Louis Riel had presented the convention with…

These included representation in Parliament, a bilingual legislature and chief justice, and recognition of certain land claims.

While the convention had not adopted the list at the time, once the list of rights is generally known, the majority of anglophones accept most of the demands as reasonable.

Having received notification of the delay in transfer, McDougall and Dennis depart for Ontario on December 18.

Major Boulton flees to Portage la Prairie.

In Ottawa, the Governor General Lord Lisgar had, at Macdonald's behest, proclaimed an amnesty on December 6 for all in Red River who would lay down their arms.

He had dispatched the Abbé Jean-Baptiste Thibault and Charles-René d’Irumberry de Salaberry on a mission of reconciliation, but had failed to give them authority to negotiate on behalf of the Government.

Macdonald has appointed HBC representative Donald Alexander Smith as special commissioner with greater authority to negotiate.