Statement respecting the Earl of Selkirk's Settlement of Kildonan ...

t—% r50''that your Lordship would have expected any" further answer to that letter, or otherwise, I" have to assure your Lordship that it should not" have been for a moment withheld."— LordSelkirk, in his answer to Sir Gordon Drumraond'sletter, observes, " With respect to ray letter of" November 11th, and the conversation which I" had the honour of holding with your Excellency,'*on the subject of military protection for the/''settlers on Red River, I certainly did not under-" stand you to express a determination so absolute," that no change could be made upon it, even by" a change of circumstances, or by the discovery" of facts of primary importance, previously''unknown to you. To justify such a resolution,'' thus unalterable, I cannot doubt that your'I'''^Excellency must have reasons of a more decisivenature than any which I can recollect you to have'' stated in conversation ; and as your Excellency*'has expressed your intention of communicating*" to the North -West Company your motives for''allowing a personal escort for myself, I trust,^'that, in like manner, I may receive an explanation''of the reasons which induce you to withhold''from the settlers that protection which his" Majesty's Government had consented to allow."Some time afterwards the subject was againpressed upon Sir Gordon Drummond, as appearsby the following commurication :1.:^