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Some two or three months ago, at the beginniDg ot the rising of the North- West, I felt it my duty to look into the facts which were alleged to have been the canse of the aprising. Like the hon. gentleman who has just taken bis seat, and like every French Canadian, my sympathies were with the so-called rebels. I thought these rebels, the half-breeds of the North-West, had grievances, as the French Canadians had in 1837. Not being familiar with che facts, I had to make a special study of the political histoi y of Manitoba and the North- West. I admit I was ignorant of the facts then. Like a great many others, I thought that my fellow countrymen of that far country were ill-used. But what has been the result of my study, and 1 have studied the question, not for the purpose of preparing a plea to defend the Government ; I have done so as an independent member ot the House. Some hon. MEMBERS. Hear, hear. Mr. GIROUARD. Yes ; I think there are very few mem- bers on the other side who have shown as much independ- ence as I have in the past. I commenced that study for the sole purpose of getting information, as a representative of the people, who cares more for the sake of the country than for the sake of power, and I came to the conclusion that the half-breeds had grievances, undoubtedly, but not grievances of such magnitude as to warrant their resorting to arms. The whole speech of the hon. gentleman who has lust sat down can be resumed in two points. He says, in the first place, the.polioy of the present Government was not to extin- guish the Indian title in favor of the half-breeds, and in the second place, he charges this Government with being guilty of gross mismanagement in not dividing the river lots 1 according to the old oostom which prevailed on the lied Biver. It seems to me very astonishing that, in order to find fkult with the present Government, the hon. gentleman should be obliged to repudiate the policy of the Government of which he was a member. He tried ineffectually to show that the polioyof the late Government was the reverse of what it really was. Its policy was, so far as the treatment of the half-breads was concerned, not to give them a particle of the Indian title, but to treat them as white settlers. The leader of the Opposition had ample time to make a close examination of aU the documents that have been produced, documents which he had, but which a great many otber members had not, for this reason, that the moment the return containing these papers was laid on the Table, the papers disappeared without having oven been endorsed in the Sessional Papers Office. I applied for them several times, but was unable to get them or any clue to where they were. I do not want to accuse any one ; it was undoubtedly the right of the hon. ^ntleman to take possession of the papers, but I deny his right to exclusive possession. I had the right to see them. It was my good fortune, however, to peruse within the last twenty four hours a second copy, which was prepared for the Senate. I was greatly surprised when I heard the leader of the Opposition the other evening, after quoting document after document, after quoting the petition of the half*breeds of St. Albert and St. Laurent to the Government of the hon. member for East York (Afr. Mackenzie) in 18*78 — I was surprised, I say, that he quoted those petitions without quoting the replies, trying thereby to impress upon the House and upon the country that these were representations made to the present Government which had remained unans- wered. I could hardly credit it. I had read enough of those papers to know that the quotations made by the leader of the Opposition were not co nplete. What is the answer which the hon. member for Both well (SCr. Mills), the Minister of Interior at that time, gave ? And there is no man in this House, or out of it, who can be convinced that the answer of the hon. gentleman had some other bearing than upon the application for assistance for seed grain or agricultural implements ; it is an expression of the Govern* ment's unwillingness to consider the demands of the half- breeds to the Indian title. What is the answer ? " The half-breeds, who have, in some respects, the adrantage orer new settlers in the Territories, should be impressed with the necessitT of settling down in fixed localities and directing their energies to agrf- ealtaral pursuits, in which case land would no doubt (not a sure thing it appears) foe assigned to them in the same way as to the white setlers." tJ a| iver. Ekult Id be hioh ; the at it '. the jfthe The close Laced, otber it the e, the aed in times, r were, lly the papers, Ixadthe aver, to I copy, greatly bion the oament, 1 Albert member irprised, quoting e Honse )DB made I unans- i of those leader of I answer Us), the re is no ttoed that r bearing grain or e Govern* the half- ■aataga OTer le neoessit^ ffies to agn- (aot a sure to the white I am willing to leave it to any independent man to tell me if this means the half breeds shall have greater rights than the settlers, bat this is not all. In order that no doubt should remain in the minds of the half-breeds, the hon. gentleman ■added : "fiat beyond this they must not look to the Gk>vem- ment for any special assistance in their farming operations." It is really surprising that, in order to obtain a party triumph, the speaker who has just taken his seat should l>e obliged to repudiate his party, bat he has done more, he has been obliged to mis-state the policy of the present Govern- ment. He has made special mention of the speech of the Premier in March last, when he said that, according to his own opinion, the half-breeds were not entitled to more con- sideration than the white settlers, taking the same opinion as was expressed by the Minister of the Interior of the late Administration ; but what the Premier did not say on that occasion he said last night, and his policy is there to say that, from 1870 to the present time, sacrificing his own opinion, he has taken the policy of his oolleaffues and has given to the half-breeds a right to what we call the Indian title. The policy of the Government in this respect was sanctioned in the Manitoba Act of 1870. Hon. gentlemen opposite who pretend that their adversaries are like the Bour- bons, that they cannot learn anything, came to power in 1873, and were there (for five years, and what have they learned ? They even forgot the principle of treating these half-breeds which had been laid down by the present Admin- istration and the present party ; and, in 1879, in order to give encouragement to that class of the population of the North-West which had been so grossly ignored by the late Administration, the present Government laid down again its policy to give the half-breed the right to the Indian title in the soil. I think this is about a resumi of the first part of the argument of the hon. member. Allow me to say one word en passant — I intend to refer to it more fully later on — in reference to the second portion of his plea, or his speech. He says: Yon have erossly ill-used these half- breeds in not giving them river lots at St. Laurent. Is the hon. member aware that these surveys were made by the late Administration ? Is he aware ot it ? Are you aware that the surveys of the land on the Saskatchewan for the parish of St. Laurent were made in 1878, under the direc- tion of the late Administration ? I would like to have an answer. Mr. MILLS. Mr. Speaker Mr. GIBOUARD. If the last speaker will not answer, I will put the question to the hon. member for Bothwell (Air. Mills). 173494 Some bon. MEMBERS. Order. Mr. MILLS. Mr Speaker Some hen. MEMBERS. Order. Mr. MILLS. The reservation was surveyed ont so as ta exactly suit the river lot system, so as to grant lots 10 chains in width and 2 miles in depth, and I have the map here, and I can show the hon. gentleman that it has been since changed. Mr. GIKOUARD. I will ask the hon. gentleman to show it immediately. Show it. Mr. MILLS. There it is. Mr. GIROUARD. Do yoa pretend that this map shows that the surveys made in 1878 were re-sarveyed ? There is no such proof, and you cannot produce any. Sir RICHARD CARTWRIGHT. Look at it again. Mr. GIROUARD. You may look at it again. This map shows, as it showed at all times, that they took the rectan- gular syetem of survey at St. Laurent, more or less. Sone hon. MEMBERS. Oh. Mr. GIROUARD. Yes, I say more or less. I am refer- ring to the surveys made in 1878. They were made at Frinie Albert 10 chains by 2 miles, but as to St. Laurent, the surveys were 20 chains or more and 1 mile as they are to-day. These surveys have never been remade, and I am going to show immediately that these sur- veys were made in 1878 under the late Administra- tion and not under the present Administration; and, if all the anathemas and maledictions of the last speaker ought to fall upon anybody, they ought to fall upon the lato Administration. In the report of the Minister of the Interior for 1878, this reference is made to the surveys of the settlements of Prince Albert and St. Laurent, and, as the present Government came to office only in October, 1&78, you cannot possibly imagine that these surveys were made under the direction of the present Government. " SorveyB of the Bettlements of Prince Albert and St. Laurent on the SaBkatchewan, in the North-W^est Territories, were made ; alBo a small Burrey invoiring the alteration of certain lines in the settlement b^lt in the Parish of Ste. Agathe, in Manitoba." (Sessional papers, 1879.) There is another reference to the same survey made by Mr Lindsay Russell, in his report dated 31st December, 1878* It says : " Owin^ to their remoteness, and the comparatively late date ai which their survey was commenced, the fnll returns and reports for ^ as ta ts 10 ) map been )show Bhows here is a. LIB map reotan- m reter- made at •ent, the IS they remade, ese sur- ninistra- n ; and, Lhe last 'all upon ter of the irveys of id, as the )er, 1878, ere made rent oa the Isoa small lement b^lt ipew, 1879.) de by Mr Lber, 1878- ate date ai reports for I them haTe not yet been rcoeired. They are all in the vicinity of Prince Albert settlement, and in the eonntry included between the north and ■oath branches of the Saskatchewan, near their junction. The sarrey of the river frontage lots io that settlement, and also of the similar lots for half the settlement of St. Laurent on the south branch, was effected." I think I have disposed of nearly the whole argameDt of the last Bpeaker. But suppobe, as the lata MiniHter of the Interior uuid, that these surveys, although made as river lots in the beginnlDg, had been resurveyed according to the rectangular system ; suppoi-e more than that, that these half breeds had been treated purely and bimply like white settlers, are we going to be f^ld that these were grievances grave enough to justify an appeal to arms 7 Are you going to compaio these giicvaiices with the grievances of the French Canadians ot 1837 ? Are you going to compare the present siale of the Frenoh population in the North- West, where thoy rumf'er about 6,*J()U or H,000 with the state of the French papulation in Lower Canada in 18ii7, when they were about half a million ? Look at the grievances of the French Canadians in 1837, having a large majority in the Assembly, but boing taxed by the Legis- lative Council and the Governor not responsible to the peo- ple. Is there any comparison between the two cases ? There is nothing of the kind, aod I repeat that, sup- posing the halt-breeds had ail the grievances which the Hon. gentleman has mentioned — which they have not — they had no ground, no reason for a rebellion. If we were going to maintain the principle that the population under those circumstances would be justified in appeal- lug to arms, I would like to know if the whole of this country wouU not have been justified in resorting to arms during the five years of the Administra- tion of hon. gentlemen opposite from 1873 to 1878 not only a portion of the country, but from one end of it to the other. The last speaker says that the doings of the Mackenzie Administration had nothing to do with the ques- tion. Sir, that is noc the way I intend to consider this question, I intend to examine the policy, the conduct, and the acts of the last Administration as well as of this one. What is the motion before the House ? The motion is that the people have vjo confidence in the present Gov- ernment, and they should give their confidence to the hon. gentlemen opposite ; therefore I am bound to examine wherein the hon. gentlemen opposite would do better than this Government, and in order to ascertain that I must examine what they did when they were in power. In order to understand the bearings of this whole question it would he necessary to examine, first, the position of the country ^hen the Canadian Government came in possession of it 6 in 1869 ; in the second place to examine the treatment of the Indians who were to be found in large numbers in that territory ; and, in the third plaoe, to glanoe at the so- called grievances of the half-breeas. As soon as Gonfede- ration was formed the Canadian Government took the initiatory steps to secure that vast country iyinfl^ west of Ontario then known as Rupert's Land and North-Western Territory. During the Session of 1867-68 an address to Her Majesty was voted by Parliament, asking that that vast territory should be added to the Dominion, and in the follow- ing year it was acquired for £300,000 from the Hudson Bay Company, the then proprietors, by the Canadian Govern- ment, acting thronght Sir George Cartier and the Hon. Wm. Maodougall. When moving that address before this House, Mr. Macdongall said : ' ' The great idea of the Oonfedentioa Act wm, that we ibonld form one people from east to weit, a new nationality side br side, with the Rcpn- olic, which was our only safe and tnie pobov. All the relations between Great Britain and these colonies had been enanged hj the great war in the United States, and it was the opinion of the statesmen of the Mother Oonntry, that we mast reoonstmct and in so doing, we mast bear some burdens to proride an increase of popalation, with oar own instinets, and to whom we eoald offer the rights and privileges enjoyed in the Ifother Oountry. With this idea the GoTernment had resoWed to ask Great Britain to hand oTer to us the sorereignty of the North-West Territory." In 1873 a large addition was made to this country by a concession from the Imperial Government of the balance of the British possessions in North America, and thus Canada became the largest country in the world, Eussia and China, alone excepted. Mr. MACKENZIE. When did that event happen f Mr. GIROUARD. This happened in 1873. Mr. MACKENZIE. I think you had better consult your authorities. Mr. GIROUARD. The territory was acquired in 1873. Mr. MACKENZIE. Bat the hon. gentleman said the balance of the continent wab acquired in 1873. Mr. GIROUARD. That is the date, I think. Mr. MACKENZIE. There is some mistake. Mr. GIROUARD. I do not think it is material to the debate. My impression is that it was in 187 i. Mr. MACKENZIE. It was four years after. Mr. GIROUARD. My impression is that it was in 1873 ; but as I say, it is not material to the debate whether thia territory was acquired in 1873 or 1877 ; and really hon. ■| I 8( o; ti f itbe ra in leBO- ifede- k. the iBt of astern «Her b vast follow- ►nBay fovem* i.Wm. Hoose^ form one he Bepu- I between %X war in A Mother )ar tome instineti, id in the id to Mk orth-Wert try by a ilanoe of 3 Canada ad China. en? isull your in 18*73. eaid the trial to the as in 1B73 ; rhether this really hon. gentlemen opposite must be very fond of interruptions to malce one like this. Now, it will not be oat of place, in order to understand what the Government has aone for that territory to mention exactly its area. I do not refer to the changes which have been made by the last decision of the Privy Ooancil on the boundary question ; I do not think it will affect the result very much. I have here a table of the areas of the North* West Territories and the several Provinces of the Dominion, together with the areas ofsomeof the nations of the world, showiog the compara- tive extent of our own domain : Sqaare miles. Manitoba 123,200 Territoriea— (1876) Keewatin 450.000 (1882) Asaiaiboia.^ ~ 95,000 " Saikatchewaa > 114,000 " AlberU 100,000 " Athabaaka 122,000 Territories oadiTided 1,784,252 2,66\2S2 Total 2,788,462 Prince Edward Island 2,133 Nova Scotia 20,907 NewBranswick 27,174 Quebec ^ .> 188,688 OaUtio 101,733 / British Oolumbia.>M. 341,305 681,910 Total 3,470,392 Russia, I of terrestrial part of the world 8,387,816 Obina, Jk of land of globe ~....» 4,419,150 Brasil 3,276,826 ^Mted States 3,095,245 British India ^ 868,244 Austria 240,942 German Empire.. 312,033 France > 204, 1 77 United Kingdom .^ .......i. 120,832 luly Z 114,296 J. Therefore the Territory which we acquired in 1869, with the ^i addition which was made to it in 1873, or, if the hon. gen- - tlemen opposite prefer, 18Y7, Canada contains one twenty- I eighth of all the land in the world, and is fourteen times |]arger than France, and twenty-three times larger than the : United Kingdom. This valuable country was very little known even at the time of its purchase by the Canadian Government. In fact Hon. Joseph Howe who had paid a flying visit to it daring the winter of 1869 conceived such a poor opinion of its value that he returned determined to •dvibe his colleagues to have nothing to do with it. Although it was visited for nearly 150 years by Montreal fur traders s« and Canadian voyagenra, no one bat Oatholio mifisionaries and the offioiah of the Hadson fiay Company had the slightestideaof its importance for agricultural purposes. The buffalo robes and furs collected by the North- West fur traders were always on hand in the markets of Montreal and London, but no one could have the slightest suspicion that the buffalo would so soon disappear before railways and civiliHatinn. The population of the whole North-West then consisted of 1,000 white men, 33,000 or 34,000 Indians and a few sottloments of half breods, numbering 12,000 or 13,000. There were no means of communication except the canoe, cart, trainoauz, or snoo shoes. There was only one steamer, the International, which plied between Lake Winni- peg and a town I believe called Georgetown in Minnesota. In l!it>9-70, Hon. William Macdougaii took 14 days to travel from St. Paul to St. Vincent, a distance travelled to^lay in loss than eighteen hours. In 1871, Bishop Grandin took fifty-two days to proceed to St. Albert from St. Boniface, which, as hon. members know, is opposite Winnipeg. Mail service was almost unknown. There was a monihly mail service to the outside world; but as to inland service it was almost unknown. I need not say that the laws were very simple. Property could, of coarse, be transferred by deeds in writing, which were recorded in the o£Sce of thv<« Hudson Bay Com- pany, in just about the same way as transfers of property were recorded in the Province of Qaebeo in the office of the seigneur, but it could also be transformed by verbal agree- ments. There was no registry office. There was a court of justice at Fort Garry ; but ) far as courts of justice in remote districts were concerned, they were unknown. I need not talk of jails ; there was no necessity for them. The whole of the district was governed in a paternal manner by a Governor and council, assisted by some sub-council as at remote points, and also by the offioiafs of the company. Most of the trade consisted of exchanging the furs of the half- breeds and of the Indians for other commodities of life which were to be found in the stores of the Hudson Bay Company. In fact the Hadson Bay Company had a monopoly of the trade up to about 1858. In all the remote settlements or posts, it could hardly be said that there was any organised Government. Major Butler, speaking of the very district where the recent rebellion took place, wrote to Governor Archibald in 1871 : " The institntions of law and order, aa nnierstood in oiTilised com- manitieB, are wholly unknown in the regions of the Saskatchewan, inso- mneh as the oountnr is without any executive organisation, and destitute oimmj meMU to enforce the authority of the law." This want of authority was also felt in the most central 9 onaries ad the rposes. h-West ontreal wnioion •ftilways th-West IndiauB 2,000 or [oept the jnly one e Winni- esota. In to travel ay in loss ; fifty-two vhluh, as irvice was noe to the eta almost ry simplO' in writing, Bay Com- f property (flloe of the rbal agree- ^ a court [ jQgtioe in ikncwn. I them. The manner by souncil as at tpany. Most Df the half- [)f life which y CJompany. opolyof the jttlements or ay organised very district to Governor in clTiliBed com- catchewaa, in»o- )n, and destitute > most central post, Fort Garry. About five weeks ago I was reading in one of the Manitoba papers that about 1858, Louis Biel, fhther of the present Louis Kiel, went to the Court House, and there found t he judge (-itting. One of his countrymen had been arrested for having traded outside of the stores of the Hudson Bay Company, — and that was his crime. He went to the judge and told him : Tour Honor, I am not willing that my brother nhould remain in jail (there was a jail at Port Garry) for ever ; 1 give you till one o'clock to try him. The judge commenced the trial at once. At the hour fixed, the trial was not over. Kiel advanced in court and said : May it please the court, I declare the prisoner acquitted. Vive la libera. A very remarkable fact is this, that Louis Hioi and his followert^ who sot the prisoner at large were not molested for feur of more serious trouble ensuing. I give you, Mr. Speaker, this incident to show that even in the very central post of the Hudson Buy (^^om- pany. Fort Garry, it was some times impossible to eni ji ce the authority of the law. Such was the state ot the conntiy when the Canadian Government took possession ol it in 1869. To save expense the intention appears .3 have been for a tin 9 at leant to govern it as it had been governed lor more than a century by a Govori-.or and c ) to the 10 country. But it ie very dififerent in this case. Not only have we oar title b'r. we have been in possession for nearly 15 years, and therefore the two situations cannot be com- pared. Although it is not necessary to enter at any length into the events which caused the rebellion or the troubles of 1870, I would say that the Hon. Mr. Macdougall who was appointed Lieutenant Governor in 1869 proceeded to exercise the functions of his office, but was forcibly refused admission to the country. The population, and more especially the French half-breeds of Manitoba, were resisting the new state of things. A Provisional Government was formed, with Louis Biel as President, and only surrendered on con- dition of an amnesty, the recognition of certain land claims and the granting of responbible government. The portion of the Territory adjoining the Province of Ontario was con- stituted a Province by the name of Manitoba. Hepresenta- tion was given to the Province in the Senate and the House of Commons. A Legislature was created, consisting of a Legislative Assembly, and of a Legislative Council which has since been abolished. Clause 30 oi the Act provides : " All uDgranted or waste lands in the Province shall be, from and after the date of the said transfer, Tested in the Orown. and admin- istered by the GoTemment of Canada for the purposes of the Qorern- ment of the Dominion, sabject tOi and except ana so far as the same may be affected by, the conditions and stipulations contained in thu agreement for the surrender of Rupert's Land by the Hudson Bay Oom- pany to Her Majesty." Then as to Indian titles, it was provided : " And whereas, it is expedient towards the extinffuishment of the Indian title to the lands in the Province, to appropriate a portion of such ungranted land, to the extent of 1,400.000 acres thereof, for the benefit of the families of tbe half-breed residents ; " It is hereby enacted, that, under regulations to be from time to time made, by the Governor General in Council, the Lieutenant Gtoveroor shall select such lots or tracts in such parts of the Province as he may deem expedient, to the extent aforesaid, and divide the same amoag the children of the balfbreed heads of families residing in tbe Province at the time of the said transfer to Canada, and the same shall be granted to the said children respectively, in such mode and on such conditions as to settlement and otherwise as the Governor General in Council may from tim<» to time determine." Then there are clauses providing for the quieting of title, and section 35 is as follows : — " And with respect to such portion of Rupert's Land and the North- west TerritoiT as is not included in the Province of Manitoba, it is hereby enacted that the Lieutenant Governor of the said Province shall be appointed by commission, under the great seal of Canada, to be 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.' That is the £ M of 1869. The Manitoba Act also provided that both French and English should be the official Iftnguages be- I 11 fore the Legislatare, and In the ooarts of jastice. The prin- ciple of separate sohools was freely recognised. The privilege ofa mixed jary was granted as in the Province of Quebec. Provision was made for the extinction of the Indian title, and free grants of land w^re made to the half-breeds and their children, which tn 1873 by the Land Act were extended to the old white settlers and their children. All these concessions were granted by the Manitoba Act of 1870, Vic. 33, cap. 3. Whatever may be the diversity of opinion as to the causes, pretexts or circumstances of these troubles of 1869-70, there cannot be any doubt that without the French half-breeds, Manitoba would not have been granted the liberties and privileges of popular government, and this important reform bears testimony to the intelligence and patriotism of the French half-breeds. This has been admitted by many eye witnesses of the events of these days, and quite recently by Mr. Alexander McArthur, of Winnipeg, an old official of the Hudson Bay Company, a Srisoner of Riel, when lecturing before the Historical and oientifio Society of Winnipeg, on the 4th October, 1882, and in fact the language he used shows his impartiality in the matter. He says : " While tue leaders of the half-breeds brought iKnominj on them- BelveB by imbaing their hands in blood, it cannot be denied that they obtainea rights and privileges for themselves and their fellow country- men, which but for the stand they took would never have been granted, and the boons so secured they have the satis&ction of knowing were equally participated in by those nations and residents of the country, yrho not only took part in the rising, but were many of them opposed to it and disposed to aid the other side." The Manitoba Act also provided for a temporary ecovern- ment in that portion of Eupert's Land, and North- Western Territory not included in the Province of Manitoba. It enacted that until the end of the Session of 1C71, it was to be left to the management of the Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba with the aid of the council provided for by the Act of 1869. Considering the state of the country, its small poDulation, this provisional Government was perhaps the only practicable one. Its services were fully acknowledged by the Minister of the Interior (Hon. Mr. Mills) in his report of 1876. He said : " It is due to that coui>.