Page:History of Oregon volume 1.djvu/407

356 settlement of more than a few families. Only the Willamette Valley afforded any prospects ot an agricultural nature, and these were not alluring. And as for the country east of the Cascade Mountains, it was nothing but a waste of sand and gravel.

Mr Wood, another member from New York argued against the passage of the bill, because, first of ah there was no necessity for such a measure. No one had denied the jurisdiction of the United States go eminent. None of the commercial portion of the public had petitioned for it; not a single memorial from any quarter could be found upon the table No public interest demanded it; and it was not to the benefit of the country at large to force the settlement of the Columbia River. Such a settlement must result either in a colony, which would be of no advantage to the government, or an independent state, which would take to itself the commerce of the Pacific to the permanent loss of the United States, both in citizens and trade. To these considerations must be added the expense attending the establishing of so remote a territory, and the danger of provoking Indian wars, which would retard the growth of the new states on the border. To effect a settlement communication by land would be indispensable; and a chain of military posts must be extended from b Louis to the Columbia, where a strong fortification must be erected, and a considerable naval force maintained for its protection; all of which would more ti exhaust th P e profits of the trade in that quarter. Wood's plan was to permit a company to occupy that region, to extinguish the Indian title to form a settlement, and when they were able, to form an independent government; but in his opinion the longer this was delayed the better.