The Best Route For A Telegraph Could Be, And Was,
Suggested, To You From His Own Observations, Corroborated And Added To
By The Personal Experience Of Mr. Hopkins And Others, Who Had Often
Traversed The Districts, And Had Resided For Years Therein.
The entire
feasibility of constructing a telegraph across the Continent was not
only confirmed by these experiences, but by the practical views of
persons consulted, who had set up lines through even more difficult and
wilder tracts of country.
"Therefore the objects you appeared to have before you were realized,
if not directly through me, yet through the colleague you had selected
for me, your own local governor, of whom I cannot express too high an
opinion, having been his almost constant companion for above a month,
during which every detail, so far as we could grasp it, was thoroughly
discussed.
"Having given my best attention and labours to the whole subject for
some years, and believing that I might be of more service to you here,
since Governor Dallas could not be spared to come home, and could not
prudently have left Canada until he had put all your business there in
order, I exercised no unwise discretion in returning to England.
"I have now to ask your forgiveness for the length of this paper, and
to express my readiness to give any further explanations in my power,
while wishing you and your colleagues quite to understand that I have
no desire whatever - but far the contrary - to obtrude myself upon you in
the control of an enterprise which I honestly believe can be made
completely successful by the exercise of even ordinary energy and
skill, and which ought to be safe and certain in such experienced and
able hands as yours.
"I have the honour to be, dear Sir,
"Yours faithfully,
"EDWD. W. WATKIN.
"Sir E. W. HEAD, Bart.,
"Governor of the Hudson's Bay Company."
One other object I desired to accomplish, was an exchange of boundary
between the Hudson's Bay and the United States, with the view to
Superior City being brought into British territory by a fair payment
and exchange of land. The negociation looked very hopeful at one time,
but it was not followed up in London, and it fell to the ground. There
are few people who understand that it is not only desirable to do the
right thing, but to do it at the right time - that is, when
circumstances favour the doing.
I am entitled to say that, owing to the non-acceptance, at the time, of
our proposals, much delay in realizing the great object of settling the
government and colonizing the territory arose: inadequate terms for the
sale and purchase of the vast landed estate of the Company had to be
accepted from Canada; and the "wintering partners," not made real
partners, as recommended by Governor Dallas and myself, but held at
arm's length, had, at last, to be compensated for giving up the old
"deed poll" with a sum of 107,055l., paid in 1871 - ten years
after the date of our report to Sir Edmund Head.
But, "all's well that ends well," and the great work is, at last,
accomplished.
CHAPTER XII.
The Hudson's Bay Company and the Select Committee of
1748-9.
The history of the old co-partnery, the "Governor and Company of
Adventurers of England trading into Hudson's Bay," ought to be written
by some able hand. Samuel Smiles or Goldwin Smith, with the aid of the
archives held by the Governor and Committee, would make a book which
would go round the world. To publish such a record is a duty incumbent
upon Mr. Eden Colville and his colleagues. From no merit or prevision
of theirs, a happy and profitable transformation has been made of their
undertaking. The individuals, as well as Canada as a State, and the
Empire, also, have gained largely. The monopoly has been broken up,
under liberal and generous treatment of the monopolists - monopolists
who had deserved their monopoly by their able administration; and those
who ran the risk, paid the cost, and incurred the anxiety, neither
complain nor ask for the credit of their work. The merchant adventurer
trading to the Eastern Indies, and the merchant adventurer trading into
Hudson's Bay, each on his side of the world, has preserved vast
territories to the Crown and people of England. Their conquests have
cost the taxpayers of England nothing; while the trade and enterprise
they promoted have enriched millions, and have opened careers, often
brilliant, for men of courage and self denial, many of whose names will
go down to posterity in fame and honour.
The Hudson's Bay Company was constituted under a charter of Charles the
Second. That charter began thus: "Charles the Second, by the grace of
God King of England, Scotland, France, and Ireland, Defender of the
Faith, to all to whom these presents shall come greeting:
"Whereas our dear intirely beloved cousin, Prince Rupert, Count
Palatine of the Rhine, Duke of Bavaria and Cumberland; George Duke of
Albemarle, William Earl of Craven, Henry Lord Arlington, Anthony Lord
Ashley, Sir John Robinson, and Sir Robert Vyner, Knights and Baronets;
Sir Peter Colleton, Baronet, Sir Edward Hungerford, Knight of the Bath,
Sir Paul Neele, Sir John Griffith, Sir Philip Carteret, and Sir James
Hayes, Knights; John Kirke, Francis Millington, William Prettyman, John
Fenn, Esquires, and John Portman, citizen and goldsmith of London, have
at their own great costs and charges undertaken an expedition for
Hudson's Bay, in the Northwest parts of America, for the discovery of a
new passage into the South Sea, and for the finding of some trade for
furs, minerals, and other considerable commodities; and by such their
undertaking have already made such discoveries as do encourage them to
proceed farther in pursuance of their said design, by means whereof
there may probably arise great advantage to us and our kingdom:
"And whereas the said undertakers, for their further encouragement in
the said design, have humbly besought us to incorporate them, and grant
unto them, and their successors, the whole trade and commerce of all
those seas, streights, and bays, rivers, lakes, creeks, and sounds, in
whatsoever latitude they shall be, that lie within the entrance of the
streights commonly called Hudson's Streights; together with all the
lands, countries, and territories upon the coasts and confines of the
seas, streights, bays, lakes, rivers, creeks, and sounds aforesaid,
which are not now actually possessed by any of our subjects, or by the
subjects of any other Christian Prince or State."
And the adventurers were made "one body corporate and politic, in deed
and in name," by the name of "The Governor and Company of Adventurers
of England trading into Hudson's Bay."
They were granted "the sole trade and commerce" of "all those seas,"
&c., &c., "in whatever latitude they shall be;" "together with all the
lands and territories upon the countries, coasts, and confines of the
seas, bays, lakes, rivers, creeks and sounds aforesaid;" "with the
fishing of all sorts of fish, whales, sturgeons, and all other royal
fishes;" "together with the royalty of the sea upon the coasts within
the limits aforesaid, and all mines royal, as well discovered as not
discovered, of gold, silver, gems, and precious stones, to be found and
discovered within the territories, limits, and places aforesaid; and
that the land be from henceforth reckoned and reputed as one of our
plantations or Colonies in America, called Rupert's Land."
All this was to be "holden" "of us, our heirs and successors, as of our
manor of East Greenwich, in the County of Kent, in free and common
soccage, and not in capite or by knight's service; yielding and paying
yearly to us, our heirs and successors, for the same, two elks and two
black beavers, whensoever and as often as we, our heirs and successors,
shall happen to enter into the said countries, territories, and regions
hereby granted."
The adventurers were further granted "not only the whole, intire, and
only liberty of trade and traffick, and the whole, intire, and only
liberty, use and privilege of trading and traffick to and from the
territories, limits, and places aforesaid, but also the whole and
intire trade and traffick to and from all havens, bays, creeks, rivers,
lakes, and seas into which they shall find entrance, or passage by
water, or land, out of the territories, &c. aforesaid; and to and with
all the natives and people, inhabitants, or which shall inhabit within
the territories, &c."
The charter proceeds to grant the fullest powers for the government of
the countries by the adventurers; every power, in fact, provided the
laws in force in England were administered.
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