- That The Fur Trade Could Be Separated From
The Land And Rights, And That A New Joint Stock Company Could
Be
organized to take over the trading posts, the fleet of ships, the stock
of goods, and the other assets,
Rights, and privileges affecting trade,
and that such a company would probably pay a rental - redeemable over a
term of years, were that needful to meet Mr. Gladstone's notions - of 3
or 3-1/2 per cent, on 800,000l., leaving only 700,000l.
as the value of a territory bigger than Russia in Europe. Such a
company would have to raise additional capital of its own to modernize
its business, to improve the means of intercourse between its posts,
and to cheapen and expedite the transport to and fro of its
merchandise. I carefully described the nature of these changes and all
that they involved. The Duke seemed to favour this idea. Then I pointed
out that, if desired, a land company could be organized in England,
Canada, and the United States, which, on a similar principle of rental
and redemption, might take over the lands - leaving a reserve of
probably a fourth of the whole as the, unpaid for, property of the
Government - at the price of 700,000l. If these proposals
succeeded, then all the country would have to do was to lend
1,500,000l. on such security as could be offered, ample, in each
case, in my opinion. But I said it must be a condition, if these plans
were adopted, to erect the Hudson's Bay territory into a Crown Colony,
like British Columbia, and to govern it on the responsibility of the
Empire.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 119 of 492
Words from 32235 to 32513
of 136421
