Hon. Mr. MACKENZIE moved for
leave to introduce a Bill respecting the
North-West Territory, and to create a
separate territory out of part thereof.
He said - We find that there is likely
to be a good deal of inconvenience
from the North-West Territories, including all that portion of our country
east of Manitoba and west of the boundary of Ontario. The Province of
Manitoba wishes to increase its boundaries northward, westward, and eastward; but
until the question is decided
as to where the limits of Ontario may
ultimately be fixed,it is impossible to
take any steps towards enlarging the
boundaries of that Province without
the risk of having it reconsidered, probably at the very next Session. I have
thought it advisable on the whole, to
detach a portion of country immediately north and east of Manitoba,
from the North West Territories proper, and to have its affairs administered
by the Government of Manitoba without
the risk of having it reconsidered, probably at the very next Session. I have
thought it advisable on the whole, to
detach a portion of country immediately north and east of Manitoba,
from the North West Territories proper, and to have its affairs administered
by the Governor of Manitoba without
the intervention of any council, and
without incurring any expense whatever. The boundary proposed in the
Bill is to commence where the western
coast of Lake Manitoba intersects the
northern boundary of that Province,
proceeding northward along the western coast of that Lake to the portage
between its waters and Lake Winnepegoosis, thence proceeding on the
eastern shore of Lake Winnepegoosis
to Mossy Portage, a small neck of
land between the Saskatchewan
River and this Lake, and thence
due northward from that point. The
Bill recapitulates certain provisions
of the North-West Territories Act of
last Session, which will be made applicable to that Territory. As soon as
the boundary between the Dominion
and Ontario is settled in that quarter,
the probability is, Manitoba will have
its limits enlarged. The Government
of that Province have sought to have
its boundaries enlarged at the present
time, but we felt it would be inconvenient to have this done in the east at
the present time without knowing the
precise place to where we would go.
If the conclusions of the hon. member
for Bothwell be correct, Manitoba and
most of the North-West Territory will
belong to Ontario. As I judge it, a
more reasonable conclusion may probably be safely predicted, that will
send it a considerable distance east of
the present boundary. This is simply
a provisional arrangement, which will
come to an end as soon as we have that
boundary settled. My first thought
was to make Lake Winnipeg the limit,
but it seemed more convenient to have
Routine Business. [FEBRUARY 17, 1876.] 87
that portion of territory—where there is
a considerable settlement already,
and where the telegraph line has
been built and the railway located east
of the other two lakes (Manitoba and
Winnepegoosis)—attached to the Government of Manitoba than to a Government situated
several hundred miles
west of that Province.
Mr. DEWDNEY suggested some special provision should be made for the
government of the country lying
north of British Columbia, in which
valuable diggings had been discovered,
and to which there would be a large
emigration next spring. He had a
petition from the miners of Cassiar regarding the matter, and he thought it
might be convenient for the Premier
to include a clause in this Bill respecting it.
Sir JOHN A. MACDONALD—The
territory referred to belongs to the
Government of Fort Pelly, and my
hon. friend suggests that a provision
should be inserted in the Act conferring upon the Government of British
Columbia the power of administering
the affairs of that place, analogous to
that conferred on the Government of
Manitoba for the eastern section.
The Bill was read the first time.
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