The Manitoba Land Question, 1870–1882

The Manitoba Land Question, 1870-1882 D.N. SPRAGUE One of the more interesting dynamics in Canadian history is the way strong provinces can fulfill their provincial interests by successful manipulation of national institutions. The earliest example is the case of Ontario and its interest in territorial expansion, an interest which was one of the primary reasons for Confederation in the first place. The story is well known. In the 1850s, 'Canadians' were frustrated in their attempts to acquire Rupert's Land from the Hudson's Bay Company; as a means to this (and other ends) they sought a union of all of British North America. Once they were successful in this step, Ontario became optimistic about expansion west, particularly in 1869 with the apparent completion of negotiations with the Hudson's Bay Company which secured Rupert's Land not to Ontario alone but at least to Canada. Then came the Riel disturbance . All of Ontario had expected that the west would have to be colonized before any consideration of new provinces would come up. Furthermore , since Ontario was the province which was adjacent to the new land, it was expected that the new western provinces which would eventually emerge should resemble the one from which settlers were most likely to come. But the Riel disturbance in 1869-70 threatened to defeat Ontario's declared destiny. The predominantly Metis population south of Lake Winnipeg demanded recognition as a province with rights equal to the others. The government of John A. Macdonald and George Cartier felt obliged to listen to the demands of this largely Catholic and French-speaking nationality . To do otherwise would invite a bitter controversy between Protestants and Catholics, English and French in Canada at large over questions too fundamental for the frail federation to debate openly at this time. Still, negotiations between Canada and a western delegation in the spring of 1870 were 74 successful for both sides. The Canadians recognized the most essential of the westerners' rights; and they did so without sacrificing much territory. They drafted a statute "to establish and provide for the government of Manitoba'' which mentioned two official languages, denominational schools, and promised acreage to every man, woman and child in this part of Rupert's Land, a small 'postage stamp' of a province, no more than a few percentage points of the area of the west over all. Still, the debate on the Manitoba Act early in May of 1870 was ferocious. Ontario members of Parliament - especially those with Orange Lodge associations - complained that Canada had been humiliated. I National honour demanded punishment rather than favours for these western rebels. On the other side of the house, government spokesmen emphasized that the sacrifice of a few acres and some small points of principle to secure the vast domain remaining was a great deal cheaper than the alternative. It was said that they had two choices: "either they had to send an army to conquer these people and force them to submit, or to consider their claims as put forward by their delegates .''2 In view of the relatively trivial amount of land which was sacrificed, the latter course seemed wiser to Francis Hincks. Besides, Hincks went further and hinted that the Manitoba Act was really no more than a gesture: ''those delegates should return with the impression that justice had been done.''3 They should have the impression that they were not about to lose their land. Meanwhile , behind the debate in the House of Commons , a leader more prominent than Hincks was hinting that the Manitoba Act would have little force. John A. Macdonald wrote that the Metis were "impulsive" and "spoilt," a people to be "kept down by a strong hand until they are swamped by the influx of settlers.''4 Thus, the introduction of the Manitoba Act was duplicitous to say the least. With the notable exceptions of George Cartier and a few other French Canadian or Roman Catholic members of the government, there was no positive support for it in principle. More importantly, there was private repudiation of the interpretation of the act which the delegates from Manitoba were supposed to take back to their associates at...