was sent to me to St. Paul, in answer to another telegram I sent him, but it arrived there the day after I left. I despatched the telegram, I may say, in consequence of receiving at St. Paul, the * New Nation,' containing a copy of the list of rights adopted by the convention. Mr. Howe's reply was : — * Propositions in the main satisfactory. But let the delegation come here to settle the details.' Let me say, further, that I believe that until recently the people of Canada were in perfect ignorance of the true state of affairs in this country ; and it is not to be wondered at, as I myself, even after having spent most of my life in this country, was very far from knowing the actual state of affairs here, until I arrived the other day. I am a Canadian, and proud of that title. Many friends you have in Canada, both in the Government and outside ; so be assured that nobody is desirous to oppress you." His Lordship, in order to show the opinion entertained of Mr. McDougall's action at Pembina, read an extract from a speech of Hon. Mr. Howe, in the Dominion Par- liament. The speaker condemned Mr. McDougall's action thoroughly, and stated that when all the papeis, relating to the North-West, were laid before the House, it would be found that Mr. McDougall's position was unjustifiable. " I will say again," said his Lordship, in resuming his speech, " that my own feelings towards the people of Red River, are unchanged in the least. As I have often said before, so say I now,— they have, one and all, without dis^ THE RED RIVER TROUBLES. 319 dtli permis- 'owe, which b to me to nt him, but patched the ving at St. f the list of !owe's reply y. But let is.' Let me y the people rue state of rt^ondered at, )f my life in actual state ay. I am a friends you . outside ; so you." L entertained 1 an extract minion Par- ugall's action Deis, relating use, it would unjustifiable, resuming his )eople of Red ;^e often said , without dis- tinction of race, or language, or creed, my highest esteem and affection. If I may make a comparison to evince my regard, I would say — to show that I feel towards the peo- ple of Red River, as if they were all one body :-^When one member of a body, say the right hand, suffers, the left hand sympathises with it. And so it is with us, as a people. So thoroughly do we sympathise with each other, that, when one section suffers, the other partakes of that suffering. In doing what I can, then, to mitigate that suf- fering, I feel that I am bound to do what is possible for all classes, equally." His Lordship then sat down, but soon after, he rose again and said — "An inspirp.tion occurs to me. I would ask the president, as an act of grace, for the release of half of the prisoners." Kiel then promised that half the number of prisoners would be released that evening ; and that the balance would be liberated as soon as satisfactory accounts could be heard from Portage La Prairie, from which place he seemed to fear further trouble. A vote of thanks to Bishop Tachd, was then passed, and the council adjourned. The next day after the two notices of motions, already referred to, had been disposed of, it was resolved that a committee be appointed to frame a constitution for the Provisional Government; after which O'Donoghue gave notice that he would introduce a bill, providing that the two mile hay privilege, heretofore en- joyed, should be converted into fee simple ownership. Thus ended the second sitting of the council of the Pro- visional Government ; and Riel, true to his promise, liber- ated over fifteen of the prisoners, amongst whom was Major Boulton. 320 THE CREATION OP MANITOBA. . V t Excitement now began to calm down rapidly, and the people were anxiously looking forward to the departure of the delegates for Ottawa. The " New Nation " about this time again fell under the displeasure of Kiel, for having given what was con- sidered an erroneous report of the introduction of Bisho]) Tachd to the council. Major Kobiason, no doubt, finding, like other Americans in the Settlement, that annexation to the United States was not as popular as had been thought, gave up the idea, and retired from literary life. In the suppressed paper, there appeared the following letter from Mr. Scott, the delegate ; — " Winnipeg, March 17th, 1870. " Editors ' New Nation,' " An article has been of late going the rounds of the papers, in which I am represented as an American citizen. Of course, there is always an uncertainty concerning matters of which you have no remembrance; and, although personally present at the period of my birth, I retain upon the pages of my memory not even the faintest imprint of the locality in which it occurred, or the cir- cumstances attendant upon that eventful epoch. Nothing being certain in this life but mortality and taxation, I could not state as an indisputable fact that I am not a citizen of the United States, but content myself with saying that the family tree — which is painted in water colors, and framed in walnut, and hangs in the paternal mansion— devotes an entire branch to my origin and THE RED RIVER TROUBLES. 321 antecedents. It states as a fact — which I have as yet no reason to doubt — that the place of my birth is the city of London, England. What particular star was in the ascendant at my natal hour, the tree doesn't say, but proceeds to run off into numerous ?!ttle branches and twigs, which represent Scotts of a future generation. Having early had an explicit faith in the correctness of the family events, chronicled by this tree, instilled into my mind, I have always entertained the belief that I am a British subject, and owe my allegiance to the British Crown, although sincerely grateful for the compliment contained in the supposition of my being among the members of the thriving American citizens. "A. H. Scott." Notwithstanding the above, Mr. Scott was the acknow- ledged champion, or, at least, the representative of the American party. On the 17th March, Oscar Malmoras, the American Consul at Winnipeg, who, to judge from his letters, appeared to know more about matters connected with the rising in its earliest days, than any one else outside those engaged in it, suddenly took it into his head to leave the Settlement at almost a day's notice. What made his departure seem more singular, was the appearance of a number of pamphlets shortly afterwards, containing his letters; which publicity of correspondence he had not probably bargained for. It is rather curious to note all these sudden changes amongst the Americans, at a time when there was every V 322 THE CRKATION OF MANTTOIU. Ml|i;;,i4 liiiihii". I reason to expect a satisfactory settlement of the cUtticiil- ties between Canada and the North-West. Major IloLinson was appointed Vice-Consul in the absence of Mr. Mahnoras, a position Avhicli he held for some time afterwards in a highly satisfactory manner to all parties concerned. Col. Rankin, who had arrived in the Settlement on the 5th March, now made himself rather conspicuous in going about the Settlement Avith a petition, addressed to the Dominion Government, for a grant of land, with a view of getting up a stock company to build a railroad : but when information of this reached the ears of Riel, the colonel received six hours' r ' tice to pack up and leave the country. Rankin, no doubt, thought thir. rather summary treatment, but he had to submit, and made his arrangements accordingly. If a calm precedes a storm, it very frequently happens that one follows it — and so it appeared to be in this case. The Settlement, from a state of extreme excitement, suddenly seemed to have dropped into one of thorough tranquillity. The prisoners, one by one, Averc being released ; the Pro-zisional Government appeared at last to be in Avorking order ; a police force Avas established in the town ; and the Settlement, gene- rally, was unusually quiet and peaceable. Business revived, and people felt more security Avhen going about, than they had done for some time. On the 23rd March, the two delegates, ReA\ Mr. Richot and Alfred IT. Scott, left for Ottawa, in company Avith ( \tl. de Salaberry; and Judge ]51aok, Avho had at last con- TIIH HMD RIVKIl TROUULKS. 323 le (Utilciil- iul in tlio e held for manner to lent on the us in going Red to the ritli a view ilroad : but Df Biel, the ) and leave thlr. rather id made his s a storm, it t — and so it from a state ave dropped ncra, one hy Government poliee force ment, genc- iiess revived, ut, than they Uy. Richot ympan}^ with 1 at last con- sented to act, started the next day, ah)ng with Major Boiilton. Kiel had been busy for some days preparing the neces- sary papers for the delegates ; and, as it may be interest- ing to our readers to know what these were, we will give them in full. First of all, there was the following letter of instruc- tions : — " Sir, — Enclosed with this letter you will receive your commission, and also a copy of the conditions and terms upon which the people of this country will consent to enter into the Confederation of Canada. You will please proceed with convenient speed to the city of Ottawa, Canada, and, on arriving there, you will, in company with (the other delegates), put yourself immediately in com- munication with the Dominion Government, on the subject of your commission. You will please observe, that with regard to the articles numbered 1, 2, 3, 4, G, 7, 15, 17, 19 and 20, you are left at liberty, in concert with your fellow commissioners, to exercise your discre- tion ; but bear in mind that, as you carry with you the full confidence of this people, it is expected that in the exercise of this liberty, you will do your utmost to secure their rights and privileges, wdiich have hitherto been ignored. " With reference to the remaining articles, I am directed to inform you that they are peremptory. I have further to inform you that you are not empowered to conclude finally any arrangements with the Canadian Government; but that any negotiations, entered into between you and 324 TllK CilKATIOX OF MANITOBA. the Hiiid Ooveriiineiit, must first have ^lie ni>[)r()Vjd of, and bo I'iitifiod by, the Provisional Oovernnient, before Assinniboia will become a province of tlie Confederation. " I have the honor to be, Sir, " Your obedient Servant, "Thomas Buxn, " Secretary of State. "March 22nd, 1870." The foUowinj^' is a co[)y of the conmiission : — " Government House, "Winnipeg, Assinniboia. To. " Sir, — The President of the Provisional Government of Assinniboia (formerly Rupert's Land and the North- West) in council, do hereby authorize and delegate you (the delegates) to proceed to the city of Ottawa, and lay before the Dominion Government the accompanying list of propositions and conditions, as the terms upon which the people of Assinniboia will consent to enter into confederation with the other Provinces of the Dominion. You will, also, herewitli receive a letter of instructions, which will be your guide in the execution of this com- mission. " Signed this twenty-second day of March, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and seventy. " By order, " Thomas Bunn, Secretary of State." u ij^ TIIK RED lUVKR TROmLES. 32.' Tlio followliiii' is iv list of tlio terms jukI conditidus wliieli !ic(.'(»iiip;mi(.'