such trade-both which questions they considered at a meeting, where Mr. Jackson and I were present, and answered in the affirmative unanimously, delivering their report accordingly to the Board.

Nov. 25, 1767.-As soon as I received Mr. Galloway's, Mr. S. Wharton's, and Mr. Crogan's letters on the subject of the (Indian) boundary, I communicated them to Lord Shelburne. He invited me next day to dine with him. Lord Clare was to have been there, but did not come. There was nobody but Mr. Maclean. My lord knew nothing of the boundaries having been agreed on by Sir William; had sent the letters to the Board of Trade, directing search to be made there for Sir William's letters; and ordered Mr. Maclean to search the Secretary's office, who found nothing. We had much discourse about it, and I pressed the importance of despatching orders immediately to Sir William to complete the affair. His. lordship asked who was to make the purchase, that is, who should be at the expense. I said that if the line included any lands within the grants of the charter colonies, they should pay the purchase-money of such proportion. If any within the proprietary grants, they should pay their propor tion. But what was within Royal governments, where the King granted the lands, the Crown should pay for that proportion. His lordship was pleased to say he thought this reasonable. He finally desired me to go to Lord Clare as from him, and urge the business there, which I undertook to do. * * *

We

I waited next morning on Lord Clare, and pressed the matter of the boundary closely upon him. * * * He agreed upon settling it, but thought there would be some difficulty about who should pay the purchase-money; for that this country was already so loaded, it would bear no more. then talked of the new colonies. I found he was inclined to think one near the mouth of the Ohio might be of use in securing the country, but did not much approve that at Detroit. And, as to the trade he imagined it would be of little conse

quence, if we had it all, but supposed our traders would sell the peltry chiefly to the French and Spaniards at New Orleans, as he had heard they had hitherto done.

March 13, 1768.-The purpose of settling the new colonies seems at present to be dropped, the change of American administration not appearing favourable to it. There seems rather to be an inclination to abandon the posts in the back country, as more expensive than useful. But counsels are so continually fluctuating here that nothing can be depended on. The new Secretary, Lord H., is, I find, of opinion that the troops should be placed, the chief part of them in Canada and Florida. * *

ON THE COLONIZATION OF THE ILLINOIS COUNTRY.-Extract. [Sir William Johnson to the Lords of Trade and Plantations.] JOHNSON'S HALL, Jan. 31, 1776.

MY LORDS,* I have received the agreeable news of our being in actual possession of the Illinois, the Indians, in consequence of their engagements to Mr. Crogan, having given no obstruction to Captain Stirling or his party, who arrived at Fort Chartres in October last, and were well received.

As the possession of this fine country has been earnestly desired and often in vain attempted since the reduction of Canada, and now proceeds from the late negociations of my Deputy with the Indians in that quarter, it may not be amiss to offer my thoughts on the best manner for possessing so valuable an acquisition, and render it of real use to the Crown. It will be needless to enlarge upon the natural advantages of soil and situation which this country peculiarly enjoys, these being matters pretty well known; but to avail ourselves of these advantages, it is highly necessary that we should do all in our power to keep the Indians contented, easy and reconciled to our manners and government, without

which we can neither keep up the communication, or retain it for any time, and the difficulties and obstructions which have hitherto prevented our possessing it, by way of the Mississippi, are convincing proof of this. Neither is it in our power, with any force to be spared for that service, to ascend the river or cross the country by land to that settlement, if the Indians are at all disposed to obstruct their progress.* The settlements at the Illinois extend for many miles above the Kaskaski river along the Mississippi; the land is extremely fine, and capable of raising anything. Some of the present inhabitants may possibly incline to go home, and our traders will, I dare say, choose to purchase their rights; this may be a foundation for a valuable colony in that country, which, once established, would prove very beneficial to Great Britain, as well as a great check to the large cessions obtained of the natives. But to effect this, and every other purpose, their jealousies and dislike must be conquered, and they must be convinced by a series of good management and occasional generosity that their suspicions are groundless.-N. Y. Hist. Doc., vol. 8.