<;;il to record the fact that their legislation and valuable practical suggestions submitted to Your Excellency from time to time through their official head, Lieutenant Qovernor Morris, aided the (Government not a little in the good work of laying the foundations of law and order in the North- West, in securing the good will of the Indian tribes, and in establishing the ^r««^74, Mr. Christie resigned and John H. McLaird married to a half- breed, was nominated in his place and Messrs. William Tait, married to half-breed, and Eobert Cunningham, were also added to the list of the councillors by bon. gentlemen opposite. One of the last ordinances of the North-West Council was the passing of " An Act for the prevention of Prairie and Forest Fires in the North-West Territories," which in due time was transmitted to Ottawa for approba- tion with representation that it was of " urgent importance" ; but up to 187d,when the papers connected with this measure were brought before the House, it had not been yet approved. The Conservative party in power soon after left office (1873). It was not, however, till two years after (18 4 5; that the Administration of hon. gentlemen opposite thoughts of pro- viding for the removal of the seat of Government of the North-West, and it took another year to put this Act into operation ; so three years were required to accomplish this important reform, recommended as most necet^sarjr and urgent by the great organ of the Liberal puriy. The Toronto Globes of the 25th February, 1876, said : <'i 13 iBion the ipeg. , the ainie- naake ction : the said )atioa J to xcept Buch .nnual year. LegiB- ointed on the )f the , mem- Donald reland, Lndrew , Wm. I James Y were Jhristie i half- V^illiam i, were itlemen h-West ition of tories," proba- ance" ; leasure proved. (1«73). lat the of pro- of the \.ot into ish this TV and m. The " Heretofore the North- West Territory east and west of Manitoba has been governed bj the Lientenant Qovernor of Manitoba and a species of half adrisatory, half le^slative council of gentlemen chosen from among the residents in Winnipeg and its ncinity. They are themselves not slow to admit that their constitution is a farce, and it requires no effort of imagination in those even who have never been in the North- West to understand the impossibility of merchants and others in Winnipeg acting as a Legislature for the settlements on the Saskat- chewan, and nearly a thousand miles away in the neighborhood of the Rocky Mountains. At one of the last sittings of this Winnipeg Ooundl of which the former editor of the Nouveau Monde is a prominent member it was proposed to incorporate the clergy of the missionary dioceses of the North-West with land holding powers. The object of this was so apparent to those in Winnipeg who have seen the effect ot the system there, that it was strenuously opposed by some of the English members, but in spite of their efforts it was carried, and would have cume to Ottawa with such force as this nondescript council have been able to give to their legislation, had not Lieutenant Governor Morris refused to assent to the Bill. " We have several times in this Parliament incorporated eccleHiastical communities without objection from hon. gen- tlemen opposite, and have given them the right to hold real estate in the N^orth-West ; aod this is the crime which is charged on the North- West Council, and which is put forth as the principal reason why it should be abolished. Under the ntw constitution the seat of the Government was removed to Fort Pelly, in the Territories. The council was compoLcd of five members nominated by the Crown, in- cluding tho two stipendiary magistrates, ex officio. The jurisdiction of the council extended over taxation for local and municipal purposes, property and civil rights, the administration of justice, including the organisation and maintenance of the courts of justice; education, with separ- ate schools if desired by any minority ; public health, licensing of inns, landmarks and boundaries, game and wild animals, and the care and protection thereof; roads and highways, the protection of timber, gaols, &c,, and generally all matters of a merely local or private nature. Nearly all the powers of Local Legislatures of the old Pro- vinces were thus given to this North-West Council ; and to give a representative character to this body the Act provides that any district not exceeding an area of one thousand square miles is entitled to be erected into an electoral district, and to elect a member to the council for' its first one thousand inhabitants of adult age, exclusive of aliens and Indians, and to two members for two thousand inha- bitants. When the number of elected members shall reach twenty-one, the Act provides that the council shall become ipso facto the Legislative Assembly of the North- West Ter- ritories, having not only ail the powers of the council, but also all the powers of a Legislative Assembly of the old Provinces, which the Governor in Council in Ottawa might ,1 = 14 confer upon it The French language was ignored in the Act, but this grave error was corrected two years after, in 1877. A jury of six was granted in criminal cases, but the grand jury and the mixed jury system which prevails in Quebec and Manitoba was refused. With the hon. gentle* men opposite lies, therefore, the resi>on8ibility of the posi- tion of Louis Eiel, who, as matter of right, is not entitled to a trial by his peers. He is entitled to have only six jury- men, and among these he is not entitled to have three of his own countrymen. In 18/7 new powers were given to the North- West Council by Order in Council : « And whereas, by the third section of the said Act, it is farther en- iicted that ' the Lieatenant-Qovernor, by and with the advice of the Legislative Assembly, as the case may be, shall ha^e such powers to make ordinances for the goTernment of the North-West Territories as the Governor in Oouncil may, from time to time, confer upon him : ProTided always, that soch powers shall not at any time be in excess of those conferred by the ninety-second section of The British North America Act, 1867,' upon the Legislatures of the sereral Prorinces of the Dominion ; " Now, in pnrsuance of the powers by the said statute conferred. His Bxcellency, by and with the advice of the Prirj Oouncil, has been pleased far ber to order, and it is hereby ordered, that the Lieutenant- Govemor in Oouncil shall be and he is nereby empowered to make or- dinances in relation to the following subjects, that is to say :— *< 1. The establishment and tenure of territorial ofBces, and the ap- pointment and payment of territorial officers ; " 2. The establishment, maintenance and management of prisoni^ in and for the North- West Territories j " 3. The establishment of municipal institutions in the Territories, in accordance with the provisions of the 'North- West Territories Acts, 1876 and 1877 ; *'4. The issue of shop, auctioneer and other licenses, in order to the raising of a revenue for territorial or municipal purposes ; "5. The solemnisation of marriage in the Territories ; " 6. The administration of justice, including the constitution, organi- sation and maintenance of territorial courts of civil jurisdiction ; *'7. The imposition of punishment by fine, penalty or imprisonment for enforcing any territorial ordinance ; "8. Property and civil rights in the Territories, subject to any legis- lation by tne Parliament of Canada upon these sabjticts, and— '*9. Generally on matters of a merely local or private nature in the Territories." I have heard it stated that hon. gentlemen opposite did nothing for the North- West during the time of their admin- istration. I will not go so far ;I am too much of an inde- pendent member to go that far. I will a(l:jiit that the late Administration conferred upon the population of the North- West a constitution which is certainly worthy of admira- tion ; but this is the only thing they did. That constitution is similar to the constitution of the old Provincest To-day the Crown is represented in the North- West council very much in the ^ame way as it is represented in this Parlia- ment or in the Legislature of Quebec. There are two or 4 f *f 15 i in the fter, in bat the ^^ails in gentle* he posi- Litled to ix jury- three of given to rther ea- se of the owers to itories as >on him: in oxcesa 8h North tyinces of srred, His has been ieateaant- make or- d the ap* prison/ in itories, in Acts, 1876 der to the »a, organi- )ri30nment any legis- ure in the osite did ir admin- an inde- t the late le North- ' admira- aBtitution To-day noil very Is Parlia- two or three Stipendiary Magistrates and other nominees of the Grown numbering six altogether ; aud at the same time that constitution provides that the people of that country, the moment there is a certain population spread over a certain extent of territory, have a right to send a representative there to deal with what matters ? Upon the local taxation, upon the municipal taxation, upon the administration of justice, upon in fact all the matters which are conferred by the constitution of 1867 on the old Provinces, and that is why I am willing to give credit to the late Administration for having done something toward the settlement of the North- West. Later on, I will say, in answer to those settlers who want to have those Territories divided into different Provinces and enjoy all the expense and luxury of the legislatures of the old Province, that m the constitution of the North- West they have all the privileges and liberties of a free people, without having, at the same time, the burden of local legislatures. It is a pity, indeed, that the late Administration did not go fVirther when they were considering the constitution of the country. They nominated to nold office in that Territory people who were strangers to the population. Ton cannot find even a stipendiary magistrate, yon cannot find a nominee, from the Governor down, with the exception of Mr. Forget — a very good nomination — who was clerk of the coun- cil and private secretary to the Governor, to represent the people of tliat country, selected from the people of that country. 1 am not surprised at this, because, in the opinion of the hon. gentleman (Mr. Mills), the French half-breeds were like Indians ; though, later on, on another policy, they were to be treated as white settlers. I am not surprised that the hon. gentleman, as Minister of the Interior, did not wish that the half-breeds should be represented in the North- West, because he considered half-breeds were like Indians ; bat why did he not take some of the new whito settlers ? Are yoa going to tell me you have provided a council of a representative character, without being able to find in the population of the place a single representative ? Mr. }.. LLS. We appointed a French half-breed, a member of the council. Mr. GIROUAED. He was appointed in 1878 ; your council was appointed in 1876. Mr. MILLS. The hon. gentleman is mistaken, because it was organised on my advice. Mr. GIROUAED. I will give you the date of Mr. erland's nomination. He was in the old council which r 16 was nominated in tlie constitation of 1869, and whioh remained in office until 1876, bat yon did not renominate him, or Mr. Boya!, or Mr. Delorme, a half-breed. Mr. MILLS. They were residents of Manitoba. Mr. GIROUAED. Why did not you nominate Mr. Breland who is not resident of Manitoba ? Mr. MILLS. We did. Mr. GIHOUARD. Not at that time. I will give you the date later on. I say this treatment of the people of the North-West was the subject of a great deal of complaint. The French population expected some attention from the Government. The old settlements of Qu'Appelle and St. Albert were important centres ; the English settlement at Battleford and Prince Albert had considerably increased ; the surrounding rural districts had been taken up by white settlers, who also thought the/ were entitled to some con- sideration. Affairs in the North- West attracted the atten- tion of public men, and during the Session of 1878 they were the subject of a very interesting debate. It will be interest- ing to hear what were tbe opinions of the hon. member fqr Bothwell then. Mr. MILLS. The hon. gentleman went last week to New Brunswick to find a member for that council. Mr. GIROUARD. One member only. But I am going to show you that you took all the members for that council from Jtario, and its Governor from Prince Edward Island. The Hon. Mr. Langevin, now Sir Hector, called attention to this point. The debate took place on the 8th May, 1878:— " Mr. LANGEVIN' said he wished to call the attention of hon. gentle- men opposite to the action of the Qoverument in the North- West Terri- tories. When the organisation of government took place in Manitoba, the hon. gentlemen opposite found fault with the GoTernment of the right hon. member for Kingston, for the manner in which that was or- ganised. Thej accused the late Government of having actea without proper consideration of the wants of the Provinces, without having coa- Bulted its ^oople, and of having sent up a read^-made government. The hon. the First Minister said, in nis speech at Kingston, of the 27th June, speaking of the right hon. member for Kingston : " He sent out Mr. Wm. Macdougall with a readv-made Cabinet to take possession, as if they had been the conquerors of the land, without asking the people what tneir opinions were as to the mode or nature of the authority ander which they were to be placed.' " This was the opinicn of bhe hon. the First Minister, and also of the hon. the Minister of the Interior. Before going farther, he would state he did not admit the justice of this criticism. The late Government did not send a ready-made Government to the North-West Thev sent a Gover- nor and two officers, who were, in connection with otner gentlemen, taken from that region, and who bad the confidence of the people to form a Cabinet. It was natural that the hon. gentleman, in order to make • ''I' iW^ i w tk strong case hefore the electors of Ontario should have used the words already quoted ; hat, at all events, the hon. gentleman, after having found fault with the action of the late Qovernment, should have done better. Let ua see how the hon. gentleman and hia Government acted towards that country. They appointed, as Lieutenant Governor, the Hon. Mr. Laird, one of their'friends, who had been formerly Minister of the Interior, and had d> alt with matters connected with the North- west, and whom they had a right, therefore, to send there. But whom did they select as members of the Executive Council of that Territory? Colonel Macleod was appointed at the head of the police and also Stipendiary Magistrate. Colonel Macleod did not possess the confidence of the people. " Mr. MILLS. Who were they ? Indians ? "Mr. LANGBVIV. Indians and half-breeds were people. He wondered would the hoa. gentleman feel as he did, were he in Manitoba amongst those people. They were not to be despised although the^ were Indians. Mr. Mathew Ryan, lawyer from Moutreal, was also appointed Stipendi- ary Magistrate, and was made also a member of the Executive Council; the next was Mr. Richardson. Bow were the officers selected for this territory ? Mr. Scott, a gentleman from this part of the country, was appointed registrar ; hun. Mr. St. John of Toronto was appointed sheriff ; Mr. Dickson was sent there as an accountant and inspector ; Captain McDonald was sent as Indian agent. This was the Government which had sent there, to uae the language of the hon. the First Minister, ' ' a ready-made cabinet to take possession, as if they had been con- querors of the land. " The people not very unnaturally, objected to being presented with this ready-made cabinet. The hon. gentleman could not say that in the Territories or io Manitoba, they could not find a few members of the people who could help in governing that country and who would have the confidence of the half-breeds. But what people had they to govern ? Indians ? There were Indiana and a great many half-breeds and white men as well. These people had been cast aside. The Government aaid : We will send a ready made cabinet ; we despise those people and will govern them aa we choose. His Excellency the Governor General formed a very different opinion of these people, and he would refer the hon. the Pre- mier and his colleagues to the remarks of Hia Excellency concerning theae half-breeda. f hey were a aensitive, proud race, and should not haT? been deprived of tl' sir share in the government of the country. He remembered the time when his race was excluded from the govern- ment of the country, when none but people imported from the old coun- try bad a right to sit in the councils of the Province, and he could imagine the feelings of those half-breeds of the North- West when they saw that none but people from Ontario or Montreal or the Lower Pro- vinces were to have office in their Government. These people had no representative in this Hou . e, and it was left to some one to see whether they should be left in that position, or whether they should have their share in the officea and in the Government in that Territory. A depu- tation of half-breeds had Ir.tely called on the Lieutenant Governor of the Province to claim representation in the councils of their country, and he hoped, since the attention of the Government had been called to this matter openly before Parliament, that they would recognise thn j ustice of the claims. " Mr. MILLS said the hon. gentleman had made somewhat extraordinary speech. The hon. gentleman mi^ht not have considered the effect which hia speech would have on the minds of the people of the North- West." They are very careful indeed to direct properly the mind •f Uie people of the North- West. *' The cireamstancea were wholly different which govern the actioa «f the Iftte Government and of the preaent one. The country which Mr. 2 18 .;!i ■i! Laird and the other gentlemen were sent to govern had very few inha- bitants except Indians But the right hon. member for Kingston Bent his Oovernment to a country in which there were several thousand white people, a people from whom rulers had already been chosen, and who had formerly a Oouncil and Government of their own. What was the position in the North-West ? Did the hon. gentlemen pretend to say that the half-breeds were an educated population, who appointed their chief the same as the Indians did, who followed the buffalo from place to place, and bad no fixed habitation ? That was the impression the hon. gentleman seemed to wish to create. Yet he must know, if he gave any attention to the condition of things in that countrv, that the half-breed population, with the single exception of the few who resided in the vici- nity of Prince Alburt, were, in no respect^ different in their modes and conditions of life from the Indians.' ' The hon. gentleman interrupted me a moment ago to say that, at the time he constituted the North- West Council, he appointed a half-breed. Mr. M!ILLS. Mr. Breland, and he is named in that speech. Mr. GrIROUARD. I say you did not; you appointed him in 1878. Mr. MILLS. Yes. Mr. GIROUARD, Then do not contradict me when I say you did not appoint any half-breed before 1878. Mr. MILLS. That is what I said. Mr. GIROUARD. I was going to give you the reason why you appointed one then. Mr. MILLS. Tou said we did not appoint any. Mr. GIROUARD. You did not in 1876, when you or- ganised the council. It was constituted under Act of Far liament of 1875, but you waited one year before you wcild put that new constitution into operation, and yet, when yon came to make the nominations to that council, not only was there not one half-breed in it or one in office under it, but there was not on it one single white-man living in that country ; they were all taken from Ontario and even from around Ottawa here, like Mr. Scott, who was placed in the registry office there, and was a brother of one of the col- leagues of the hon. gentleman. I have mentioned that there was a complaint. It was not only made in the House but also outside of it. Take the petition which was sent at the beginuing of 1878, the petition of the half-breeds of St. Albert and also of the half-breeds of St. Laurent. One of their first grievances is that they have no representative in the institutions of their country. " The humble petition of the undersigned French Canadians and half- breeds of St. Albert in the North- West Territories.— InformatioB having Al oot froi sho .«ii' jw Inha- ton sent Dd white and who , was the d to sajr ted their tt place to the hon. gave any lalf-breed 1 the vici- lodeB and ) to say uncil, he in that ippointed 3 when I I 8. he reason en you or- Ut of Par you wcild when > on , not only Q under it, ng in that even from iced in the f the col- that there House but Bent at the jeds of St. It. One of jentative in )f ianB and half- atiott having 19 been given to tbem that a petition had been signed by the half-breeds of St. Laurent on the Ist February last, they also respectfully show. " That the population of the North-West Territories is mostly com- posed of French half-breeds without any stipendiary magistrate under- standing or speaking th:^ir language." And later on, there was a public meetiDg of indignation against the rulingf of stipendiary magistrate Richardson who refused to allow the attendance of French half-breeds who had come from long distu ices to attend the criminal courts, on the ground that they did not understand English and ho did not understand French and that he would sim- Elify the matter very easily by telling them to go back ome. There was immediately an indignation meeting held, and the people c.omplaiuod : That is the kind of magistrates they ^ive ; they ai e not only taken from outt>ide the country, but they are men vvho do not even undor;itand the language of the majority of the people. The petitioners continue to allege : " Without any stipendiary magistrate understanding their langaage, and without any person of their own origin to represent them in the deliberations of tna council of the North- West Territories, it is there- fore resolved that a humble petition be addressed to his £xcelloncy the Governor General praying that the two members of the council remain- ing still to be appointed under the authority of the Act of 1873 and its amendments be selected from the old residents of French origin, and, in order to give full aad entire justice to the nationality of your peti- tioners, that the nomination of a stipendiary magistrate equally of French origin be proceeded with.' ' You would perhaps imagine that the reason why these half-breeds were not represented in the council was because the number was complete. No, there were six mem* hers to be appointed — I am sure of five— and they could easily have appointed one or two French half breeds ; but no, they did not do it. What was the answer of the Minister of the Interior, of date the 18th March, 1878? It is addressed to the Governor of the !North-West Territories, through whom the petition of the people of St. Laurent and St. Albert had been sent to Ottawa. " Yon are requested to inform the petitioners that I shall have much pleasure in submitting their petition for the consideration of His Excellency the Governor General in CouncU. "In the meantime you may intimate to the petitioners that should it be thought desirable to appoint additional members to the council of the North West, I shall be prepared to recommend to His Excellency's consideration their application that such members should be selected from the old residents in the Territories and that if possible one of them should be of French Canadian origin." Now, Mr. Speaker, as I have said, the late Administration did nothing with the exception of creating this new consti- tution for the North West, and appointing this half-breed in 1878 ; they did nothing to give to the population of the North- West any representation or any part in the government of ^ B 80 that country, either legislative or judiciary. Other impor- tant matters came to their attention, but they had a very simple policy— they told the half-breeds that they were to be considered as white settlers. I will not refer again to that statement made by the Minister of the Interior. It is made in such clear language that no ambiguity is possible. The principle is laid down that the half-breeds must be treated like white settlers, and so they have been treated. Nothing was done towards the extinguishment of the Indian title ; and if hon. gentlemen opposite are so anxious of benefiting from the experience of past Administrations, why did they not take the principle of the Adminis- tration which left office in 1873? Why did they not say to the half-breeds of the North West : You shall be treated in the same way as the half breeds of Manitoba ? When they constituted their council in 18*75 was the proper time, rather than in 1879, to declare what their policy was to be with reference to the half-breeds. When they sent Iheir Governor up to the North- West and made four new treaties with the Indians, they ought to have laid down their policy in regard to the treatment of the half-breeds. But nothing was done concerning the half-breed claims and the Indian title; Lothing was done concerning the surveys which affected not only the half- breeds but the white population as well. My hon. friend from Quebec East stated that he did not think that any complaints came from the half-breeds of the North- West previous to 1877 or 1878. Perhaps he was like myself, and did not have occasion to look over all the papers which were brought down four or five weeks ago, and which were inaccessible to certain members of the House— at least to myself. But I will call his attention to the resolutions, which were in efiiect petitions, of the half-breeds, not only of Qu'Appelle but of the whole North- West, dated the 5th May, 1873 and which were transmitted on the 5th June following by Governor Morris. All the half-breeds of the North- West joined in that petition, their votes having been taken at a council as was then oustom&ry ; and they say : *' We also ask of you, the Lieatenant Ooyeraor, to give qb lands in compensation of oar rights.' ' They received an answer from Governor Morris to the effect that their request would be transmitted to the Government. But the Government then in office left to make room for the hon. gentlemen opposite, and up to the present time there has been no answer given to that petition. Mr. MILLS. Hear, hear. G P< thj prJ SI impor- a very yero to gain to •. It IB losfiible. must be treated. of the anxious tratione, ^dminis- Lhey not ou shall reeds of in 1815 lare what klf-breeds. ^Vest and J ought to itment of rning the was done the half- on. friend that any Jorth-West ke myself, pers which which were ftt least to resolutions, , not only dated the he 5th June eeds of the laving been they say : e uB lands in \ to the effect 3-overnment. room for the nt time there Mr. GIROUARD. I moan up to 1878 — when they left office. On the lut of Ootobor, 1874, I find a letter from Father Docorby to the Honorable Mr. Laird on the same subject ; in this ho says : " As the Government has entrusted the conduct of the Affairs of the North- West to you, I take the liberty ot addrfssing jo.i a few explaaa- tiona concerning Laite Qu' Appelle and the half-breed population settled there. The spirit of justice which animates you and the desire you have shown to contribute to the welfare of those whose interests haye been contided to you, lead oie to hope tiiat you will kindly take them into consideration and bring them to the attention of the Government in order that it may treat the half-breeds of Lake Qu' Appelle with justice and generosity, according to the kind words of His Excellency, out Gov- ernor, Alexander Morris. I may remark at once that the half.breeds have a right to some privileges in this place. It was they who made a kind of conquest of it by obliging the Indian nations who fomerlj warred here to keep the peace It is they who still keep them off, and it is to their presence that is due the honor of peace and the security which is enjoyed all arounl. " I cannot state the exact period when the half-breeds be^an to winter •t the Lake Qu'Appellc, but having explained to his Lordship the Bishop of 8t. Boniface, the wish to have a Catholic priest among them, my Lord Tacho, now Archbisni Govern- which was > the Indian breedti com- o Bpoke and r Rouleau, Province of for the dia* .nadian and e found, and making two Mr. Rouleau, 3ut the same c had opened ti new fieIdH to immigration. Towns and villages were erected along its lino from Brandon westward. A. large nambar of people flew into the towns and rural districts, and form to-day a white population of about 40,000 or 50,000, ('Ome say 100,000 or more, who became entitled to representation in the council. Electoral districts have been constituted under the Act of 1875, and have been repre- sented in the council, whore thoy are to-day in majority over the nominees of the Crown. Eight districts have representation in the now (ouncil : BJmonton, Broadview, Qu-Appollo, Rogina, Moone Juw, Lome, Calgary and Moose Mountain, and with the throe Hti(>ortdiary rnagihtraten, and these nominated by the Government, Utrm 14 members. This fact induced the Edmonton Bulletin, of the 30lh Janu- ary, 1885, to nay : " Every paper in the North-Weet gave a kick to the Council, but it is the fault of tbe people, who elect the majority of them." One of the first duties of the Government under the terms of the Manitoba Act of 1870. was to extini^uish the Indian title to the Territory of the North- West The policy oi the country bus been to do this by a treaty, whereby the Indians cede their rights to the land in conuideraiion of a certain indemnity which the Government agrees to pay to them. The Indians uiiuer tteaty in Vtanitoba aud the North-Wewt repre.'tent a population of 33,959. The treaties are seven in number, atid contain about the same agreements and r"' ipulations: Population. 