(l tlio coiiiinission iind lottcr of iiistiuc- tioiis : — " 1st. Tlijit tlic tenitories, licietutore known as Rupert's Land and North-West, shall not enter into tlie CV)nfedera- tion of the Dominion, except as a province, to ho styled and known as the Province of Assiimiboia, .and with all the rights and privileges common to the different Pro- vinces of the Dominion. " 2nd. That we have two representatives in the Senate and four in the House of Commons of Canada, until such time as an increase of population entitles the Province to a greater representation. " 3rd. That the Province of Assinniboia shall not he held liable at any time for any portion of the public debt of the Dominion contracted before the date the said Pro- vince shall have entered the Confederation, unless the said Province shall have first received from the Dominion the full amount for which the said Province is to be held liable. " 4th. That the sum of eighty thousand dollars be paid annually by the Dominion Government to the Local Legislature of this Province. " 5th. That all properties, rights and jn-ivilcges enjoyed by the people of this Province up to the date of our entering into the Confederation be respected, and that the arrangement and confirmation of all customs, usages and privileges be left exclusively to the Local Legis- lature. " Gth. That during the term of five years, the Province '!...» Ms: 320 TIIK CREATION OF MANITOHA. of As.sinnil>oiii,s1iall net I)0 .subjected to Jiny direct taxatloM, excei>t su{;li as may be imposed by the Local Legl.slatme Ibr nmnicipal or local purposes. " 7th. That a sum of money e(p.ial to eighty cents per head of the population of this Province be pnid annually by tlio Canadian Government to the Local Legislature of the said Province, until such time as the said population shall have increased to six hundred thousand. "8th. That the Local Lef'islature shall have the ri<:jht to determine the qualifications of members to represent this Province in the Parliament of Canada, nnd in the Local Legislature. "9th. That in this Province, with the cxcci)tion of uncivilized and unsettled Indians, every male native citizen who has attained the age of twenty-one years ; and every foreigner, being a British subject, who has attained the same, and has resided three years in the Province and is a householder; and every foreigner, other than a British subject, who has resided here during the same period, being a householder and having taken the oath of alle- giance, shall be entitled to vote at the election of mem- bers for the Local Lemslature and for the Canadian Parliament. It beinfj understood that this article be sub- ject to amendment exclusively by the Local Legislature. " lOtli. That the bargain of the Hudson's Bay Company in the respect to the transfer of the government of this country to the Dominion of Canada be annulled so far as it interferes with the rights of the people of Assinniboia, and so far as it would affect our future relations with Canada. Tin: IlKD lilVKR TUOriU.KS. .S27 taxation, lOirlHlaturc cents per annually Lslaturo of )opulation the right represent nd in the ccption of ale native years ; and as attained mvince and ,n a British ime period, ith of alle- m of mcm- 3 Canadian icle be sub- Legislature. by Company lent of this ed so far as Assinniboia, iations with " I 111). 'I'h.tt the Local Legislature of tlui Provinct' ol' Assiimiljoia sliall have full control over all thi' piiMic Iniids of the rrovince, and tlio right to annid all acts or ar- rangements made or entered into with reference to tin; public lands of Rupert's Land and the North-Wcst, now called the Province of Assinniboia. " 12th. That the Government of Canada appoitit a C*oin- missioner of Engineers to explore the various districts of the Province of Assinniboia, and to lay before the Local Legislature a. report of tlie mineral wealth of the Province within five years from the date of our entering into con- federation. "13th. That treaties h^. concluded between Canada and the difForcnt Indian tribes of the Province of Assinniboia, by and with the advice and co-oporation of the Local Legislature of this Province. " 14th. That an uninterrupted steam communication fr(mi Lake Superior to Fort Garry bo guaranteed to be coinpleted within the space of five years. "15th. That all public buildings, bridges, roads, and other public works be at the cost of the Dominion Treasury. "IGth. That the English and French lauguno-os be common in the Legislature and in the Courts, and that all public documents, as well as all Acts of the Legislature, be published in both languages. " 17th. That whereas the French and English speaking people of Assinniboia are so equally divided as to numbers, yet so united in their interests, and so connected by commerce, fjimily connections, and other political and ' s ' \ ' i 5 *. u-\ 328 THE CREATION OF MANITOBA. iiiiii mm V t u r social relations, that it has liappily been found impossible to bring them into hostile collision, although repeated attempts have been made by designing strangers, for reasons known to themselves, to bring about so ruinous and disastrous an event : " And whereas after all the troubles and apparent dis- sensions of the past, the result of misunderstanding among themselves, they have, as soon as the evil agencies referred to above were removed, become as united and friendly as ever : therefore, as a means to strengthen this union and friendly feeling among all classes, Wd deem it expedient and advisable ** That the Lieutenant-Governor, who maybe appointed for, the Province of A.ssiianiboia, should be familiar with both the French and English languages. " 18th. Tliat the Judge of the Superior Court speak the English and French languages. "19th. That all debts contracted by the Provisional Government of the Territory of the North-West, now called Assinniboia, in consequence of the illegal and incon- siderate measures adopted by Canadian officials to bring- about a civil war in our midst, be paid out of the Dominion Treasury, and that none of the members of the Provisional Government, or any of those acting under them, be in any way held liable or responsible with regard to the movement or any of the actions which led to the present negotiations. " 20th. That in view of the present exceptional position of Assinniboia, duties upon goods imported into the Pro- vince shall, except in the case of spirituous liquors, cou- nt THE RED RIVER TROUBLES. 329 SO ruinous tinuc as at present for at least three years from the date of our entering the Confederation, and for such furtlier time as may elapse until there be uninterrupted railroad communication between Winnipeg and Saint Paul, and also steam communication between Winnipeg and Lake Superior." m 'i 330 THE CHEATION OF MANITOBA. CHAPTER XVI. CONSTITUTION ADOPTED BY THE COUNCIL OF ASSINNIBOIA — CAUSES OF THE DISSATISFACTION EXISTING IN THE SETTLEMENT — LETTER FROM RIEL TO OOVERNOR MACTAVISII, IMBOSINO TERMS ON THE HUDSON BAY COMPANY — PROCLAMATION — LAWS OF ASSINNIBOIA. |N the morning of the 25th March, the Pro- visional flag was found to have been cut clown during the night, and was lying on the ground. The men in the Fort did not succeed in hoisting- it again until the 29th, and the person who cut it down was never discovered. - A good deal of discontent was felt about this time amongst the French towards Lepine on account of his overbearing manner towards them, and at last it cul- minated in a row, the result being that the Adjutant- General left the Fort and returned to his home. The quarrel, however, w^as soon afterwards made up, and Lepine, at Kiel's request, returned to his post. On the 2Gth of March the Council of the Provisional Government ended its labours for that sitting, and ad- journed till the 26th April. As our space will not allow us to give the whole pro- ceedings in detail, we will content ourselves with laying a few of the principal motions and resolutions before onr readers. The following preamble was first adopted, viz: — " 1st. That we, the people of Assinniboia, without dis- THE RED RIVER TROUBLES. 331 [BOIA — CAUSES lENT — LETTER 'BRMS ON THE ASSINNIBOIA. h, the Pro- n cut down the ground. d in hoisting cut it down it this time count of his Last it cul- le Adjutant- home. The iide up, and t. e Provisional ting, and ad- e whole pro- j with laying ns before our lopted, viz:— ^, without dis- regard to the Crown of England under whose authority we live, have deemed it necessary for the protection of life and property, and the securing of those rights and privileges which we are entitled to enjoy as British sub- jects, and which rights and privileges we have seen in danger, to form a Provisional Government, which is the only acting authority in this country ; and we do hereby ordain and establish the following Constitution : — " 2nd. That the country hitherto knov^n as Rupert's Lund and the North-Wost be henceforth known and st3ded ' Assinniboia.' " 3rd. That our assembly of representatives be hence- forth styled ' The Legislative Assembly of Assinniboia.' " 4tli. That all legislative authority be vested in a President and Legislative Assembly composed of members elected by the people ; and that at any future time another house, called a Senate, shall be established when deemed necessary by the President and the Legislature. " 5 til. That the only qualification necessary for a mem- Ijcr of the Legislative Assembly be, that he shall have attained the age of tw^cnty-thrce years ; that he shall have been a resident of Assinniboia for a term of at least five years ; that he shall be a householder, and have rate- able property to the amount of £200 sterling ; and that, if an alien, he shall have first taken the oath of allegiance." The following: were the oaths of office as administered : — rilESfDENT. " I, Louis Riel, do hereby solemnly swear that I will fiiithfully fulfil, to the best of my ability, my duties as 332 THE CREATION OF MANITOBA. President of the Provisional Government, proclaimed on the 24th November, 18G0, and also all the duties which may become connected with the office of President of the Pi'ovisional Government of Assinniboia, as they may here- after be defined by the voice of the people." . V t clerk's oath. " I, A. B., do solemnly swear that I will well and truly perform all the duties of Clerk of the Legislative Assembly of the Provisional Government of Assinniboia to the best of my ability ; so help me God." member's oath. " I, A. B., do solemnly swear that I will, to the best of my ability, faithfully perform all the duties of a Member of the Legislative Assembly of Assinniboia ; so help nie God." CHIEF justice's OATH. " In the name of God, Amen ! I, A. B., do solemnly swear, on the Holy Evangelists, and in the presence of Almighty God, as I shall answer to God at the great l).ay of Jud cement, that I will faithfully and impartially per- form all the duties of Chief Justice of Assinniboia. I swear that I will not bear envy, hatred, or malice against any one ; and that I will not act from fear, favor, or affection, or hope of reward in any case ; but that I will faithfully act between all parties ; so help me God." Thus ended what was called the first session of the Legislative Assembly of Assinniboia. .'Ki'. oclaimed on luties wliieli ident of the iy may here- 11 and truly ve Assembly a to the best ) the best of of a Member ; so help me do solemnly ! presence of he great Day Dartially pcr- )oia. I swear against any *, or affection, ■ill faithfully ession of the THE RED RIVER TROUBLES. 