In addition to their reserves, however, the Indians of British Columbia had the right to acquire land outside the reserves on the same terms as white men,--a right not possessed at that time by their kindred to the South. This right was clearly stated by Governor Douglas: "That measure," he said (referring to the reserve system) "is not, however, intended to interfere with the private rights of individuals of the future Tribes, or to incapacitate them, as such, from holding land; on the contrary, they have precisely the same rights of acquiring and possessing land in their individual capacity, either by purchase or by occupation under the Pre-emption Law, as other classes of Her Majesty's Subjects; provided they in all respects comply with the legal conditions of tenure by which land is held in this Colony."[82] This right, however, was afterwards modified to the extent that preemption could be exercised by an Indian only by special consent of the Government.[83] So late as 1872 an Indian received special permission to pre-empt one hundred acres. As to which system, that of British Columbia or that of the United States, on the whole was the better, is a question difficult, if not impossible to decide; and it would certainly involve extensive research in the period subsequent to that of our study and beyond its scope. W. J. TRIMBLE. FOOTNOTES: [1] Davenport, T. W. Recollections of an Indian Agent. Quar Or. His. Soc., Vol. VIII, No. 4, Dec. 1907, p. 352. [2] Mullan--Report on Military Road, p. 52 [3] Id., p. 79. [4] Id., p. 52. [5] Con. His. Soc. Mont., Vol. VI, p. 284. [6] Rpt. Com. Indian Affairs, 1863, p. 442. [7] Langford, Vigilante Days and Ways, Vol. I, pp. 250 & 318. [8] Recollections of an Indian Agent. Or. His. Quar. Vol. VIII, No. 1, March, 1907, p. 389. [9] The Pioneer Reminiscences of George Collier Robbins, Pacific Monthly, Vol. 26, No. 2, Aug., 1911, pp. 288-9. [10] An Incident of this nature is related in Hailey, History of Idaho, p. 58. [11] Recollections of an Indian Agent, Quart. Or. His. Soc. Vol. VIII, No. 4, Dec., 1907, p. 360. [12] The Montana Post. Feb. 4, 1865 [13] Journals of the Council and House of Representatives of Idaho Territory, 4th session, 1866-7, pp. 343-4. [14] For different views of one expedition, contrast the account of the expedition led by Jeff Standifer in Hailey's Idaho, pp. 49-60, with that in the Pioneer Reminiscences of George Collier Robbins. Pacific Monthly, Vol. 26, No. 2, Aug., 1911, pp. 198-9. [15] General Conner's men marched several days in extremely cold weather, in order to catch and surprise these Indians. Of the soldiers in this expedition 15 were killed, 53 wounded, and 75 more or less seriously frozen. An account may be found in Langford, Vigilante Days and Ways, pp. 337-354. [16] The Idaho World, Feb. 24, 1866. [17] Owyhee Avalanche, Dec. 16, 1865. [18] Id., Nov. 11, 1865. [19] The Idaho World, Jan. 27, 1866.