Twenty leading half-breeds then appealed to the Hudson’s Bay Company to be allowed to export tallow at a reasonable rate.  In 1844 two proclamations were issued, that before the Company would carry goods for any settler, a declaration from such settler, and the examination of his correspondence in regard to his dealing in furs would first be necessary.  The native people determined to oppose them.  They claimed as having Indian blood, that they were entitled to aboriginal rights.  Twenty leading English-speaking half-breeds, among them such respectable names as Sinclair, Dease, Vincent, Bird and Garrioch, demanded from Governor Christie a definite answer as to their position and rights.  The Governor answered with sweet words, but the policy of “thorough” was steadily pushed forward, and a new land deed was devised by which the land would be forfeited should the settlers interfere in the fur trade.  Next, heavy freights were put on goods going to England by way of Hudson Bay, and Sinclair, as an agitator, was refused the privilege of having his freight carried at any price.  The spirits of the English-speaking half-breeds were raised to a pitch of discontent, quite equal to that of the French half-breeds, although the latter were more noisy and demonstrative.  James Sinclair became the “village Hampden” who stood for his rights and those of his compeers.

It was at this juncture that the valuable aid of Isbister came to his countrymen.  In 1847 Isbister, with his educated mind, social standing, and valiant spirit led the way for his people, and with five other half-breeds of Red River forwarded a long and able memorial to Earl Grey, the Secretary of State for the Colonies, bringing the serious charges against the Company, of neglecting the native people, oppressing all the settlers, and taking from them their natural rights.  A perusal of this document leads us to the opinion that the charges were exaggerated, but nevertheless they showed how impossible it was, for a Trading Company, to be at the same time the Government of a country and to be equitable and high-minded.  The Hudson’s Bay Company answered this document sent them by the Imperial Government, and so far relieved themselves of some of the charges.  But the storm raised could not be quieted.  Isbister obtained new evidence and attacked the validity of the Company’s Charter.  Lord Elgin, the fair-minded Governor of Canada, claimed that he, in Canada, was too far away from the scene of dispute to give an authoritative answer, but on the whole he favored the Company.  Lord Elgin, however, based his reply too much upon the statement of Colonel Crofton, a military officer, who had been sent to Red River.  Alexander Ross said of Crofton, on the other hand, that he was a man “who never studied the art of governing a people.”

But the agitation still gained head.

The mercurial French half-breeds now joined in the struggle.  They forwarded a petition to Her Majesty the Queen, couched in excellent terms, in the French language, in the main asking that their right to enjoy the liberty of commerce be given them.  This petition was signed by nine hundred and seventy-seven persons, and virtually represented the whole French half-breed adult population.