Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 19.djvu/304

286 claimed by the United States and shipping it in consider- able quantities to the Sandwich Islands."

A few days later the House received an answer to its resolu- tion in almost the same terms as that sent to the Senate, but not having the words of the first sentence quoted above. Fur- thermore this letter called attention to the fact that the Con- vention of 1827, by its own terms, could be annulled by either part on due notice of twelve months.

In both houses steps preliminary to action were taken at this session. In the Senate, in February, 1838, Linn intro- duced a bill to establish a Territory north of latitude 42 and west of the Rocky Mountains, to be called the Oregon Terri- tory; 8 it would authorize the establishment of a fort on the river and occupation of the country by military force ; a port of entry at which the customs laws of the United States should be enforced was also provided. An appropriation of $50,000 was included. After the second reading and when Linn moved its reference to the Committee on Military Affairs, Henry Clay raised the question whether the bill as it stood did not contravene the existing treaty stipulations with Great Britain. James Buchanan stated that he was glad Linn had acted for it was time that the United States asserted its claim or abandoned it forever. Upon Benton's suggestion Linn withdrew his motion of reference to allow one for the appoint- ment of a special committee with himself as chairman. This committee busied itself with the matter until June when it presented to the Senate an elaborate report accompanied by an amended bill. 9

The Report briefly reviewed previous action which had been taken, both diplomatic and Congressional, and then proceeded to point out the value of the territory to the United States, using Slacum's report as a text for this theme. It rejected the assertion that the Indians were especially hostile, as it did the argument that the mountains put an almost insuperable obsta- cle in the way of communication by land. A brief summary of the principal explorations led to the conclusion that the 8 Globe, VI, 168,9. 9 Sen. Doc. No. 470, 2$th Cong., ad. Ses.