Settler's Union: Our Bill of Rights


Settler's Union: Our Bill of Rights
"Metis rights included in Memorial" Saskatchewan Herald 9/29/1883 Our Bill of Rights Mr. Jackson, Qu'Appelle, moved that a committee composed of Messrs. Hamilton, Oliver, Ross, White, MacDowall...be appointed to draft a memorial to His Excellency the Governor General, praying that immediate action be taken by the Dominion Government to abolish the Regina reserve, the Moose Jaw reserve, to throw open the mile belt reserve and recognize the claims of those who have bona fide settled therein; to make the acquisition of patents; the recognition of the rights of Half-breeds in the reservations; to grant a subsidy per capita for expenditure by the Lieutenant-Governor in Council in the North West Territories; insisting on the necessity of more surveys in the North Saskatchewan District; the amendment to the Land Act, allowing all homesteads cancelled for any cause to be open for entrance and not held for sale; the necessity for vaults inland and registry offices; the protection of actual settlers on Hudson's Bay and school lands prior to survey; the appointment of additional Stipendiary Magistrates; of giving power to the North West Council to incorporate companies having territorial objects; asking for the annulment of grants of land made to colonization companies of lands previously settled on; the abolition of excessive duties on agricultural implements imported into the Territories; the representation of the Territories in the Dominion Parliament; greater power to the Council of the North-West Territories; and power to compel the enforcing of the Ordinances by fine or imprisonment, or both. At the suggestion of Col. MacLeod some verbal amendments were made in the resolution, which was then passed. * * * * * " Text of Memorial" Saskatchewan Herald 10/27/1883 Memorial To His Excellency the Governor-General of Canada. May it please Your Excellency. Your memorialists, the Lieutenant-Governor and the Council of the North-West Territories show as follows: 1. That the reservations held by the Government at Regina and Moose Jaw, and the reserve known as the "mile belt reserve" are detrimental to growth and prosperity. Large blocks of land being held by the Government, and settlers being debarred from locating upon them, paralyze the expansive force of this young country, and by bounding the railway by a tract comparatively uninhabited give the traveler a false idea of the North-West, and an inadequate and sometimes misleading impression of the character of the soil. Your memorialists are aware, too, that many bona fide settlers have located upon land included in these reserves, innocent of any order to the contrary, and have in many cases been driven from their claims, and in others have been prevented from obtaining those advantages which the inducements held out by the Government led them to expect. Your memorialists therefore pray that immediate action be taken to remove these barriers to the development of the country. 2. Your memorialists also pray that immediate measures be adopted to determine titles to lands that have been over three years in cultivation, and that patents issue at once to those entitled to them; that pre-emptions and squatters' claims settled on prior to the 14th October, 1879, be allowed at a price in accordance with the Order in Council existing at the time of settlement; that settlers who have entered upon lands prior to survey, and previous to the 14th of October, 1879, at which time there did not exist any distinction between odd and even numbered sections, and after survey are found to be upon odd numbered sections, should be allowed their homesteads and pre-emptions on such sections at a price in accordance with the Order in Council existing at the time of settlement; that settlers on school lands, who settled on them prior to survey and ignorant of the fact, be afforded security in their holdings; and that the Government will use its good offices to obtain security for those who have in good faith settled on Hudson's Bay sections prior to survey, and after 1878, and in ignorance that they were such sections. Your memorialists further pray that those Half-breeds in the Territories who have not participated in the arrangement to extinguish the Half-breed claim in Manitoba, should enjoy the same rights as accorded the Half-breeds in that Province. 3. Your memorialists also pray for more extended surveys in the country of the North Saskatchewan; that the special settlement survey on the South Saskatchewan, in the parish of St. Antoine, made by Mr. Aldous, D.L.S., be approved, and that the land agent at Prince Albert be instructed to receive entries for such lands; that the lands in the parishes of Grandin, St. Laurent and St. Louis, and fronting on the South Saskatchewan, be surveyed in ten-chain lots, it being occupied by settlers in this manner. 4. That the system of granting leases of lands in western grazing districts be discontinued, as injurious, and for the reason that a very large portion of the land so leased is fit and required for actual settlement. 5. That homesteads cancelled for any cause should be again opened for entry and not held for sale is, we believe, best calculated to settle the country. 6. That the safety of documents, valuable alike to the Government and the people, demands that vaults should be erected in land and registry offices in the Territories. 7. That at least two additional stipendiary magistrates should be appointed for the Territories. 8. That power be given the North-West Council to incorporate companies having territorial objects, and to enforce Ordinances by imprisonment. 9. That sub-section two of section ninety-one of the North-West Territories Act of 1880 be amended so as to vest all trails and highways in the Council of the North-West Territories. 