, 1854-08-19

the purpose, as cApICsseu ny tHClhAcNcs VI
Securing peace and prosperity in the Ter
ritory, and to adopt laws and regulations
until such time as the United States Of
America extend their jurisdiction over u.s.
At this meeting an address was received
from the Canadian citizens Of Willamette
Valley" expressing 4 "dcsire Of union and
uncXhaustiblc peace between all the pco-
pie y but declaring that they 'will not adj
dress q new petition t0vtho United States
Bec5ase lce hare our rejS0dS.' The origin
aud objects of this address hre patent on
its face. The provisional government
however, was now more thoroughly organ
lied, and more strongly American in its
character than before The public general
statutes of Iowa Territory, published in
1889, were adopted as far as applicable,
and became law in Oregon. The American
and British parties being now about equal
in strength, entertained most inveterate
jealousies and joined political issues in Sc
we're conflicts.
This was the state of things when the
treaty Of 1916 was made, which determin-
ed the struggle for political sway and COM
mercial monopoly, but not the desire on the
part of the Hudson's Bay Company to lap
upon as much of the generous soil of the
country as possible under the stipulations
contained in the third article Of the treaty,
that "thc possessory rights of the Hud-
sons Bay Company and of all British sub
jects who may be already in occupation Of
land or other property legally acquired
within said territory, shall be respected.
The Company, according to Sir George
Simpson, had taken possession Of the
French Prairie, and the land about the
Falls of the Willamette River, as early as
1928. Aud, although these settlements
were made by superanuated trappers, and
those whose indentures Of service to the
Company had expired, still, it seems by the
Interpretation Of their movements, given
by the governors and factors, that all these
settlements were tie wards and the legiti-
mate supports Of the Company. They
were, at the time of the treaty, in posses
sion of large tracts of the best land in Or
egon. :
Mr.. Tburston, the first delegate to Con-
gress from this territory, was elected in
Is49. Aman incapable of being approach
ed by foreign influence, wherein his coun-
try's interests were concerned, he went to
Washington, known enemy to the projects
and schemes of the Hudson's Bay Compa-
ny. In his legislative labors, which were
Herculean for young man to perform, he
matured and secured the passage of the
Oregon Land Bill" Of Sept. 27, 1885,
T. Tkur.kl,,is ofu it,t hak
to give its exclusive benefits to those who
should become actual settlers Of the coun-
try, and cultivators of the soil and there
in to give foreign residents, and particular
ly the servants of the Hudson's Bay Com
pany, who should declare their intentions
to become citizens Of the United States,
equal privileges with American citizens. 1t
was also his desire, for the good Of Oregon,
and the rights Of adopted citizens, who had
been subjects Of this mighty commercial
power, to place q bar between the settler
and theS Company so that whatever Of
public munifcence he might receive from
the liberality Of his adopted country, his
estate might be free to himself and his
children, and not be mortgaged or levied
upOu " oMcA tuC COuelo vi al uilCu iuOhOl-
oily To these ends the following provisos
were inserted in the 4th section Of the Act
before referred to -" Prorided-That in
all cases provided for in this section, the
donation shall embrace the land actually
occupied and cultivated by the settler there
on PrOrided, farther-That all future
contracts, by any person or persons entitled
to the benefit of this Act, for the sale Of
the land to which he or they may be enti-
tied under this Act, before he or they have
received patent therefor, shall be void :
Prorided further, holceper, That this section
shall not be so construed as to allow those
claiming rights under the treaty with Great
Britain, relative to the Oregon Territory,
to claim both under this grant and the
treaty, but merely to secure them the elec-
tion, and coniine them to q single grant Of
land"
We have stated the purpose Of these
proyisos they have served that purpose
most admirably, and are no longer neces-
sary, as far as their prime object was con;
cerned.