VANCOUVER'S ISLAND.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume V, Issue 363, 24 January 1849, Page 3

VANCOUVER'S ISLAND.

Another new colony has been recognised and established under tbe somewhat questionable auspices of the Hudson's Bay Company. In the House of Lords, on the evening of the 24th day of August, a discussion took place regarding this possession, which, from its geographical position, is Important, not merely in its relation to the American continent but to the Australian colonies, with which latter a commercial intercourse is almost certain to be speedily opened.- Lord Monteagle objected to the plan which Lord Grey had agreed to, chiefly in "reference to the gratuitous nature of the charter, which he characterised as " most lavish,- extravagant,"and reprehensible." Lord Monteagle, - however,' did not- touch what appears tp us the most objectionable feature of the Hudson's Bay Company's' management, namely, an insuperable objection to the exploracion of territories under their control, joined to the most unscrupulous misrepresentations as to their fitness for colonisation. Still matters are not so bad, in this instance, as Lord Monteagle supposed. - Earl Grey, in answer, not only obviated many of the objections raised, but gave views of the future government of this new colony so much in accordance with those which we now; believe must be universally adopted throughout 7 the distant dependencies of tb£> empire,, that we think our readers will consider themselves obliged to us for recording them at a moment when the same subject,, is immediately and prominently to be,, brought under their own consideration. After remarking that if England had; not taken official , possession «of Vancouver's Island, it would soon have been overrun by Yankee squatters, who would thus become de facto proprietors of the country, Lord Grey stated that the Government of the colony would be provided for in the way it* which many others, had been provided for — by a commission under the t authority of the i Crown appointing a . person to act .as.Governor — a Legislative Assembly to be elected by the, settlers — and a Council to be nominated by the Crown. That was the old constitution, as shown in the. case of Jamaica and other colonies, and there' was a^pr.eceSeatqfor this course so lately as 1832, when Lord Ripon issued ' a<- commission for . establishing a. government in Newfoundland. The grind-, pie was the erection of a government in accordance "with the principle of the English constitution, and this would at once disperse the visions of his noble friend of a system of exclusive trading. Although the settlers of Vancouver's Island would not have the eight of trading with those parts of the continent? of America where the rights of the Hudson's Bay Company were exclusive, they -'would have the most unlimited right of trading with all the rest of the world, , subject only 'to the restrictions imposed by Acts of Parliament or by auy Acts which might be passed byrthe Legislature of Vancouver's Island itself. The Hudson's Bay Company concurred that.gjheGovernor ought to be selected T>y the Crojrn. The land was only given to the Company as trustees for the public. The government had taken ample security for the performance by the Company of their trust, by the provision in t,he first place that, at the end of five years, the government might resume possession of the island if no settlement h^been formed. But the real security was~ the power of resumption absolutely by the government at the end of eleven years, upon merely paying to the Hudsou's Bay Company theyajue of their improvements and of the establishments they had formed in the island., After all, the Government seems to have made a very fair bargain — one which will last, at least for- thevery few years whichmust elapse ere the ter^ ritories of the Hudson's Bay Company en** tirely revert to the Cr,own.r=-Lonrfo» Paper~