10. That the duties on agricultural implements and lumber should be reduced. It having heretofore been the policy of your Excellency's Government to foster the industries of the country, we feel that the heavy duties imposed on lumber and implements used in agricultural pursuits, together with the heavy rates of freight which must be paid, are calculated to so increase the cost of building and of farming that the effect must be injurious to the settlement. 11. That a largely increased sum should be voted for expenditure on the Saskatchewan River to improve the navigation thereof, it being the only means of outlet for a very large section of the North-West, and the Canadian Pacific Railway on the south being at such a great distance, make it as a cheap means of outlet almost impracticable. 12. That the mining laws and regulations should be assimilated to those of British Columbia and Montana Territory. 13. That the right of pre-emption should not be abolished. 14. Your memorialists also pray, in view of the very large increase of the population in the Territories, and the consequent increasing demand for various improvements, that a sum per capita, based on the assumed population of one hundred thousand now in the North-West Territories, be given for expenditure by the Lieutenant-Governor in Council, as better calculated to meet the requirements of the people than that at present followed. 15. That the system of granting immense tracts of the choicest lands in the Territories to colonization companies is inimical to the best interests of the country. Your memorialists therefore pray that no more such grants be made; that the companies now holding the same be compelled to fulfil the conditions imposed on them, in letter and spirit, and that the agents of the companies be not allowed to act as agents of the Government in any respect; that granting lands already thickly settled, as in the case of the Edmonton and Saskatchewan Land Company, is contrary to the intention of the Land Act; that the company profits to an undue extent by the energy and forethought of the pioneers of the country, who are prevented from reaping the advantage of their own labor, in that the odd numbered sections are locked up for speculative purposes, which would otherwise be open for settlement or held for sale by the Government at reasonable terms. Your memorialists therefore pray that your Excellency's Government will enquire into the matter and redress the above grievance. 16. Your memorialists believe that the success of the North-West Territories is of such importance to the whole Dominion that the time has arrived when representation for the Territories should be had in Parliament. At the present time the people of the North-West are without representation of any kind, and have to depend solely on petitions and memorials to make their wants known. And your memorialists will ever pray.

"Metis rights included in Memorial"
Saskatchewan Herald
9/29/1883
Our Bill of Rights
Mr. Jackson, Qu'Appelle, moved that a committee composed of Messrs. Hamilton, Oliver, Ross, White, MacDowall...be appointed to draft a memorial to His Excellency the Governor General, praying that immediate action be taken by the Dominion Government to abolish the Regina reserve, the Moose Jaw reserve, to throw open the mile belt reserve and recognize the claims of those who have bona fide settled therein; to make the acquisition of patents; the recognition of the rights of Half-breeds in the reservations; to grant a subsidy per capita for expenditure by the Lieutenant-Governor in Council in the North West Territories; insisting on the necessity of more surveys in the North Saskatchewan District; the amendment to the Land Act, allowing all homesteads cancelled for any cause to be open for entrance and not held for sale; the necessity for vaults inland and registry offices; the protection of actual settlers on Hudson's Bay and school lands prior to survey; the appointment of additional Stipendiary Magistrates; of giving power to the North West Council to incorporate companies having territorial objects; asking for the annulment of grants of land made to colonization companies of lands previously settled on; the abolition of excessive duties on agricultural implements imported into the Territories; the representation of the Territories in the Dominion Parliament; greater power to the Council of the North-West Territories; and power to compel the enforcing of the Ordinances by fine or imprisonment, or both.
At the suggestion of Col. MacLeod some verbal amendments were made in the resolution, which was then passed.
* * * * *
" Text of Memorial"
Saskatchewan Herald
10/27/1883
Memorial
To His Excellency the Governor-General of Canada.
May it please Your Excellency.
Your memorialists, the Lieutenant-Governor and the Council of the North-West Territories show as follows:
1. That the reservations held by the Government at Regina and Moose Jaw, and the reserve known as the "mile belt reserve" are detrimental to growth and prosperity. Large blocks of land being held by the Government, and settlers being debarred from locating upon them, paralyze the expansive force of this young country, and by bounding the railway by a tract comparatively uninhabited give the traveler a false idea of the North-West, and an inadequate and sometimes misleading impression of the character of the soil. Your memorialists are aware, too, that many bona fide settlers have located upon land included in these reserves, innocent of any order to the contrary, and have in many cases been driven from their claims, and in others have been prevented from obtaining those advantages which the inducements held out by the Government led them to expect. Your memorialists therefore pray that immediate action be taken to remove these barriers to the development of the country.