333 On the 29th March, T. A. S. Donaldson and R. C. Bur- dick, two American citizens, were arrested, by orders of Kiel, for some reason, but they were released that same afternoon; and it was said that Vice-Consul Robinson, expecting to follow in the footsteps of his countrymen, wrote a letter to the United States Government, to be for- warded to Washington, in case he should be imprisoned. A great deal of dissatisfaction was now experienced throughout the Settlement at the continued delay in re- establishing the Hudson's Bay Company as a commercial body ; the utter prostration of business, and the want of proper civil law, was very much felt. The Indians, also, in the neighborhood of the Stone Fort, were very much discontented ; and several efforts on the part of influential men, amongst others Bishop Machray and Bishop- Tachd, had to be made to keep them quiet. A report also became current, about the same time, that the Sioux Indians were once more on the war path, and the consequence was another arming of settlers in case it should prove true ; but word was soon afterwards re- ceived that the French guard at Lane's Fort had stopped the band, and sent them back to Portage La Prairie, from whence they came. On the 31st March, Major Robinson was conducted to Fort Garry, by a guard of men, in order that he should give up the keys of the " New Nation " printing office, and, as soon as this was done, he was allowed to return to his quarters in the town. Thos. Spence then under- took the management of the paper, and, on the 2nd April, 334 THE CREATION OF MANITOBA. it appeared once more; and from that day annexation to the United States was never once hinted at in its columns. About this time it became known that negotiations were going on between Kiel and Governor MacTavish, for the purpose of re-establishing the business relations of the Company Avith the people. The following is a copy of the communication on the subject, addressed by Kiel to the Chief Officer of the Company : — " To William MaoTavlsh, Esq., Governor of the Hudson's Bay Comixmy in the North-West. "Sir, — In reference to our interviews regarding the affairs of the Hudson's Bay Company in this countrj^, I have the honour to assure you that my great desire to open, as soon as possible, in the interest of the people, free tmd undisturbed, the commerce of the country. " The people, in rallying themselves to the Provisional Government with unanimity, prescribes to each of us our respective conduct. " The Provisional Government, established iipon the principle of justice and reason, will fulfil its work. " By the action of the Hudson's Bay Company, its commercial interests may be saved to a certain extent ; but that is entirely for your consideration, and depends upon the Company itself I have had the honor to tell you that arrangements Avere possible, and the following are the conditions : — " 1st. That the whole of the Company in the Nortli- West shall recognize the Provisional Government. " 2nd. That you, in the name of the Hudson's Bay THE EED RIVER TROUBLES. ^35 Company, do agree to loan the Provisional Govcrnuiont the sum of three thousand pounds sterling. " 3rd. That, on demand by the Provisional Govern- ment, in case arrangements with Canada should be op- posed, you do guarantee a supplement of two thousand pounds sterling to the above mentioned sum. " 4th. That there shall be granted, by the Hudson's Bay Company, for the support of the present military force, goods and provisions to the value of four thousand pounds sterling, at current prices. " oth. That the Hudson's Bay Company do immedi- ately put into circulation their bills. " 6th. That the Provisional Government shall also retain an additional specified quantity of goods in the store of the Hudson's Bay Company. •' In accepting the above conditions, the Hudson's Bay Company wdll be allowed to resume its business, under the protection of the Provisional Government. " Fort Garry will be open ; but, in the meanwhile, it being the seat of the Government, a small guard of fifty men will be retained. " Only the buildings at present occupied by the Govern- ment will be reserved for Government purposes. " Such, Sir, are the conditions which the situation im- poses upon us. " I have a duty to perforni, from which I shall not retreat. I rim aware that j^ou fully possess the know- ledge of your duty, and I trust that your decision will Ito favourable. " Allow me here to express my deep feeling of sym- 330 THE CREATION OF MANITOBA. pathy for you in your continued illness, and to sincerely trust that your health may be speedily restored. " I have the honor to be, Sir, " Your most obedient servant, "Louis Riel, " President . " Government House, " Fort Garry, March 28, 1870." ■■*,■'• On the 2nd April tlie above terms were agreed to by Mr. MacTavish, and oii tlio 8th the keys of the several warehouses in Fort Garry were given up, by Riel, to the Hudson's Bay Company. The latter, however, did not resume their regular business till the 27th, although, on the 9th, they granted bills of exchange on London, Eng- land. Riel's men now went to work separating the goods they required from the Hudson's Bay Company, as well as the confiscated goods from .Dr. Schultz, and hence the delay in giving up the keys of the warehouses. The reason why the Company did not resume their business immediately afterwards, was because it took them some timo to regulate their affairs after the chock they had sustained. Word was now brought down, that the Indians at Portage La Prairie were very troublesome to the settlerp in that neighborhood, and, on this account, a guard was sent up to afford them protection. The Hudson's Bay Company packet for the north, consisting of dog trains, left Fort Garry about this time, THE RED RIVER TROUBLES. 337 id to sincerely roclaiined on the 8tli DecemLcr, ISGf). " After many difHciilties raised against it hy ilio par- tisans of Canada and the Hudson's Bay Company, this Provisional Government is to-day master of the situation, — hccause the whole people of the colony have felt the necessity of union and concord, — because we have always professed our nationality as British subjects; and because our army, though small, has always sufficed to hold high tlie noble standard of liberty and of country. " Not only has the Provisional Governnient succeeded in restoring order and pacifying the country, but it has inaugurated very advantageous negotiations with the Canadian Government, and with the Hudson's Bay Com- pany. You will be duly informed of the results of these nefxotiations. " People of the North, of the North- West ! You have not been strangers either to the cause for which we have fought or to our affections. Distance, not indifference, has separated us. . " Your brethren at Red River, in working out the mission which God assigned them, feel that they are not acting for themselves alone, and that, if their position has given them the glory of triumph, the victory will be valued only in so far as you share their joy and their liberty. The winning of their rights will possess value in their eyes only, if you claim those rights with them. " We possess to-day, without partition, almost the half of a continent. The expulsion or annihilation of the invaders has rendered our land natal to its children. THE RED RIVER TROUBLES. 339 iiciit, whicli hy the par- nil)any, this le situation, avc felt the liavc always and because to lioltl liigli it succeeded y, but it has as with the I's Bay Com- mits of these You have hich M^e have ifference, has iing out the they are not .heir position ictory will be oy and their possess value with them, most the half lation of the its children. Scattered throughout tliis vast and rich country, but united to a man, — what matters distance to us, since wo are all brethren, and are acting for the common good ? " Recognized by all classes of the people, the Govern- ment reposes upon the good will and union of the in- habitants. " Its duty, in officially informing you of the political changes effected among us, is to reassure you for the future. Its hope is that the people of the North will show themselves worthy of their brethren in Red River. " Still the Government fears that, from a misapprehen- sion of its views, the people of the North and of the North- West, influenced by evil intentioned strangers, may commit excesses fitted to compromise tho public safety. Hence it is that the President of the Provisional Govern- ment deems it his duty to uige upon all those who desire the public good, and the prosperity of their country, to make the fact known and understood by all those half- breeds or Indians who might wish to take advantage of this so-called time of disorder, to foment trouble, that the true state of public affairs is order and peace. " The Government, established on justice and reason, will never permit disorder, and those who are guilty of it shall not go unpunished. It must not be that a few mischievous individuals should compromise the interests of the whole people. "People of the North and of the North-West! This message is a message of peace. War has long enough threatened the colony. Long anough have we been in lUO THE CREATION OF MANITOBA. arms to protect the country and restore order, disturbed by evil-doers and scoundrels. "Our country, so happily surrounded by Providence with natural and almost insuperable barriers, invites us to unite. "After the crisis through which we have passed, all feel, more than ever, that they seek the same interests, — that they aspire to the same rights, — that they are mem- bers of the same family. " We hope that you also will feel the need of rallying round the Provisional Government, to support and sus- tain it in its work. " By order of the President, "Louis Schmidt, " As8t. Secy of Slate" On the 0th Riel issued the following — "PROCLAMATION " To the People of the North-West " Let the assembly of twenty-eight representatives, which met on the 9th March, be dear to the people of Red River ! That assembly has shown itself worthy of great confidence. It has worked in vmion. The members devoted themselves to the public interests, and yielded only to sentiments of good will, duty and generosity. Thanks to tha j noble conduct, public authority is now strong. That strength will be employed to sustain antl protect the people of the country. "To-day the Government pardons all those whom THE RED niVER TROUBLES. 'S\l those whom political (liffcreiKH's lod astray only for a tinio. Amnesty will bo generously accorded to all those who will suhniit to the Government ; who will discountenance or inform ajjainst danfjeroiis <;athei'in-*v(>r\ ocurity for the same. VI. In cases .jmii ;* mder the cognizance of the Dis- trict Courts, and where plaintiff and defendant reside in different districts, the case shall be tried in the district in which the defendant resides ; and if the plaintiff gain the case, he shall receive, in addition to the ordinary and ne- cessary costs of the Court, such amount for loss of time, and expenses of travelb'ng, as the Court may decide upon. VII. That any District Magistrate shall have the right to issue a summons for his own district. 2. He shall also have the right to issue a summons for any other district, but such summons shall have no legal force, unless countersigned by a Magistrate of the district where such summons is to take effect. VIII. If in an}" suits originally brought before the General Court, the Bench, after verdict is given against the defendant, shall unanimously decide that such suit ought to have gone before a District Court, the plaintifl' in that case shall receive costs only as in such District Court. IX. In any Court, either party to a civil action may be made the other's witness. X. For every writ in civil action in the Supreme Court, there shall be payable to the Magistrate, issuing the same, three shillings and sixpence stg., and for every writ issued THE RED RIVER TROUBLEH. 351 ic session the district l«y any of IJiu T>isa'ict Magistrates, two sliil lings and sixpence stg., of which charges the sum of one shilling shtdl he paid to the constiible serving the writ, the V»ahince hcing retained by tlie Magistrate. For such shilling the con' table shall be bound to serve any writ within five miles of his own residence ; but for any distance he may be required to travel beyond that he' shall be entitled to mileage at the rate of two pence a mile. These fees shall be payable to the Magistrate before issuing the wr* «.".