ice of justice and humanity pleading in behalf
of the numerous tribes of perishing Indians? Now, now is the time to
apply the remedy; in 1863, where will the Indian be?

If it is urged that the measures I propose violate the charter,
deprive the Company of their sovereignty, and reduce them to the
situation of subjects; still, I say, they will have vast advantages
over every other competitor. Their ample resources, their long
exclusive possession of the trade, their experience, the skill and
activity of their agents, will long, perhaps permanently, secure to
them the greatest portion of the trade; while the Indians will be
greatly benefited by a free competition.

If it be urged that the profits will be so much reduced by
competition, that the trade will not be worth pursuing; I answer,
that competition has certainly a natural tendency to reduce profits;
but experience proves that it has also a tendency to reduce costs.
A monopolist company never goes very economically to work; and,
although much economy, or rather parsimony, of a very questionable and
impolitic kind, has been of late years attempted to be introduced into
the management of the Hudson's Bay Company's affairs, a free and fair
competition will suggest economy of a sounder kind--the facilitating
of transport, the improvement of portages, and the saving of labour.
Where are the evils which interested alarmists predicted would follow
the modification of the East India Company's charter?

I have spoken of restrictions to be imposed on those who engage in the
trade. These are;--that no one be allowed to engage in it without
a licence from Government;--that these licensed traders should be
confined to a certain locality, beyond which they should not move, on
any pretext;--and that no spirituous liquors should be sold or given
to the Indians under the severest penalties--such as the forfeiture of
the offender's licence, and of their right to participate in the trade
in all time coming.

CHAPTER XX.

WESLEYAN MISSION--MR. EVANS--ENCOURAGEMENT GIVEN BY THE
COMPANY--MR. EVANS'S EXERTIONS AMONG THE INDIANS--CAUSES OF
THE WITHDRAWAL OF THE COMPANY'S SUPPORT--CALUMNIOUS CHARGES
AGAINST MR. EVANS--MR. E. GOES TO ENGLAND--HIS SUDDEN DEATH.

Allusion has been made in a former chapter to the Company's
encouragement of Missionaries; I shall now add a few facts by way of
illustration.

The Rev. Mr. Evans, a man no less remarkable for genuine