page_title: Organic Laws of Oregon
section_title: First Organic Laws
hierarchical_section_title: Organic Laws of Oregon / First Organic Laws
caption_attribution_description: English: Provisional Government of Oregon seal.
context_page_description: The Organic Laws of Oregon were two sets of legislation passed in the 1840s by a group of primarily American settlers based in the Willamette Valley. These laws were drafted after the Champoeg Meetings and created the structure of a government in the Oregon Country. At the last Champoeg Meeting in May 1843, the majority voted to create what became the Provisional Government of Oregon. Laws were drafted by the committee and accepted by a popular vote in July. These laws were reformed by a second version in 1845.
  The Organic Laws were based on the laws of Iowa Territory and compartmentalized the government into three branches consisting of an executive branch, a legislative branch, and a judiciary. Once the Oregon Territory was formed in 1848, the territorial government took control of the laws and invalidated only one provision of the Organic Laws. On February 14, 1859, Oregon became a state and the Oregon Constitution became the legal framework for the state.
context_section_description: With the formation of the Provisional Government, a committee of nine individuals were elected to frame the laws of the government. This Legislative Committee consisted of David Hill, Robert Shortess, Alanson Beers, William H. Gray, James A. O'Neil, Robert Newell, Thomas J. Hubbard, William Dougherty, and Robert Moore who was elected as the chairman of the committee. Each member was to be paid $1.25 per day for their services with the first meeting held May 15, 1843. On July 4 a new gathering began at Champoeg with speeches for and against the proposals of the committee. Then on July 5, 1843 the Organic Laws of Oregon are adopted by popular vote after being recommended by the Legislative Committee, with the laws modeled after Iowa’s Organic Law and the Ordinance of 1787, creating the de facto first Oregon constitution. Scholars and historians have appraised the First Organic Laws as being "very crude and unsatisfactory", not allowing for an effective government body to function.
  In the preamble this "temporary government" was intended to exist "until such time as the United States of America extend their jurisdiction over us." The articles of the first Section were from the 14th section of the Northwest Ordinance, with minor modifications. The first three articles were identical to the Ordinance, outside of a change related to relations with Indigenous peoples. Wars against the natives were to be commenced by "representatives of the people" instead of the Congress. The fourth and final article was from the sixth article of the Ordinance, banning slavery outside use as a punishment. The portion of the sixth article related to restitution of runaways to slave states was not included in the Organic Laws.
  Section II had eighteen articles, dealing mainly with the structure of the Provisional Government. Articles 1 through 4 covered the elections of officers, with suffrage restricted to "every free male descendant of a white man", therefore allowing participation by interested French-Canadians or their Métis children. Articles 5 through 7 created the three bodies of government, the three member Executive Committee, the Legislative Committee and a Judiciary. Articles 8 through 11 establish and define the offices of Recorder (later the Secretary of State) and Treasurer and 12 through 15 outlined what laws of Iowa were adopted. Article 16 regulated the Supreme Court sessions with two sessions held annually. Article 17 detailed the system of marriage, with parental consent required for participants under 21, women having to be at least 14 years old and men 16. It cost $1 to marry and 50¢ to record the marriage.
  The laws also divided the region into four districts, called for a subscription of settlers to pay for the government, and named the region Oregon Territory. Lastly a militia was authorised to consist of one battalion with control of the military under the Executive Committee.
caption: Seal of the Provisional Government
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