^d every constable receiving a writ shall be respond ' Me f"r tlie service thereof. XI. In criminal cases jurors and witnesses shall b prid five shillings a day out of the Public Funds, a"' ' ir civil cases, five shillings per day for each case in wnicli they serve ; payable by plaintiff or defendant accor III. If any lam shall be found at large between the thirtieth day of July and the first day of Decembei', such ram may be captured by any person, and placed in charge of a constable to keep, at a charge of three-pence a day, until the owner pay to the captor a fine of five shillings and expenses of keep ; and, if the owner be unknown, the constable shall, immediately on getting the ram, advertise the same three times in every newspap^-r, and wn three successive Sundays at the doors of two Protestwint and two Roman Catholic churches — giving in sisieh adv*^rtise- ment a complete description of the animal. IV. If between the thirty-first March and first day of December, any pig or pigs be found at larj^e, without a yoke, a foot and a half wide, and a foot and a half in height, and an iron ring in the nose, the owner shall not only be answerable for all damages committed by said pig or pigs, but shall also, if the animals or animals be captured, pay three shillings to the captor for each. Un- til so paid the captor shall keep such pig or i>igs, and be entitled to one shilling a day for each animal, from the owner, to be paid before the animals are removed. V. If any person take another's horse and use the same without the owner's consent, he shall, on conviction, be fined five pounds, or be imprisoned for one month in the common jail ; half of the fine to go to the informer, and in the event of the guilty party being imprisoned, the informer shall be paid two pounds ten shillings out of the public funds. If a horse so taken shall be injured oi- lost, the person who took the animal shall indemnify the owner the full extent of the damages or loss. THE r,ED RIVER TROUBLES. 365 VI. If any policeman, constable, or magistrate, on seeing any person using a horse, has any reasonable grounds for suspicion that said person does not own the animal, and has no permission to use the same, he may detain such person until it be shown that the horse is used of right. HAY. I. If any person cut hay outside what is now known as the Four Mile line, before the twenty-first day of July he shall forfeit the same or the value thereof. II. If any person cut hay on another's ground without permission, he shall forfeit the same to the person injured^ without receiving any allowance for his labor ; but, if he trespass in ignorance, he shall still forfeit as before, but shall receive compensation to the extent of half the value of his labor. HI. Where the people of any district cannot enjoy what is known as the " Two Mile Hay Privilege," and a tract oi land in lieu of such be gi*anted, special regulations shall be made for such cases. LIQUOR LAW. I. If any person supply or sell to any unsettled and uncivilized Iiadian the means of intoxication he shall, on conviction, be fined as follows 1. Two pounds for firnishinr any %ewing utensils, the fine to go to the informer. 2. Three pounds for furnishing malt, the fine to go to the informer. 3GG THE CllKATION OF MANITOBA. 3. Five pounils for furniahing beer or any fciuieiiti'd rK|ii<)i', tlie fine to go to the informer, 4. One hundred pounds for furnishing distilled spirits, or any intoxicating drink, other tlian fermented liquoi's, half the fine to go to tlie informer. In every case the offender, after conviction, shall l)e imprisoned until the fine is paid. In every case where a person is found guilty of a breach of this law a second time, the fine in such cases shall be doubled. II. In addition to the fines mentioned in the preceding article, the offender shall make restitution to the Indian of what he may have received, if anything, for such fur- nishing, and when the considei'ation is not money, it shall for the purposes of restitution be valued at prime cost. III. If an intoxicated Indian commit or threaten to commit any injury to pei'son or property, he shall, in addition to special punishment for such conduct, be im- prisoned until he disclose the name of the person who furnished him the means of intoxication. IV. If any person be found with any of the above specified means of intoxication among Indians, he shall be held guilty of furnishing such means of intoxica- tion to them, unless he shall prove that such liquor is for his own use or for the use of such civilized person as may be with him, or that it is in transit for any civil- ized person or persons. Any violation of this article may be punished in the manner set forth in article I., sub- section 4. V. No person shall sell spirits, wine or beer, in any THE RED RIVER TROURLES. 307 quantity iiiuler five gallons without ()l)tninii)«^' a license, as contained in the followini' sclietlulc :- - "A. B., having paid ten pounds, is hereby licensed, iVoni this date to the first week-day in December 187-, inclu- sive, to sell spirits, wine or beer, in any (puuitity, under the following restrictions, viz.: — 1. He shall not sell to any person between the hours of ten at night and six in the morning. 2. Nor to any [)erson, at any time, during (Sunday, Good Friday and Christmas Day. 3. Nor at any time to any intoxicated person. 4. Nor shall he at any time sell to any uncivilized and unsettled Indian, either directly to the Indian, or know- ingly, on the part of the seller, indirectly to another for the Indian. 5. All manufacturin •> / .^ Photographic Sciences Corporation s. iP f\ :\ \ Ky 73 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y 14580 (716) 872-4103 O^ ti ^ 1. -v 368 THE CREATION OF MANITOBA. II •• m Court, on giving security for such penalties, in case where any arc imposed, as well as further cost of the original action, and also on making the usual deposit of £1 for entering the appeal. But where an appeal is made, the District Court shall still have the power of suspending the license till the appeal is disposed of Excepting in the case of a person making wine or beer for his own family use, and not for barter or sale, any person who shall manufacture or sell any spirits, wine or beer without a license shall, on conviction before a District Court, be liable to a fine of not less than twenty, and not more than thirty pounds citerling, for each offence, and failing immediate payment of the fine, he shall be liable to imprisonment for a period of not less than twelve, and not more than twenty weeks ; provided, however, that at any time during the period of imprisonment he shall be entitled to be discharged on paying the fine. But against any such decision before any District Court any aggrieved person may appeal, as aforesaid, in giving security for the fine and the cost of the original action, besides making the usual deposit of £1 for enter- ing the appeal. On payment of the sum of ten pounds it shall be lawful for the District Magistrates in their several dis- tricts assembled on the first week-day in December, but on no other day throughout the year, to grant retail liquor licenses according to the foregoing law ; and every applicant for a license shall be bound to lodge his applica- cation with the President of the Bench of the proper THE RED RIVER TROUBLES. 3(19 L case where the original t of £1 for s made, the suspending ing wine or rter or sale, spirits, wine ion before a than twenty, • each offence, , he shall be ; than twelve, ed, however, isonment he le fine, any District aforesaid, in the original 1 for enter- 9 it shall be several dis- ecember, but grant retail V ; and every e his applica- the proper district, not later than the loth day of November, speci- fying therein the premises for which the license is asked. And on the first Sunday thereafter the President shall give public written notice at all the public places of worship in the applicant's district, and also in any other district in which any of the nearest neighbors reside, and also in all local papers, mentioning the names of the persons applying for the licenses and specifying their premises, together with the day appointed for disposing of the applications. But in the case of any such application where the granting of a license is objected to by a majority of the householders of the neighborhood of a house where a license is intended to be used, the Bench shall have no power to grant the license ; and such objectors shall, at any time between the date of the public notice and the date fixed for disposing of the aj^plication, be entitled to intimate their objection, either personally or in writing, to the President of the Bench, without, however, being bound to assign any reason for their objection. For the purposes of this regulation, the word " house- holder" shall mean the head of a family occupying a separate house, or if occupying only a part of a house, a tenant for not less than one year, and not being the hired servant of any applicant for a license. And the word " neighborhood " shall mean the twelve householders who, irrespective of district, are nearest to the house intended to be licensed. In the case of any application, whatsoever, for a license. 870 THE CREATION OF MANIT015A. |!l whether it bo objected to or not, by a nirajority of tho neighborhood, the Bench shall have full discretionary power to refuse the license, whensoever, on grounds re- lating to the public interest, they think it would be im- proper to grant it, Anj'' person may sue an offender for manufacturing, ille- gally, spirits, wine, or fermented liquors, or selling the same without a license, and shall be entitled to half the fine actually recovered. Any person may also sue any license holder for the breach of his license ; and, where there is a fine besides a forfeiture of license, the prosecutor shall be entitled to half the fine actually recovered. No liquor license shall on any conditions be granted to any person intending to carry on the manufixcture or sale of spirits, wine or beer, in any part of what is known as the Indian Reserve. From and after the fu'st week day in December, every wholesale dealer in spirits, wine or beer, shall pay tiz. pounds a year ; and every person selling spirits, wine or beer by wholesale, without a license in the subjoined form, shall be liable to a penalty of not less than twenty pounds sterling, and not more than thirty pounds sterling, fur each offence, to be recovered in the same way as the pen- alties for breach of the liquor laws generally. By the term " wholesale dealers," shall be understood a seller of spii-its or wine in quantities, at a time, of not less than five gallons each, and of beer in quantities of not less than eight gallons. All wholesale licenses shall be granted by the President THE RED RIVER TROUBLES. 