Hon. Mr. MACKENZIE introduced a Bill to amend and consolidate the laws respecting the North-West Territories.
As he intimated on a former occasion the Government decided some time ago to establish
an entirely independent Government in those territories. To a certain extent it would
have been advisable, before such an Act was passed, if it could be done, to have the
boundary of Manitoba rectified, but that was a matter which it was difficult to deal
with at the present moment. He thought it would be advisable as soon as the boundary
between the Province of Ontario and the North-West Territories was established, that
that boundary should become the boundary of the Province of Manitoba. At present the
96th degree off longitude was the eastern boundary of that Province, and the contention
of the Ontario Government was that they owned the territory to the centre of the Lake
of the Woods, and to a line running directly north from Lake Itaska, in Minnesota,
to the head waters of the Mississippi. It was known from the returns laid before
Parliament that the Government of the Dominion, and the Ontario Government, had decided
upon an arbitration to define this boundary ; and the Dominion Government had nominated
ex-Lieutenant Governor WILMOT, of New Brunswick, while the Ontario Government had
nominated Chief Justice RICHARDS. These gentlemen were to choose a third arbitrator,
and both parties to the arrangement were to abide by the decision arrived at. The
hon. member for Kingston, when leader of the Government, made a proposal to the Ontario
Government two years ago, to have this matter referred to the Privy Council for settlement.
While there was no particular objection to that course, it was thought advisable by
the present Government that it should be settled in the way he had explained. Until
that settlement had been reached, which he hoped it would be in a short time, as
each side had prepared its case, and the two arbitrators would shortly have a meeting,
it was difficult to define the bound.
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