Page:Centennial History of Oregon 1811-1912, Volume 1.djvu/321



THK CKNTEN.XlAlj HISTORY OF OREGON 1U7

.jurisdiction of the United States ovei- this territory. We have been sadly dis- appointed, and hope, which was so fondly cherished, begins to sink into despair in the hearts of many.

"Our situation is not a pleasant one, on account of the uncertainty of it. We may be in less than six months under the laws and government of the United States; and we may, on the other hand, exist in our present state several years. This uncertainty will, no doubt, embarrass you in your proceedings. If we re- main as we are for any length of time, ways and means must be devised for I'ais- lug a more extensive revenue. The laws should be published in a convenient L'orm; a fund set apart for treating with Indians, and many other things pro- vided for that we have thus far dispensed with, but which must be attended to in order that we may carry out the principles under which we have associated.

' ' This being the first session of the present congress, they will have more time to devote to the formation of a government for this territory than at the last ses- sion. The probability is that peace between the United States and Mexico will have been restored, and relieve congress from the care, and anxieties attendant upon a war, and also relieve the government from the very heavy expense which must necessarily attend the carrying on of a war. These things lead to the hope that among the first acts of congi-ess will be the passage of an act to establish a territorial government in Oregon.

"This will release us from our present embarrassments and place us under a permanent form of government. Hoping that this may be the case, I will call your attention to such subjects as are most pressing in their character, and which cannot well be dispensed with. The judiciary, has now regulated, answers every purpose required of it, and proves to be a far better system than the old one. There is one thing, however, needed very much in connection with it, and that is a prison. Should an offender be sentenced to imprisonment by the judge, there is no place in the ten'itory to confine him, and consequently he escapes the punishment his crimes justly merit. This .should not be so, and I hope you will provide means during yoiir present session for the erection of a jail.

"In my message of 1845, I recommended that in addition to gold and silver, wheat should be the only article used in the country as legal tender. The legislature added treasury drafts and orders on solvent merchants. I would rec- ommend the repeal of that part of the act which makes treasury drafts and orders on solvent merchants a lawful tender — receiving treasury drafts, how- ever, in payment of taxes and debts due the government. Gold and silver are much more plentiful in the territory now than two years ago, and could be made the only lawful tender without detriment to the community ; still, I think wheat had better remain in connection with gold and silver; it is a staple article, and can always be disposed of to merchants and others.

"I would recommend an alteration in the law relating to the recording of land claims. The organic law requires that claims be recorded in the office of the territorial recorder. This answered very well while our population was small and nearly all living in one district, liut our population is increasing rap- idly and spreading over a large extent of country: new counties have been formed, and probably in a shoi-t time others will be set off and lands taken up still further from the tci-rit(iriri! recorder's offirc tliaii at tlio pr(>s<'nt time Tii