2T 

 upon an historic one in the annals of the Canadian North- 

 west? Without entering into the merits of the dispute that 

 led to the unfortunate affray which took place here, it will be 

 necessary for me to state a few facts in connection with the 

 occurrence, which are established by historical documents and 

 sworn evidence offered in the courts of law in Canada. 



Prior to the first years of the present century, the Hud- 

 son's Bay Company (speaking in general terms) had not 

 established themselves on the banks of the Red River in any 

 permanent posts. The North-west Company, composed mostly 

 of Montreal merchants, with headquarters at Fort William, on 

 Lake Superior, had a large number of employes engaged in 

 the several branches of the fur trade, and occupied in their 

 trapping pursuits the country extending from Lake Superior 

 to Lake Winnipeg, and the lands adjacent to the Red, Assini- 

 boine, Saskatchewan, Athabasca and McKenzie Rivers. The 

 North-westers claimed a full right to trade in this country by 

 virtue of exploration and occupation. The Hudson's Bay 

 Company claimed exclusive trading privileges in this same 

 district, as part of the territory described in their charter of 

 1670. 



In 1811 Lord Selkirk gained a controlling voice in the 

 affairs of the Hudson's Bay Company in England, and ob- 

 tained from the Company a grant in fee simple of 116,000 

 square miles of territory in the Red River Valley, on the 

 condition that he founded a colony on the ground, and fur- 

 nished from among the settlers, on certain terms, such laborers 

 as were required by the Company in their trading operations. 

 Lord Selkirk immediately after this date made arrangements 

 for establishing a colony, and brought out by way of York 

 Factory a number of settlers, mainly from Scotland. These 

 landed on the bank of the Red River, in the vicinity of Point 

 Douglas, in the autumn of 1812, Captain Miles Macdonnell 

 being placed in charge of the colony as resident governor. 

 The colonists were in succeeding years joined by other parties 

 from the British Isles. 



During the first year or two, the officers of the Hudson's 