3rd August, 1871, Ghippewas and Creps, Treaty No. I 3,395 2]at " 1S71 '* <> ■■ 2 896 3rd October, I8T3', Sauveux " " 3* .!'!.!"'. 2,605 16th September, 1874, " and Cree9(Qu'Appelle) Treaty No. 4, 7,079 20th " 187.% " " (Lake Winnipeg) " 6.3,165 23rd August, 1876, Plain and Wood Orees (Port Carlton and Pitt) Trnaty No. 6 8,157 22nd May, 1877, Blackfeet, Treaty No. 7 6,673 As an example, let us look at Treaty No. 7. It contains a cession from the Indians to the Ciown of territory which is described, and "all their rights, lilies and privileges what- soever to the lands " of said Territory. The Indians reserve to themselves the right of hunting throughout the tract Burrendered, subject to such regulations as the Government of the country may make from time to time, and saving such tracts of land as may be required or taken up from time to time for settlement, mining, trading or other pur- pos'.'.s, by the Govoinmont of Canada or by any oitizon duly authorised therefor by said Government. The treaty pro- vides for a reserve of land, which is also described, and is vsufficiently large to allow one square mile for each family of 21 five. In eettlement of past claims the treaty provides fbr tb9 payment of a Bum of $12 to each man, woman and child. The price of the Indian title payable to the Indiann at suit- able places and dates, and annually to each chief 825, each minor chief or councillor 015, and to every Indian, of what- ever age, $5. A sum of 82,000 is to be expended every year in the purchase of ammunition or some other purpose, as the Indians and Government may determine. Every head chief, minor chief, chief and councillor, is entitled every three years to a suitable suit of clothing. Each head and minor chief is to receive, for the use of their bands, once for all, ten axes, five handsaws, five augers, one grindstone and the necessary files and whetstones. Every family of five per- sons and under is to receive the following cattle for raising stock, two cows ; family of more than five and less than ten persons, three cows; family over ten persons, four cows; every head and minor chief, for his band, one bull. If any band desire to cultivate the soil as well as raise stock, each family of such band shall receive one cow less ; and in lieu thereof, when settledon their reserves and p epared to breakup the soil, two hoes, one spade, one scythe, and two hay forks ; and for every three families, one plough and one harrow ; and for each band, enough potatoes, barley, oats and wheat to place other land actually broken up. All the said articles to be given once for all for the encouragement of the practice of agriculture among the Indians. Each head chief and minor chief and Stony chief is to receive a Winchester riflo. And finally, the Indians undertake to conduct and behave them- selves as good and loyal subjects of Her Majesty. These are the stipulations generally inserted in treaties with Indians. Treat No. 7, however, signed in 1877 with the Blackfeet, is the only oce which provides for the supply of Winchester rifles, a provision greatly to be regretted, intro- duced by hon. gentlemen opposite, which did its work of des- truction among our troops during the recent batles. Treaty No. 6 and other treaties wiih the Plain and Woods Crees contains the undertaking, on the part of the Government, to grant, during the throe years af!er two or more of the reserves shall be set apart to the Indians, a sum of one thousand dollars yearly, to be employed in the purchase of provit^ions for the uf^e of the Indians as are actually engaged in cultivating the soil, and to assist them in such cultivation. A medicine chest is also to be kept by the Indian agent for the use of the Indians, the necessity of v/hich is fully demonstrated by the report of the Mounted Police for 1884. It will bo conceded that these Indian treaties are mos* liberal, and they do not comprise the numerous pre- sents which had to be made as preliminaries before even 25 Bs for ths ad child. 8 at Buit- S25, each of what- ^ery year )se, as the lead chief, jry three md minor "or all, ten > and the f five per- nor raising !8 than ten bur cows; f any band ach family en thereof, eakup the forks ; and ►w ; and for )at to place tides to be practice of I and minor rifle. And ;have them- siy. These eaties with ■n with the 10 supply of •el ted, intro- work of des- Llos. Treaty CVoods Crees Grovernment, more of the I Bum of one purchase of lally engaged h cultivation, lian agent for hich is fully )d Police for I treaties are numerous pre- j before even talking of the terms of the treaties. Le Metis, of the 24th July, 1872, speaking of one of the treaties with the Sauteux, saya: " Mr. Simpson, at Fort Francis, spent $4,000 or $6,000 iv presents to the Sauteuz, who, beforu even speaking of treaty, had already laid down most exborbitant pretentions. On rapporte que s'ila n'ont pas demands chacun un carrosse, c'est uniqucment parce qu'ils u'an ont pas encore I'idee.'' Notwithstanding the liberality of the treaties towards the Indians, experience soon proved that they were insuflfioient, For some years it was supposed that it would to be at least 25 years before the decrease of the buffalo would be seriously felt. It was then to be seen nearly over the whole North- West Territory. A correspondent of the New York Sun, writing from Mile's city, Montana, on the 24th of April 1885, says: "In 1815 the buffalo ranges extended as far castas Illinois, Minnesota and Iowa ; in short, the Mississ'^pi Eiver marked the eastern boundary of their grazing/ grounds. On the west the main Eocky Mountain ridgo was the limit of their pastures; and between these two natural boundaries the buffalo roamed over the vast plains of the west, migi'ating with the seasons north and south, from the shores of the Arctic to the Gulf of Mexico. They were at the mercy of various Indian tribes, but the Indians were merciful. From this one animal the rod men drew the main necessaries of life. The hides furninhed clothing, beds and lodge coverings. The horns were ui^ed as orna- ments, and also lurnished various kitchen utensils. The flesh was their staple food, and their sinews became arrow cords. The Indians used the animal but did not abuse it. The herds in those days soutii of the present international boundary line strictly in ohe United States must have con- tained not less than 5,000,000 animals, In what is now Manitoba, Assinibola, i'Jbortii and Saskatchewan, there must have been fully 5,.)00,000 more, .is the Hudson Bay trappers who camo south to trade with the Snake, Shos- hone and Mode Indians always reported vast herds of bison in the neigh'iorhood of Gt'oat Slave and Great Boar Lakes. The butl'alo were all rii^ht, until about seven years ago, when the Indians were conquered, which opened up the country and let tho hido hunters in. It took almost seven years, beginning with 1>\70, to exterminate the bufifelo along the line of the Northern PaoiSc Railway, which, in the good old times, could hava boon seen blackening the Platte Kiver bottom for miles. Those poor silly beasts were so easily killed, and from their abundance, oftered so rich a reward to the hido hunter, that every idle fellow in that part of the country could make good wages by butcher- ■i 26 ing them. The Union Pacifio railroad Bplit the herds in half, and left a moiety to the north and a moiety to the south. Those in Texas were soon used up by sportsmen andprofessional hunters ; but the great northern herd fled to Wyoming and Montana, where Sitting Bull and his fol- lowers took charge of and protected them, until Uncle Sam's soldiers began chasing him around the country, as well as the bison. From 1875 to 1880 fully 1,000,000 of these brutes were killed by soldiers and other white men. I heard of one enterprising pothunter on the Yellowstone who actually had a Gatling gun to help the slaughter along. He employed no less than thirty skinners to tear the hides from the poor animals as soon as they dropped, and each skinner received $1 for every hide he brought in at night. The skinned carcases, as well as numberless unskin- ned, were left to rot where they fell. In short, the manipu- lator of the artillery kept ahead of his employes and pro- vided them with more than they could attend to." As early as 1875 a missionary wrote to Le 2d6tis, on the 15th Sep- tember, from the Saskatchewan district : " II est Traimeat inqui6tant de voir lesbufflulos diminuer k vue d'oeil I Encore q^uelques annees et le gouvernenieat aura sur les bras ces diffe- rentes tribus du Nord-Ouest, qui lui demaaderont de quo! les empicher de^mourir de faim.'* The slaughter of the buffalo was so great that the Indians and half-breeds became alarmed. They could not under- stand the inaction on the part of the Government. If we are to believe the Globe, the Mail and the Free Press of Winnipeg, a Provisiona IGoverrment which these papers called a republic, was proclaimed at St. Laurent, in 187), with Gabriel I)umont as president, for the avowed purpose of protecting the buffalo, and obtaining a large tract of land for bunting purposos. Major General Swith and Col. Fi ench were tent with 55 Mounted Police to 'ubdue the rebels, who, on leariiing of the arrival of the forco, tent two emissaries to Fort Carlton to cffer their surrender on condition of being pardoned, and they were pardoned. A correspondent of the Globe, of July, 1876, says during the winter of 1876 about 120,000 of those animals were killed. Mr. Schultz d rooted the attention of the Govern- ment to this important question during the Session of 1j^76." I beliovo that if tho late Administration had made the tilightett effort to ])iotoct tho buffalo the recent troubles would never have happ«.ned. During the years 1874, 1875 and 1876 representationH were made to them on all hands that the buffalo would soon disappear unless some protec- tive measures were adopted by the Government; but nothing was done. If we have to feed tho Indians for 27 berds in J to the ^ortBmen berd fled i his fol- ic Sam's s well as of these I heard )ne who ong. He ;he hides md each it in at 9 uDskin- manipu- and pro- As early 5th Sep- vue d'oeil I I ces diffe- I emplcher ) Indians ^t under- If we Pre^ of 8 papers J7), with rpose of of land Fi each rebels, ent two ider on rdoned. during s were Govern- sion of id made troubles 74, 1875 hands protec- tt ; but ans for geDerations it will be because no action was taken by the wte Government to preserve, for the Indians and half- breeds, who were living horaething like them, the bufTalo, their main means of support. On tbo iSOth of March, 1876, Mr. Schultz said: " Among the papers which he hoped to have brouffht down by this motion would be found valuable suggestions as to the preservation of the buffalo. He (Mr. Schultz) would urge the importance of this matter upon the Oovernment. So long as the buifalo were numerous there was little danger of difficulty with the plain tribes of Indians, with whom we were now being brought into contact. When these were extinct we must expect to deal with a race of paupers, rendered dangerous by want ot food. The Rev. Father Lascombe, a high authority on all such mat- ters, believes, in common with many others, that if the present rate of destruction goes on the race of buli'tlo will be extinct in 10 years. It is true that since the completion of the Union Pacific Railroad and the establishment of military and other settlements in the Missouri, Father Lescombe estimates the number killed yearly during the winter at 80,000, and about the same uumber m summer. Their E resent feeding ground comprises a length of, say, about 600 milea y about 150, and is bounded on the west by the Rocky Mountains, on the east by the Qu'Appelle Lakes, on the pouth by the Mis- souri, and on the north by the north l^ranch of the Saskatchewan ; and this limit is evei decreasing, by the destruction caused by the hunters of the Saskatchewan on the north, those from the Missouri oa the south, and the red River Hunters on the east, to an extent and rapidity so alarming that it is estimated by the Reverend Father and others that in 10 years they will be extinct. Such a result is not at all improbable, since it is only a few years since the buffalo ranged east of the Red River, and since the last of the wood buffalo, an animal of the same species, but of larger size, which ranged between the Saskatchewan and the Slave Lakes, was killed, and the whole of the race is extinct. The use of the revolving jjiatol and the repeating rifle, instead of the ordinary loading gun, has helped to bring this about, aided by the destruction caused by wolves, sickness, accidents of various sorta and the wasteful destruction of the buffalo pound. Unfortunately, too, it is the robe of the female Buffalo which is the most valuable, and when killed for it she is always with calf. It is her flesh which makes the best meat, and being more easily hunted down than the bulls, it has caused a des- truction which has resulted in many of the bands met with last summer being composed ofa proportion of Six or seven males to one female. The districtwherebuftaloarefoundhasnarrowed with a startling rapidity dur- ing the last 10 years, buffalo having about that time been seen by him (Mr. Schultz) east of Red River Tliese facts point strongly to the necessity of fireventive measures, and the facts spoken of are so well known to the ndians and half-breeds that they are a'jxious the Government should take action in the matter, if it were not for the f ict that it would be im- possible to prevent the killing of cows. At the same time there would be no objection to the killing of buffalo bulla at any season of the year ; but since this is impossible, a stringent law is demaniled, which will practically leave these animals undisturbed from the 1st November to 1st May, and an enactment to prevent the killing of calves at any season. If such a law were passed it is believed that in five years the buffalo would have so increased that these restrictioas might be removed. He (Mr. Schultz) hoped that this matter would receive the consideration at the hands of the Government which its importance demanded, and that the papers bearing on this matter , >ald be printed for the general Information they would afford." " Hon. Mr. Mackenzie said the matter to which the hon. member had particularly alluded — the preservation of the buffalo in the western 1^ 28 I ''I- •■!. I „'i • :1 prairiea— had occupied a large share of the attention of the Gorernment for a consiaerable lime." Nothing more ; nothing whatever was done to protect this most important food of the Indians. Mr. MILLS. Yes, there was. Mr. GIEOUAKD. I am coming to that. True, the council of the Norlh-West, at its first sess'on, 18t7, passed an ordinance for the protection of the buffalo ; but for rea- sons which do not appear, was repealed the next session. Perhaps it did conflict with treaty obligations with Indiai^s. The measure was, however, too important to be left to the local council. It was a question of death or life for the large number of Indians which were under the special care of the Dominion, and should have been dealt with by the Dominion Government. It is greatly to be regretted that the Adminis- tration of hon. gor.tlemeri opposite did not adopt the protective measures which had been suggested to the Government by Father LacoK^be and other experienced residents. The Premier of the Administration of those days admitted, in March, 1876, that the matter occupied a large share of the attoBtion of his Government for a considerable time, but nothing was done. Again, durinsr the Session of 1877, this important matter was brought before the House and dis- cusised at considerable length. New revelations were made and the policy of the Government announced. Mr Schultz addressed the House on the subject. I will not repeat every speech made, but merely quote a few extracts : " Several years apfo, in speaking of the condition of the Indians of the North- West, ho the half- Dvince for terreB pour ,c un pen au les chanceB ■mSmea n/y a mort, il? que vous les vendre 1880 the ' the Indians f incurred to tiich are now id to induce ■ prevent the Rasing, has loth April, LteBt ^BBaUs* Lwest, and lie Throne, p„ tribef, aU Uai policy of liindness and justice which has hitherto marlied the relations between the Government and the aborigines. " I regret, however, that the necessitj of supplementing the food supply to the Indians still exists, and is likely to continue for some years." Eeferring to the year 1884, the Minister of the Interior, in hi« report, dated Ist Jaouary, 1885, nays : " Upon being advised of this fact, I directed that measures should be taken to prevent conse(|iient suffering among the Indians. Supplemen- tary contracts have accordingly been made with inhabitants of the Territories for the supj)ly of additional quantities of Hour, as they may be required at the various j)ointB. 1 also authorised the purciiase of an additional (juantity of ammunition and twine, iu order that the Indians might be able to supply themselves and families with fish and game during the winter." Mr. Speaker, it will be necessary to feed the Indians, not only for a year, but until the present grown up generations are gone. It can hardly bo expected that a man who has heen brought up in hunting and war can immediately settle down to the civilised life of agriculture. We will have to feed him, or he will steal a^d fight for his life. Our only hope is with the children. Monseignour Grandin said, in 1878: " On ne parviendra jamais t\ civiliser les saavages sufBsamment pour ea faire de bons citoyeus, qu'en les prenant tout petits enfants." The present Government acted upon this recommendation. The first Government aid towards schools was made hj hon. gentlemen opposite, in 1876, hut it amounted only to #2,000. In 1877 only three schools were receiving Govern- ment aid, St. Albert, Lac la Biche and White Fish Lake. In 1878 ten Indian schools were in operation in Manitoba and fonr in the North-West. Mr. McCanl, Indian Saperintendent for Manitoba, says, in his report, dated Winnipeg, 31st December, 1878 : " There are comparatively few Government schools in operation in this superintendency, and I regret to say that that the majority of them Are of a very inferior grade, on account oi the incompetency of many of the teachers in charge. In numerous instances, where no schools have been established, the chiefs and councillors expressed the desire that their children might be educated, and requested me to ask the Qovern> ment not only to send them teachers, but also to build them school houses. I attribute the low standard of th<^ schools to the small amount allowed by the Government for the salary of teachers in each reserve, for only the most inefficient ones can be obtained at Buch a consideration. I would, therefore, beg leave to suggest that a larger allowance be granted for that purpose, and that only efficient teachers be engaged." As to the yet " unorganised auperintendenoy " of the North- West, as Hon. Mr. Laird was pleased to call it, in his report of the 5th December, 1878, speaking of the schools, he says: 3 84 *< Only a few schools in this superintendency as ret receiTed aid trom the Oovernment. All J these are mission schools. The schools con- nected with the Roman Catholic mission at St. Albert, Lac la Bich* and Isle i la Grosse reserve receive aid for the Indian children instruotad there. I have not been able to visit any of these institutions, but I hear them highlv spoken of. The Oburch of England mission school at Touchwood Hills, near Ohief Gordon's reserve, also received aid, and an application has been made on behalf of a similar school at Assissippi, on Ahtahacoop's reserve, near Oarlton, and of one at BagU Hills reserve, near Battleford, which I trnst will receive favorable con- sideration. The Oanadian Methodists have also some good Indiaa schools, but if thev are now in receipt of Oovernment aid It is not for- warded through this ofiSce." I may say, however, that it is was not without due repre- sentation coming from very high authorities in the North- West, if the late Administration paid so little attention to teaching the Indians. Amongst the papers which came into my hands only yesterday, i find a letter from His Lordehip the Bishop of St. Albert, Monseigneur Grandin, to Lieutenant Governor Laird, dated 5th April, 1875. I will not quote the whole letter, but only extracts of it. His Lordship, in the course of his remarks, says : A ill! I i :i f " Bishopric, Bt. Albbrt, « 6th April, 1875. ** Sir,— You will perhaps be surprised, that without having the advan- tage of knowing you, or of being known by you, I venture to address Your Honor personally. " I would not have ventured on this boldness if the worthy Oolonel Jarvis had not apprised me of your indulgence, and your great desire to render any service. " Assured of your goodness, I will write to you at length, hoping yon will have the patience to read and take into consideration what 1 shall tell you. " The little news we receive from Manitoba had made ns suppose that the Government at Ottawa was a good deal occupied t\boutonr country. However, until the arrival of the troops, we nad not received the slightest mark of interest from that Government. • • • '' Permit me. Sir, to tell you frankly that it appears to me, while encouraging emigration into the North- West Territories, the Government should consider the benefit of the present inhabitants of the North-West. Apart from the sending of the soldiers nothing has been done, at least, of which we are aware, and this single benefit is far from being known and appreciated by all. • • • '< But they will say, ' the M6tis are good for nothing— a people idle and without economy.' " If they were a hundredfold worse, if yon will, those who have such advantages over them should not fo^et that the M6tis are generally descended from the servants of the Hudson Bay Oompanv ; that these servants, almost exclusively engaged in voyaging, did nothing, or nearly nothing^ during their long winters, and could not consequently give their children a liking for work— not seeing its utility. Who was ^ere to teach them notions of order and economy? The mothers had not the &int«st idea. Besides, receiving each day the food necessary for the whole family, what was the good of managing ? * The company profits, and the company is rich,' says a proverb wellknown in the country. "If they left the service the boffiiloa, then very nnmcrons, supplied them with abundance of food with little labor. The surplus of provi- evJ TiiT Bcj « tH ,1 I M 1 trom ilB con- k Bich* itruotftd ,, but 1 1 BChOOl red i^d, chool at it Eagl* tble oon- l Indian J not for- j repr©- , North- ntion to h came om HiB iodin, to I will it. His Iril, 18T6. the advan- to address ,hy Colonel at desire to hoping yon rhat 1 Bball nppoae that >nr country, eoeived the • ;o me, while Government North-WeBt. e, at least, o] [ known and a people idle 10 have such ■re generaiij ■^ . that these Jo, or nearly Cqnently give fto was wre 8 had not the jaaryfotthe ipany profits, country, rons, supplied )lus of provi- sions and the fura and skins, also very abundant, procured them tht necessary clothing. " But they do not even inatiaffe their money. How can thoy? Manj of them never aaw money, ana have not the least idea of its value. Why deprive themselves of anythiag durlnjf the year? The only advan* tage they will acquire will be to learn, un tlie return of the courier ({joatman), that the booics of York Factory contain many Louis to their credit. "Others who have spent all their wages in fine clothes for themselves and their families have a pile of pleasant and useful little things. In this they behold a fortuuu. Money nor an account book ia of any con- aideration. " I ask Your Honor's pardon for such details ; but I do not consider them altogether useless. " Whatever draws attention to the ohain ©f circumstances in which the M6tiB arc born, is important, and wbicii, being multiplied, cannot but excuse them for faults with which they are reproached nor be sur- prised that they are even as they are. " I could cite more than one tourist wko, by their writings, have con- tributed to make them be regarded in Canada and other places as a bar- barous and savage ]>eijpie, incapable of culture or civilisation, and who have left among the Metis and the Indians tiiemselves a very sad idea of the morality of civilised people. " No, Sir, the Metis are not such as they would wish to make them appear — a barbarous people, incapable of culture. 