371 fijoiity of the discretionary n. grounds re- would 1)0 ini- facturing, ille- or selling the id to half the holder for the a, fine besides a be entitled to s be granted to ufacture or sale lat is known as iccember, every 1-, shall pay V.i •its,wineorbeer^ ^ined form, shall twenty pounds ids sterling, for way as the pen- iiy. 1 be understood t a time, of not quantities of not by the President of the Fort Garry District Court, on the first week-day of December, and on no other day. FORM OF WHOLESALE LICENSE. " C. D., having paid £10, is hereby licensed, for one year from this date, to sell spirits and wine, in quantities of not less at a time than five gallons each ; and beer, in quantities of not less at a time than eight gallons." On payment of the sum of £15, it shall be lawful for the District Magistrates, in their several districts assem- bled, during the session of any District Court, to grant a license to any person to manufacture, and sell by whole- sale, spirits, wine or beer. ROADS. I. That all public roads remain the width they have been laid out, till other arrangements are considered ne- cessary by the Legislature. II. If any person cut a hole into or through the river ice, except in the case of what is known as a water hole, he shall, unless he surround the same with a fence at least four feet high, be liable to a fine of one pound sterling, and also for the damage or loss occasioned by such hole. Every water-hole shall be marked at the point nearest to any public track, with a pole at le.ast six feet high. III. A Commissioner of Public Works sliall be ap- pointed, who shall be responsible for the state of the roads and bridges, and for all sums of money expended on Pub- He Works, as well as for all damages caused by a neglect of his duty. And when any Public Work is to be exe- ^ » m% 372 THE CREATION OF MANITOBA. , • ■■ k" , I .» m^ cubed by contract, tenders for such work shall be publicly invited, and the lowest tender shall be accepted if other- wise satisfactory ; but in any case the party whose tender is accepted nuist have two good sureties for the due exe- cution of the contract. THE RED IIIVRR TROUBLES. n73 a,ll be publicly epted if othcr- j whose tender >r the duo exe- CHAPTER XVII. BIOOKAPHV OF OOVEIINOU MAOTAVISIl — 1)«. COWAN S CAllERIl IN THE NORTH-WEST — RETURN OF THE DELEGATES — REV. MR. RIOHOT's SPEECH — PROCLAMATION OF COL. WOLSELEY — LETTER OF (JEN. LINDSAY— LETTER OF o'dONOOHUE. »N Executive Council was formed at the end of the second session of the Legislative Assembly, for the purpose of meeting once a week, to discuss any matters of importance that might occur from time to time. On the 17th May, the steamboat " International " started on her second trip to Georgetown, having on hoard Mr. MacTavish and family, who were on their way to reside in England, hoping thereby that the Governor's health might be restored by a change of climate. A num- ber of persons went down to the landing to see them off; and, a short time before the hour of starting, the Gover- nor drove down to the bank of the river, and there alighted, being assisted in doing so by Mr. Hargrave, his vSecretary, and Mr. J. H. MacTavish, the accountant at the Fort. All were shocked at the feeble appearance of the old man, reduced, as he was, almost to a skeleton. Resting on his walking-stick, he tottered slowly along towards the steamer, every now and again casting his eyes around, as if bidding farewell to the scenes of so many years' labor. Those who watched the departure of 374 THE CREATION OF MANITOBA. ('^ Governor MacTavish were deeply touched at the .si<,dit of a man wlio liad ^aven his life, as it were, for the country, leaving it in the state he wjis, enfeebled and broken down, — a wreck of manhood, — brought on, as it was well known, through his hard work and anxiety in behalf of the country and those living in it. Governor MacTavish lived only two days after his ar- rival in Liverpool, and those, who had stated that, while he lay on his sick bed in the Settlement, he was only shamming, must have felt how guilty they had been in uttering such a vile and untruthful slander on a good man. The following is a short biography of his career while in the North- West : — " Mr. MacTavish first came to Rupert's Land in iS33, when he entered the Hudson's Bay Company's service in the usual way, as an apprentice clerk. For a number of years he served at various posts in the country ; and, in 1846, was promoted to the rank of Chief Trader. He was then in charge of York Factory, which, before the open- ing up of the route through the United States, was the headquarters of the Company's business in North America. In 1852, he received his Chief Factorship, and in 1857 he first came to reside at Fort Gariy, as oflicer in charge of the Company's commercial operations in this Settlement. In 1859, on the retirement of Judge Johnson from the local governorship of Assinniboia, Mr. MacTavish succeeded him in that office ; and, on the death of Sir George Simp- son, in 1860, he succeeded to the temporary occupation of acting governorship of Rupert's Land. In 1862, this TlIK UKD RIVEU TUOUIILKS. s career wliile ofticc \Vi\n, to all appearance, pennanently confened on a j^entlenuin wlio had previously held a seat at the Board of Directors of the (\)nipany in London. Mr. Dallas re- sided, as Governor of Rupert's Land, for two years at Fort Garry, and during that time mixed himself up very prominently Avith our local affairs. This administration wjis, as every one knows, a failure, and brought out, in the most marked manner, the worst defects of what is known as the Hudson's Bay retjime. In 1804, Mr. MacTavish finally succeeded liim as Governor. Since that time he lijis resided in the Red River as Chief Magistrate, leaving the Settlement, fi-om time to time, on tours through the interior of the territory and visits to England, but always retaining his headquarters at Fort Garry. " The whole term of thirteen years, during which Mr. MacTavish resided in the Colony, has been one of transi- tion. Previous to 1857, the Settlement was a mere iso- lated spot in the Indian country, ])osscssing only one means each year of freight communieation with the out- side world ; that being afforded by the Company's ship to York Factory. Since then, however, the most important changes have been silently but steadily in progress. A route, over which a semi-weekly mail now travels, has been opened up through the adjacent territories of the United States ; and Fort Garry, from the ])osition of headquarters of our inland district, has risen to be the central point of the Company's business, and the depot for supply of wants in the Fertile Belt. In actual size and importance, the Colony has also greatly increased. With a mixed population, difficulties have made themselves felt 370 THE CREATION OF MANITOnA. i ■ ill tlic 1110(1(5 of gcjveriiment, creating necessities fur cliangcs of a sweeping cliaractcr in the administration. In con- nection witli all these events, we know of no man who has exercised e(]ual inttucnce with Mr. MacTavish. " For a number of years i)revioiis to his death, his health had been frail. His well-known habit of attend- ing to minute details of business incumbered him with a superfluity of work, the burden of which was too great for any man, and was, doubtless, largely instrumenlal in reducing him to his debilitated condition. During the winter of 1868-0 he visited England, with the object of securing able medical advice ; but, on his return to Red River, his friends were concerned to see him, apparently, weaker than ever. Notwithstanding this, Mr. MacTavish went to Norway House, June 18C9, as usual, and pre- sided at the council of factors and traders connected with the fur trade. On his return, in the end of July, he was obviously in a very critical condition. After the end of August, he was permanently confined to his house, which he never left throughout the winter. The political and military events of the period told very severely upon him ; and the anxieties attending his position doubtless, to some extent, retarded his convalescence." On the same day that Mr. MacTavish left, Riel held a meeting, to which the winterers and plain-hunters had been invited; but it is said he made little, if any, impres- sion upon them. Word was now being received in the Settlement of the indignation meetings held in Canada ; but they did not cause much excitement in Red River; people felt that THE UKD UIVKR TUOI'IJI.KS. 377 s for cluiiit^t's on. In con- 110 man who avish. is death, his it of attend- 1 him with a as too great biumenlal in During the the object of (turn to Red I, apparently, r. MacTavish lal, and pre- nnected with July, he was r the end of house, which political and ly upon him ; tless, to some Kiel held a -hunters had any, impres- ement of the they did not pie felt that Schiiltz was only making the most of his position, anromptly cncpiired into. "All loj-^al people are earnestly invited to aid me in carrying out the above mentioned objects. " G. J. Wolseley. " Colonel, commanding Red River Force'' 384 THE CREATION OF MANITOBA. ^"-li^ General Lindsay afterwards changed the above to a certain extent, to tlie effect that the expedition was purely military in its character, for the preservation of peace and order ; and that Courts of Law were altogether out of their line as soldiers. Tlie following is a copy of his let- ter on the subject : — "Clifton House, Clifton, July 11th, 1870. "My Lord, — Colonel Wolseley, commanding the F4xpc- ditionary Force en route to Fort Garry, has transmitted to you a Military Proclamation, addressed to the inhabi- tants of Manitoba, which will be forwarded to you via Winnipeg. " I have the honor to request that before issuing it, you will have the goodness to erase the paragraph in which the English translation commences with the words "Courts of Law, " and terminates with those of *' Her loyal subjects" — legal affairs being altogether within the func- tions of the civil authorities. . "I have the honor to be, " Your Lordship's obedient servant, " Jas. Lindsay, "Lieut-General, " Commanding H. M. Forces in Brii^sh " North America. " Right Rev. Bishop Tachd, Fort Garry." This was the first intimation of the near approach of the troops. The same day, on which the Proclamation was issued, Captain Butler made his appearance in the THE RED RIVER TROUBLES. :}85 town of Winnipeg, and, while on a visit to Fort Garry, Riel met and had a conversation with him. O'Donoghue who had not, it appears, been consulted about the issue of Col, Wolseley's Proclamation, wrote the following letter to the editor of the "New Nation," which, however, that gentleman refused to publish : — "Editor 'New Nation.' — Sir, — Having noticed the tranquillity of affairs considerably disturbed for the past two days, would it be amiss to enquire into the cause ? We have remarked immediatelj'' after the landing of the ' International,' guards flying in all directions, and found out, on enquiry, that some mysterious person, or passen- ger thereon, had made a leap from the boat as she turned the point to enter the Assinniboine. Now who can this bold, daring adventurer be ? Are we always to be dis- turbed by foreigners making their way into this country in disguise ? Again, this morning, the curiosity of the public was aroused by a proclamation supposed to l»o from Col. Wolseley, to the ' loyal' inhabitants of Mani- toba. The issuing of which from your office, this morn- ing, explains the curiosity we had about your office being lighted up all last night, and the presence of President Riel there superintending the work. Many people seem to doubt the authenticity of this proclamation, and want to know if certified to by any person ; but this is impos- sible, as it came by mail. We are afraid the whole thing is another Col. Dennis affair. " Please answer the queries, and oblige the public. " Yours, "A Subscriber." ■« > 380 THE CREATION OF MANITOBA. To the above was added the following : — " As you have not required correspondents' names, it is not necessary to have the writer's. Let the President come out with explanations. " Yours, "O'D." O'Donoghue, it was said, at that time favored a resist- ance on the part of the people, to the entrance of the troo|)S, but Kiel would not agree to it, and, in fact, felt inclined to welcome them in. The next thing which appeared Avas the following notice : — "Department of Public Works. "Laborers Wanted. — Notice is hereby given, that from two hundred to two hundred and fifty men are immediately required to make a cart road from the east end of Mr. Snow's road to the north-west angle of the Lake of the Woods. " Enf^ao-ements made at the Office of the Hudson's Bay Company, Upper Fort Garry. " Five shillings sterling per day, and board, will be o-iven to axe men and laborers. " By order of " G, J. Wolseley, " Colonel, commanding Red River Expeditionary Force. "J. H. MacTavish, " Hudson s Bay Comimny." »•! ,■ ' » f names, it is le President ^ours, " O'D." red a resist- •ance of the in fact, felt he following [c Works. given, that fty men are L'om the east angle of the Hudson's Bay oard, will be THE IIKD RIVER TROUBLES. 387 ELEY, ig Red River I Force. 