208 TKAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT. 



one residing in the settlement in 1869 was pleased 

 with the arrangement, and many were loud-spoken in 

 denouncing it. Where such active elements of dis- 

 content existed, it may easily be imagined how simple 

 it was to fan the smouldering embers into the flame 

 of active rebellion. 



The previous political history of the country was 

 curious, from the fact of there never having been any 

 active government whatever. There was nominally 

 a Governor and a Council, in whom resided all 

 sovereign powers. A lawyer's clerk had been con- 

 verted into a judge by the Hudson Bay Company, 

 and consequently there was an impression abroad, be 

 it true or untrue, that no one could look for impartial 

 justice being done in any case in which that corpora- 

 tion was interested. There was a code of laws, but 

 there was no police, so the rulers had to depend upon 

 a few special constables sworn in from time to time 

 as required, for the execution of the law's decree. 



Upon several occasions the law had been forcibly 

 resisted with success : men condemned to imprison- 

 ment in suits in which the Company was interested 

 had been released from their cells under the walls 

 of Fort Garry by a crowd of sympathising friends, 

 who had assembled for that purpose. K"ot many 

 years ago four men had combined together and pro- 

 claimed a republic. One was named president, and 

 two others appointed the principal ministers of this 

 liliputian government. Amongst the first acts of 