1 ihiuk, on the con- trary, that they merit all the sympathy of a good Government. Let it give them some encouragement and it will see if there is nothing to hope from them. " I therefore venture, Sir, to pray you to take in hand the cause of these poor Metis, and that the Government will be good enough to do something to encourage farming among them, at least, to those who exhibit such a willingness. Everything is scarce and so difficult to get in this country that not only the M6tis, but strangers themselves can only vegitate. • • • " We have boasted of our Territory being called the garden of the north, and the fertile belt. This does not prevent those who inhabit it from suffering, and those who will come from suffering still more. " To encourage agriculture, it is not only necessary to procure farm- ing implements at a low rate, but as soon as pussible to have easy ways of transport for the actual necessaries of life. • • • " In June, 1873, taking advantage of a trip to Europe, I passed through Ottawa, and had the honor of an interview with the right hon. Jonn Macdonald and H. Langevin on the affairs of our country. In the month of September following I addressed a letter directly to His Excellency the Governor General of Canada. On my return from Europe I found at St. Albert a letter, which bis Excellency the Lieutenant Governor, of Manitoba had caused to be written to me. According to that letter I had every reason to hope that my requests wotud be complied With. • '* • v^ " To advance civilisation of our population, all M^tis and Indians, v; everyone ia aware that achools are of the last importance. I was con- 4 .Tinoed that, under the Government of Canada, the encouragement of '^1 schools would be one of its first boons— till now I have hoped in vain. rv "Besides the schools, we have also orphan asylums. I have the advantage of having three in my diocese, wnere fifty children hare been l)rought up, both Metis and Indian. * • • " They speak of civilising the Indiana by making them cultivate. It may ariae that the misBionariea, by working with them, ploughing «nd making them plough their landa, may, in the course of time, leach aome resnlta ; but they will be slow and uni^preciable. Fifteen rears' experience does not allow me doubt that we can succeed in bring- uiff np the little children. Many, doubtless, will not be able to receive « thoruugh education ; but at least they can speak their Indian tongue : •'II m i I ^I'l i and setting accaitomed to work, their savage life will be no longer pouible. rhey can rank and mix with the M6ti8, with whom we marry them without much difficulty ; and they will end, I doubt not, in form- ing good families, who will liave no traces of tiie Indian but the blood. If, then, instead of three asylums furornhans, I had a certain number wherein I could admit all the little Indians they would give me, we would advance civilisation. "As regards thuse wlio are Indians, if the Gorernment will make re- serves in their favor, I venture to bee that Your Honor will ensure tliat these reserves be composed of cultivaole lands and situated near fishing lakes. In this way, besides cultivation, which will not amount to much, they will have two other means of living— hunting and fiahinR. " I ask pardon. Sir, for abusing your patience so long, but! still rest on will the brave Col. Jarvis told me of your indulgence. " I have shown you uiy mode of procedure to elevate the position of the inhabitants of this country. More than twenty years of experience among them makes me believe that my plans are not bad. "1 venture then, Sir, to reiterate my requests, and to earnestly pr«<.v Tour Honor to use all your influence to procure them for me : "1st. Before all, I ask some encouragement for tL .j. The Catholic missionaries have done almost impiossible things in this direc- tion. They have at ditferent places three mills. For the third time we have tried to erect one iu the colony of St. Albert — behold more than i;900 stg. which we have sacrificed for it ; and we are still uncertain whether we shall succeed. That the Government may, on their part, deign to do something to encourage agriculture. " 2nd. Aid for a hospital — at least to construct it, and put it in a con- dition to receive the sick. "3rd. Aid for schools. The Government makes large outlav for education in all Canada. Is our North-West to be alone withheld assistance ? It cannot be said that we require help less than other parts of the country. "4th. Aid for our orphan asylums, that we may increase these estab- lishments, so as to be able to take in a greater number of little savages. " fith. Ooncession of land for each orphan asylum or model farm. " 6th. Reserve, of land for the children thus brought up, and aid to help them on to a little farm once they are married. " 7th. And lastlv, that the reserves to be made over to the Indians be of arable land, and situated near Ashing lakes. '* I am really ashamed, Sir, of the length of my letter, which I hare been obliged to write in haste, because I was sure of the opportunity which offered of its reaching you. " I wrote the lines close, and tried to economise my paper, bo as to conceal my prattling. " I have only succeeded in making it more apparent. " Tour Honor knows what babblers tie Jndiani; are — it is not surpris- ing if I should resemble them, after living tw<)nty-one years amongst them. " This letter, coming to you, as it we^^, from a poor Indian, will, such as it is, be received and read by you iudu' gently. You will alio, I am sore, take it into consideration, and constitute yourself our adyooate. " Receive, in advance, the asiorance of my consideration, and be good enough to believe me, " Sir, Tour Honor's humble and respectfiil servant, " (Signed) -f VITAL, J., " BUbop of St. Albert, O.M.I. " To Hit Honor " The Very Honorable D. Laibd, " Minister of the Interior, Ottawa." I"'' 37 9 longer e marry In fonn- ke blood, number e me, we make re- aure that AT tiahing , to mucb, Btill rest tosition of jxperience estly P'-v ... The this direo- rd time we more than I uncertain L their part, it in a con- outlay for le withheld I other parts theae eatab- ttle savages, el farm. , and aid to le Indiana be rhlch I h*v« opportunity iper, so as to not surprii- ears amongst an, will, such ill also, I am r advocate. I, and be good t, bert, O.M.I. Here is the answer of the Minister of Interior : " To the Right Reverend J. Vital Grandin, Bishop of St. Albert, North-West Territory. Ottawa, 3lBt July, 1875. " Mr Loud,— I have the honor, by tht^ desire of the Superintendent General, to acknowled(?e the receipt of Yoar Lordship's letter of the Sth of April last, callliiR hia attention to the condition of the settlers In • your diocese in the North-West. «a. The Supi»rintendent General desires me to say that he has read with much inti 'est your valuable communication, which reached him some days ago. " 3. He wishes me to assure Vour Lordship that he and his colleagues in the Government have the most earnest desire to promote the well- beins of all the inhahiiants of the North-West, whether Indians or half- breeds, and that it will afford the Government sincere pleasure to cooperate, so far as is in his power, in your praiseworthy ett'orts to elevate their oondition. "4. The Superintendent General is gratified to receive from Tour Lordship the assurance of the great benefits to the cause of law and order in the Territories which have already resulted from the action of the Government in sending the Mounted Police into the country. He reerets to learn, however, from your letter, that a large number of the Metis has contemplated abandoning the Province and settling in the United States, but is gratifled to find that through Your Lordship's judicious intervention they were luduced to remain fn Canada. " 6. The Superintendent General is surprised and grieved at the statement in your letter that the M6tis in your diocese regard the Domi- nion Government with feelings of uneasiness and distrust, and point to the occurrences in connection with the troubles at Red River as an evi- dence of the want of friendly feeling of the Government towards them. " 6. The Superintendent (ieneral thinks that a calm review of all the facts connected with those unhappy occurrences ought to convince any candid and thoughtful person that the Government. has acted through- out towards the Metis who were compromised therein in a spirit of kind- liness ; and Your Lordship can assure the settlers in your diocese who continue peaceable and law-abiding that the Government will be pre- Sared to deal with them in a spirit of generous consideration. The uperintetident General hopes, therefore, that Your Lordship will be able to disabuse the minds of the Metis of tbe Saskatchewan of the erroneous impressions they would seem to labor under with regard to the feelings «ntertained toward them by the Dominion Government. *' 7. The Superintendent General has read with especial interest your remarks upon the subject of schools for the Indians and M6tis, believing, as he does, that it is to the education of the rising generation of Indians we must look for any permanent elevation of the red man. " 3. I shall now proceed to notice seriatum the several heads under which you ask the Government to aid the settlers in the North-West. You ask for : '* 1. Encouragement for the settlers in agriculture. 2. Aid for hospitals. Aid for schools. Aid for orphan asylnms. Goncessiuns of land for orphan asylums and model farms. Reserves of land for the children, and aid to help them in farm- ing ; and *' 7. And lastly \ reserves for the Indians of arable land situate near fishing lakes. " As to the first, namely the encouragement of agriculture among the Wttlers, the Superintendent General cannot but congratulate Your Lordship upon the efforts made by the mission, especially by the establish^ "3. "4. 6. "6. II :« !'l il't' Mil ,1 ■« 4 ■I ■| ;|! ■i 38 ment of millB to enable the settlera to ntilise the grun raised in yoor dlo06B6> " The Snparintendent General wishes to remind joa that this is a sab* ject which will properly come within the province of the Local QoTem- inent soon to be inaugurated in the North-West. He thinks, however^ that it is obviona that the measures now beinff taken by the Dominioa Government to carry a railroad and telegraph line through the Terri- tories most have the effect of opening up the conntry and of facilitatinsf transfer through it, and in this way cannot fail to give an impetus to the agricultural interest of the Territory. *' The 2nd, 3rd and 4th heads referred to by you, are all matters which come eepecially within the province of the Local Legislature. " With regard to the third head, I may remark that the Dominion Lands Act makes provision by a liberal land grant to aid general educational Jurposes in the Territories, and so far as the Indians are concerned, the dominion Government will; no doubt, be prepared, when the Territory is surrendered, to make the same provisions there as elsewhere by treaty for Indian schools. In the meantime, I am directed by the Minister to transmit to Your Lordship an official cheque for the sum of $300 in aid of the school at St. Albert, authorised by Order in Oouncil of the 22nd October, 1873. As is assumed from Your Lordship's report, that the average attendance of Indian children at this school is not less than the number required by the Order in Oouncil, viz. 25, any one of the other schools which Tour Lordship may think proper to select will be entitled to a similar one for the current year, provided, of course, the average attendance of Indian children throughout the year is not less than 25. " As to the fifth head, namely, concessions of land for orphan asylums and model farms, the Superintendent Ueneral is not prepared at present to make any definite pledge on behalf of the Qovernment. On this point the Superintendent General will be able to speak more definitely after a treaty has been made, and when the question of the extent of land asked for for the purposes above mentioned is more accurately known. "The sixth head refers to large question of public policy, on what it would be manifestly too premature at present to pronounce an opinion. The settlers of the North-West have good grounds for believing that the Dominion Government will deal liberally with them. There Is a suffi- ciency of land in the Territory for all of them and their children, and it is earnestly to be hoped that they will cultivate as much of it as possible, and secure for themselves comfortable homes in the country to which ihey belong. " As regards the seventh bead, namely, the '-.serves for the Indians. This matter has hitherto been fully provided lOr. and all treaties made with the Indians, by which assistance in money and agricultural imple- ments has always been secured to them, and there can be no reason to doubt that these matters will be dealt with in a similar spirit of liberality in future treaties. " The reservation secured to the Indians will, no doubt, have a fair pro- portion of arable land, and will include, when it is practicable, any fishing lakes which the Indians may desire to avail themselves of. " In this connection, Your Lordship will bear in mind that in all cases Indian reserves are selected after conference with the tribes interested, and in this way every reasonable precaution to guard the interest and meet the wishes of the Indians. " I have the honor to be, Your Lordship's most obedient Enrvant, "(Signed.) David Laird." It will be noticed that when this answer to Bishop Grandin was sent, on 31st July, 1875, the North-West council was not organized. Here is the opinion of a very high authority, perhaps the best in that country, in regard to the habits, :i jip: 39 in yoor ia a aab* Govem-^ however, [)oinitiioa he Terri- cilitatiiig ipetuB to era which ion Lands lucational Etrned, the 'erritory ifl by treaty linister to 300 in aid f thea2nd , that the as than the the other be entitled le average 8 than 25. an aaylnms 1 at present t. On this e definitely B extent of accurately on what it an opinion, ing that the •e 18 a suffi- dren, and it , as possible, try to which the Indians, ■eaties made Itural imple- no reason to t of liberality ,ve a fair pro- ;ti cable, any ves of. it in all cases is interested, interest and gnrvant, Laibd." op Grandin aoil was not authority, the habitB, characters and qualities of the Indians. Bishop Grandio reoommendB to the Government that Indian children should be educated ; and what is the answer he received ? In the month of July, 1875, His Lordship is sent to the North West council. And it must be remarked that at that time the council was not in existence. There was a provi- sion passed during the Session, a few months before that letter was written, in 1875, providing for tho creation of a North- West council as it exists to-day, and undoubtedly giving the members of that council jurisdiction over school matters; but that council was not really organised until the month of October, 1876. The law was not put in operation, and that is the answer which the late Gk>vernment gave to Bishop Grandin, to go to the North- West ( onncil, which was not then in existence. We may well imagine the difference between the policy of the present Government and that of the last one, when we are informed (as we are, in the report of Indian Affairs for last year) that the Government now maintains or subsidised 53 schools among the Indians of Manitoba and the North-West, at an expense of 912,241.74, or about $240 ])er annum for each school. Among these teachers, 10 &Vr, French, or French Canadians : Sisters Lemay, Faquette, Langelier and Blanchet, and Fathers Dupont, A I lard, Marchand, Faquette, Fafard, M^raire, Lestance and Mr. Tabouret. The Government having seriously undertaken to settle the Indians to civilised life, went further than establishing elementary schools among them. In 1883 they asked for a vote of $44,000 to establish industrial schools, with a view of forming one on the High River, near Calgary, for the benefit of the Blackfeet under Father Lacombe ; one at Battleford, under the direction of the Eev. Thomas Clarke, of the Church of England, for the benefit of the Crees and othe;'* Indians of the Saskatchewan district ; one at Fort Qu'Appelle, under Father Huguenard* These schools cost about 0lz,OOO ^ri-ih, and are large enough to receive 30 boys and the High Eiver and Qu'AppoUe schools can also acoommodato 10 or 12 girls, which ssre placed under the care of the nuns. Besides these establish- ments entirely maintained by the Government, the Govern- ment granted, in 1883, il,500 to the Indian School of Bishop Grandin at St. Albert. The Minister uf Indian Affairs, in ^'a last official report, thus speaks of the working of these scV. s so far: "Adverting to the improvement, intellectually, of the Indians of the Korth-West Territories, I am pleased to be able to inform your Excel- lency that the industrial schooh at Battleford, Qu'Appelle and High XUver, v'uich were referred to in my report of last year, aa then in con- tsii ;.Ii.,tioi>'., have been since established, and are now in operation. That ■■^•■|! 40 II .'I ;iil'' . Ml ' Mil' tf'l! at Battleford commenced its work quite earlj in the year, uar'er the Rer. Tbos. Clarke as principal ; and the institutiona at Qu' Appelle and Hieh River at a iaiJr date, under the control, the former of the Rev. iSx. Eagueaard, anil the latter of the Rev. Mr. Lacombe. Trades have not as yet been introduced among the attainments to bo required by the pnpils ; but it is hoped that during the ensnintr year the progress of the chudren will admit of the same being done. The original proposal was that these institutions should be devoted exclusively to the. education of Indian boys, but it would be a proper subject for the consideration of Parliament at its ensoing Session, whether a sufficient amount should not be voted to admit of the buildings being enlarged, and a staff of female teachers employed for the education and industrial training of Indian girls ; the same being, in my opinion, of as much importance as a factor m the civilisation and advancement of the Indian race as the education of the male portion of the community. The appreciation in which the Indians hold this effort of the Government to improve iheir intellectual and industrial condition is shown by the fact that at the institution at Battleford little or no difficulty was experienced in obtaining pupils ; and for that at High River, more boys were offered than could be accommodated. It would, in my opinion, be advisable to establish two industrial institutions in the Manitoba superintendency, in order to afford the rising generation of Saulteaux, Swampy Gree. and Gree Indiana of the districts embraced in that superintendency, similar advantages to those granted the Oree and Blackfoot Indians of the North- West Terri- tories. " Before leaving the district embraced in the Edmonton agency, I fe«l it to be incumbent upon me, as well as a pleasure, to refer to the excel- lent industrial institution which is conducted under the direction of His Lordship the Bishop of St. Albert at that place. The Indian pnpils at thii establishment, oesides being instructed in the ordinary branches of education, have imparted to them, bo far as the boys are concerned, a knowledge of farm work ; and the girls are taught sewingr, knitting and other household duties. The value orthe service teuderea to the Indian race by such institutions as the school at St. Albert, and that at Morley- Tille, which is of a similar type, is incalculable, and flis Lordship, the energetic patron of the former establisment, and his able assistants, and the Rer. John McDougall, the able principal of the latter institution, are deserring of every praise for the efforts put forth by them for the eleva- tion of these poor cnildren of the prairie and of the forest." We may fairly assume that the scheme is a move in the right direction from the fact that Bishop Grandin had already and saocesfallv made the experiment and that His Grace Archbishop Tache went to Montreal, in 1884, for the purpose of providine for more indastriai schools among the Indians throughout Manitoba and the North- West. Le Ma- nitoba, of the 10th July, 1884, thus refers to the policy of industrial schools among Indians : " L'^tablissement d'^coles indnstrielles pour les enfants sanvages que vient de d6cr6ter le gouvemement est une mesure de la plus grande pr6voyance et qui est appel6e k rendre des services les plus signal^s. Le but est de recneillir I'enfact lauvage. de I'instraire, de le briser k une discipline et de I'accoutumer au travail suivant le progrds de ses forces. The Government has adopted not only the system of industrial schools, but has also introduced practical farm- ing among the Indians. That nothing was done by the late Government in this respect clearly results from the follow- ing^ extract of a letter of the 11th November, 1878, from Mr. Tiaird, published with the Sessional Papers of ISfB : — ix the Rer. B and High e Rev. Mr. have not ired by the ;reas of the 'oposal wag ducation of ideration of t should not iff of female g of Indian B as a factor e education L which the intellectual istitution at ling pupils ; an could be stablish two in order to Gree Indians dvantagea to i-WestTerri- igency, I feel • to the excel* ■ection of Hia ian pupils at y branches of I concerned, a , knitting and , to the Indian lat at Morley- Lordship, the hssistants, and nstitution, ace for the eleva- I) move in the G^randin had md that His .884, for the i among the )Bt. Le Ma- he policy of ts sanvages que la plus grande [us signals. Le e briser k une ^s de ses forces. e system of raotioal farm* \e by the late )m the foUow- 378, from Mr. 1819:— " 41 *' In regard to your enquiries respecting the method of teaching the Indians tarming, I am decidedly of opinion that the best plan is to have a permanent agricultural instructor with the bands. Where reserves are grouped together one instructor might talce charge of, say, three or four bands. The number which would be necessary might be, for Treaty No. 4, five instructors ; for Treaty No. 6, eight ; Treaty No. 7, two. Each instructor, for salary and perquisites, wonld cost at least $1,000, or f 1,500 in all, per annum, for say, ten years, if such instruc- tors were appointed; I would advise disnensing with ordinary Indian sub-agents. Ageuts to go round and maKe the annual ])a.yments, and oversee the instiuctors to some extent, would still be required, as, in my opinion, it is injudicious to let money get into many bands. If the Indians were itstructed in farming I think most of the bands would soon save their se^d from their own crops . But, for a few years it would be of little avail to give them instructions unless they were allowed seed and provisions for two or three weelts while planting. In the spring they are generally absolutely destitute of food, and can do bat little at farming, unless provisions are supplied to them." Acting upon this report, the Conservative Government, as «arly as 1880, asked for an appropriation for the parpose of establishing farms on Indian reserves. Seventeen were ^d'fUiXlished daring that year, and there are now twenty-six ii ''ration, and more particularly among the Indians of ilxc: <:*ij:ikatchewan district. The total cost of the mainte- rn.ice of these farms was $44,023. To give you an instance of the results of these farms, let us look at the return from the Indian agency of Carlton for 1884: *' The returns received show the number of Indians resident upon the ^erves, and the area of land ploughed, and the quantities of produce raised last season on the reserves belonging to these Indians, to hav« 1)een as follows :— Resident Indians 1,791 souls. I Land broken 5.625 acres. Roots grown 8,960 bushels. I Grain do 4,910 do Hay cut 706 tons. ( Battlef or d Agency— {Report for 1884). ''The ten in i» and six reserves, last described, are under the super- ', intendetirt" ..' ai ndian agent, who is stationed at Battleford. The following, is :. 'i/ lament of the number of resident Indians, and the Snantity ^), :•■:. r' 'taghed, and of (he qaantities of produce gathered oa tiese reservoH [:■■ t seftsou :— f ReBideniins 2,423 souls. Land plrjghed and fenced 5,163 acres. )» Roots r.own 2,881 bushels. k Grair do 1,100 do ,c Ha^ saved 804 tons. It will not be without interest to show the treatment by the Government of Poundmaker, who had connection with the recent r^bollion. Poundmaker belongs to this agency, and laet Kr.f, rjor had a farm on his reserve, under the direction of Mi , 'erson, as instructor ; and here is the i-eport of Mr. Dewdnc:, tor 1884: 173494 42 ii -, i> ■lii'lll; ::iii'i: " It is estimatdd that this band had in crop this year two hottdred acres, viz :— twenty-five of wheat, fire of oats, one hundred and fifty of barley, eight of potatoes, seren of turnips, three of carrots and two acres in gardens. The grain will yield scaroelv anything, on account of the drought and the frost. The computed yield of potatoes is three hundred bushels, and two hundred and fifty bushels of turnips. They have twenty-fire dwellings and eight stables. They put up this year two hundred waggon loads of hay. The band has quite a herd of catUe, •onsistincr of nineteen oxen, twelve cows, seven bulls, three steers, four heifers, six bull and six heifer calves ; total fiftv seven head and, for Northern Grees, they are rich in horses, having fifty-eight head. I did not observe much fall ploughing. They have plastered, repaired and banked up their houses for the winter. Upon enquiring what became of the crop of 1883, I was informed that a treenine machine was sect to the reserve shortly after the harvest, but the Indians, influenced by the chief, would not render the labor required to work it ; consequently, no tresh- ing was done with the machine. During the winter they treshed a little from day to day by hand, and were so careless that more than half the grain was wasted. I find it, therefore, impossible to give you any far- ther particulars." Amore^ the papers which have recently been returned, I find r^'iortof Mr. Jeflferson, the instructor of Poaud maker, datea ary, 1885, in which he says : " All sec: ic look forward to spring work eagerly, the fact of their getting cash for produce having given a great impulse to the cultivation of the soil " The Government was so anxious to help Poundmaker and to induce him to farm, that it appears it had the intention of moving the Battleford agency to his reserve, which caused a strong protest from the Saskatchewan Herald^ the local paper published at Battleford. In an article of the 27th of Fboruary, 1885, it said : " We heard a long time ago that the Indian Department had decided to build the agency, storehouse and several other buildings on Pound- maker's reserve, about 40 miles above Battleford, but the thing seemed to us so preposteious that we did not take any notice of it at that time, thinking that it was only a rumor. It appears, however, that we have been mistaken ; that it is well and fiaally decided that the patriotic Poundmaker will have all these public buildines at his own door, as reward for his rebellion last summer. If we knew the evil genius that suggested such a mad step to the Departmeat, we should certainly 'pre- sent him with a leather medal and exhibit him through this part of the country as a great curiosity. We defy him, whoever he may be, to give a single reasonable argument in favor of such a move to any man acquainted with the locality and the situation of the different Indian reserves around Battleford." Now, let us look at the report for last year of the Frog Lake agency, to which Big Bear belongs : Indians resident on reserves 1,190 souls. Land ploughed and fenced. 