'avish, Company." The "New Nation" was stopped on the 13th August, on account of the following article on Col. Wolseley, which appeared to be distasteful to Kiel : — " Colonel G. J. Wolseley. — This gallant officer, who commands the Red River Expedition, has been for several years Deputy Quarter-Master-General in Canada. He attained his present rank in the army in 1865, and was attached to the 90th Foot. In 18G6 he commanded the Military Camp of Instruction at Laprairie. His selec- tion for the present important service was generally anticipated when the expedition was announced — the authorities in England and Canada having the fullest confidence in his ability and impartiality in the command of such a mixed force. Col. Wolseley is the author of a work on * China,' and also the ' Soldier's Pocket Book for Field Service.' The numerous decorations worn by him (six medals and the Victoria Cross) bear testimony to the extent and gallantry of his services in the field, his regiment (the 90th Light Infantry) being entitled to sport upon their colors, among many other names, those of ' Sevastopol ' and ' Lucknow.' It is all the more satisfactory to know that the men of the expedition are under the direction of an officer who will keep them well in hand, and has already made himself extremely popular among all classes and creeds. It is not often that the English War Office stumbles into the accident of putting the right man into the right place." The newspaper, therefore, having taken out the article 388 THE CREATION OF MANITOBA. SO apparently obnoxious to Riel, appeared the next day without it. On the 24th August the troops arrived at Fort Garry, and in our next chapter we will give a short description of their entrance into the Settlement. THE RED RIVER TROUBLES. 389 CHAPTER XVIII. AURIVAL OP TK TROOPS AT FORT GARRY — HASTY DEPARTURE OP RIEL, o'dONOOHUE AND LEPINE — CONDUOT OF THE 60tH ROYAL RIFLES — GOVERNOR ARCHIBALD COMMENCES HIS ADMINISTRATION — RETROSPECT — THE MANITOBA BILL. HE 23rd of August was a wet and miserable day. The rain poured down, and the roads became almost impassable. Indefinite rumors were afloat that the troops were close at hand, until at last it became known for a fact that they were within a short distance of the town. Then succeeded all sorts of expressions of opinion regarding the truth of the statement. Many doubted ; many believed^— and both doubts and beliefs ended in stimulants, possibly to clear up the former, and make the latter stronger, — the end of this being that many drunken individuals could have been seen wandering about ; and it is quite certain that the stimulants had an opposite effect from the one expected ; and, the consequence was, that the doubtful ones resolved upon seeing for themselves, that they might believe ; and the believing ones determined to follow their example, that they might not doubt. Accordingly, a number of persons went to meet the troops, and, coming across the advanced guard of the 60th Rifles, were detained as pris- oners until the next morning — Col. Wolseley's orders being that any one coming within the lines should not be 300 THE CREATION OF MANITOBA. I h ' m allowed to go l)eyond them, until a move was made on Fort Gairy. On the morning of the 24th, the inhabitants of Winni- peg were anxiously looking out for the appearance of the troops; and the first sight they had of them was when they suddenly broke into view, as if they had started from the ground in the outskirts of the town. A halt was then made, and the whole of the GOth marched round the town, instead of going through it. Several of the officers, however, rode through the principal streets, ac- companied by several civilians on horseback. Col. Wolseley rode at the head of his men, and in this way advanced upon the Fort. In the meantime, word had reached the ears of Kiel, O'Donoghue and Lepine, who were . in the Fort, that the troops were at hand. No amnesty had been proclaimed, and, doubtless, fearing the result of being captured by the military authorities, they ho.stily mounted their horses and rode off. Opposite Fort Garry, on the Assinniboine, there was a ferry, which crossed the river by means of a hawser. This Riel, or one of his party, cut, and thus pre- vented any immediate pursuit. The three leaders then crossed over the Red River, and stood on the banks of St. Boniface, watching the GOth, as they marched into Fort Garry. They then rode away in the direction of Pembina, which place they reached the next day. There Riel and O'Donoghue, it is said, had some disagreement, which resulted in the former going to St. Jo, while the latter remained for some time in Pembina. Thus ended the insurrection. By one act the leaders ',• .vili;: s made on i of Winni- ance of the I was wlien I ad started n. A halt died round eral of tlie streets, ac- and in this xrs of Riel, rt, that the proclaimed, tired by the heir horses ssinniboine, means of a d thus pre- saders then le banks of irched into iirection of lay. There sagreement, 3, while the the leaders TlIK UKl) RIVKIl TUOrni.KS. 391 wore forced to become exiles from the country; and any j;ood they had wi'ou^^ht for it was denied them. Had they kept their hands free from blood, they might have remained to see the fruits of their labors. But, having allowed passion to overrule their judgment, they suH'ered the consequences, and had to seek safety in flight. The men of the COth, in the meantime, thinkin^' that everything inside the Fort came under the head of spoils of war, began a regular i)illage on the stores of the Hud- son's Bay Com])any ; and it was only when they learned that they were attacking private ])ro[)erty that they de- sisted. Too much praise cannot be accorded to the GOth, for their honorable and just behaviour on their arrival at Fort Garry. Their conduct at that time is a page in the history of their regiment, which they may be proud of; and the people of Red River will never forget their short stay amongst them. No one was insulted ; no one was interfered with ; no one harmed ; everything went on pleasantly. Coming off a trip such as the men had gone through, it is not to be wondered at if they indulged rather freely in liquor, — what body of men would not do so. There were several fights in consequence ; but, in- variably, it was a fair and square stand-up battle, — and in every case, between two men belonging to the same regiment. No citizen was molested at any time. The officers enjoyed themselves as well as they could, under the circumstances, during the few days which they spent at Fort Garry. Some went out shooting ; some did this — some did that; but the greater portion of their time 3f)i' THE fUKATION OF MANrTOMA. •n ,..:■ was oeuupiod in providing wluitevcr luxuries tlioy could obtain in the Settlement for their return trip to Canada. The settlers generally were sorry when it became known that the GOth were ordered to return inunedi- ately ; although the men themselves seemed perfectly in- ditterent, whether they remained, or went back the way they camo. Their chief complaint was, that no shot had been fired ; and that, therefore, there ap{)eared to be little, if any, honor in the trip. When the troops entered Fort Garry, they found everything in confusion, and evident signs of a hasty departure on the part of Riel. Only one or two men were inside the walls, besides the Company's officers, and a couple of French settlers who were ar- rested, but almost innnediately afterwards released. Despatches were sent off atonce by Col. Wolseley, an- nouncing the safe arri\ al of the troops ; and then pre- parations were made for tlie reception of the volunteers, who had not yet arrived ; and also for the return trip of the GOth Rifles. On tho 27th, the Ontario Battalion began to arrive, and came in small detachments. No. 7 Company, having been left behind on the route, to guard stores, did not make their appearance till some time after the GOth Rifles left. The Ontarios, on their arrival, like the GOth, behaved themselves as true soldiers. Dr. Schultz came into the Settlement shortly afterwards ; and from that time there cemmenced a series of excitements, which, at one time, looked very much as if they would result in serious trouble. THK UKI) UIVKIl TUOUHLKS, ni)M The volunteers were blamed for many acts which they did not commit, until, finally the «jood sense of the pub- lic mind overruhid this passionate outburst ; and the in- stigators of it found out that they had satisfied their revengeful feelings, at a loss of their self-respect ; and became uware that, instead of raising themselves in the opinion of the public, they had nuule another false step, and lost accordingly. ^ On Governor Archibald's arrival, he found great diffi- culty in organizing matters, on account of the rampant party who seemed utterly careless about order being es- tablished ; who h«id only one thought — revenge. At last however, by pursuing a moderate but firm course, the Red River Settlement began to rise from its state of gloom, into one of brightness. Pco[)lc began to look for- ward to better days ; to the enjoyments of self-govern- ment, and to the pride of being a people whose destiny rested in their own hands for better or worse. It is to be hoped for the former. A child of Confederation had been born — a small, but promising province, had been created; the result of the troubles had been attained ; the people of the Settlement found that they held a rank amongst the other Provinces of Canada, and felt a just pride ac- cordingly. May that pride grow apace with the prosper- ity which appears to be in store for them ; and may Man- itoba become one of the brightest gems in the Dominion. We need hardly recapitulate this, history tells its own tale. The Red River people were happy and contented, in the days of the Hudson's Bay Company Government. The influx of strangers brought with it a desire for 894 THE CREATION OF MANITOBA. change, more especially as the acts of new-comers, made it apparent that the Government was too weak to rule l)roperly. Petitions were signed ; meetings were held, principally at the instigation of strangers, in which, how- ever, the settlers, to a certain extent, took part. Still on the whole, it was not a matter of vital importance to the Red River people. They were content so long as order and quietness reigned. Canada then took hohl of the question ; the result was distasteful to the people, gener- ally. It seemed like jumping from the frying pan into the fire. Yet nothing was done. Riel, at this time, laid hold of the peculiar characteristics of his own country- men. He knew them to be naturally quick and excitable, and succeeded in persuading them to resist what was obnoxious to them. - The English, in the meantime, although not satisfied with the policy proposed by Canada for the country, yet did not feel called upon to take the same course as the French had done. Riel, however, wanted a thorough union of French and English to enable him the better to gain his ends. Comparative strangers in the country, avowed supporters of Mr. McDougall, the Governor elect, stepped in, and sought to interfere between the people of the country and what they considered their rights. Ille- gal authority was made use of, thus giving Riel power which he otherwise would not have obtained. The acts of those strangers brought in counter acts on the part of the French, the result being a complete breach between the two sides of the Settlement. Things were then done, and words spoken, which widened this split between the THE llED RIVER TROUBLES. :3<).j mers, made 3ak to rule were held, diicli, liow- t. Still on ance to the or as order iiold of the ople, gener- ng pan into is time, laid vn country- d excitable, , what was Lot satisfied country, yet urse as the a thorough le better to he country, v'ernor elect, le people of ights. lUe- Riel power [. The acts the part of i,ch between e then done, jetween the French and English settlers; and it was only when certain destruction threatened the Settlement that a union was effected — a union, however, which was never sincere ; and, in fact, it will take years to heal the Ijreach made between French and English in Red River. Canada, in the meantime, determined upon following a fair and upright course towards all classes, and went nobly to work in the good cause. Sl^e repudiated the illegal acts committed by men who had usurped her authority, and in spite of the opposition of those who persisted in misunderstanding the state of affairs, she offered terms to the settlers of Red River that they could not but accept, and which placed them at once on a proper footing in the circle of Confederation — a footing which they have every reason to be proud of, and which, no doubt, they will show themselves deserving of. There are black pages in this history — there were mistakes made on all sides — evil influences were at work; and, in some instances, they overruled the good. Were the same things to be gone over again, they would, doubtless, be done in a different manner ; but a man can- not recall the wrong done during a lifetime, neither can the acts of the Red River insurrection be wiped from the pages of history. But, while we deplore the evil, let us bear in mind the good, and hope that the future of Mani- toba will be such as to efface, as far as jiossible, the "Troubles" which resulted in its formation. We will now place the following as a record on the pages of history, the creation of the small, but promising, Province of Manitoba : — 39G THE CJIEATION OF MANITOIJA. 