Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 2.djvu/118

102 added by immigration that year one hundred and twelve persons, including forty-two families. There were also considerable reinforcements to the British-Canadian colony from the Red River of the North.

Early in the year 1843 the project of a Provisional Government was started again. This second attempt also was taken partly under cover of a utilitarian scheme. Beasts of prey bears, panthers, and wolves were very numerous, and the settlers suffered great loss through depredations upon their flocks and herds. A preliminary meeting was held at the Oregon Institute (Methodist mission) February 2, 1843, at which it was moved that a general meeting be called on the first Monday of March at the house of Joseph Gervais, a Hudson's Bay pioneer, whose name is perpetuated in the town of Gervais, Marion County. At this meeting, held at the appointed time, measures were taken for concert in destruction of noxious animals; and following this a committee of twelve was appointed to "consider measures for the civil and military protection of this colony." This committee consisted of Doctor Babcock, Doctor White, Messrs. O'Neil, Shortess, Newell, Lucier, Gervais, Hubbard, McRoy, Gay, Smith, and Gray. The names sufficiently show the predominance of men of United States nativity.

But the question whether the new organization was to be based on acknowledged allegiance to the United States or not, instantly came uppermost. An address of "the Canadian citizens of Oregon' was presented to the meeting, in which it was urged that "laws and regulations for welfare of our persons and for security of our property and labors" be enacted, but objection was made to organization of a military force, on the ground that it was "useless at present" and "rather a danger of bad suspicion to the Indians;" and, finally, that "we consider the country free to all nations, opening to every indi-