1,260 acres. Roots grown 4,060 bushels. Grain do 4,670 do Hay saved 486 tons. This is what the Indian agent, A. Macdonald, said of him, on the 9th December, 1882 : ear two bandred idred and fifty of 'ot8 and two acres on account of the I ia three hundred dps. They have Dp this year two a herd of catUe, three steers, four en head and, for hthead. I did not aired and banked lecame of the crop ent to the reserve ied br the chief, luently, no tresh- ley treshed a little i9re than half the give you any fur- en returned, I f Pound maker, , the fact of their to the cultivation mdmaker and the intention eserve, which an Herald, the article of the [lent had decided dings on Pound- the thing seemed t it at that time, ver, that we have dat the patriotic is own door, as e evil genius that lid certainly 'pre- fh this part of the e may be, to give move to any man different Indian of the Frog 190 souls. 260 acres. 06O bushels. 570 do 186 tons. d, said of him, 48 " Fort Walsh, 9th December, 1882. " Sib,— I have the honor to enclose Big Bear's adhesion to Treaty " This chief is a Cree, ttom the vicinity of Fort Pitt, and was present at the signing of the treaty there by the other chiefis, but on account of hairing but a few followers with him (the other members of his band Mag on the plains), and also owing to his great objection to hangings, M a punishment for murder, he withheld from the signing of the treaty. nrnn the fall of 1876 to the present time he and his followers have maae Vort Walsh their headquarters, from time to time following the buffalo, ■onth, even across the Missouri River." This is the report for 1884 : " Big Bear, who is now getting old, and who is ruled by the bad spi- Mjt in his band, has made repeated promises that he would gc to a reierve, and as often broken them. He has been lately joined by an old fUlower of his, named ' Little Poplar,' who, a few years ago, married Mnito the Cree band of Indians. It is difficult to say what the result of IliiB influence might lead to ; be has already made several threats, but he idll be closely watched, and any attempt to create a disturbance wUl at once be met with firm action." Klliowing the character of Big Bear, and knowing also that POtmdmaker was not exactly very well situated on the reserve, during the Session of 1884 the Government asked Fiftrliament to vote $6,500 to assist in the erection of grist 9lills at Battleford, Carlton and Frog Lake. In fact, in JftAnary last, Messrs. Gowanlock & Laurie were building one it Frog Lake, with the aid of a portion of that bonus* The dlbvernment thought that the mill would induce the Indians to farm and support themselves more quickly. Concerning Big Bear, the Saskatchewan Heraid,of 3rd July, r884, says: « This chief, whose name has for a long time occupied an undue pro- minence in the annals of the day, has entered on a new career, and one which is likely to prove more useful to all concerned than the unsettled ope he has so long followed. At an interview with Major Crozier and Indian Agent Rae a few days ago, he announced it as bis intention to lelev^u his reserve at once and to move on to it. He pleaded in extenua- Hxm of his former course that he was laboring under a false impression, and did not understand thirgs ts they really were, and had consequently idlowed himself to be too much K'fluenced by bis young men. He could how see that the Government had done more for them that they were Mqnired to do by the treaty. He was ready to go on to a reserve with inch of his people as would follow him. He said they were all very Ignorant of farming and the modes of settled life, and begged that the government would send a man to teach them, who would have some Stiencewith their ignorance, and not get angry and abase them because ey could not do things at once. He spoke most reasonably and with ^tparent candor throughout, and concluded by asking for provisions lie keep him while he gathered his men together and went to Pitt. If he Went there, as be agreed, the agent would know that he was in earnest, '^Jed then he would ask for something else when he had got to work. 'lie got what he asked^ in the way of provisions, and left town, and there il every reason to believe he is in earnest, and that with his settlement on his reserve one of the few disturbing elements in the Indian question trtll be quieted." Bat instead of going to his reserve he went down to the 44 ;:iii!;ir"i ;J||, im"! "'"|.i.;f :::|||iil'!:^ m^: I HI"'" If 'Mi: !, '■■••ll ■iiill m m ,:!rllli; «ast, on the 23rd of July, after he had that interview with Major Crozier and the Indian Agent R&y, to confer with Itiel ; and there is no doubt that must be the principal cause of Big Bear taking arms against the authorities of the North- West. Finally, Big Bear moved to Frog Lake on the 8th November, 1884. I find among the papers which have been recently brought down, a letter from Gov- ernor Dewdney, dated 31st of Ddcember, 1884, concerning Big Bear: " I have the honorto state that after receiving Mr. Ballandine'a report on the condition of the Indiana in the Oarlton diBtrict, I thought it adri- aable to instruct Mr. Agent Rae to visit the reservea and make arrange- ments to relieve the distress which existed principally on the reserve north of the river, occupied by Meatowasis and Ahtahkakoop. " The visit of Mr. Rae, as appears from his report, a eopy of which is herewith enclosed, has satisfied the Indiana, and I am in hopea it will be found, when spring opens, that these Indiana, inatead of listening to the discontented and obstructive, will be found anxious to gu to work, and that we shall thus be enabled to counteract the movement which was intended, viz., of having a large gathering in the Oarlton neighborhood next summer. " As vou are aware, Mr. Rae wanted 800 sacka of floor and 12,000 pounds bacon as a further supply of proviaiona to be aent in : but as 200 sacks are due under contract at the end of this month, I thought that by authorising the purchase of 160 sacks he could get along ur il the delivery was made. In addition to this 60 aacks, flour had already been purcbaaed, under the circamataneea atated in Voucher No. lOIll. " With regard to the bacon, aa yon know, 8,000 ponnda were ordered from the Hudson Bay Company some little time ago, and on receipt of Mr. Rae' a letter I requested that it might be aent in immediately, wnich haa been done. It may be that lome further aupply may be necessary, but if 30 you shall be at once advised." On the 12th January, 1885,' Mr. Francis Dickens, the inspector at Fort Pitt, wrote : « I have the honor to report that Big Bear Indians are working, bein? engaged in drawing logs, cutting wood, etc. Aa long aa they work they will receive rations. All quiet at present." This letter shows that on the 12th January Big Bear was employed by the Indian agent of the Grovernment at Frog Lake, and that he was receiving rations. On the 20tE February, 1885, 1 find a letter from John Delaney, farm instructor, Frog Lake. He writes as follows : — "I beg to acknowledge the receipt of your letter. No. 832, dated the 27th ult., and to inform you that I am aure that Biff Bear and band will take their reaerve thia apring. I have had the chief here to-day, and he took my hand saying: ' Believe me I am going to take my reserve this apring ; do not doubt me ; I cannot see anything else to make a living, only to go on a reserve.' Ever since I offered to let Indians from his band join other bands in the district, they are stirring themselves about a reserve. The chief asked me not to try and break up his band bv allowing them to join other bands, because I will go on a reserve, so I have told those who wish to leave him to wait. " Monthly report of farm 16, for February, 1885.— The Indians around here have done verjr well thia month ; they have made and have drawn out a lot of timber for building, also a quantity of rails for the different I "lit! ■i! :i 'II' 2% 7iew with nfer with principal horities of ^rog Lake he papers from Gov- onoerning dine's report mgbt it advi- ake arrange- 1 the reaerre op. »y of which 18 ipes it will be stening to the to work, and it which was neighborhood ir and 12,000 n : but as 200 tnougbt that lOng ur il the : had already Br No. 10111. [B were ordered d OB receipt of fdiately, which be necessary, ickens, tho rorking, being as they work ig Bear was aent at Frog )n the 20th ilaney, farm 832, dated the ' and band will to-day, and be my reserve this make a living, ^dians from his lemselves about up his band br I a reserve, sol Indians around nd have drawa for the different 45 wserves. Big Bear's band have cut 390 cords of wood, and are still cutting. The Long Lake Indiana are doing well ; they have taken out timber for several buildings ; also, the old chief has been very sick the most part of the winter, but he is getting all right again. " I think the Indiana on all the reserves around here are well con- tented." Mr. Quinn writes, on the 13th March, 1885, from the Indian office, Frog I.ako : " I beg to inform you that Mr. i'eter Ballendine arrived here on the 7th ins t., and immediately upon his arrival we called Big Bear's band together, to impress upon them the importance of taking their reserve, but the chief being away on a hunt, we could not come to any under- Itanding ; therefore, I advised Mr Ballendine to go and find Big Bear and bring him in; which he did on the lOth, and we called them together daily, with no results, until to-day, when lie picked upon a spot at tiie mouth of Dog Rump Creek, on the eastern side. Their reserve, therefore, Ifill be some 30 miles from here * » » • I muat not omit to mention Big Bear's son ' I-am-e-aeea ' who stood by me I id helped me to impress upon his father the importance of selecting a rdserve. In fact, seeing bis father hesitating, he called all the voung men of the band together, and they informed the chief that if he did not take !'«< reserve he and most of the young men would leave the band, as they were tired of waiting and starving, and 1 think this made the chief give in at last, aa the chief was for holding out till spring. Mr. Ballen- dine gave them a few pounds of tea and some beef which I beg to recommend to be paid by voucher." * » • • • Big Bear seemed to be so anxioas to go on his reserve that he requested Mr. Ballendine to write to Mr. Dewdney to five him an instructor in the spring, and he even informed im that he wished to have Mr. Delaney as the instructor. He asked that as late as the 14th March, 1885, a few days only, in fact, before Mr. Delaney was massacred by Big Bear'd band. This kind treatment of the Indians brought these re- marks from the Saskatchewan Herald, of the 23rd April laat. I may be excused for quoting this paper. So far, I have al- ways refrained to quote any paper which has been published irince the commencement of this rebellion. I have done so in- tentionally . I do not wish to form my opinion from articles irhich have been written and printed under the inflaenoe of the events that were taking place. I do not wish to take my information from articles in newspapers which have been written under the strong influence either of sympathy or antipathy. I take all my information from the reports of Ihe Department, from the Debateso^ the House of Commons, from newspaper articles also, but only those published before the rebellion. I may be excused, however, for making a Qootation from this article, from the mere fact that we can hardly believe that, apon a question of this kind, this paper will be influenced by a feeling either of sympathy or an- tipathy. The Saskatchewan Herald, of the 2ard April, 1885, •ays: ''The petted Indiana are the bad ones. The Stonies have been treated m being of a saperior race, and are the first to ihed the blood of their 46 ■ •' if' .. I' ■ 'I Iv' ■'III; ■■\ ill! I'll benefactors. Pouadmaker has been petted and pampered, and stands in the front rank as a raider. Little Pine, bribed to come north and kept In comfort, hastens to the carnage. Big Bear, who has for years enjoyed the privilege of eating of the bread or idleness, shows bis gratitude by killing his priests and his best friends in cold blood Little Poplar, a nival of ruin. Tne petted Indians have proved the bad ones, and this gives weight to the old ada^^e, ' that the only good Indians are the dead ones.'" Such has been the treatment of the Indians by the Adminis- tration, and it must be admitted that they have no reason to complain. The policy of the Government has been most liberal to them, outside of treaty obligations. They have beeu supplied with the necessaries of life ; they have been given the means of educating themselves to civilised life, for the sole purpose of enabling the Indians to make their living out of the soil, when they could no longer make it out of hunting. In every manner possible they have been aided, in schools, industrial schools and in farming. The wisdom of this policy has been recognised by many, and among others, by the Saskatchewan Serald, of the 26th July, 1884, which, in an article headed " Our Indian Policy," says : « That there have been mistakes in the past is well enough known, and by no one better than by the beads of the Department, for changes have been made from year to year as experience dictated, autil Che system has been brought to combine the maximum of efficiency with the minimum of expense. It is now practically the plan inaugurated by Hon. David Laird, when he was commissioner at Goth's reserve, Fort Pelly, and which would at that time have been made general but for the crankiness andpenuriousness of Hon. Mr. Mills, then head of the Indian Department. He thought he knew all about the management of Indians, when he really knew nothing, and refused to take advice. 'There is no appropriation for it,' was his curt way of dismissing sug- gestions offered by the practical men of the Department." The following figures will better illustrate the policy of the Government than all the speeches that can be made. Here is the Indian expenditure n*om the beginning : 1872 ^ $ 86,834 1873 67,466 1874. 92,040 1876 134,339 1876 203,296 1877.. 263,036 1878.. 377,144 1879 694,612 1880 806,097 1881 „.„. 1,083,411 1882 „ 1,106,961 1883 1,099,796 1884. 1,026,676 m 1 s ■' I 4/t I stands in and kept rs enjoyed ititude by poplar, a I and other ng up and ison'a C5.r- B, and this re the dead Adminis* 10 reason 3een most hey have lave been liped life, nake their r make it bave been ling. The aany, and 1 26th July, icy," saya : )ugh known, lartment, for lictated, nntil Bciency with inaugurated tfe'a reeerve, e general but ahead of the anagement of take advice. Bmissiug eug- )llcy of the ftde. Here Detailed expenditure : — By Annuities Agricultural implements Tools Cattle Seed grain - Ammunition and twine Proriiions for use during annunity pay- ments ProTisions for destitute Indians Olotbing Schools M Surreys , Farm wattes Farm maintenance Sioux Qenersl expenses Oommi«sioner's house and office.. Industrial schools Grist Mills ■•••*•••• ••• 1884. 9170,749 00 23,172 00 3,689 00 16,469 00 10,786 00 7,770 00 48,269 00 499,326 00 4,906 00 12,133 00 19,443 00 44,023 00 27,107 00 459 00 117,314 00 10,136 00 12,018 00 1882. $ 322,007 00 8,572 00 2.606 00 19,210 00 22,967 00 7,280 00 44,083 00 663,461 00 2.607 00 5,692 00 20,624 00 47,786 00 37,288 00 2,741 00 89,921 00 3,293 30 Total expenditure 1,025,676 00 1,099,796 90 In Manitoba Superintendency. 1878. 1877. f to Annuities— Treaties Nos. 1, 2, 3 and 5.... $54,308 00 $65,726 00 Agricultural Implements, Cattle, &c. — Treaties Nos. 1 and 2 4,986 34 6,243 62 do Treaty No. 3 6,127 38 6,874 02 do do No. 5 1,628 30 942 36 < Sionx 2,799 64 Provisions ~ 7,955 62 25,167 02 (General expenses of the Su^ erintendency 33,038 32 29,769 38 106,943 96 126,601 38 Jn North-West Superintendency. Fqt Annuities— Treaties Nos, 4 and 6. 96,402 00 31,263 00 Agricultural Implements, Cattle, &c. — Treaty No. 4 3,942 81 4,806 02 do do No. 6 16,682 00 m Provisions 40,633 47 8,062 92 Probable cost of new Treaties 72,916 66 74,317 12 Sioux at (ju'Appelle 388 88 General expenses of the Superintendency 18,667 28 6,206 61 247,623 09 127,634 61 In both SuperinUndeneiet. Transfer of this amount to the credit of *< Indian Fund " having been received for oordwood sold •••••• •••••• 21,938 81 39 00 XOXAa •••••!»••• ^Im Indians have, therefore, received TUBons: 377,144 86 283,036 06 in money and pro- 48 i;: , ^llb.'-' ^,f;. .;ii,iM" '•(l!iilr'''3i I ; ii; '!:.Nl-;'i,ii '1 'ft $1 Money Provisions during payments do ior destitute Indians. 1883. 1222,070 44,083 663,461 1883. 1884. $184,169 $170,749 60,817 48,269 480,163 499,326 $829,304 716,149 $618,343 or a total of 82,162,796, for three years, divided among the population of about 34,000, it will give $21 per head per annum or $105 per annum for a family of fiv/e, which the Indians receive from the Government in money and provisions, with- out talking of cattle, seed, grain, clothing, etc. Before going any further, it may not be out of place here to say a word or two about certain reports which have been circulated of late, that the Indians did not get what the Grovernmen 1 paid for , in other words, that the supplies were deficient both in quality and quantity. It is very remark- able indeed that in all the local papers that I have read I did not find a single complaint about this ; and can it be doubted thait if deception and fraud had been practised on a large scale, and had been the system followed by the con- tractors and the officials, it would have reached the local Sress in one shape or another. As to the reports of the In- ian agents for 1884, they all admit that the Indians have no reason to complain, and, in fact, no complaint is men- tioned. Mr. Pether, Indian agent for Keewatin, in his report of August, 1884, says : " The supplies for the various bands on this agency were delivered in good condition and according to lamples." Mr. Mclntyre, in his report of the same month : " The sapplies were up to the samples and were quite satisfactorj to the Indians.^' Mr. Wadsworth, Inspector of Indian Agencies, in his repor of the 25th October, 1884, speaking of the Piegan reserre: " The flour and other supplies were of ffood quality, and put up according to the terms of the contract. I to^ an accurate inventory of the flour, bacon, tea, beef, agricultural implements, tools, live stock, etc., and audited the books. '~ Mr. Wadsworth, same report, from the Blood reserve— " The flour and other supplies were of good quality. I audited the books, and found them well kept. The receipts shown therein agreed with the quantities charged against the reserve of the agency. I took an inventory of all departmental property upon the reBe.*ve." *' Indian Office, Fort MeLeocL ** I audited the books, took an inventory of the supplies, agricnltaral implements, tools, etc., on hand, and examined into their quality and condition. I found everything generally satisfaetory, and the D0ok> have been well and regularly kept since Mr. Lash was appointed clerk, in December last. ttau JHttTio Of/ooc tiae. , M I _ Md qu meat, i to be hi IImvc thai if grmites initiati 4 * 49 14. 749 ,269 ,326 1,343 jng the Indians iS, with- Before here to kve been hat the Lies were remark- e read 1 an it be ised on a the con- the local of the In- ians have t is men- in, in his '* I fonnd the issue of floor here aomewhat less per bead than at the Blood reserve, and there was some discuiiteut regarding it. The chief, Crowfoot, wished also that those of his men who assisted in issuing the rations should be paid the same wages ($13 per month) as those who perform similar duty upon the Blood reserve.' ^^ Battleford Diilrkt. " I took stock of the flour and bacon, which proved satisfactory." " Battl'Jord Industrial School. •' The food supplies, cloth, blankets, linen,'! etc., sent here this year, •re fully equal to contract samples, excepting the flour, which is dark ; it, however, appears to lie very wholesome." " Qu'Appelle Industrial School. e delivered iBfactory to his repor reserye : and pot up inventory ot live 3tocK, jrve— audited the herein agreed fey. 1 took an aBricultnral jinted clerU) " 20th Nov. 1881.— A correspondant of Le Mmitoba says that the inpplies are ' de premiere (jualite.' " I'oundmaker^s liamU •• I took an inventory of the flour, bacon and otiier supplies on hand. The flour was of inferior quality, and weighed only ninety-eight pounds Kr sack. Upon ennuiry the agent informed me that, running short of ur, be was obliged to borrow some from MahaflFy & Clinkskill, Battle« tord, and this was the only kind they had. Amongst the bacon I found five hundred and seventeen pounds ''long clear." Some discus ion took place during last Session (1884) as to •ome delay or deficiency in the delivery of seed grain and iMfricnltural implements, but not only did they not apply to Ue provisions, but were explained to have been due to diffi- Unlties of transportation. The only report of any conse- quence I have been able to find, in which mention is made of bad supplies, has reference to the last year of the Admi- nistration of hon. gentlemen opposite. It is signed by Mr. Vankoughnet, and is dated 31st December. 1878, and applies to the whole of Manitoba and the North-West : - *' The payment of the annuities to the Indians within the North-West Indian superintendency were, I am happy to say, made at the dates mviously fixed upon at the several points of meeting, and the supplies el food, implements and cattle were delivered for the most part on tfaae. ; " I regret to report, however, that complaints have been made of the bad quality of the flour and beef furnished at some of the points of pav- aUBtt and also that the cattle purchased for these Indians were too wild t(»t>e handled." ive also heard complaints that the Government had ID contracts to foreigners for supplies. Especially some kplaint has been made with regard to the coifbracts given "le firm of I. G. Baker & Co., of Benton, Montana. There a debate, in 1883, upon this point, and it will be seen thai if I. G. Baker & Co. are employed to-day to famish the ffroakest portions of the supplies in the North- West, the mitiative came from hon. gentlemen opposite. I will read i» aztraot from that debate : 50 ■ \L ft,"' iP % " Mr. CHARLTON. I notice, amongst the ezpenditarea in the Publio Accounts for the year ending 30th June last, thatone firm, Baker 4 Oo., obtained a verj large sum. Where is that firm located? "Sir JOHN A. MAGDilVALD. At Fort f^euton, Montana. " Mr. CHARLTON. I believe they are Americans ? «< Sir JOHN A. MACDONALD. Ves. " Mr. CHARLTON. The other night, when I referred to the system of surveys in the Nortli-West, I asked why tiie hon. gentleman had not adopted the American system in its entirety, and it was said, io reply, that I drew all mv inspirations from Washington. Where does the non. gentleman draw bis inspiration from, in permitting a Yankee firm to obtbin $462,000 for suppliet. which could .'lare been obtained from oar own dealers ? "Sir JOHN A. MAGDONALD. The inspiration from which I drew those supplies, through Baker k Co., was the greatest of all monarchs, the monarch of necessity. There was nobody else to supply the food on the eastern ntnne of the Rocky Mountains for the Blackfoet and the Bloods. Thef-e were' no means of getting supplies, except from Montana. I may say, though \he members of the firm are Americans, they are tiost satis- factory contractors— fair, horsst, liberal and trustworthy. They have fairly compbted with other traders, because these contracts have always been put up to public competition, but nobody could tender for the sup- plies lu the extreme west. The Hudson Bay Company tendered for a good deal. Other parties, Capt. Howard, who is known, perhaps, to Mr. Watson, tendered, and is the lowest for some contracts this year." It will be noticed that in 1884 that oontracts were given to Baker & Co ; but they were given after public tenders being asked. Did boo. gentlemen opposite pursue the sai^ conrse? Hon. gentlemen opposite first gave contract Baker & Co., in 1876, and they did so without calling . public tenders. They asked Bakur & Co., to supply the Indians in the North -West, and they even sent an agent to Chicago to obtain a portion of those supplies. Mr. Schultz attacked the Government in this House on the question. Here is the ^explanation given by Mr. Blake : " The first detachment of police (about 150) was sent to Manitobi upon very short notice, in September, 1873, and during the winter of 1873-74, was supplied from the Hudson Bajr Company's stores, I believe, at rates similar to those charged the militia. When the force was recruted to its full extent for the journey to the Rocky Mountains (May, 1874), an agent was sent to Chicago to St. Paul to purchase sucii articles of provision as was considered be parcha^<^able in the States at cheaper rates than in Canada. The bacon requi/od was obtaiaed at St. Paul, Min., at 12^ cents per pound, American cUi'rency. Twenty-five barrels of pork were also purchased there, at $19.60 p Bl he Public :er^ Oo.