Peter O'Reilly (civil servant)

Peter O'Reilly (* March 27, 1827; † September 3, 1905 ) was a British administrative officer, sheriff, judge and commissioner for gold and the Indian reservations. Through its offices and assets, and by marrying into the ruling circles of the province of British Columbia he gained great political influence.

From Ireland to Victoria

Peter O'Reilly was the son of Patrick O'Reilly and Mary Blundell. He spent his childhood in Ireland, where he was until 1857 a lieutenant in the Irish Revenue Police. By Lord Claud Hamilton (1813-1884), the Member of Parliament was, and told him the colony of British Columbia was established in August 1858 because of their great opportunities, he came to North America.

O'Reilly left Ireland on 5 February 1859 and reached Victoria on Vancouver Iceland in early April. Initially it was used in the Langley District in the administration, but was added in November in the more sophisticated Hope District. At the same time he was High Sheriff of the colony until 1866.

Gold Commissioner ( from 1860)

Already in 1860 he was appointed auxiliary Gold Commissioner for the area at Rock Creek in the Similkameen region and in the Hope District. He was also responsible for the criminal jurisdiction as to civil jurisdiction. He was also for the allocation and registration of excavation licenses ( claims), responsible for mining regulations for water rights and boundaries.

In March 1862 he was promoted to Chief Gold Commissioner. He moved into its new headquarters in Richfield, in the area of the Cariboo Gold Rush. However, he spent the winter on the milder coast. He suffered from frequent headaches, probably migraine. Nevertheless, he visited almost every place in the vast province, be it on horseback, on foot or by canoe.

On December 15, 1863, he married Caroline Agnes Trutch ( 1831-1899 ) in Victoria, which he finally ascended to the leadership group of the province, because that he was the brother of Joseph William Trutch. With Caroline Agnes he had two sons and two daughters.

1864 gold discoveries were at today's Fort Steele in East Kootenay in the Rocky Mountains again made ​​in 1866 on the Columbia River at Revelstoke today. O'Reilly traveled the discovery of gold, so to speak afterwards.

Indian Agent and County Court Judge ( since 1871 )

That was in 1871 as he traveled for nine months in northern British Columbia, in the Omineca region. Here he was first employed as Indian agent, but also attracted a tax. The area was incredibly cold, O'Reilly had to deal mainly with Mosquitos, was several times in danger.

1866 Vancouver Iceland and British Columbia were united. O'Reilly has now been elevated to the County Court Judge. Since 1864 he had worked informally in the Legislative Council ( Legislative Council ). Although he was nominated again in 1871, but in the same year the province was dissolved a part of Canada and the Council. O'Relly was at that time at the Omineca.

Almost ten years remained O'Reilly County Court Judge for the Yale District. In 1875 he undertook a journey in the Cassiar region in the northwest. With the canoe he drove on the Stikine River kept court as Gold Commissioner and the judges. But the days of lay judges was recognizable to the end ( final 1883). So O'Reilly moved early the consequence when he heard that Gilbert Malcolm Sproat, was since 1878, Indian Commissioner, resigned.

Indian Commissioner ( from 1879 /80)

The political influence of his brother Joseph William Trutch, who was from 1871 to 1876 Vice- Governor of the Province, was highly variable. So was Trutchs influence since 1873, when the Liberals in Ottawa took over the government, temporarily declined, so he applied in England. In 1880, he was, however, with the return of his party friends to power as commissioner for railway issues. Since he was also responsible for Indian affairs, he made ​​sure that his brother received the corresponding office. His successors were friends of the family, so O'Reilly always had access to the highest government authorities.

In Ottawa, he met the Prime Minister, Sir John A. Macdonald know, who was also responsible for " Indian affairs " as interior minister. O'Reilly were granted an annual salary of $ 3,500 and his pension claims from the British period. In the next 18 years he toured his huge office area.

O'Reilly, who always had good contacts with the ranchers and settlers, the idea of ​​a land claim of the Indians was a stranger. So its reserve allocations were often unfavorable, collided with local traditions and also they were sparsely furnished. 1884 reviewed a Commission land grants, but they recognized the fact as a right that had already been alienated land not returned. Otherwise O'Reilly acted always taking into consideration the Indian claims. Even with the fact that he had the desires and demands heard, he had ventured far; that he had often accepted and recognized their rights to vital resources, is also not self-evident. In reality, he decided often to the detriment of the Indians. This led to the eastern border of British Columbia, at the Kutenai under the leadership of Chief Isadore, almost a riot. In contrast to the neighboring tribes in Alberta, such as the Blackfoot, who had No. 7 signed by the so-called Numbered Treaties contract, they received significantly less land anyway. A police force forced Isadore, however, to relate the 1884 instructed by O'Reilly reserves. These included a fertile strip of land, Joseph's Prairie ( Cranbrook ) does not match, which O'Reilly said Farmer Colonel James Baker handed, the Member of Parliament was. In May 1887 Isadore freed one of his chiefs called Kapula by force from prison in Wildhorse Creek, the settlers feared an uprising. A Commission to the O'Reilly belonged, came on September 22 in the area of ​​the Kutenai and confirmed the government's plans in the absence of the tribe. Isadore had to acquiesce.

From 1890 Peter O'Reilly had to increasingly remain in Victoria and delegate work.

Resignation from all posts (1898 )

1898 O'Reilly resigned from his offices. But he by no means impoverished thereby. He had always worn for " extra income " concern. So he had forgiven from the beginning credits, traded with cattle and land (eg in Vancouver is an important property of the Canadian Pacific Railway sold), also claimed gold claims, which certainly led to conflicts of interest with his official function. He also worked in Victoria in various stores, where it proved useful to his brother the connection with the local leadership group, which in turn was in the railroad business with managerial experience.

His sons, he trained in England. He bought a large house in 1868 in Victoria, Point Ellice House today, where he lived until his death. As a devout Anglican, he often visited the church, and did well on his long trips to church.

On 3 September 1905 he died of heart disease, his wife had died in 1899. It is located on the Ross Bay Cemetery, a cemetery, which was established in 1873 and is located on the 1516 Fairfield Road.

Swell

Peter O'Reilly led from 1858 to 1905 consistently diary. It is found among many other relics in the O'Reilly collection in the British Columbia Archives under A/E/Or3. Correspondence and petitions relating to Indian lands in British Columbia can be found at GR 504, to the correspondence of the Indian Reserve Commission, NA, RG 10, 1274th