offer to purchase its territorial interests was made
in January, 1866, by American capitalists, which was not
unfavourably glanced at by the directorate. It was capped later
on. The corollary of the proposal was a bill, actually introduced
into the United States Congress in July following, and read twice,
"providing for the admission of the States of Nova Scotia, New
Brunswick, Canada East and Canada West, and for the organization
of the Territories of Selkirk, Saskatchewan and Columbia." The
bill provided that "The United States would pay ten millions of
dollars to the Hudson's Bay Company in full of all claims to
territory or jurisdiction in North America, whether founded on
the Charter of the Company, or any treaty, law, or usage." The
grandiosity, to use a mild phrase, of such a measure needs no
comment. But though it seems amusing to the Canadian of to-day,
it was by no means a joke forty years ago. As a matter of fact,
the then most uninhabited Territories, cut off from the centres
of Canadian activity by a wilderness of over a thousand miles,
would have been invaded by Fenians and filibusters but for the
fact that they were a part of the British Empire. An attempt
at this was indeed made at a later date. This possibility was
afterwards formulated, evidently as a threat, by Senator Charles
Sumner during the "Alabama Claims" discussion, in his astonishing
memorandum to Secretary Fish. "The greatest trouble, if not
peril," he said, "is from Fenianism, which is excited by the
British flag in Canada. Therefore, the withdrawal of the British
flag cannot be abandoned as a preliminary of such a settlement
as is now proposed. To make the settlement complete the withdrawal
should be from this hemisphere, including provinces and islands."
A refreshing proposition, truly!

It was the Imperial Government, of course, which figured most
prominently throughout the "North-West" question. But, it may
be reasonably asked, what was Canada doing, with her deeper
interests still, to further them in those long years of
discussion and delay. With the exception of the Hind Expedition,
the Draper mission, the printing and discussion of the Red
River settlers' petition and consequent Commission of Inquiry,
certainly not much was done by Parliament. More was done
outside than in the House to arouse public interest; for
example, the two admirable lectures delivered in Montreal
in 1858 by the late Lieutenant-Governor Morris, followed by
t