Document Information

Date: 1867-04-03 – 1867-04-06
By: John A. Macdonald, British North American Delegates
Citation: Letter from John A. Macdonald to the Secretary of State for the Colonies (6 April 1867) [incl. BNA Resolutions on NWT and British Columbia] (MG 26 A, Vol. 50, pp. 19892-19899).
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Notes: Some portions of the document have not yet been deciphered.

19892

Copy

W P Hotel

London 6 April 1867

My Lord [illegible]

I have the honor to enclose ^[transmit] to your Grace copies of certain Resolutions passed by the Delegates form B.N.A. on the subject of the North West Territory + B. Columbia

(I have the honour

His Grace

[illegible]

19893

BNA

Resns Conference

3 April 1867

Re N.W. Terty.

19894

Resolutions adopted at a Meeting of the Delegates from British North America held at the Westminster Palace ^{[Hotel London]} on the 3^rd day of April AD 1867.

Whereas it appears that certain persons residing at Red River in the North Western territory of British America have petitioned the Her Majesty + establish ^[therein] a Crown Colony ^{[and illegible]} for the ^[better] protection of the [illegible] inhabitants of the said territory.

And whereas it appears that the Legislature of British Columbia has adopted a Resolution affirming the wish of the People of that Colony to be admitted into the Union with Canada under the British North American

19895

Act just lately to which the Royal assent has just been given.

Resolved that in the opinion of this conference it will not be practicable to make satisfactory arrangement for the admission of British Columbia with the Union while the [illegible] territory which [illegible] lies  between Canada and that Colony is without organized government, and is claimed first by the Indians who occupy the greater part of it; and secondly by the Hudson’s Bay Company who have established a few trading posts, [illegible] many hundred miles distant, the one from the other

19896

Resolved that—the establishment of a Crown Colony ^{[or any newly Provisional Government]}, if by that denomination is meant a system of [illegible] which does not ^{recognize [the responsibility, the executive to the legislature illegible]} the right of the people to be represented by in a legislative assembly freely chosen by themselves, and their right [illegible] would not facilitate the Union contemplated and provided for in the Act just passed, and would ^{[with [illegible] of the Conference]} only add to the evils under ^[of] which the inhabitants of “Red River” and the other settlement of ^[in] the Territory now [illegible] complain.

Resolved therefore, [illegible], as the opinion of this Conference, that provision having been made by the 146^th section

19897

of the “British North American Act” of the for the admission of Ruperts Land and the North Western territory or either of them in the Union on such terms and conditions as the Parliament of Canada may propose and Her Majesty approve, it would not be expedient [illegible] to anticipate the action of that body, [illegible] or interpose to create [illegible] institutions or systems of government in any part of British America, which would not be of long continuance, and which would probably retard the policy of Union [illegible].

Resolved That the conference having

19898

had communication of an Order in Council of the Canadian Government bearing date the 22^nd June AD. 1866 on the subject of the claims of the Hudsons Bay Company and the ^[a] propositions of certain parties to purchase the [illegible] “such portions” of the Northwest Territory “as may be [illegible] of [illegible]”, are of opinion that the views expressed by the Canadian government on both points are [equal sign crossed out—meaning “not”] well founded and will be confirmed by the legisla Parliament of Canada.

Resolved That a [illegible] of these Resolutions be terminated by Her

His Grace The Secretary of State for the Colonies [illegible]

19899

Resolutions

3 April ‘67

N.W. Territory