How Canada Plotted the Death Of Metis RIEL Letter From Governor-General the Marquess of Lansdowne to Sir John Macdonald. Government House, Ottawa, August 3, 1885. DEAR SIR JOHN, Thanks for your letter of the 28th which I have read with attention. We are, I think, entirely at one upon the general principle, but I am not sure that I should apply it as you do in Riels case. I still think that there are features in that case which give it an aspect distinct from that of ordinary criminal cases. You regard the recent outbreak in the N.W. as a merely domestic trouble which should not be elevated to the rank of a rebellion. The outbreak was, no doubt, confined to our own territory and may therefore properly be described as a domestic trouble, but I am afraid we have all of us been doing what we could to elevate it to the rank of a re- bellion, and with so much success that we cannot now reduce it to the rank of a common riot. If the movement had been at once stamped out by the N.W.M. police, the case would have been different, but we were within an ace of an Indian war; the progress of the outbreak and its suppression has been described in glowing language by the press all over the world: we brought up troops from all parts of the Dominion: those troops have been thanked by Par- liament: they are to receive an Imperial medal. Will not all this be re- garded as placing the insurrection in a category quite different from that of the Rebecca riots with which you compare it? No one would have proposed to confer a medal upon the troops or a decoration upon the Commanding Officer engaged in the suppression of these. I should not like to go a step further than could be helped in facilitating an appeal to England, and there would no doubt be an objection to the postponement of the execution by directions sent from Ottawa at this stage. On the other hand, assuming that the Court of Queens Bench refuses to order a new trial, and that thereupon Kiel at once appeals to the Privy Council, could we hang him before that tribunal had disposed of his ap- plication? It seems to me that if there is any feeling at all on the subject in the Dominion (and I observe what you say as to the extent of this) that feeling would be greatly embittered and prolonged by such a course. I should much prefer that whatever is done should take place as much as possible in the ordinary modes of procedure and as little as possible by direct intervention on the part of the Government. Under the section of the N.W. Territories Act to which you refer me (S. 76. s. s. 8) the Stipen- diary is required to postpone the execution from time to time until his report has been received and the pleasure of the Governor thereon communi- cated to the Lieutenant-Governor. If in the interval between the termination of the proceedings at Win- nipeg and the date fixed for the execution, we become aware that Kiel has appeared by counsel before the Judicial Committee, my communica- tion to the Lieutenant-Governor might be deferred. Whereupon the Stipendiary, without special instructions, would, I apprehend, postpone the execution. What do you say to this? I am, Dear Sir John, Yours sincerely, LANSDOWNE.
Posted on: Sun, 31 Aug 2014 19:47:55 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015