Page:Centennial History of Oregon 1811-1912, Volume 1.djvu/317



THE CENTI<:NNIA1. IIISTOKY of ORKCiON 198

and obtaining supplies. T, therefore, rei-onnuend that a lieavy penalty be im- posed on any person who shall entice a seaman to leave his ship, or who shall harbor, secrete or employ, or in any wise assist a deserter.

"This may appear severe, but when, on reflection, we consider that these men voluntarily entered into a contract to perform certain duties, and that the safety of the vessel they belont; to and the lives and property on board, depend on th^r faithfully tilling their contract, the severity vanishes at once. We should consider that a vessel lightly manned (which must be the case if part of the ship's crew desert, as there are no seamen hei"e to supply their places), runs great risks in working out of our harbor, a risk that shipmates and shipowners will not be likely to run. Unless regulations be made that will prevent desertion, owners of vessels will avoid our ports, and without vessels, the produce of the farmer must remain on his hands, and in this way work an injury all around, and one that will be felt by all classes in the community.

"Our courts, as at present regulated, have not answered the expectations of the framers of the law; but, as the jurisdictions of our courts will soon cease, it will probably be not worth while to enter into any new arrangements.

"I regret to be compelled to inform you that the jail erected in Oregon City, and the property of the territory, was destroyed by fire on the night of the 18th of August last, the work no doubt of an incendiary. A reward of $100.00 was immediately offered, but as yet the offender has not been discovered. Should you think it best to erect another jail. I would suggest the propriety of building it of large stones, clamped together. "We have but little use for a jail, and a' small building would answer all purposes for many yeai's, I have no doubt, if we should be successful in keeping ardent spirits out of the territory.

"There is one subject which I would lay before you, in reference to the In- dian population, and that is the extent the law intends to allow the whites in their villages. Complaints are made by Indians that they are encroached upon by the whites. Cannot some method be devised by which their villages can be surveyed, and stakes set, inside of which the whites may not be permitted to en- ter and build? The Indians inhabited their villages previous to our arrival, and should be protected by us. The time is no doubt near at hand when the agent of the United States government will be here and these matters will be arranged by him; but until he arrives I deem it necessary that some pro- vision be made by you, as it may save trouble and difficulty.

' ' Another emigration has crossed the Rocky mountains, and most of the party has arrived in the settlements. About 152 wagons reached this place very early in the season, via Barlow's road, for which a charter was granted him at your last session. About 100 wagons are on their way, if they have not already reached the upper settlements by a southern route. They have, no doubt, been detained by traveling a new route. The difficulties attending the opening of a wagon road are very great, and probably will account in some measure for their detention. The emigration falls very far short of last year, probably not num- bering over one thousand souls. This is accounted for by a great part of the emigration turning off to California.

"We trust that those coming among us may have no cause to regret the de- cision that brought them to Oregon. 1 would call your attention to the subject of education, without which no country can be prosperous; it, therefore, becomes