1 'I ■ I- Anno Tricesimo-Tertio. — VicxoRryE Regina. An Act to establish and irrovide for the Government of the Province of Manitoba . Whereas it is probable that Her Majesty the Queen may, pursuant to the British North America Act, 1867, be pleased to admit Rupert's Land and the North- Western Territory into the Union or Dominion of Canada, before the next Session of the Parliament of Canada : And whereas it is expedient to prepare for the trans- fer of the said Territories to the Government of Canada, at the time appointed by the Queen for such admission : And whereas it is expedient also to provide for the organization of part of the said Territory as a Province, and for the establishment of a Government therefor, and to make provision for the Civil Government of the remaining part of the said Territories, not included within the limits of the Province : Therefore Her Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate and House of Commons of Canada, enacts as follows : I. On, from and after the day upon which the Queen, by and with the advice and consent of Her Majesty's Most Honorable Privy Council, under the authority of the 14Gtli section of the British North America Act, 1867, shall, by Order in Council in that behalf, admit Rupert's Land and the North -Western Territory into the Union or Dominion of Canada, there shall be formed out of the same, a Province, which shall be one of the Pro- vinces of the Dominion of Canada, and which shall be »' THE RED RIVER TROUBLES. 397 FlEGINA. vernment of Y the Queen a Act, 1867, )rth-Western inada, before i: )r the trans- t of Canada, admission : vide for the a Province, therefor, and Qcnt of the hided within } advice and s of Canada, h the Queen, er Majesty's authority of America Act, )ehalf, admit tory into the 3 formed out e of the Pro- hich shall be called the Province of Manitoba, and be bounded as fol- lows, that is to S'ny : — commencing at the point where the meridian of ninety-six degrees of west longitude from Greenwich intersects the parallel of forty-nine degrees north latitude ; thence due west along the said parallel of forty-nine degrees north latitude (which forms a portion of the boundary line between the United States of America and the said North-Western Territory) to the meridian of ninety-nine degrees of west longitude ; then due north along the said meridian of ninety-nine degrees west longitude to the intersection of the same with the parallel of fifty degrees and thirty minutes north latitude; thence due east along the said parallel of fifty degrees and thirty minutes north latitude to its intersection with the before mentioned meridian of ninety-six degrees Avest longitude ; thence due south along the said meridian of ninety-six degrees west longitude to the place of beginning. II. On, from and after the said day on which the Order of the Queen in Council shall take effect as afore- said, the provisions of the British North America Act, 1867, shall, except those i^arts thereof which are in terms made, or, by reasonable intendment, may be held to be specially applicable to, or only to affect one or more, but not the whole, of the Provinces now composing the Dominion, and except so far as the same may be varied by this Act, be applicable to the Province of Manitoba, in the same way, and to the like extent as thej'- apply to the several Provinces of Canada, and as if the Province of 398 THE CIIEATION OF MANITOBA. . < r ' Manitoba had been one of the Provinces originally united by the said Act. III. The said Province shall be represented in the Senate of Canada by two members, until it shall have, according to decennial census, a population of fifty thou- sand souls ; and from thenceforth it shall be represented therein by three members until it shall have, according to decennial census, a population of seventy-five thousand souls ; and from thenceforth it shall be represented there- in by four members. IV. The said Province shall be represented in the first instance, in the House of Commons, by four members ; and for that purpose shall be divided, by proclamation of the Governor-General, into four Electoral Districts, each of which "^hall be represented by one member : Provided that, on the completion of the census in the year 1881, and of each decennial census afterwards, the representa- tion of the said Province shall be re-adjusted according to the provisions of the fifty-first section of the British North America Act, 18G7. V. Until the Parliament of Canada otherwise provides, the qualification of voters at elections of members of the House of Commons shall be the same as for the Legisla- tive Assembly, hereinafter mentioned ; and no person shall be qualified to be elected, or to sit and vote, as a member for any Electoral Disti'ict, unless he is a duly qualified voter within the said Province. VT. For the said Province there shall be an oflicer styled the Lieutenant-Governor, appointed by the Gover- nor-General in Council, by instrument under the Great. Seal of Canada. THE RED mVEil TROUBLES. 39i) Lnally united nted in the shall have, f fifty thou- repi'esented according to VQ thousand jented there- . in the fir.st r members ; clamation of Lstricts, each !r: Provided year 1881, representa- according to the British ise provides, nbers of the the Legisla- no person I vote, as a e is a duly an officer the Gover- the Great VII. Tlie Executive Council of the Province shall be composed of such persons, and under such designations, as the Lieutenant-Governor shall, from time to time, think fit, and, in the first instance, of not more tlian five persons. VIII. Unless and until the Executive Government of the Province otherwise directs, the seat of Government of the same shall be at Fort Garry, or within one mile thereof • IX. There shall be a Legislature for the Province, con- sisting of the Lieutenant-Governor, and of two Houses, styled respectively, the Legislative Council of Manitoba, and the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba. X. The Legislative Council shall, in the fir.st instance, be composed of seven members ; and, after tlie expiration of four years from the time of the first appointment of such seven members, may be increased to not more than twelve members. Every member of the Legislative Coun- cil shall be appointed by the Lieutenant-Governor, in the Queen's name, by instrument under tlie Great Seal of Manitoba, and shall hold ofiice for the term of his life, unless and until the Legislature of Manitoba otherwise l)rovides, under the British North America Act, 18G7. XI. The Lieutenant-Governor may, from time to time, by instrument under the Great Seal, appoint a member of the Legislative Council to be Speaker thereof, and may remove him and appoint another in his stead. XII. Until tlie Legislature of the Province otherwise provides, the presence of a majority of the whole number of the Legislative Council, including the Speake^', shall be 400 THE CREATION OF MANITOBA. necessary to constitute a meeting for the exercise of its powers. XIII. Questions arising in the Legislative Council shall be decided by a majority of voices, and the Speaker shall, in all cases, have a vote ; and, when the voices are equal, the decision shall be deemed to be in the negative. XIV. The Legislative Assembly shall be composed of twenty-four members, to be elected to represent the electoral divisions into which the said Province may be divided by the Lieutenant-Governor, as hereinafter men- tioned. XV". The presence of a majority of the members of the Legislative Assembly shall be necessary to constitute a meeting of the House for the exercise of its powers — and for that purpose the Speaker shall be reckoned as a member. XVI. The Lieutenant-Governor shall (within six months of the date of the Order of Her Majesty in Coun- cil, admitting Rupert's Land and the North- West Terri- tory into the Union), by Proclamation under the Great Seal, divide the said Province into twenty-four electoral divisions, due regard being had to existing local divisions and population. XVII. Every male person shall be entitled to vote for a member to serve in the Legislative Assembly for any electoral division, who is qualified as follows : that is to say, if he is — 1. Of the full age of twenty-one years, and not subject to any legal incapacity : 3rcise of its /ouncil shall )eaker shall, s are equal, itive. composed of present the lice may be lafter men- nembers of constitute s powers — koned as a within six by in Coun- A^est Terri- the Great iir electoral Ell divisions to vote for ly for any that is to not subject THE RED RIVER TROTBLES. 401 2. A subject of Her Majesty by birth or naturaliza- tion : 3. And a bona fide householder within the electoral division, at the date of the wi'it of election for the same, and has been a bona fide householder for one year next l)efore the said date ; or, 4. If, being at the full age of twenty-one years, and not subject to any legal incapacity, and a subject of Her Majesty by birth or naturalization, he was, at any time, within twelve months prior to the passing of this Act, and (though in the interim temporarily absent) is, at the time of such election, a bona fide householder, and was resident within the electoral division at the date of the writ of election for the same : But this fourth sub-section shall apply only to the first election to be held under this Act, for members to serve in the Legislative Assembly aforesaid. XVIII. For the first election of members to serve in the Legislative Assembly, and until the Legislature of the Province otherwise provides, the Lieutenant-Governor shall cause writs to be issued by such person, in such form, and addressed to such returning officer as he thinks fit ; and for such first election, and until the Legislature of the Province otherwise provides, the Lieutenant-Governor shall, by proclamation, prescribe and declare the oaths to be taken by voters, the powers and duties of returning and deputy-returning officers, the proceedings to be ob- served at such election, and the period during which such election may be continued, and such other provisions in respect to such first election as he may think fit. AA 402 THE CllEATlON OF MANITUliA. , • I ' « .1 XIX. Every Legislative Assembly shall continue for four years from the date of the return of the writs for returning the same (subject, nevertheless, to being sooner dissolved by the Lieutenant-Governor) an.l no longer ; and the first session thereof shall be called at such time as the Lieutenant-Governor shall appoint. XX. There shall be a session of the Legislature once at least in every year, so that twelve months shall not intervene between the last sittina: of the Lefjislatiire in one session, and its first sitting in the next session. XXI. The following provisions of the British North America Act, 18G7, respecting the House of Commons of Canada, shall extend and apply to the Legislative Assembly, that is to say : — provisions relating to the election of a Speaker, originally, and on vacancies ; the duties of the Speaker, the absence of the Speaker, and the mode of voting, as if those provisions were here re-enacted, and made applicable in terms to the Legislative Assembly. XXII. In and for the Province, the said Legislature may exclusively make laws in relation to education, sub- ject and according to the following provisions : — 1. Nothing in any such law shall prejudicially affect any right or privilege with respect to denominational schools, which any class of persons have, by law or prac- tice, in the Province at the Union : 2, An appeal shall lie to the Governor-General in Council, from any act or decision of the Legislature of the Province, or of any Provincial authority, affecting any right or privilege of the Protestant or Roman Catholic minority of the Queen's subjects in relation to education. lontinuo for le writs for )oing sooner no longer ; t such time ilature once IS sliall not igislatnre in ssion. itisli Nortli Commons of e Assembly, lection of a uties of the he mode of nacted, and ssembly. Leojislature ication, sub- ciallv affect ominational iw or prac- ■General in ature of the fecting any an Catholic education. 