Friday Morning
14th July 1871

My dear Chesson,

I am happy to say that the result of the ballot on the Directors report has given them a large majority of … of 1000 shares, and so ends happily for the Factors and as I sincerely believe fortunately for the Company itself, the long pending cause of the officers versus the shareholders. The company will be all the stronger and Canada which has so great an interest in keeping up the regularity and system of a great organization over the unoccupied portions of British North America will be all the better for the result.

I hope that looking back over the long period we have worked together so harmoniously on the Hudson’s Bay question we may close the record of our labours and endeavours with something like satisfaction that in the part we have taken in inaugurating a new era for the H.B. Territories we have done nothing really to injure, but in reality something to benefit all who are directly connected with them: the Indians who have now a new and I hope brighter career before them, the settlers who are relieved from the incubus of a government incompatible with their interests, and … the officers of the Company themselves to whom a comfortable provision for the remainder of their lives has been secured.

A.K. Isbister