§ MR. GOURLEYsaid, he would beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for the Colonies, If the Canadian Government has paid to the Hudson's Bay Company the contract price (£300,000), for the territory ceded by the latter; and, if not, if it is intended, owing to the recent hostilities at the Red River Settlement, to relieve both parties of the contract, and create of the territory a Crown Colony?
§ MR. MONSELL, in reply, said, that the transfer of the Hudson's Bay Territory had not yet been formally made to Canada, and therefore, of course, the money had not been paid over. He was happy, however, to inform the hon. Gentleman that Her Majesty's Government, the Government of Canada, and the Hudson's Bay Company were all cordially co-operating together to bring about an arrangement with respect to the Red River Settlement. Only yesterday information was received which gave the Colonial Office reason to hope that the negotiations on the subject would be successful. It was obvious that it would be premature during the continuance of negotiations to make statements of the views or intentions of Her Majesty's Government.