Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 19.djvu/128

 116 LESTER BURRELL SHIPPEE of the Columbia River," extinguish the Indian title to a portion of the soil, establish regulations for the government of the territory and for the administration of justice therein, and open a port of entry at which the customs of the United States should be in force as soon as should be deemed ex- pedient. The bill further provided that a grant of land should be made to settlers. The portion of the project relating to Indian affairs would establish an entirely new system of dealing with aborigines wherein licensed traders responsible to a Superintendent of Indian affairs were to be leaders in civilizing the natives. No action was taken by the House and the bill expired with the Sixteenth Congress. Before submitting his report to the House Dr. Floyd had given it to the President with the request that the latter suggest such alterations as seemed desirable. Monroe in turn handed it to Adams who, after reading it, thus freely ex- pressed himself: 10 "... I returned the paper this morning to the President who asked me what I thought of it. I told him I could rec- ommend no alteration. The paper was a tissue of errors in fact and abortive reasoning, of invidious reflections and rude invectives. There was nothing could purify it but the fire." While Floyd's project made little headway in the House it did succeed in arousing some comment in Washington." Jonathan Eaton, a Senator from Tennessee, sent to the editors of the National Intelligencer a letter from W. D. Robinson wherein was set forth the need for the United States to send an exploring expedition to the Pacific Coast particularly on account of the encroachments of the Russians. 12 To prevent dissemination of the impression that Mr. Robinson was the originator of this proposition, Commodore Porter caused the publication of a letter which he had written President Madison in October, 1815, and which he maintained was the basis of 10 Mtmoirs, V, 237, entry of 18 January. 11 Ibid., 260. 12 26 January, 1821.