An important episode soon took place among the French, usually known as the “Sayer Affair.”  Of this we shall speak in another chapter.  The movement, headed by Isbister, still continued, and led to the serious consideration by the British Government of the whole situation in Red River Settlement.  The impatience of the people of all classes in Red River led to a new plan of attack.  Not being able to influence sufficiently the British authorities, they forwarded a petition, signed by five hundred and seventy English-speaking people of Red River Settlement, to the Legislative Assembly of Canada.  The grievances of the people were given in detail.  The reason suggested for the deaf ear which had been given them by the British Parliament were stated to be “the chicanery of the Hudson’s Bay Company, and its false representations.”

Isbister, in all his efforts, gained the unfailing respect and gratitude, not only of his own race, but very generally of the people of the Red River Settlement.  Ten years after the petition of Isbister and his friends had been presented to Earl Grey, a committee of the House of Commons was sitting to investigate the affairs of the Hudson’s Bay Company.  It was a sifting inquiry, in which Gladstone, Roebuck and other friends of liberty, took part.  It, however, took a quarter of a century to bring about the union of Rupert’s Land with Canada, although, as we shall see, in less than five years, a measure of amelioration came to the oppressed and indignant settlers of Red River.  For this the people of Red River Settlement were largely indebted to the self-denying and persistent efforts of Alexander Isbister.  The old settlers of Kildonan, the French and English half-breeds of the several parishes, and their descendants as well as the University of Manitoba and all friends of education ought to keep his memory green for what he did for them, for as a writer of his own time says, “He gained for himself a name that will live in days yet to come.”

CHAPTER XX.

Sayer and liberty.

Stone forts and ermined judges were not, to the mind of the unbridled and ungovernable Metis.  True, the French mind has a love for show and circumstance and dignity of demeanor, but the conviction had taken hold of the people of Red River, and especially of the French half-breeds, that these meant curtailment of their freedom.  They felt the dice were loaded against them.

But, now, in the year after Sinclair and his friends had shown such a firm front to Governor Christie, and when something like a feudal system was being introduced into the Red River Settlement, a new surprise came upon French and English alike.  This was immediately after the terrible visitation of a plague, which had cut down one-sixteenth of the whole population.  It was the arrival of a party of the Sixth Royal Regiment of Foot, along with artillery and engineers, amounting