| le system of an had not Id, in reply, oes the hon. cee firm to ed from our ^hlch I drew lonarcha, the e food on the id the Bloods, itana. I mf y ire nost satls- They have a have alwaya er for the aup- aredforagood erhapa, to Mr. lis year.' ere given to tenders being ae the ea*^ ) contract it calling - supply the nt an agent to Kr. SohuUz the question. lent to Manitobi Iff the -winter ol 3 stores, I believe, ,n the force vvft. Mountains (May, to purchase suet 3 ia the Slates a wftB obtained a ,ncy. Twenty:fiv9 ,r barrel, American a its return froo Manitoba-tenden ers and purcha , ions (100 men) tot chaae them cheaf. Jcladed with otte. complaints as to tb V was obtained i» Wes to Manitoba iffhe tenders 008 times, been puf chtiaed from aton-kee|it'r8 in Manitoba, \iui tlio above mentioned includn all larfi^e ouantitled. The bacon required for the forci-, in tbi' southera Sarts of tue Territories, had been supiilied by Baker & Co., ot Fort enton, Montana, either under contract or at prices cortified bv th« aasiHtant caminidaiuner of the force. It will rciiuire some time to obtain a statement uf all the pricea and <|nantlties." You oan hardly imagine that this liberal policy of the Admin iHtration met with the approbation of hon. gentlemen opposite. Every year after they left office, it became more necessary to come to the assiHtanco of the Indians, and the Indian expenditure incroapod, and hon. gentlemen opposite complained of this. Mr. Mills, in 1882, said : •' Mr. IMILLH. I called the attdntion of the hon. Miniater la.st year to the largeness of the sum for annuities, and to the fact that when you collected the payments made of the annuities due for different years it was pretty clear, from the Public Accounts, that we had not aa accurate return of the number of Indians uf the various bauds, aiid that through Indian diahonesty aconaiderable number were paid twice, or even a thir i time. The sums paid laat year and thia year are rery mucb larger than four or fire yeara ago. " During the debate, in 1883, on Indian supplier^, Mr. Catigrain said: "I lay down, as a principle which cannot be controverted, that this race ia becoming rapidly extinct, and we are waaiiug an enormous expenditure to attain an object which will never be attained — that ia, to civiliae these Indians. I have aeea myself, at Qarden lUver, the experi< ment tried by Oatbolic and Proteotant missionaries. A small plot had been cultivated and set out in garden lota, and amall houaea bad been built near them for the Indians, but icstead of living in these honaes, they built themaelvca, in front of the houaea, imall bark wigwams, and there they lived. " Sir JOHN A. MAODONALD. Those were their country bouses. •«Mr. OASGRAI!^. in any of them. Aa to their plots, there was not a root to be found "Sir JOHN A. MAODONALD. You might find some briar roots. "Mr. GA8GRAIN. I give this as aa instance of the inaptitude of the Indiana to enter into civilised life. Now, Sir, I will make an exception in favor of the Britiah Columbia Indiana. They are a self-austaming race, becauae they have nut had large fields in wnich to hunt buffalo, and have been obliged to report to fishing, ia order to supply themselves with the neceaaaries of life. Thia gave them sedentary habits and led them to ci:Itiyate the acil. But aa to Indiana of the North-West Terri- tories, they are a doomed race, and it ii only a question of how soon thev will disappear. This race is extremely Jealous, and they do not looK to the Government employees, tliat are bound to aid them, but, as they say, they look to the Great Mother on the other side to protect them." Even if this race is going to become extinct some day, but I doubt that the prediction of the hon. member for L'Islet will be realised, it becomes important to consider what we are going to do with them in the meantime. Even if they are going to become extinct, Poundmaker and Big Bear are 4i ■ ■si:/Sy 52 HA not dead to-day. Somothing must be done for them, in order to keep them quieo ; otherv^ise they will plunder and murder. The policy of hon. gentlemen oppotiitG seems ta be very different from that which was plainly advocated by the Winnipeg Free Press-, one of their organs, on 8th Sep- tember, 1884. It said : "It must be apparent to both the American and Canadian Govern- ment that their present methods of dealing with the Indians are doomed to failure. They should either make up their mind to provide sufficient food for them, or else, in earnest, set to the work of making them self- lupporting. " Notwithstanding the opinion of the bon. member for L'Islet, there can be no doubt that the policy of the Government was the correct one. I will quote the authority of one who is very familiar with the Indian question. I refer to Hon. Mr. Laird. In an interview with a reporter of the Montreal Daily Witness the following appears in the issue of that paper on lOth June. Mr. Laird says : '• It is hardly my pla-o to give tlie Government an Indian policy; but the only course, in my opinion, that can be adopted, is to patiently goon instructing aud encouraging them to be farmers. In ten years many of them have made greater progress towards civilisation than any of the Indians on the reserves in Ontario have in a hundred ; and in 1882, when I retired from office, the settled bands were, by their crops, reducing the cost of rupporting them at least one-half. If in one generation, or even in two, yor raise men from the level of savages to civilisation, you are doing morf than lias ever been done in any other country. Many of the older mer. can never, I fear be taught to work steadily or make provision for future needs, but the young men, who have never been on the war path or on the buffalo hunt, 30on learn to look to their crops and take care of them. To the old Indians it is almost an impossibilty to wait three months for a crop to grow. For instance, wt had a good deal of difficulty in preventing them from digging up the potatoes as soon as the young plants show above ihe ground. On the whole, they made wonderful progress, from 1878 onward— well worth all the labor it cost," Now, Mr. Speaker, I have closed with the Indian question. I believe I have said enough to show that the policy of the Government in i,he treatment of the Indians m the North- West and Manitoba has been most liberal, and has produced g'^ort results. Now, let us see where are the complaints of the half breeds, of which so much has been suid by hon. gentlemen opposite. I do not intend to enter into that ques- gion at very great length. I will take them exactly as they appear from the last meetings of the half breeds and the whit") settlers in the North- West. Let us take in the first place the grievances of the ha^f-breeds as laid down in the Bill of Bights, which was adopted at the meeting at ^rinoe Albert, on the 5th of September, 1884. I have noc been able to obtain an English copy of it^ but I find the original published in Le Manitoba. The first demand which they asked for is " the inauguration of responsible government.'* >u 53 leBtlon. I of the North- loduoed lintB of )y hon. it ques- they dthe LO first Id the ^rince beeu they iment. iJow, I ask if the members for the other Provinces today are willing to create new Provinces in the North-West. I say that under the constitution of the North-west council they enjoy virtually alltlie liberties and privileges of responsiblegovernment. In 1870 — I amspeaking as a member from the Province of Quebec — we had a greali deal to do with the eBtablishment of the Province ot Mani- toba. Then the question was only one of paying jil43,600j to give the population of that country the privileges of popu lar government. Well, where are we now ? The subsidy to the Province of Manitoba amounts to something ^'ke $440,000, and if we are going to give Provinces to the North-West, then we must make up our minds to allow those new Provinces a few hundrefl thou8t.nd dollars more each. Sir, I do not believe that the people of the old Provinces are willing that they should bo tj'ved to that extent, espe- cially when no good result can be obtained. 1 ask, if you give them Provincen, will they be in any better position than they will be when a Nortb-West council will be established for the different districts ? I say no. A Legis- lature sitting in JRegina will not be in any better pos- ition to know the wants of that Territory than the North- West council sitting to-day. When the time will come when a change in the conf^litution in the North-West will bo neceeeary, when the counci) will have twenty-one members, when they will bo entitled to become ipso facto Provinces, with an Assembly, then v/ill be the time to con- sider the constitution of the whole North-West, and instead of giving them the expensive machinery of a Legislature, give them a council, for each district, such as they have to-day, which will be more beneficial to that country and more satisfactory to the older Provinces. I say that the desire for responsible government and a Legislature, as onjoyod by the older Provinces, '*8 not shared in by all the people of the North-Wost. The Saskatchewan B, > Tld, of the 23rd of August, 1884, says : " It cannot be long before Assinilioia will have the popul in neces- sary to set it up as a Province, and then the opportunity will le afforded 9f modornising the const' tution of the remaining Territories." 'The next grievance of the half-broeds is, that they want *** the same guarantees to be allowed to the old settlers of tho Territories as were allowed in 1870 to the settlers of Ilanitcba; tbtit a certain ar)hips ih do timei ment, ment, -breod bahaB Metis They, bed in ■ansfer, itions." le half- 3at deal jaurier) divided indeed, of Sept- b that — ve been evicted, 1 made, are most emanded me, how- 3 demand lOties, it is actions in loation of opulation of being jhools are orth-West 28 in 1884 regard to ve already le Minister entitled to Bay, a free 3 also men- oe, in 1879, .oy of 1870, with regard to the half-breeds of Manitoba, and asked this Parliament to give them power to deal with the half-breed claims as they might deem expedient. But it is said : Although you declared your policy, although you intended, evidently,to satisfy the claims of the half-broeds to the Indian title, you have done nothing since 18 i 9. Well, as the hon. Premier explained last night, the Government had to face a great many difficulties. In tho first place, on the one hand. Archbishop Tach6, no doubt, having before him the experience of 1870, and following years, in Manitoba, had made representations that he wished these new free grants to extinguish the Indian title in the North-West to be entailed for three generations. There were, besides, representations of the Anglican Bishop, who also wished them to be entailed, but only for ten years. Then there were the representations of the Premier of Manitoba, who had also a great deal of experi- ence in these matters, and who also desired these lands to be entailed, but for a shorter period. On the other hand, the North-West council recommended th»t free grants should be given to the half breeds, just as they wore given to the half-breeds of Manitoba in 187<>. Those grants were made without any condition — 160 acres to the heads of families and 240 acres to the children. What was the conse- quence ? The scrip were sold immediately, almost before they reached the hands of the half-breeds; and no doubt Archbishop Taoh6, Mr. Norquay and the biehopof the Church of England had very good reasons for recommending the Gov- ernment to change their policy towards the half-breeds. But matters were pressing. The half-breeds, nod' bt, pushed by speculators, were asking, not that their lanu should be entailed, but they were asking for a title which could be dispobed of imm^iately. At the meeting which took place in September, 1884, at Prince Albert, the half-breeds expressed their wish for such a title to those lands as they might dis- pose of as they chose. There was a little delay, no doubt, xrom 1879 to to-day those claims have not all been settled ; their settlement only commenced within the last few months; but you will admit, and the public will admit, that the Gov- ernment have labored under serious difficulties, having, on the one hand, to contend with tiie representations — in my opinion, the very reasonable representations — of Archbishop Tache and the other gentlemen of experience in the North- West, and, on the other hand, with the demands of the half- breeds, supported by the .I'^orth-West council. In the issu- iug of patents for lands there was another difficulty — the difficulty of finding lands which were surveyed. When hon. gentlemen opposite left office, in 1878, they had hardly done V'tf. Mi m vm m m ">'■'-■■' 1.1 .'l.' r^'i ■' tr-t ' / 56 anything in this respect in the North- Wei^t. I will give yott a complete table of the surveys, as they were made, from the beginning until to-day both in Manitoba and the North West : Acres. •PreviouBtoJune, 1873 4,792,292 In 1874 *'237,86t 1878 » •• ■ 666,000 1876 420,607 1877 231,691 1878, N.W 306,936 1879. 1. 130,482 1880 4,472.000 1881 9,147,000 1882 9,460,000 1883 270^0,000 1884 6,40a,000 No. of Farms of 160 acres each. 29,962 26,487 4,166 2,628 1,448 ),918 7,066 27,950 50,919 55,125 168,760 40,000 Totals 67,255,770 420,399 The agricultural population these lands would sustain, on the basis of three souls to a homestead, would be 1,261,197. The land surveyed up to 1873 were 9,999,n00 ; from 1874 to 1875, 1,797,120; from 1884, 55,« 18,500. The survey, in the vicinity of Prince Albert and also in the vicinity of St. Laurent were made in 1878. Surveys were made subsequently in the old settlements on the North Saskatchewan, E imonton and St. Albert. The land** between Carlton and Fort Pitt, and between Edmonton and Calgary, were surveyed in 1884. During the season of 1883, lilU land surveyors were employed, 35 among them French Canadians. In 1884, 61 surveyors were employed, of whom 22 were French Cana- dians. The surveys in 1883, alone, cost 8750,000. With the surveys, land offices were opened. The first was opened at Prince Albert in 1878, Mr. Duck, agent, appointed by the late administration, the very same officer who was nominated long before the office was ojjoued and ready. The second office was in Regina (Troy, for a short time). In 1884; four land offioe.s were opened at Calgary, Edmon- ton, Touchwood and Coteau, and finally this spring at Swift Current. The first registry office was opened in 1^76 at Battleford and three more later, Prince Albert, Regina and Calgary. In 1883, during the debate which took place in this House on a motion of Mr. Blake, in moving for copies of all correspondence and memorials relating to the claims of the inhabitants of Prince Albert and the neighbor- ing districts in the North-West, with respect to the lands which they occupy, and other matters afi'ecting their con- dition, I find the followin^T statement made by Mr. Royal, the hon. member for Provencher : — 6T " I Buppose you are aware that delegates have been aent here by a certain portion of the population of the North- Weat Territoriea, respect- ing the subject which is just now engaging; the attention of tbia Houae, and is more especially under the notice of the Government. These dele- gates haye laid their gricTances— it grievancea they are -before some of the hon. Ministers. Their object is to hare the title to the lands occu- pi«d, owned and improved by some of these people for oTer 20 years recognised and confirmed by the Qorernment. Their claims are nothing bat jUBt. These lands belong moatly to half-breed people and pioneers from Ontario, who went west from the Province of Manitoba some five, ten or fifteen years ago. These pioneers of Canadian civilisation have formed groups throughout the Territories, which will, no doubt, be the nucleus of a large population. There is a very important group at Duck Lake, Prince Albert, another at Edmonton, another at St. Albert, and BO on. Last year surveyors were sent out to carry on the surveys of the Dominion in that part ot the country. These surveyors had no instrnc- tions to stop wherever they would meet any of the old settlements, and their coatinuing the lines aroused, ot course, the suspicion of the old settlers, who held a meeting, and represented to the Qovernment the jus- tice ot respecting their property in farm improvements. Their claims have been fully recognised, and orders liave been sent to tlie surveyors to respect those settlements. The object of this delegation is to hare the Qovernment cause the lines of the Dominion surveys to tront on the limits of their settlements. The delegates have already had an inter- view with some members of the Government, and were assured, in every case, the rights of ownership of those old settlers would be fully recog- nised. These settlers are not to be ciassea with squatters. Th« squatter is, generally speaking, a man who goes off the survey and s([uats on the piece of land he thinks best suited ^r farming. In some cases, unfortu- nately, he is sent there by somebody elae, or goes on his own impulse, to select the best spot, on which he will make a slight improvement, in order that he may be able to sell it to Pome company or individual. The settlers to whom I refer went as far as Prince Albert, some few miles weat of Edmonton, and lived there on their farms for over thirty years. Of course, it was quite natural they should suspect something was wrong when they saw the surveyors continumg their lines of survey ; but there is no more reason for fear on that ground. The delegates have also another object in view, namely, to have the Government recognise and confirm the titles of these settlers So doubt, to a certain extent, they have been squatters, but their rights are clear, and of course they are anxious the Government should confirm them and issne Crown patents to them, in cder that their property should be classed the same as any other ia the Daiuinioa. In that respect, aUo, I am happy to state their wants have been fully met with, and they have been assured the Gov- ernment will fully recognise their titles, and issue, in due time, the letters patent. They have also demanded from the Government that a land agent should be appointed in their own district. The nearest land agent is about 300 or 400 miles distant from Prince Albert, and the hon. Minister has assured them that as soon as the plans of survey would be recognised and confirmed by the Government a Dominion land ofiice would be opened there, and everything made ready for the interests of the new settlers. It is well known, I believe, in Manitoba and tlie rest of the Dominion, that tliat part of the Vorth-West Territories wuich lies on the North !?'a3katchewan, and exteads tVum Prince Albert to Edoion- ton, will certainly, before many years, contain a very large population. That district is composed of the most fell ih^ lands in that part of the country, where running waters, forests and vast arable lands are to be found m large ((uantities. Already the pioneers liave gone in in advance of the survevs, and formed groups of population, wliieh are now among the most important groups in the North- West. On behalf of tliese dele- gates I must recognise the tact that the Government have dealt with them in a most open and liberal manner." 08 ,-'v ''I . it vN III I know, as a fact, that a land oflSce has been opened at Edmonton last year, and that Mi-. Gauvreau was trans- ferred from Prince Albert to Edmonton, in order to give more facilities to the French half-breeds of that district. At the same time, last year Louis Schmidt, French half- breed, was appointed assistant to the land office of Prince Albert for the same purpose. In 188 S I believe the CJov- ernment, with a view of giving greater facilities to white settlors and claimants in the North-West, and also in Man- itoba, to make out their claims and have them investigated established a land board in Winnipeg, with more extensive powers than the ordinary powers of a land office, with Mr. Walsh as commissioner. Mr. Walsh has investigated many of thtse claims. It will be noticed that the policy of the pref^ent and the last Government, is very different in this respect. What was the reply of the late Government ? Eepresentations were made by Mr. Matthew Ryan, that the half breeds were verypressing for the recognition of their rights — I refer to the half-breeds who were entitled to scrip in consequence of being residents in i^anitoba at the time of the transfer, and who emigrated afterwards to the North- West. Mr. Ryan made strong representations to the late Administration that he should be empowered to examine the claims of those half-breeds who were entitled to scrips in Manitoba, but who happened then to be in the North-West Territories. On the 24th June, 1878, Mr. Laird wrote from Battleford to Col. Dennis, ae ibllows : — " Observe Mr. Ryaa's authority ; time to investigate half-breed claims under Order 14th June, 1876 lapsed ; recommend time be extended one year. He is now here. Applicants waiting answer." Mr. Denis replied : "Will consult Minister on his return : expected this week in re half- breed claims, and advise you forthwith.'* Now, what is the answer of the Minister of the Interior? We find on a margin of a report made by Mr. Codd, dated 16th March, 1877, the following note: — " It is not necessary to look up parties who have claims. If they care for their interesia they will themselves come forward and establish their claims." The present Government did not act upon the same principle. They thought that these half-breeds in the North-West and Manitoba should have some easy means of establishing their claims, and that is the reason why the land bureaa was established in Winnipeg, and Mr. Walsh appointed as com- missioner. This land bureau of Manitoba went to work, and, from the report of 1884, it will be seen that they have done a great deal of work. The Government land board reported on 711 claims of squatters in 1884, including those 59 of old settlers. Here is the report of the Minister of the Interior for that year : " At the lime the offlcAs of Deputy Head and Surveyor General were •eparated, and Mr. Linaeay Russell was charged with the duties apper- taining to the latter position, it was provided that he should also inves- tigate and settle the claims to land by virtue of lon^ occupation ad- vanced by the old settlers alone the North Saskatchewan. When it was found that Mr. Russell's health did not admit of his visiting the BettlementB, an Order in Oouncil was passed, remitting this portion of bis work to the land board. Accordingly, early in the year, Mr. Pearce went to Prince Albert, and from thence to Battleford, Edmonton and St Albert, and made a c«refal personal enquiry into ail the claims of this class at those places, with the result that all, with one or two exceptions, at Battleford and Edmonton, have been finally and satisfac- torily disposed of. The only claims of old settlers remaining uns'ittled are at Lac la Biche, Victoria and Battle River. The necessary inves- tigation at the two latter places will be made enrly next spring, but the claims at Lac la Biche cannot be properly adjusted until the surreys reach that point." Mr. Pearce was sent to the Saskatchewan at the beginning oi last year, and here is his report : "The question of the claims of the old settlers on the Saskatchewan Is one of long standing ; but, with theexception of the claims in the im- mediate vicinity of Prince Albert nothing could be done in the matter until the surveys were completed, ihese surveys were not finished until this summer, and conld not hava been completed at an earlier date ; for, had these been prosecuted in any other way than the one adopted, it would have been at a great sacrifice of both accuracy and economy. • ' Very full reports accompanied the evidence forwarded to the Min- ister so soon as the investigations were completed. The claims of Prince Albert have been finally disposed of. Those at the other points siay raasonably be expected to be settled within a few weeks. "The most liberal construction possible under the circumstances was {>at upon all the claims; and, judging by the result at Prince Albert, it B confidently anticipated that the percentage of claimants who will be dissatisfied therewith will be verv small— probably not 6 per cent.— and of these more than one-half will be only on the grounds that their claims have n :>t bad as liberal treatment as the claims of others. It mav be said of theso claimants — upwards of seven hundred ii number— that, as a clftBS, the 'land shark ' formed a very small numbe-. " The difSculty of obtaining explicit evidence bus been referred to in the special reports ; and in this it need only be mentioned that this diffi- culty did not arise from unwillineness, but from inability. "It is somewhat remarkable that, out of the large a umber of cases investigated, but few were advanced through a residence on and peace- able possession of the land on the 16th Julv, 1870 ; the onlv points at whicn such were preferred being Prince Albert and St. Albert— some half doien at the former, and about tony at the latter. This would go to demontrate that it has been only within the past few years thni, any idea of making a livelihood b'- husbandry has occurred to the inbabi- tantB of the district ; and wlien this factis considered, the progresi they have made is really wonderful. Such facts encourage the hope of a fairly successful fruition of the policy adopted . teaching the rising generation of Indians habits of industry, with a view to make them a self-sustaining people. , o i. ^ v " The claims at St. Laurent, on the south branch of the Saskatche- wan, were not personally investigated by me, as the greater portion ot the claimants spoke only French, and 1 would have required an inter- preter. 60 I'M' m HI mi fel "With the approval of the MiniBter, Mr. Duck, Dominion land asent, who speaks the French lanfi^uage, was instrocted to obtain the evidence of these claimants. This was revised by me, and recommendationi made in each case bv the land boaid. "I would particalarlj wish to refer to the aid extended to me by the Rev. P^re Le Due, when investigating the claims at St. Albert. "Most of the claimants could only speak Cree, and the Rev. Father acted as interpreter, and did all he could to make the investigation run smoothly and pleasantly. '* The only claims now remaining are at Lac la Biche, Victoria and Battle River. Those at the latter two points can be disposed of so soon as the surveys are adjusted ; probably early next spring. At the former point some delay> probably a year, must ensue, in getting the surveys carried to that point, owing to its isolated position ; also the survey on the sround of an Indian reserve. "There are a few other isolated cases remaining, chiefly in the vicinity of Fort UcLeod ; and they can be readily dealt with when the town- ships in which they are situated are open for entry." The Sankfitchewan Herald, of the 23rd August, 188 1, speaks in very favorable terms of Mr. Pearce's investig iiion : " But, of course (this paper adds) it is not likely that he has acquired the art of pleasing everybody, or of giving to each of two or three claimants the whole of the parcel of land in dispute." When Mr. Pearco was making this investigation, Of" a short tirao nfier tliai, Mv Eiel came to the country, and, on the 26th July, the Saskatchewan Herald says : " Louis Riel is visiting all ttie settlements at Prince Albert and the south branch, but, so far, has given no public utterances of his intentions. Rumor, however, has his worli cut and dried for him, and telegrams from Prince Albert to the east give as one ground for the agitation, that the Government refuses to recognise the claims of the early settlers to the land taken up by them long ago, and that, in surveying the country, all their rights h;ive been ignored- So far from tliis being the case, the Gov- ernment has put a blot on the general system of survey, by laying out their claims in narrow frontages, as the settlers desired." This shows that the Government has not been inactive. They proceeded last year with the examination of the claims of the old setliorri ; they sent someone to investigate the claims ; a report was made, and, more than that, they commenced to examine the claims of the half-breeds to scrips; and on the 28th January, 1885, an Order in Coun- cil was passed, which has been read before. Whether that Order in Council bus been cancelled later on or not, it shows that, at that period, nearly two months before the commence- ment of the rebellion, i.he Government was in earnest, with a view TO meet the claims of the half-breeds. Now, in pres- enco of Jill thete iact^, how can it bo pretesded that the Govoinment has done nothing within the last few years for the half-breeds ? The country has been surveyed to the extent of several millions of acres. Land offices and registry offices have been opened ; agents have been appointed, and in most districts whore the French population is to be found, an agent has been named who speaks French. We can 61 [e le easily imagine the difficulties the Department must have met with in dealing with this matter. Let us see what the late Administration has done towards the settlement of the half-breed claims in Manitoba. The rights of the half-breeds were declared by &ii Act of 1870, and 1,400,000 acres of land were given by the Manitoba Act. Commissions were appointed by the Government for the purpose of finding out the number ot half breeds entitled to that free grant. When they left office, in 1878, the work was far from being done. Hon. gentlemen opposite went to work and appointed com- mission after commission. 