APPENDIX C.

SO MUCH OF THE DEBATE IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS ON THE QUEBEC BILL AS RELATES TO THE BOUNDARIES.

Mr. T. Townshend, jun.-Although I bow very low to all great authorities, I must venture to mention one thing, that when I was calling for regulations for Canada, little did I think, that I was calling for regulations for a country much larger than Canada, a country "extending," in the words of the Bill, "southward to the banks of the River Ohio, westward to the banks of the Mississippi, and northward to the southern boundary of the territory granted to the Merchants' Adven

The expeditions of Lord Dunmore and Colonel Boquet would seem to warrant different conclusion.

turers of England trading to Hudson s Bay." I say, Sir, that when I was calling for regulations for Canada, little did I think that I was calling for an arrangement which, I will venture to say, is oppressive to the English subject, and disagreeable and hateful to the Canadian. * I know there prevails an opinion that the best thing you can do with this country is to make it a French colony, to keep the English out of it as much as possible, that they may not mix with the Canadians. * * * Now, for what purpose are they (the English settlers) to be placed under French laws, unless it is meant to be laid as a foundation that, for the future, French laws are to be the laws of America? If this. is to be the case, Sir, that may be a good reason for extending French law to the whole of Illinois, and to all that is intermediate between Illinois and Canada. You have given up to Canada almost all that country which was the subject of dispute, and for which we went to war. We went to war calling it the Province of Virginia. You tell the French it was only a pretext for going to war; that you knew then, you know now, that it was a part of the Province of Canada. I should wish to know why Canada may not be reduced to some less limits; why not the same limits England and France have ever given it; why not within some bounds, a little less than that which is given to it here?

Lord North.— * * * The first thing objected to by the honourable gentleman is the very great extent of territory given to the Province. Why, he asks, is it so extensive? There are added undoubtedly to it two countries which were not in the original limits of Canada, as settled in the proclamation of 1763 one, the Labrador coast, the other, the country westward of the Ohio and Mississippi, and a few scattered posts to the west. Sir, the addition of Labrador coast has been made in consequence of information received from those best acquainted with Canada and the fishery upon that coast, who deem it absolutely necessary, for the preservation of that fishery, that the Labrador coast should no longer be

considered as a part of the government of Newfoundland but be annexed to that country. With respect to the other additions, these questions very fairly occur. It is well known that settlers are in the habit of going to the interior parts from time to time. Now, however undesirable, it is open to Parliament to consider whether it is fit there should be no government in the country, or, on the contrary, separate and distinct governments; or whether the scattered posts should be annexed to Canada. The House of Lords have thought proper to annex them to Canada; but when we consider that there must be some government, and that it is the desire of all those who trade from Canada to those countries, that there should be some government, my opinion is that if gentlemen will weigh the inconveniences of separate governments, they will think the least inconvenient method is to annex those spots, though few in population, great in extent of territory, rather than to leave them without government at all, or make them separate ones· Sir, the annexation likewise is the result of the desire of the Canadians and of those who trade to those settlements, who think they cannot trade with safety as long as they remain separate.

Mr. T. Townsend, jun.- *

* Near the Illinois and Fort du Cane, I am informed there are at this time upwards of five-and-twenty thousand British settlers.

Mr. Dunning.- *

* The first object of this Bill is to make out that to be Canada, which it was the struggle of this country to say was not Canada. Now, Sir, if this Province should ever be given back to its old masters—and I am not without an inclination to think that the best way would be to give it back to its old masters—if it should ever become right to give back Canada, with what consistency can its future negociator say to France, We will give you back Canada; not that Canada which you asserted to be Canada, but that stated in the proclamation, having discovered that we were mistaken in the extent of it, which error has been corrected by the highest authority in this country? Then, suppose Canada