1056 ADMINISTRATION AND LEGISLATION [PART V
some recompense. The only serious difficulties which have
arisen are in connexion with lands for native Indians in
British Columbia, as it is alleged by the Indians that the
British Columbia Government has not assigned to them
adequate lands for their maintenance, while it is claimed by
the Provincial Government that adequate lands have been
so assigned, and the matter is to be referred to the decision
of the Supreme Court of Canada, from which appeal lies of
course to the Privy Council.
The general policy 2 of the Canadian Government with
regard to the Indians has been to secure them adequate
reserves of land for their habitation, and it has taken the
pains to prevent their being subject to unfair treatment in
any of the provinces of the Dominion. The Dominion
Constitution also leaves the Indians in the same position as
any other persons with regard to the franchise, but there
are certain restrictions in some of the provinces with regard
to the Indians being enrolled as electors, though these
restrictions are only partial. With the exception of the
disturbance of 1870 on the taking possession by Canada of
the lands of the Hudson Bay Company, and the North-
West rebellion of 1885, which was undoubtedly caused by
some lack of tact on the part of the Dominion Government,
but which affected the French half-breeds much more than
the pure Indians, most of whom took no share in it, there
has been almost no breach of the peace in Canada.
Pains are taken to secure the useful employment of the
funds arising out of Indian lands, and of subsidies granted
by the Dominion Parliament and the Department of Indian
Affairs, which is under the Minister of the Interior, who is
Superintendent of Indian Affairs, and is fully qualified to
deal with all problems arising with regard to the Indians.
Annual reports of the progress of the Indians are issued,
! Papers have been published by the British Columbia Government on
the topic (1907, F. 33; 1908, D. 47). For the legal question of the land
rights see above, Part IV, chap. i; Ontario Sess. Pap., 1908, No. 71.
* See the Annual Reports of the Indian Department; for their dis-
abilities in electoral matters see above, Part III, chap. vi; cf. also Nova
Scotia Act, 1911. c. 2. as to education.
