Page:Oregon, her history, her great men, her literature.djvu/164

162 Corvallis, and the university from Corvallis to Jacksonville. Since work had already been commenced on the public buildings at Salem, opposition to the change was very strong. Governor Curry at once referred the matter to the Secretary of the Treasury, who deemed the change inoperative until acted upon by Congress. Thereupon Governor Curry and Secretary Harding removed their offices to Salem, and for the second time Oregon had two capitals. On the third of December both houses convened at Corvallis, and the first bill, introduced on the sixth, was to relocate the seat of government at Salem, and the bill became a law on the 15th. The capital was immediately removed to Salem, where the Legislature was opened on the 18th.

Eugene and Corvallis Lead for the Capital. The legislature in Salem, December 18, 1855. By a strange coincidence the new State House in which the Legislature met, was destroyed by fire on the night of December 29th. Upon the sudden loss of the State House with the library and archives of the territory the legislature decided to submit the question of locating the capital to popular vote at the next general election; and it was provided that in case no town had a clear majority of all the votes cast a special