'JIIK UKD JUYEIl TUDUIU.KS. 4o:j :l. In case any such Provincial Law, as from time to time seems to the Governor-General in Council requisite for the due execution of the provisions of this section, is not made ; or in case any decision of the Governor-General in Council, on any appeal under this section, is not duly executed by the proper Provincial authority in that be- half, then, and in every such case, and as far only as the cir- cumstances of each case require, the Parliament of Canada may make remedial laws for the due execution of the provisions of this Section, and of any decision of the Gov- ernor-General in Council under this Section. XXIII. Either the English or the French language may ])e used by any ]3erson in the debates of the Houses of the Legislature, and both those languages shall be used in the respective Records and Journals of those Houses, and either of those languages may be used by any person, or in any Pleading or Process, or in issuing from any Court of Canada established under the British North America Act, 18G7, or in or from all or any of the Courts of the Province. The Acts of the Legislature shall be printed and published in both those languages. XXIV. Inasmuch as the Province is not in debt, the said Province shall be entitled to be paid, and to receive from the Government of Canada, by half-yearly payments in advance, interest at the rate of five per centum per annum on the sum of four hundred and seventy- two thousand and ninety dollars. XXV. The sum of thirty thousand dollars shall be paid yearly by Canada to the Province, for the support of its Government and Legislature, and an annual grant, in aid 404 THE CREATION OF MANITOBA. ■>'-^'M ' . Ti of the said Province, shall be made equal to eighty cents per head of the population, estimated at seventeen thou- sand souls; and such grant of eighty cents per head shall be augmented in proportion to the increase of population, as may be shown by the census that shall be taken thereof, in the year one thousand eight hundred and eighty-one, and by each subsequent decennial census, until its population amounts to four hundred thousand souls, at which amount such grant shall remain thereafter, and such sum shall be in full settlement of all future de- mands on Canada, and shall be paid half-yearly, in ad- vance, to the said Province. XXVI. Canada will assume and defray the charge for the following services : — 1. Salary of the Lieutenant-Governor. 2. Salaries and allowances of the Judges of the Superior and District or County Courts. 3. Charges in res])ect of the Department of the Cus- toms. 4. Postal Department. 5. Protection of Fisheries. 0. Militia. 7. Geological Survey. 8. The Penitentiary. 9. And such further charges as may be incident to, and connected with the services which by the British North American Act, 1867. appertain to the General Govern- ment, and as are, or may be, allowed to other Provinces. XXVII. The Customs' duties now by law chargeable in Rupert's Land, shall be continued without increase for t >.^:'\ eighty cents snteen thoii- s per head increase of i that shall jht hundred mial census, d tliousand n thereafter, 1 future de- ;arly, in ad- i charge for he Superior ►f the Cus- ent to, and tish North il Govern- i*rovinces. chargeable ncrease for THE RED RIVER TROUBLES. 40.5 the period of three years from and after the [)assin<]^ of this Act, and the proceeds of such duties shall form part of the Consolidated Revenue Fund of Canada. XXVIII. Such provisions of the Customs' Laws of Canada (other than such as prescribe the rate of duties payable), as may be from time to time declared, by the Governor-General in Council, to apply to the Province of Manitoba, shall be applicable thereto, and in force therein accordingly. XXIX. Such provisions of the Laws of Canada, re- specting the Inland Revenue, including those fixing the amount of duties, as may be from time to time declai-ed. by the Governor General in Council, applicable to the said Province, shall apply thereto, and be in force tlierein accordingly. XXX. All ungranted or waste lands in the Province shall be, from and after the date of the said transfer, vested in the Crown, and administered by the Government of Canada for the purpose of the Dominion, subject to, and except and so far as the same may be affected by, the conditions and stipulations contained in the agreement for the surrender of Rupert's Land by the Hudson's Bay Company to Her Majesty. XXXI. And whereas it is expedient, towards the ex- tinguishment of the Indian Title to the lands in the Pro- vince, to appropriate a portion of such ungranted lands to the extent of one million four hundred thousand acres thereof, for the benefit of the families of the half-breed residents, it is hereby enacted that under regulations to be from time to time made by the Governor- Lieneri 400 TlIK CUKATION OF MANITOHA. , ♦ Council, the Lieiitcnaiit-Oovenioi' sliall Holoct .sueli lots or tracts in such parts of the Province as ho may deem expe- dient, to the extent aforesaid, and divide the same among the children of the half-breed heads of families, residing in the Province at the time of the said transfer to Canadn, and the samo shall be granted to the said children respec- tively, in such mode and on such conditions as to settle- ment and otherwise, as the Govornor-CJeneral in Council may from time to time determine. XXXTI. For the quieting of titles, and assuring to the settlers in the Province the peaceable possession of the lands now held by them, it is enacted as follows : — 1. All grants of land in freehold made by the fludson's Bay Company up to the eighth day of March, in. the yeai- 18GD, shall, if required by the owner, be confirmed by grant from the Crown. 2. All grants of estates less than freehold in land made by the Hudson's Bay Com} ^^y, up to the eighth day of March aforesaid, shall, if required by the owner, be con- verted into an estate in freehold, by grant from the Ci'own. 3. All titles by occupancy, with, the sanction and under the license and authority of the Hudson Bay Company up to the eighth day of March aforesaid, of land in that part of the Province in which the Indian title has been extinguished, shall, if required by the owner, be converted into an estate in freehold, by grant from the CVown. 4. All persons in peaceable possession of tracts of land at the time of the said transfer to Canada, in those parts rilK UED lUVKR TilOUHLKS. 407 , Hueli lots or Y (leein cxpt'- saine }unon<^ lien, residing L*r to Canada, Idren respec- I as to settlo- il in Council miring to tlic ession of the )\vs : — ihe Hudson's I, in the year onfirmed by II land made ighth day of i^ner, be con- nt from tbo )ii and under ay Company land in that in title has e owner, be ,nt from the I'acts of land I those parts of the Province in which Indian title lias not )>cen ex- tinguished, sliall liave the right of prceui[)ti<>u ol' the same on such terms and conditions as may be determined by the Governor in Council. 5. Tho Lieutenant-Governor is lu'reby authorized, un- der regulations to be made from time to time by the (Jov- ernor-General in Council, to make all &^lch provisions for a.S(^ertaining and adjusting, on fair and e([uitab]e terms, the rights of Common, and rights of cutting hay held and enjoyed by the settlers in the Province, and for the com- mutation of the same, by grants of land from the Crown. XXXIII. Tlie Governor-General in Council shall, from time to time, settle and appoint the mode and form of grants of land from tlie Crown, and any Order in Council for that purpose, when published in the "Canada Gazette," shall have the same force and effect as if it were a portion of this Act. XXXIV. Nothing in this Act shall in any way preju- dice or affect the rights or properties of the Hudson's Bay Company, as contained in the conditions under which that Company surrendered Rupert's Land to Her Majesty. XXXV. And with respect to such portion of Rupert's Land and the North- West Territory as is not included in the Province of Manitoba, it is hereby enacted that the Lieutenant-Governor of the said Province shall be ap- [>ointcd by Commission under the Great Seal of Canada, to be the Lieutenant-Governor of the same under the name of the North- West Territories, and subject to the provisions of the Act in the next section mentioned. XXXVI. Except as hereinbefore is enacted and pro- 408 THE CREATION OF MANITOBA. vided, the Act of the Parliament of Canada, passed in the now last session thereof, intituled, " An Act for the tem- porary government of Rupert's Land and North- West- ern Territory, when united with Canada," is hereby re-enacted, extended and continued in force until the 1st day of January, 1871, and until the end of the session of Parliament then next succeeding. THE END. IIUXTER, ROBE & CO., PRINTERS, TORONTO. . » "'.■■■ )assed in the for the tem- North- West- is hereby until the 1st he session of l^xmitx, ^os^ * Co/s ^wMitations. MAN AND WIFE : A Novel. By WiLKiE Collins. Crown 8vo, 574 pp. Oxford style, $1.00; paper cover, 75c. DOT IT DOWN: A Story of Life in the North- West. By Alexander Begg. Crown 8vo, 380 pp. Cloth, embossed, $1.50. "This volume contains a large amount of useful information, conccniinga country in which we are deeply interested."— Gtte/lpA Mercury, LIFE OF THE DUKE OF KENT : embracing his Correspondence with the De Salaberry Family. By Dr. J. Anderson, Quebec. Demy 8vo., 242 pp. Cloth, embossed, $1.00. SKETCHES OF CELEBRATED CANADIANS, and Persons con- nected with Canada, from the earliest period in the history of the Country, down to 1862. By Henry J. Morgan. Demy 8vo., 794 pp. Library style, $2.00. A few copies of this rare book on hand. ROUOH AND SMOOTH ; or, Ho ! for an Australian Gold Field. By Mrs. A. Campbell, Quebec. Demy 8vo., 138 pp. Cloth, 50c. A GARLAND GATHERED AT MORN : A Collection of Short Poems. By Hetty Hazelwood. Crown 8vo, 79 pp. Cloth, 50c. POEMS. By Dr. J. Haynes. Crown 8vo, 152 pp. Cloth, 50c. THE TEETOTALER'S COMPANION ; A Collection of Reading, in prose and verse, for Divisions and Temples. Compilal by G. M. Rose. Paper, 2Sc, ; cloth, 40c. A COLLECTION OF DIALOGUES, for Divisions and Temples. Com- piled by Mr. HAMMOND. Paper, 25c. A/iy of the above Books sent post-paid^ on receipt of the price. '♦ M .«. ./j^ ^)KmSH ^OPYRIGHT ^OKKS IN THE ^^