The North-West and the Canadian Pacific Railway. 441 



where within its boundaries. In this way the people condemned 

 the policy entered into by Mr. Norquay in 1879 in respect of 

 railways, and, behold, Mr. Norquay condemned it also ! 



The agitation soon convinced the Dominion Government that 

 the people of the North-West could not long be confined to one 

 railway, or one outlet ; and in 1884 the Minister of Railways 

 announced in his place in the House of Commons that a decision 

 had been reached with the concurrence of the Pacific Railway Com- 

 pany to the effect that the protection clause of the Pacific bargain 

 would be removed at a much earlier date than was at first provided, 

 and that as soon as the Pacific Railway was completed all such 

 restrictions would be obliterated, and lines competing with the 

 national highway allowed. In the meantime, as I have already 

 pointed out, the people, thwarted in their efforts to cross the Inter- 

 national Boundary, turned their attention towards the natural outlet 

 via Hudson's Bay, and the Manitoba agitation, not without beneficial 

 results to that Province, was the chief instrument of this change. 

 The people clamoured for a road from the prairie country to Hudson's 

 Bay, and with such eagerness that they manifested a wish to pledge 

 their farms in order to secure it. 



They looked upon the Canadian Pacific as a great national high- 

 way required as much for political purposes as for commercial 

 necessities ; and, being fully persuaded that the North- West could 

 not successfully compete with other bread and meat producing 

 districts while its only method of reaching tide water was over 

 nearly two thousand miles of railroad, they turned their eyes 

 towards ■ Hudson's Bay, easily reached from the prairie country by 

 an average distance of five hundred miles. By this route there 

 would be a saving of from one thousand to fifteen hundred miles of 

 the distance to European markets, and they determined to avail 

 themselves of its advantages. Thus we see great good coming out 

 of the agitation over the Canadian Pacific monopoly ; and, if only 

 the people of the North- West will follow up the matter vigorously, 

 they will secure the much desired boon. Nor will this achievement 

 work any injury to the Canadian Pacific or to the nation. It is 

 very plain that the greater the growth and development in popula- 



