THE NORTHWESTERN BOUNDARY-LINE. 217 



the aggregate Company enabled it to obtain for a 

 term of years, first in 1821, and afterward in 1838, 

 exclusive rio-lit to trade watli tbe Indians in certain 

 parts of North America not belonging to Prince Ru- 

 pert's Land. 



The region of country thus opened by license ex- 

 clusively to the Hudson's Bay Company is described 

 in the license of 1838 as follows: 



"The exclusive privilege of trading with the Indians in all 

 such parts of North America to the northward and to the west- 

 ward of the lands and territories belonging to the United States 

 of America as should not form part of any of our provinces in 

 North America, or of any lands or territories belonging to the 

 said United States of America, or to any European Government, 

 State, or Power." 



In so far as these licenses affected only the region 

 west and south of Hudson's Bay depending on Lake 

 Winnipeg, Lake Athabasca, the two Slave Lakes, and 

 other lands east of the Rocky Mountains, they did 

 not concern the United States. 



But in so far as they affected the region w^est of 

 the Rocky Mountains, such a license is in plain viola- 

 tion of treaties with the United States. The Queen 

 of Eno-land could 2;ive a license in that reofion to the 

 Hudson's Bay Company exclusive of all other Miglisli- 

 men; but she could not give any to exclude citizens 

 of the United States. That, indeed, the grant does 

 not profess to do; but, in effect, it did that and more ; 

 for in the hands of the Company it w^as " a charter 

 of licensed usurpation and pillage in the whole of 

 the described reo-ion of North America." The Com- 

 pany established forts or posts at every eligible or 



