Select Committee on Grievances. Mc Seventh report of, 26; Mackenzie obtains committee, 263; matters referred to, 269; committee's report, 270-277; reply of Lord Glenelg, 280; Head's instructions, 280; subjects dealt with, 281-286. BL On political situation in Upper Canada, 11; report of, studied by Sir F.B. Head, 37. See also William Lyon Mackenzie.
Selkirk, Thomas Douglas, Earl of (1771-1820). MS Influenced by Mackenzie's Voyages, 7, 94; gains controlling interest in Hudson's Bay Company, 7; organizes colony, 7, 8, 100; dies, 1820, 8; Canadian places named after, 115; his lineage, 115, 116; birth, June, 1771, 116; educated at University of Edinburgh, 117; influenced by French Revolution, 117-118; becomes Baron Daer and Shortcleugh, 1797, on death of his brother, and Earl of Selkirk, on death of his father, 1799, 118-119; philanthropic interest in the Highlands and emigration policy, 119-120; his scheme for national defence, 120-121; made Fellow of Royal Society, 122; his Sketch of the British Fur Trade in 1806, 122; earlier pamphlets on the North American Indians, attributed to him, 122; his pamphlet on Parliamentary Reform, 123, 124; character sketch, 125; his memorial of 1802, on the proposed colony in Rupert's Land, 127-128; his Prince Edward Island colony, 129-132; visits United States and Canada, 132-133; the Baldoon Settlement in Upper Canada, 133; the Moulton Settlement, 134; visits Montreal, 1803, 137; entertained by the partners of the North West Company, at the Beaver Club, 139-140; takes advantage of his opportunities to obtain knowledge of the fur trade, 140; genesis of the Red River project, 141-142; obtains legal opinion on the Hudson's Bay Company, 143-145; purchases controlling interest in the Hudson's Bay Company, 145-146; buys Red River property from the Company, 146; opposition of Mackenzie, Inglis, and Ellice, 146; area of the tract, 147; plans for the colony, 149; terms of settlement, 149-150; sends for Miles Macdonell and puts him in charge of the colony, 150; sends him out to Hudson Bay with colonists, 151; sends second party of colonists, 159; sends third party of colonists, 1813, 162; sends Robert Semple with a fourth party, 1815, 164; arrives in Montreal from Scotland with his family, 1815, 185; makes representations to Lord Bathurst, and Sir George Drummond, 186; brings the De Meurons, disbanded Swiss soldiers, to Fort William, 189; winters at Point De Meuron, 190; reaches Red River, June, 1817, 191; makes treaty with Indians, 192; returns to Upper Canada, 193; faces trial at Sandwich, 198; and at York, 199; brings charges against North West Company, 199; his letter to Duke of Richmond, 200; returns to England, 201; the Bluebook of 1819, 201; letter of Sir Walter Scott, 202-203; his health breaks down, 202; death, April 8, 1820, at Pau, 204; sketch of his life in Gentleman's Magazine, 204-206; his family, 206; compared with Alexander Mackenzie, 209. See also Red River Colony. Bib.: Works: Sketch of the British Fur Trade in 1806; Observations on a Proposal for the Civilization and Improvement of the North American Indians within the British Boundary; Parliamentary Reform; Civilization of the Indian in North America; On the Necessity of a More Efficient System of National Defence; Observations on the Present State of the Highlands of Scotland, with a View of the Causes and Probable Consequences of Emigration. For biog., see Morgan, Cel. Can.; Dent, Can. Por.; Dict. Nat. Biog.; Bryce, Manitoba, Hudson's Bay Company, and Romantic Settlement of Lord Selkirk's Colonists; Laut, Conquest of the Great North-West. See also Red River Colony; Baldoon.
Selkirk Settlement. See Red River Colony.
Selwyn, Alfred Richard Cecil (1824-1902). In 1845 appointed assistant geologist in the Geological Survey of Great Britain; and director of the Geological Survey, Victoria, Australia, 1852-1869. Came to Canada in 1869, and filled the office of director of the Canadian Geological Survey, 1869-1895. Bib.: Morgan, Can. Men.
Seminarists. L Aid in defence of Quebec, 12.
Semple, Robert (1766-1816). Born in Boston, Mass. Engaged in mercantile pursuits, and travelled extensively. In 1802 visited Cape Colony, and from 1805 to 1810 travelled through Spain, Portugal, the West Indies, and Brazil. In 1813, while on a journey in the rear of the allied armies from Hamburg to Gottenburg, arrested by Lord Cathcart as an American spy. In 1815 appointed governor of the factories and territories of the Hudson's Bay Company. In the course of his tour of inspection, reached his headquarters at Douglas (now part of Winnipeg), early in 1816. For some time there had been an active feud between the Hudson's Bay Company and the North West Company, and in an attack at Seven Oaks by a party of "Nor'-Wester's," under Cuthbert Grant, Semple was killed. Index: MS Brings party of Highlanders to Red River, 1815, 164; succeeds Macdonell as governor of Red River settlement, 164. Bib.: Dict. Nat. Biog.; Bryce, Manitoba. See also Red River Colony; Seven Oaks.
Senate. B Elective versus nominative system discussed at Quebec Conference—latter decided upon, 164; George Brown approves of nominative system, 165; distribution of members of, 173; Dorion objects to nominative system, 175, 177; weakness of the system, 178; its reorganization advocated by Canada First Association, 236.
Seneca Indians. One of the tribes of the Iroquois confederacy. They dwelt chiefly in the region of the Seneca and Canandaigua lakes, and extended westwards to Genesee River. During the American Revolution they espoused the British cause. There are now some hundreds living in Grand River Reservation, Ontario. Index: F Show quarrelsome temper, 143; attack Illinois, 144; enraged by murder of a chieftain on territory of Ottawas, 145; accept terms of peace, 146; attack canoes of French traders, 181; Denonville's expedition against, 207-214. Ch One of the five tribes or nations, 50; murder four delegates sent to Five Nations, 164. See also Iroquois. Bib.: Charlevoix, History of New France; Hodge, Handbook of American Indians.
Senezergues, De. WM Brigadier, commands battalion of La Sarre Regiment, 12; commands regular troops, 105; mortally wounded, 199; carried on board British vessel, 222.
Separate Schools, Manitoba. C The question used as a test of provincial power, 61-62; rights of Roman Catholics safeguarded, 1871, 71; overthrown by Legislature, 72; judgment of provincial courts reversed by Supreme Court, 72. Bib.: Ewart, Manitoba School Question; Wade, Manitoba School Question; Willison, Sir Wilfrid Laurier and the Liberal Party. For further references, see Lit. Am. Hist., pp. 438-439.