said Governor and Company shall have liberty, full power and authority to appoint and establish Governors and all other officers to govern them, and that the Governor and his council of the several and respective places where the said Company shall have plantations, forts, factories, colonies or places of trade, within any the countries, lands, or territories hereby granted, may have power to judge all persons belonging to the said Governor and Company, or that shall live under them, in all causes whether civil or criminal, according to the laws of this kingdom, and to execute justice accordingly; and in case any crime or misdemeanor shall be committed in any of the said Company's plantations, forts, factories, or places of trade within the limits aforesaid, where judicature cannot be executed for want of a governor and council there, then in such case it shall and may be lawful for the Chief Factor of that place and his council to transmit the party together with the offence to such other plantation, factory or fort, where there shall be a Governor and council, where justice may be executed, or into this kingdom of England as shall be thought most convenient, there to receive such punishment as his offences shall deserve: and moreover, our will and pleasure is, and by these presents for us, our heirs and successors, we do give and grant unto the said Governor and Company and their successors, free liberty and licence in case they conceive it necessary to send either ships of war, men or ammunition into any their plantations, forts, factories, or places of trade aforesaid, for the security and defence of the same, and to choose commanders and officers over them, and to give them power and authority by commissions, under their common seal, or otherwise, to continue or make peace or war with any prince or people whatsoever, that are not Christians, in any places where the said Company shall have any plantations, forts, or factories, or adjacent thereto as shall be most for the advantage and benefit of the said Governor and Company and of their trade; and also to right and recompense themselves upon the goods estates, or people of those parts by whom the said Governor

S

and Company shall sustain any injury, loss, or damage, or upon any other people whatsoever, that shall anyway, contrary to the intent of these presents interrupt, wrong, or injure them in their said trade, within the said places, territories, and limits, granted by this charter: And that it shall and may be lawful to and for the said Governor and Company and their successors from time to time and at all times from henceforth to erect and build such castles, fortifications, forts, garrisons, colonies, or plantations, towns or villages in any parts or places within the limits and bounds granted before in these presents unto the said Governor and Company, as they in their discretion shall think fit and requisite and for the supply of such as shall be needful and convenient to keep and be in the same, to send out of this kingdom, to the said castles, towns, or villages, all kinds of clothing, provision of victuals, ammunition, and implements necessary for such purpose, paying the duties and customs for the same as also to transport and carry over such number of men being willing thereunto or not prohibited, as they shall think fit, and also to govern them in such legal and reasonable manner as the said Governor and Company shall think best, and to inflict punishment for misdemeanors or impose such fines upon them for breach of their orders, as in these presents are formerly expressed: And further our will and pleasure is, and by these presents for us our heirs and successors, we do grant unto the said Governor and Company, and to their successors full power and lawful authority to seize upon the persons of all such English or any other our subjects which shall sail into Hudson's Bay or inhabit in any of the countries, islands, or territories hereby granted to the said Governor and Company without their leave and licence in that behalf first had and obtained, or that shall contemn or disobey their orders, and send them to England; and that all and every person or persons being our subjects, anyways employed by the said Governor and Company within any the parts, places, or limits aforesaid shall be liable unto and suffer such punishment for any offences by them committed in the parts aforesaid as the President and

Council for the said Governor and Company there shall think fit and the merit of the offence shall require as aforesaid; and in case any person or persons being convicted and sentenced by the President and Council of the said Governor and Company in the countries, lands, or limits aforesaid, their factors or agents there, for any offence by them done shall appeal from the same, and then and in such case it shall and may be lawful to and for the said President and Council, factors or agents, to seize upon him or them and to carry him or them home prisoners into England, to the said Governor and Company, there to receive such condign punishment as his cause shall require and the law of this nation allow of; and for the better discovery of abuses and injuries to be done unto the said Governor and Company or their successors, by any servant by them to be employed in the said voyages and plantations, it shall and may be lawful to and for the said Governor and Company, and their respective president, chief, agent, or governor in the parts aforesaid to examine upon oath all factors, masters, pursers, supercargoes, commanders of castles, forts, fortifications, plantations, or colonies, or other persons, touching or concerning any matter or thing in which by land or usage an oath may be administered, so as the said oath and the matter therein contained be not repugnant but agreeable to the laws of this realm; And we do hereby straightly charge and command all and singular our admirals, vice-admirals, justices, mayors, sheriffs, constables, bailiffs and all and singular other our officers, ministers, liegemen, and subjects whatsoever to be aiding, favouring, helping, and assisting the said Governor and Company and to their successors, and to their deputies and every of them in executing and enjoying the premises as well on land as on sea from time to time, when any of you shall thereunto be required; any statute, act, ordinance, proviso, proclamation or restraint heretofore had, made, set forth, ordained, or provided, or any other matter, cause, or thing whatsoever to the contrary in anywise notwithstanding. In wit

ness whereof we have caused these our letters to be made patent.

Witness ourself at Westminster, the second day of May, in the two and twentieth year of our reign.

By writ of Privy Seal,

PIGOTT.

No. VII.

EXTRACT FROM THE CROWN GRANT CHARTER of 1838, con

FERRING THE PRIVILEGE OF EXCLUSIVE TRADE WITH THE INDIANS UPON THE SURRENDER OF A FORMER GRANT TO THE HUDSON'S BAY COMPANY BY KING GEORGE IV. IN 1821.

"Now know ye, that in consideration of the surrender made to us of the said recited Grant, and being desirous of encouraging the said trade, and of preventing as much as possible a recurrence of the evils mentioned or referred to in the said recited Grant, we do hereby grant and give our license under the hand and seal of one of our principal secretaries of state to the said Governor and Company and their successors for the exclusive privilege of trading with the Indians in all such parts of North America to the northward and to the westward of the lands and territories belonging to the United States of America as shall not form any part of our provinces in North America, or of any lands or territories belonging to the said United States of America or to any European Government, state, or power: And we do by these presents give, grant, and secure to the said Governor and Company and their successors the sole and exclusive privilege for the full period of twenty-one years from the date of this our Grant, of trading with the Indians in all such parts of North America as aforesaid."

By virtue of this and the former license granted by George IV., the terms of the original charter were ostensibly, although not technically, revoked, and the

trade of the Hudson's Bay Company very properly confined solely to and with the Indians. Under what authority, therefore, the Company now claim and enforce an absolute monopoly and exclusive power and privilege of trading with the imported white population, and imposing other restrictions, to the exclusion of every other trafficker, is not apparent, and, indeed, seems as hard to define as their proclamations issued at Victoria have been injurious and perhaps unjustifiable.

No. VIII.

COPY OF THE TREATY BETWEEN HER MAJESTY QUEEN VICTORIA ANd the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA FOR THE SETTLEMENT OF THE OREGON BOUNDARY. SIGNED AT WASHINGTON JUNE THE 15TH, 1846. BATIFICATIONS EXCHANGED AT LONDON, JULY 17TH, 1846. PRESENTED

TO BOTH HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT BY COMMAND OF HER MAJESTY, 1846.

Her Majesty the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and the United States of America, deeming it to be desirable for the future welfare of both countries, that the state of doubt and uncertainty which has hitherto prevailed respecting the sovereignty and government of the territory on the north-west coast of America lying westward of the Rocky or Stony Mountains, should be finally terminated by an amicable compromise of the rights mutually asserted by the two parties over the said territory, have respectively named plenipotentiaries to treat and agree concerning the terms of such settlement, that is to say:

Her Majesty the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland has, on her part, appointed the Right Honourable Richard Pakenham, a member of Her Majesty's most Honourable Privy Council and Her Majesty's Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to the United States; and the President of the