1 do rot want to blamo them for it. 1 think it would be hardly fair to blame an Admin, istration when they have to deal with seuch a vast territory as this I would like to know, however, if hon. gentlemen opposite will tell me whether in 1878, eight years after the rights of the half-breeds had been declared by Act of Parlia- ment — not seven years, as the hon. member for Quebec East slated, with respect to the half-breeds in the North- West Territories — but after eight years of investigation on the part of hon. gentlemen opposite and their predecessors, they had left half-breed claims in Manitoba unsettled, and how many claims did they leave unsettled ? I do not wish to be hard with them, but at the same time they ought to know the difficulties of the situation ; that really it is not an easy task for any Administration to deal with the half-breed question in the North- West. I say that notwith- standing all these commissions the present Government, after coming into office in 1881, had to appoint another commission, composed, Judges Miller and JDubuc, of the Superior Court, lor the sole purpose of making a new enumeration and completing the list of claims which had to be examined in Manitoba; but notwithstanding this com- mission, another Order in Council had to be passed, with a view of giving full justice to the half-breeds who had no other title to their land but occupation, and on the 25th February, 1881, an Order in Council was passed by this Government, with a view of coming to the relief of those half-breeds of Manitoba who had not obtained justice. Yet the hon. gen- tleman had five years to do that after all the work which had b sen done by their predecessors. But, as I said at the beginning of my remarks, even if these half-breeds had some complaints, even if the scrip came too late, even if the patents to their lands also came too late, I say that was no reasons why they should resort to arms. They should have done like the rest of the population in this country. Are hon. gentlemen going to tell me that during the whole of their administration the people of this Dominion were satisfied ? There was a cry from one end of the coimtry 62 ■'»•'•; 'Its!! 11 I II m .( to the other that the National Policy should be introduced into this country. But they would not do it , and the con- sequence was, that poverty vyas becoming general, from one end oi the Dominion to the other, but still the people did not resort to arms. They appealed to the Government, and when an election came around they took the remedy into their own hands. Mr. Speaker, Ido not intend to allude to the comiuisttion of M.-hms Street, Goulet and Forget, which was appointed a few days after the uprising in the North- Weft, and which, if we are to judge from the account of Le Manitoba, is giving so much satisfaction. The leader of the Opposition the other day quoted the conclusion of that article of X« Manitoba, stating that it was a great pity that this fiommission was not appointed a long time ago. Well, I will not take my authority from a newspayer article written since the rebellion began, but I take my authority from public documents, which show that the Government have really anted for the best Now, I pass to the other articles of the Bill of Bights of the half-breeds, at their meet- ing at Prince Albert, in September lant. Article 8 says : « Oontracts for GoTornment works should be, as far as possible, givea to the people in the Territory, in order to encourage them and to increase the circulation of money among them." What just complaints can they have in this respect ? The contracts for work are given in the North-West Territories, as everywhere else in the Dominion, by public tenders, and there is no reason why the Government should change its policy in that respect. If the people residing in a locality cannot tender succesbfully with the residents of the older Provinces, the Government cannot be blamed for that. " Article 9. That the Canadian Government should feed the Indians, and not oJQPer to the christian world the spectacle of a people dying of starTation. If the civilisation of our century does permit it, and if the Province wishes it, the Government should make the Indians work about as much as Pharoah did the Jews ; but, at all events, they should not leave them a victim of hallucination and in the delerium of starvation. They do not wish the people to talk with the Indians, but the Indians are all the time around the half-breed establishments. The half-breeds and other settlers spend more for the Indians than the Government does, and the people are going to be prevented from mentioning this state or things. It is not just that the Federal Government should administer Indian affairs.'' It is perfectly plain, after the exposure I have made of the policy of the Government towards the Indians, after every- thing the Government has done for them, after the millions of money we have spent to feed them and instruct them, it is plain that whoever framed this article of the Bill of Eights did not know what the Government had done for the Indians. It must be remembered there is no complaint 63 in this article of the Bill of Rights that the Indians have not received their supplies, that the quality was bad and that they were hardly used by the officials. The 10th article of tho Bill of Bights contains a donoand for educa- tional institutions. The answer to this is, that to-day there is a complete organisation in the North-West for the educa- tion of the youth. At the time Bishop Grandin applied to Minister of Interior for a grant there was no such organisa- tion. But since 1876 there has been a board of education, comprised of six Protestants and six Roman Catholics, and the Government, on their representation, have granted such aid as in their opinion might be necessary. Therefore, the matter referred to in this article will be dealt with as it is in the older Provinces, under the constitution of the North- West. Article 12th of the Bill of Rights demands the erection of the districts in the North -West into so many Provinces. They claim that they should become Provinces when they obtain the same population as Manitoba possessed at the time of its entry into Confederation, and besides that this erection of districts into Provinces should be accom- panied by all the advantages of responsible government and the administration of the Crown lands. I have already alluded to this matter while dealing with other portions of the Bill of Rights. That is a portion of the articles of the Bill of Rights which is most unreasonable. Not only do they want the North- West to be erected into Provinces, but the half-breeds want to have as many Provinces as there are districts. We have to-day five districts, Keewatin, Alberta, Assiniboia, Athabaska and Saskatchewan. Therefore, there would be five new Provinces to be established. We are, therefore, auked to increase the burden of taxation on the older Provinces to the extent of 8400,000 or $500,000. And, what is more, the half-breeds want to keep all the lands in the North- West to themselves. We have constructed a Canadian Pacific Railway round Lake Superior to the Pacific Ocean, with a wiew to opening up that immense Ter- ritory, embracing a couple of billion acres of lands, and now that the railway is practically built, the people of the North- West, and among others, the French half breeds, say : " We want all the districts to be turned into Provinces ; we want subsidies from the old Provinces ; we have got railways and land offices, and you are going to take care of the Indians, and we are going to take the last possible assets which the country can possess, and that is the land." A pretention of that kind is simply absurd. I have passed over every article of the Bill of Rights aa adopted by the half-breeds at a meeting at Prince Albert in September last, and hon. gentlemen opposite will notice u I. t: I v--k that it does not contain a complaint about surveyp, in re^rd to which subject eo much capital has been made. There is not a complaint in regard to surveys from the half- breeds along the river, where it is sftid great tyrrar.y has been committed by the present AUministration, so much so that the half-breeds at that time had sufficient reason to' resort to ar-ns. Is it not astonishing that during,' their last protests, their last declaration of rights, detailing their list of grievances, there is nothing said about the purvoyw of the river lots? I might perhaps stop at this stage of the discussion ; but it will bo as well to connider what the white settlers were demanding. Meetings wore held, not only at Prince Albert, but all over the North-Wost Territory. There was a meeting of the inhabitants of the Province of Alberta. I find the resolutions published in Le Manitoba. I have not been able to got an English copy, so 1 will translate them. It will be sutficient to mention the pretended griev- ancen, ihe articles of the Bill of Rights of the white settlers of Alberta, to show that most of them are unfounded : "The undersifjaed have Ihe honor to represent that questions of the greatest importance, and worthy of tlie special attention of the Govern- ment, arise from that portion of the North-West, and more particularly from the district of Alberta. The undersigned hope that the Govern- ment will give all these (juestions the most serious consideration : " 1. Ther^ is notsuflBcient police stipendiary magistrates in the North- West; the judicial districts are too large, and, consequently, do not pro- vi^'e sufficient tribunals. Tiiis evil has been increased by the fact that under the Act respecting the North-West Territories cases appealed must be laid befoie the sitting judge, and decided by tlie same judge." Suppose there were not enough stipendiary magistrates, the Government have this Session introduced a Bill to give an additional magistrate to the North-West. "2. The people are of the opinion that you must remove from the odicers of the Mounted Police every judicial power, and that resident judges shall be named for all the principal towns and cities in the North-West." That is more as regards the administration of justice than is provided for the older Provinces — a judge resident in every principal centre of the North-West Territory. I do not believe that the people of the older Provinces would bo willing that we should tax ourselves in order to concede this extraordinary demand, and have a judge resident in every principal centre of the North-West Territory. *' 3. We know that it has been decided that the stipendiary magistrates have no power to issue a writ of habeaa corputy and, therefore, in this district we are deprived of one of the greatest safegnards of British liberty." I am sure that whoever drew up this Bill of Rights of the population of the Province of Alberta was not a lawyer. 65 Whether there is a statute declaring that a writ of habeas corpus may be in8ucd in the Norlh-Weut Teriitoi ioH or not I believe there is one, but Bappose there is not— by the common law of England every British Bubjoct deprived of his liberty on British soil has a right to a writ of habeas corpus. That is too elementary a principle ol law to be open 1 3 any doubt. " 4. In cases of intoxicating liqnorB, the fact of one Imlf of the {)enalty being given to the iutoruier has a bad efluct. A man may le imprisoned on the oath of that loie informant, and his state of things lias been the cause of numerous and grave acts of injustice. There have been many perjuries committed in this respect. This abuse exists umoug tl.e constables of tlie Mounted Police, aa one of them had made two liandred dollars ia a day as infonuer— one-lmlf of the penalty imposed on two persons. However, the defence denied to the accusation brought against them by the informer, and tlio two were condemned, although respectable. '• 6. The police have abused their right to make inrniisition as to tlie use of Honor ; and no police officer should have the right to enter a pri- vate ho-.-tt lor the purpose ofascertaining whether there are intoxicating liquors in it or not, unless there has been a sworn information previously made to that effect." Well, this law is based upon the principle of penalty laws in the old Provinces. In all the old Piovinces the policy of this Government, sanctioned for years and years, has been that one-half of the penalty, even in cases brought for the infraction of the liquor laws, should go to the informer, and the ^ther half should go to the Crown. "6. y.: stealing of horses is very common here, and there is very little effort made to pursue the guilty parties. The thieves go south by McLeod's road, and there the police cannot reach them before they go to the United States. A telegraphic line, as far as Fort McLeod, would prevent a good deal of the stealing of horses, and would also be of great use to the Mounted Police." The telegraph line has been built since that time. " 7. The settlers of the neighboring districts are asking for their patents, and they complain wnen they would make their homestead entries for townships 23 and 24, range 1, west of the 6th principal merid- ian, and in these districts there are a large number of settlers. The natural consequence is that the neighboring country is in statu quo, and will remain in that condition as long as these townships are not open to settlers." These lands were surveyed only last year, and, necessarily, a few months must elapse before the land office is ready for entry, but I believe it is ready now. "8. We believe that a court of appeal should be established in the North-West Territories, and that an extension of the powers of the court of first resort, held by the stipendiary magistrates, snould be made, and more facility given for appeals from the magistrate's to the court of appealn in all caies where the contract exceeds $200." iNow, here is another demand which is unreasonable. 66 i l/f*'' K l'\i !b'-;'i Under the constitution of the North-West, passed in 1^15, a^ court of appeals was established for the North- West Terri- tories, not sitting in the North-West Territories, but sitting in Winnipeg. There is a court of appeal for Manitoba, and with a view of ^aving expense, considering the largo amount which the country had to spend in developing that vast country, this P&rliament thought proper to give the right of appeal, in cases in the North-T/est Territories, to the court of uppeals of Manitoba; and in every case where there is a question affecting real estate, or in any case for damages or torts for 851)0, or in all cases in which there is 81,000 in dispute, tbure is appeal to the court at Winnipeg, Considering ihut the means of communication are so easy to- day, from every portion of the North-West Territories, and especially from Calgary, from which this complaint comes, it seems to me that this complaint is without foundation. "9. In the interests of justice, we beliere that a prison and court hoQse ought to be erected in Galeary. The building now used as a prison is altogether unfit for that purpose, and there is no place for the detention of criminals. Furthermore, we have been informed that thfr North- West council has refused to pass ordinances to arrest any one about to leave the country, and that because there ia no jail, in order to detain the fleeing debtor or criminal Last year the building which served as a prison was almost constantly full of prisonera, and as Of Igary is the centre of the district, and near the Rockies, where the works of the Canadian Pacific Railway are proceeding, and where mining is being fiarried with activity, the construction of a prison is an immediate want, n Calgary, also, bhere is need for a court house bnilding, wherein to hold the sittings of the court. ' ' There is (Aso a jail and court house built by the Government at Eegina, the capital of the North- West Territories. Under the constitution of the North- West council, theooun- cil Las the right to order the erection of any prison which may be required in any portion of any district ; and if the people of Calg<\ry wanes a jail ihey should build one them- selves, and ask the council tor the proper authority. " 10. We also demand that the settlers should have the right to cut hay upon the lands which they occupy, and unoccupied lands, without being subject to pi:y $1 a ton. The cutting can only improve the quality ; and if it is not cut it will be entirely lost. This pavment of $1 per ton, although a small payment, has been a burden for the poor settlers, and is the source of a very small revenue for the Qovernmant.', Now, if we look at the regulations of the Depertment regarding the cutting ot hay, it is very plain that this charge or due cannot be a burden for the poor settler. This article of the bill of grievances is altogether untrue; the Govern- ment do not charge $1 a ton for cutting hay. Accord- ing to the regulations, they charge, for any amount up to 20 tons, 10 cents per ton • for fvom 20 to 60 tons, 25 cents per ton ; for from 50 to 100 tons, 50 cents per ton ; and for 100 tons and over, $1 per ton. Besides that, every settler BmB! 6t is allowed to take all the hay he wants for hie own use free. To show that this grievance has really no foundation what- ever, let us look at the report for 1884 The amount col- lected by the Department for all the hay permits in the North-West during the year, amounted to the large sum of $120.20. ^ " 11. We demand the liberty to cut lari^e quantities of wood, bscauae to-day we cannot get enough m order lo baild even a good stable, and a aettler who has ac considerable resources is unable to procure one." These are the regulations of the Department for cutting wood: " Any occupant of a homestead quarter section having do timber of his own, may, upon application, obtain a permit to cut such quantity of building timber, fencing timber or fuel, as he may require for use op hia homestead, not exceeding the following :— 1,800 lineal feet of house timber, no log to be over 12 inches at the small end ; 400 roof rails, 30 cords of dry wood, 2,000 fence rails." Then, there are permits subject to dues, in order to preserve the forests. The rates are as follows : — Oordwood, per cord 25 cents. Fence posts, 8 ft. 6 in. long each 1 cent. Telegraph poles, 32 ft. long each Scents. Each lineal foot over 22 feet long 1 c^nt, • Railroad tiei, 8 ft. Ijng „ Scents. Rails, 12 ft. long $2.00 per AI. , Stakes, 8 ft. long $2.00 per M, Shingles 0.60 per M. Square timber and saw logs of oak, elm, ash or maplo $3.00 per M. ,B.M. Pine, sprace, tamarac, cedar, and all other woods, with the exception of poplar.... $2.50 per ]^.,B.M. Poplar $2.00 per M.,B.M. All other products of the forest, not enumerated 10 p. c. ad valorem. The timber dues collected by the Government last year amounted to $193,196.86 ; and we may almost say that, with the exception of the revenues collected by the Depart- ment from the sale of lands and Customs Dues, this consti- tutes about the whole of the assets. Finally, the last article of the bill of grievances says : " We demand that the territories of the North-West be represented in Parliament before the erection of the Provinces, as ia the case with regard to the territories of the United States." It has been observed that the half-breeds do not demand representation in this Parliament. But I beliove it has been recognised for some time that this demand is reason- able, and that steps have already been taken by the Gov- ernment — in fact, were taken before the rebellion broke out— with the view of giving the North-West Territories 68 k representation in the Dominion Parliament. A bill was introduced, providing for the taking of the census of the North- West Territories ; and, of course, we must wait till that census is made, in order to learn the exact number of members to which the North- West Territories are entitled. There is also another difficulty. We "know that in 187 1 doubts were expressed as to the power of the Government of the Parliament of Canada to erect territories similar to those in the United States, and an Act was introduced into the Imperial Parliament to give that power in expressed terms. That Imperial statute also gives the Dominion Parliament power to give representation to the Provinces which may be erected out of the territories in the North- West ; but there is no power given by it to the Dominion Parliament to grant representation to the Territories so long as they remain Territories. Therefore, some steps must be taken to have the constitution amended by the Imperial Parliament in that respect; and I hope that between now and the next Session of the Imperial Parlia- ment, while our officers will be proceeding with the census of the North- West, this Gove.nment will take initiatory steps towards having our constitution amended, so as to per- mit us to give the North-West Territories representation in this Parliament, according to their population. Now, 1 have mentioned the grievances of the half-breeds and of the white population of the district of Alberta. Now, let us see what are the grievances of the district of Assiniboia. A meeting took place at Moosomin, at which the following resolutions were adopted, which I find reported in the Saskatchewan Herald of the 9th of January, 1885 : " That large tracts of land have been allotted to colonisation com- panies, subject to certain duties and conditions, and which would be of advantage to the country if carried out in good faith. This meeting is of opinion that the principle of allowing individuals or companies to control large tracts of public land is prejudicial; they would therefore jly that where such condil' .mi urge strongly that where such conditions and duties are Lot being carried out mithfully the grants should be promptly cancelled." The principle of colonisation companies in good faith is biyce admitted, and the Government has taken steps, a few years ago, to see that these companies were kept within their obligations, and I believe an inspector, Mr. Stephenson, a former member of this House, was appointed for that pur- pose. I know, of course, in conseqnenoe of the hard times several colonisation companies could not comply with the terms, and have been forced to give up their charter. If any cannot comply with the terms of their agreement they should be forced to do so. * ' That the policy of the Gorernment in building the Oanadian Pacific Railway as a national work, nnd assistiog it to an early completion, 69 meeta with our hearty approval, and will, we believe, be of incalculable benefit to the Dominion j that the policy of making free grants of land to branch lines is in ihe interests of the North West ; but as these assisted lines run mainly east and west, this meeting strongly urges upon the Qovernment the absolute necessity, in the interests of the various large settlements north and south of the Canadian Pacific, that the same liberal policy should be adopted towards lines judiciously located run- ning north and south. " That this meeting recognises the fact that the practicability ot the navigation of Hudson's Bay and Straits has been amply proved. That the construction of a railway to some point on the shores of Hudson's Bay, to meet the ocean trafiBc there, would give an outlet and inlet for exports and imports between this country and the European markets, which would not only enable the settlers here to procure a better pr.ce for their products ana obtain their necessaries at a cheaper rate, but which is an absolute necessity, to enable this countrr to tase her place in the first rank >.:' wheat-producing countries in t'he markets of the world. " That this meeting urges upon Parliament the justice and necessity of giving representation in the Parliament and Senate of Canada to the people of the North-West Territories ; that we believe there are not less than 126,000 people in the North- West Territories, 95,000 of which are in the provisional district of Assiniboia ; that in order to an efiPectual and just representation, four members should be given to Assiniboia and at least two members each to Alberta and SaBkatchewan,and that provision for such representation should be made at the coming Session of Parlia- ment. " That we are not in favor, in the meantime, of a division of the Terri- tories into Provinces, for purposes of Government, but one Local Gov- ernment for the whole of the North- West Territories rill, in our opinion, best suit the requirements of the people ; and that no alteration should be made in the eastern boundary of Assiniboia. " That the timber regulations should be amended, so as to give home- steaders absolute control of all dead and dry timber upon their home- steads, and the people generally free permission to use the dead and dry wood found on Dominion lands. " That the Government should promptly recognise the claims of half- breeds, as was done in the Province of Manitoba, and thus determine a question calculated to disturb the present development of the country." These are the grievances that were complained of by the whole population of the North- West, half-breeds as well as white. 1 have read in the newspapers of other complaints. I have read of railway raonopolien, complaints ae;ain8t land regulations. Oq the :^4lh November, 1883, the Glohe thus commented on a letter which appeared in it the day previous : " Our correspondent, whose letter we i)'ibli8hed yesterday, states once more the grievances of which the settlers in the N rth-West complaiQ. They are burdened with monopolies, burdened with enormous ta,xation, harassed and worried by land regulations wliich are as absurd, in some respects, as they are unjust in others, and rendere-^^ almost desperate by misgovernment. From some districts it is almost impossible to get the wheat to a market. Those who do reach a market find that, owing to railway monopoly and to an elevator monopoly which has lately been added to all the other grievances, they can get no more than 60 cents, instead ot the 90 cents which it sliould now be worth. Tho com- plaints of settlers, while they came from individuals, were unheeded at Ottawa." •SI ■ill it m If'. 