John A. Macdonald had quietly arranged for…

John A. Macdonald had quietly arranged for Bishop Taché to offer Louis Riel what amounts to a bribe of one thousand dollars to enter voluntary exile, as the prime minister could ill afford a further rift in Quebec-Ontario relations, with Federal elections coming in 1872.

This had been supplemented by an additional six hundred pounds from Donald Smith for the care of Riel's family.

Riel had accepted, arriving in St. Paul on March 2, 1872, but was back in Manitoba by late June and had soon been persuaded to run as a member of parliament for the electoral district of Provencher.

However, following the early September defeat of George-Étienne Cartier in his home riding in Quebec, Riel stood aside so that Cartier—on record as being in favor of amnesty for Riel—might secure a seat.

Cartier had won by acclamation, but Riel's hopes for a swift resolution to the amnesty question had been dashed following Cartier's death on May 20, 1873.

In the ensuing by-election in October 1873, Riel had run unopposed as an Independent, although he had again fled, a warrant having been issued for his arrest in September.

Ambroise-Dydime Lépine had worse luck; he had been captured and faces trial.

Riel has made his way to Montreal and, fearing arrest or assassination, vacillates as to whether he should attempt to take up his seat in the House of Commons—Edward Blake, the Premier of Ontario, had announced a bounty of five thousand dollars for his arrest.

Famously, Riel is the only Member of Parliament who is not present for the great Pacific Scandal debate of 1873 that leads to the resignation of the Macdonald government in November.

Liberal leader Alexander Mackenzie becomes the interim prime minister.