2. Your memorialists also pray that immediate measures be adopted to determine titles to lands that have been over three years in cultivation, and that patents issue at once to those entitled to them; that pre-emptions and squatters' claims settled on prior to the 14th October, 1879, be allowed at a price in accordance with the Order in Council existing at the time of settlement; that settlers who have entered upon lands prior to survey, and previous to the 14th of October, 1879, at which time there did not exist any distinction between odd and even numbered sections, and after survey are found to be upon odd numbered sections, should be allowed their homesteads and pre-emptions on such sections at a price in accordance with the Order in Council existing at the time of settlement; that settlers on school lands, who settled on them prior to survey and ignorant of the fact, be afforded security in their holdings; and that the Government will use its good offices to obtain security for those who have in good faith settled on Hudson's Bay sections prior to survey, and after 1878, and in ignorance that they were such sections. Your memorialists further pray that those Half-breeds in the Territories who have not participated in the arrangement to extinguish the Half-breed claim in Manitoba, should enjoy the same rights as accorded the Half-breeds in that Province.
3. Your memorialists also pray for more extended surveys in the country of the North Saskatchewan; that the special settlement survey on the South Saskatchewan, in the parish of St. Antoine, made by Mr. Aldous, D.L.S., be approved, and that the land agent at Prince Albert be instructed to receive entries for such lands; that the lands in the parishes of Grandin, St. Laurent and St. Louis, and fronting on the South Saskatchewan, be surveyed in ten-chain lots, it being occupied by settlers in this manner.
4. That the system of granting leases of lands in western grazing districts be discontinued, as injurious, and for the reason that a very large portion of the land so leased is fit and required for actual settlement.
5. That homesteads cancelled for any cause should be again opened for entry and not held for sale is, we believe, best calculated to settle the country.
6. That the safety of documents, valuable alike to the Government and the people, demands that vaults should be erected in land and registry offices in the Territories.
7. That at least two additional stipendiary magistrates should be appointed for the Territories.
8. That power be given the North-West Council to incorporate companies having territorial objects, and to enforce Ordinances by imprisonment.
9. That sub-section two of section ninety-one of the North-West Territories Act of 1880 be amended so as to vest all trails and highways in the Council of the North-West Territories.
10. That the duties on agricultural implements and lumber should be reduced. It having heretofore been the policy of your Excellency's Government to foster the industries of the country, we feel that the heavy duties imposed on lumber and implements used in agricultural pursuits, together with the heavy rates of freight which must be paid, are calculated to so increase the cost of building and of farming that the effect must be injurious to the settlement.
11. That a largely increased sum should be voted for expenditure on the Saskatchewan River to improve the navigation thereof, it being the only means of outlet for a very large section of the North-West, and the Canadian Pacific Railway on the south being at such a great distance, make it as a cheap means of outlet almost impracticable.
12. That the mining laws and regulations should be assimilated to those of British Columbia and Montana Territory.
13. That the right of pre-emption should not be abolished.
14. Your memorialists also pray, in view of the very large increase of the population in the Territories, and the consequent increasing demand for various improvements, that a sum per capita, based on the assumed population of one hundred thousand now in the North-West Territories, be given for expenditure by the Lieutenant-Governor in Council, as better calculated to meet the requirements of the people than that at present followed.
15. That the system of granting immense tracts of the choicest lands in the Territories to colonization companies is inimical to the best interests of the country. Your memorialists therefore pray that no more such grants be made; that the companies now holding the same be compelled to fulfil the conditions imposed on them, in letter and spirit, and that the agents of the companies be not allowed to act as agents of the Government in any respect; that granting lands already thickly settled, as in the case of the Edmonton and Saskatchewan Land Company, is contrary to the intention of the Land Act; that the company profits to an undue extent by the energy and forethought of the pioneers of the country, who are prevented from reaping the advantage of their own labor, in that the odd numbered sections are locked up for speculative purposes, which would otherwise be open for settlement or held for sale by the Government at reasonable terms. Your memorialists therefore pray that your Excellency's Government will enquire into the matter and redress the above grievance.
16. Your memorialists believe that the success of the North-West Territories is of such importance to the whole Dominion that the time has arrived when representation for the Territories should be had in Parliament. At the present time the people of the North-West are without representation of any kind, and have to depend solely on petitions and memorials to make their wants known.
And your memorialists will ever pray.