1% r If > All these grievances which have been repeated for week after week and day after day in the Globe and the Grit press of Ontario, are not to be lonnd expressed at the meetings which took place, either at Alberta or the Assiniboia or Saskatchawan districts, and the reason is, that they have no foundation wbatover. I wish to be sure upon this point, and I hope it will be sufficient for me to quote the Jklinne- apolis Canadian American : " Canadians, who are in such a dreadful stew over the rates charged bv the Canadian Pacific Railway, would perhaps be a little more mode- rate in their criticisms if they were aware of the freight charges of the Northern Pacific. It is a fact that Union Pacific rates for the same dis- tances are 16 to 30 per cent, higher than those of the Canadian line. " In charging extortion upon the north-western railways, a great deal of recklessness is displayed by the public. The operating expenses of such roads as the Union Pacific, Canadian Pacific Railway, and St. Paul, Minneapolies and Minnesota, are at least 75 per cent, higher than those of eastern lines. " They hare not a concentrated traffic, such as the Grand Trunk or roads between Minneapolis and Chicago hare, to command, and, more- over, their traffic may be said to be all one way, as the cars which carry their wheat east return to them empty, a fact that increases the cost of transportation." Now, as to the land regulations, perhaps it would not be necessary I should say anything on this point, because really there were no jonoplaints at all thero meetings. To show how affairs of the land regulations are mannged across the line. I may, however, quote from Senator Plumb's speech of the 7th April, 1884, in the Senate. He said : " Mr. Macfarland, the United States commissioner of the land office, published his report in October last. He stated that one of the well- grounded ccmplaints made against their management ot land affairs was that patents are not issued promptly, and the evil had grown to such enormous magnitude in the United States that he was obliged to ask Congress to give him a hundred extra clerks to bring up the arrears. "_A comparison between the homestead policy of Canada and the. United States will show which is most favorable to settlers : i "CANADA. " The head of the family, or any male person not less than 18 years of age, is entitled to a homestead entry. " Such entry may be for any quantity not exceeding 160 acres in any land open therefor, the even- numbered sections, on about eighty millions of the most fertile iMmis, being free for selection until the first of January, 1886. The settler will have the right of pre-emption of an adjoining tract of the same extent as bis homestead, which he can purchase at the end of three years at Government prices. He obtains a patent at the end ot three •'UNITED STATES. " Any male person not less than 21 years is entitled to a hornestead entry. Such e*try may be for any quantity not exceeding 80 acres in the first or $i5Q class, or 160 acres in the second or $150 class ofiands open therefor. The homestead settler has not the right of pre-emp- tion. He obtains a ;)ateut at the end of fire years' residence and cultivation. He cannot have a second homestead entry. He may commute, by purchase, after one year's residence, but it is recom- mended that this privilege be mo- dified and restricted." 71 years' residence and cultivation. &e mf took ^^^-.vr I'l t'c in fihcf March. Le Maniioba, of the 22nd Juno, lfth4, speakiag of the arrival of Father Laoombe with the nuns in his charge en route for the High River Mission, said : I'''''' '■; ll'iv 12 •' Whatever the sensational press may say, the- most perfecf secmfty reigns in the prairies, and nothing could disturb it. The settler baa- more security there than in any station of the American railway." On the 10th of July, 1884, a correspondent from St. Laurent to Ze Manitoba saya : •' All is quiet here, and the large clouds which appeared on the poli- tical horizon hare about disappeared. It is the result of the meeting held at Batoche, in the month of May last, by the Hon. Lieutenant Gov- ernor Dewdney." Le Manitoba, of the 19ih March, 1885— a few days before the rebellion took place — I think the first news we had of the uprising, was on the 23rd March — said : MR. KIEL AND THB HALF-BREEDS. " Despatches transmitted from Prince Albert to the newspapers of Manitoba bring us the sensational news that Mr. Riel, at the head of the half-breeds of that district, is preparing for an uprising, in which, it is said, the Indians would take part. The English population, it is said, asks arms for its defence, in case of an attacK. " If this news were not of a nature to cause an immense damage to our country, in leading to believe that we are in a constant state of rebellion, we would not give it any attention j but as the foreign news- papers, always eager for sensational news, will hasten to reproduce the above, we believe it to be our duty to say : That no trouble is to be apprehended from the half-breeds in the North-West. It is trne that discontent exists among them, which are in most cases based on legitimate reasons, bat the cause of their grievances is seriously engaging the atten- tion of the Government, and they promise to rtmedy them as soon aa >9a8ible. " i)iow, that there is some agitation, some meetings, even too violent, speecheQ. it is possible. Certain individuals think that justice cannot be obtained without grumblipg, complaining or lamenting. It is their way of acting. But from that to a rebellion there is a gret.t distance. The thing, moreover, would be so ridiculous that it is impossible for us' to believe that our friends from that district would hava the least idea to compromise themselves to that extent, even if they were so advised by those who ought to know better." The Safikatchewan Herald of the 12th July, 1881, says : "That Riel has come in, on the invitation of his friends, to be their leader, is freely admitted ; but no declaration has lately been made as to what they want. It is a suspicious circumstance, however, that imme- diately following his arrival in the country threats of armed rebellion should be indulged in, and that stories of the co-operation of Ind ,ns should be put in circulation, as they now are. We do not believe these rumord will lead to anything. The people are under no disabilities that cannot be redressed by constitutional means. To incite the Indians to acts of violence for purposes of revenge for real or fancied wrongs is a thing that will not be permitted by the Government or the settlers." Now, let us take the repreaeuta+ion of the North- West council at its Bitting of the 2'8t of July, 18S4. Mr. Dewdney, in his opening epeech said : "As we now have membprs from almost every district in the Terri- tories who must be thoroughly conversant with the feeling on this most important question, I shall ask you to assist me with your advice and experience, in making representations to the Federal Government. I should not have touched on this question, which is one solely within the' m saaKHHR IB proTince of the Dominion GoTernment, had I not felt it was one of para- mount importance. • • • • pmnj ^ij^j [ ^^^^ gg^^ myaelf, during my trayels in the spring, and from what I gather from the cor respondence which reached me aa ladian commissioner, I can confi- dently say that our Indians generally are more contented than they were since the treaty was made, and the progress they are making in agricul- ture is most gratifying. It cannot be expected that with a population of some twenty thousand Indians scattered on reserves, in bands all over the Territories, we can escape without a little trouble, and, at times, excitement ; and this is ineyitable when Indiana fresh from the plains are first brought on their reserres and come in contact with white settlers. It has been so with those who are now comparatively well off, and will be so until the new arrivals recognise the facts that they must settle down and work and make a living ; Ibut that there is any caase of alarm, I deny. I am sure the general deling is one of security, and the exageerateil reports which have been circulated are to be regretted. ** You will have learoed that the representatior.s made by you to the Dominion Qovemment have received attention, anO. many of the requests made acted upon, while others are under consideration. I am quite sure that should yon feel the necessity of making further representations dming the present Session, they will receive the same consideration at the hands of the Dominion Government. " Now, if grievances had existed of sach a magnitude as to create a rebellion, woald not some of the distinguished visi- tors to the North- West last summer have made some men- tion of it ? In the first place, Manitoba and the North-West were visited by the Minister of Public Works. Ttie Free Press, of Winnipeg, and Le Manitoba, of the 11th September of the same year, contain a statement that : •• The Minister of Public Works had come, with the sanction of the Government, to know the wants and feelings of the people and their grievances, if grievances they had. They might be sure that their grie- vances would be well weighed at Ottawa and that justice would be done." Only one interview was mentioned by the leader of the Opposition, which some ol the half-breeds had with the Minister of Public Works, and what answer did they get? Bid they get an answer that they would be treated like white settlers ? The Minister of Public Works answered that their claims would receive favorable consideration as soon as he will reach Ottawa. Now, Mr. Speaker, upon this invitation of the Minister of Public Works, the Free Press made some remarks. It pointed out to the Minister some grievances, and asked him to visit south-western Manitoba, where he would hear of some complaints. But no allusion is made to the grievances which existed, if any existed, in the North-West Territory. Manitoba and the North-West were also visited by Sir Eichard Cartwrighf, the member for South Huron, and by the hon. Mr. Mac- kenzie, the member for East York, at the same time. A banquet was oflPered to Mr. Mackenzie, at Winnipeg, and an address was read to him by the Liberals of that part of 74 the country. This address is dated on the 2nd of Septem- ber, 1884, and says, among other things: " We haye a country unsurpassed in climate, fertility of soil and other natural advantages, but its deTelopment is retarded by a fiscal policy unjust to this portion of the Dominion. We fbel that in this matter, and in the policy of the Dominion, with regard to our public lands and our prorinoial railway legislation, we have been treated without a fair regard to our peculiar position and our rights to an equality with the other Provinces of Canada. We wish to draw attention to the necessity for such assistance to our railway enterprises as will promptly develop this great country, and for such an increase in the representation o Manitoba and the North- West in the Parliament of Canada as will insure greater consideration for our interests." Now, Mr. Speaker, these Eeformers of Manitoba and the North- West complain of the National Policy, but the half- breeds of St. Laurent and the white settlers of the North- West did not make any such complaints. Do we hear any- thing of the grievances of the half-breeds, or even of the white settlers, which have been mentioned at their meet- ings? Not a word. The Hon. Mr. McDougall also visited Winnipeg about the same time. Some of his admirers also gave him a banquet. The whole subject of the conversation and the speeches turned upon Manitoba and the North- West. I have seen the reports of the speeches which were delivered on that occasion, and not a single reference is made to the grievances of the white settlers, or of the half- breeds of the Nortn-West, laid down by the meetings which I have mentioned. Bat there is more. Mr. Dewdney visited St. Albert on the 16th October, 1884. The report of his visit is given in Le Manitoba, of the 7th of November of that year : Several addresses were presented to him by the citizens, and Mouseigneur Grandin, in the name of the clergy, containing sentiments of loyalty to the Canadian Government and Canadian institutions. A banquet was even Tendered to him at the Bishop's Palace. A committee of citizens, with Mr. E. Malonoy at their head, met the Lteutenant Governor, in order to make certain requests of him in the public interest. They asked, first, the purchase of a bridge on the Bed Kiver, and to make it a free bridge. They also ask that those portions of the supplies intended for the Indians should be bought in the district, where they could be supplied more advantageously than in any other place. They said His Honor promised to take into considera- tion their demands, and do everything he could to satisfy them. Not a word was said d iring that meeting, held only a few months before the rebellion, against the Government ; nothing but praise and admiration for the polisy of the Gov- ernment. Something was said last night by the leader of the Government of the action which the white settlers in the North- West have taken in this rebellion. I believe that the white settlers, I do not say the whole of them, but some of them, and they include parties acting on behalf of An 1- can colonisation companies, had more to do with this retol- lion, of the spring of 1885, than the half breeds and Indians. Let me read to you an article from the Globe, of 2 Ut Nov- ember, I will not say 1884, but 1883, and this article is only a sample of numerous inflammatory articles which, from time to time, have been published by that newspaper. It is as follows : — f The American press ia already holding out to our distressed brethren active sympathy and promise of help. In one day's exchanges we find nearly a dozen of the most influential papers of the Union telling the people of Manitoba they must break with the Dominion, which is treating them scandalously. Let there be no more of ostrich-like tucking of the head in the sand and refusing to see what is patent to erery body. The organisation movement of Manitoba means business. It means that justice must be done. Ottawa methods must be revolutionized, and that quickly." A letter from a special correspondent of the Globe at Winnipeg is headed " Manitoba troubles. Discontent com- ing to a head in the prairie Province. Eesult of a series of blunders. The farmers will have their rights by some means. Down with monopoly. Threatening to burn elevators and tear up railways. The situation very serious." The correspondent says : " All through the controversy which has been raging in regard to the Government of this country no newspaper has displayed a fuller knaw- ledge of the requirements of this country than the Globe, nor has it gone beyond the mark in predicting that, unless good government be at once vouchsafed to us, our position in Confederation will every day become more a matter of form, and that finally we will shake ourselves loose fr«m the monotonous burden and seek some more congenial government. There is no doubt that the Canadians are a loyal people ; they luve their institutions and their traditions, but they arc coiumon-sense people as well, and will not allow their generous sentiments to be used agamst them, to compel them to sit still while other loyal people are steadily accomplishing their ruin. " The day has gone by when, by a peculiar perversion, forms of govern- ment were worshipped for themselves, and every Canadian, at any rate, has learned that Governments are made for the conveniences of men, and not men for the glory of Governments. The day has come when the lumbering blue mould appendages of Government must be scattered to the four winds, and when a system of government is chosen like a particular kind of reaping machine— because it is the best for the pur- poses for which it is required, and for no mysterious or awful reason whatever. This is especially the case in Manitoba and the North- West. The country is young ; the population is made up of all nationalities ; people have come here to make money. We are independent of the eastern Provinces. We are not independent of the United States." I shall now close these very long remarks, which have been much longer than I should have liked to have made them. I am not in the habit, as every member knows, of making long speeches. In fact, I very seldom trouble the House 76 ir with speeches or remarks, i hare been long on this ocoa- sion, it is true, but everyone ^111 admit that the subject is important, everyone will admit, moreover, that is is new. I I have not been as long as the leader of the Oppo- sition, who spent seven hours, and did not touch the Indian question, an impoi'tant element in the examination of the whole case. 1 cannot close these remarks without making an appeal to the Government, which, I hope, will receive their favorable consideration : it is to exercise its clemency in favor of the prisoners now confined at Begina. I have just pointed out that those poor half-breeds and Indians are not, after all, so much to blame as the great organ of the Liberal party in this Dominion. I do not want to make any reference to any special case. I have oareflilly refrained from making any remarks with respect to Eiel which might injure his position. I do not make any special appeal, but on behalf of all those prisoners I ask that the Government should exercise clemency. We have a good example of clemency in a Government which has not so well treated the Indians as has the Canadian Government or the British Government. Some few years ago, when Sitting Sull was induced to return with his warriors to his reserve in the United States territory, what was done ? A Metis— Jean Louis L6gar6— for it is always known that half-breeds have great influence over all Indians — was charged by the United States Gov- ernment to bring back the Sioux Indians who had committed so many depredations, murders, asi^assi na- tions and massacres ; and not only were the members of Sitting Bull's band pardoned, but Sitting Bull himself was pardoned, without any condition. And today he is on his reserve in American territory, an Indian just as peace- ful as any citizen in the American Union. To sura up the facts of this case : We are asked to vote non-confidence in this Government in regard to its policy in the North West. We are asked to vote that hon. gentlemen opposite shall come to this side of the House and manage the affairs of the country. In other words, we are asked to condemn the policy of the Government in its treatment of the Indians. We are also asked to condemn the Government and its policy with regard to the half-breeds and the white settlers. Mr. Speaker, I cannot give my vote in favor of that motion. I believe the Government deserves great praise for having established law and order in such a large Ter- ritory, which only fifteen years ago was almost a wilder- ness. They deserve the thanks of the country for having achieved such a great result without shedding a drop of blood. The events of the last few months, which we all 11 deplore, should not alarm ub. The robellion has boon con- fined to a Hmall portion of the French hulf-breedH and of the Indians ; it has been limited to a small area, 8omo 20 or 25 square miles. The rebels have boon subdued after great loss of properly and life, it is true, but law and order have been re-establishod, and I would nay to the Government : Continue your policy of instructing the Indians of the North- West ; continue to give them farm instrurtors, C(Mnmon schools and indus- trial schools. But I would vonturo, in that ro^poct, to make one suggestion. 1 think it is of the greutost importance that all thoHO innlructors nhould havo some- thing in common with the Indians who are confided to their charge, and therefore I would say, if it is at all poHsiblo to find farm instructors or school teachers who npeak Iho language of the Indians who are placed under thoni, pre- ference should be given to thorn. I would go further. I would take the advice given by the First Miniator in 1083, when be said : " Well, I think I may almost ask the hon. gentleman to look into the report on these schoola, wliere he will find their success more or less alluded to. I believe, however, that tliese schools are fairly successful, especially those under the charge of religious bodies, Uatholic or Pro- testant. These are, I believe, more successful tlian the merely secular schools, where the scboolraaaters, who are honest men and who do their duty, are actuated, of course, by a desire to support themselves and their families. The moral restraints of the clergy, both Catholic and Protest- ant, are greater. They are actuated by higher motives than any secular instructor can pretend to. Secular education is a good tiling among white men, but among Indiana the first object is to make them better men, and, if possible, good christian men, by applying proper moral restraints, and appealing to the instinct for worship which is to be found in all nations, whether civilised or uncivilised." I hope that the commission which is just now sitting in the North- West, entrusted with the work of satisfying the half- breed claims as to land, will not only satisfy these claims, but will also examine into the amount of indemnity which is to be paid to the settlers who have suffered in consequence of the rebellion, and ascertain the amount of damages which has been sustained by the white population, so that it may be known next Session, and a vote of Parliament given next SessioHi Farther, I would say that I do not quite agree with the view that the half-breed must be considered either as an Indian or a white man. I believe that he should be con- sidered as he is, as the connecting link between the Indian and the white: and therefore I hope the Government will see fit to give to these half-breeds some of the advantages which have been given to the Indians — some of the grain and seeds and agricultural implements which they require, in order to become familiar with agriculture Now, I have w only one more remark to make. It may be eaid that the half-breed families in the diotresBed distiiota are not worthy of consideration. Mr. Speaker, I believe there are many half-breeds in that district who were loyal to the Dominion Government and to Dominion institutions ; bat I say, whether they were or not, I hope the Government will not forget the women and children who are homeless in that district, bat will do something to save them from actaal starvation. A letter has just been published in the Mail, by Father Andrd, who says : *'What asadsigbt met nij eves the other day, when I Tisited this same parish of 8t Antoine I The cottaees which I had admired so much last year were most of them burned down to the (rround ; those standing were aothing but a wreck, with windows and doors broken. The fields and gardens lay waste and uncultivated ; cattle and horses were gone ; a kw only remained, as the taking of them away was not worth the trouble. Everywhere I went I met with fearful evidence of wretchedness and poverty. It was a hard trial for me to bear. A good many houses were tenantless ; the owners were dead or gone away ; and as I saw all the ruins about me, I could not stop my tears, so heavy was my heart with grief. Who could help not to be moved with compassion in seeing those poor and unfortunate women, surrounded by their children, coming to meet me and to shake hands with me ? They formed a perfect picture of squalor and desolation, in tatters, and broken hearted. The little children did not present a less pitiable. appearance. They were there standing before me, cryinff to their full heart, and telling me all the sad misfortunes which bad befaUen them. They had lost all their clothes at the sack of Batoche's, and when they came back home thev found all their fornitare smashed in pieces and their dwellings left witn the bare walls. There they were, destitute, 'and starvation staring them in the face, unless help be near at hand. Add to this that these poor women were most of them mourning for their dead sons or httsbands, or for husbands and sons lying in prison at Regina, waitinii^ for trial, and you can conceive bow much these unfortunate people deserve our compassion." Now, I have only to state what appears to me to be a necessity in the North-West. The Mounted Police force have shown its usefulness ; no doubt a guard of some kind is neceseary for the protection of the white settlers against the attacks of the Indians ; but I question whether we could not really form a better body of men than the Mounted Police force, composed of picked men from the Mounted Police, the militia of the countiy, and, I would also add, from the half-breeds. In a recent correspondence to the Mail newspaper from St. Boniface, I read : " What a pity it is that the Dominion Government cannot see its way to forming a corps of Metis for service as police on the plains I General Middleton can bear testimony to their valor and endurance ; and I rm sure the gallant troops also will give them a just measure of praise. At iJidmon- ton a small force of loyal half-breeds, organised under the direction of Bishop Grandin, is doing splendid work, the men being unequalled as scouts. A division or two of M^tis would greatly strengthen the North- west Mounted Police, and help to restore the prestige of that body among the Indians. The question is certainly worth the consideration r K m ir le It |A of the OoTernment. Father Dngaat, of this Mchdioceie, haf collected, in book fom, many admirable itoriei abont the MAtis, which the Ottawa ofBoialt in charge of the police ihould read. They would conTince them, If, after recent experience, they need conrincing, that there ie no better raw material for a mounted infantry man than the half-breed." Now, I would ask the white settlers to have a little patienoe. They should not forget all the saorifioes the old Provinces have beeit making tOr them ; they should not forget that for the last ten years all the resources of the country have been devoted to the development of that country; they should not forget that we have epent millions and millions for the purpose of building the Pacific Bailway, for carry- ing on surveys throughout that vast territory, and lor opening up registry offices and land offices ; they should not forget that we have suspended the great public works of the old Provinces on this account, for instance, the enlargement of our canals. No doubt they have some grievances, we have some in the old Provinces; but before long they will enjoy all the luxuries of civilisation, and with a little patience and forbearance, this country will be 80 developed as to be a happy home for everybody, not only in the old Provinces, but also in Manitoba and the North-West. Ottawa :— Printed by MacLean, Roger ft Co., Wellington Street.