Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 2.djvu/131

Rh ; Clackamas, George L. Curry, Medorem Crawford, A. F. Hedges; Clatsop, John Hobson; Linn, H. J. Peterson, Anderson Cox; Polk, Jesse Applegate; Tuality, Ralph Wilcox, David Hill, S. R. Thurston; Yamhill, A. J. Hembree, L. A. Rice, W. J. Martin; Vancouver, A. L. Lewis. There was no representative from Lewis County, which still embraced the whole country north of the Columbia River and west of the Cowlitz. Levi A. Rice was chosen speaker. The Governor in his message stated that the chief business requiring attention was adjustment of the expenses of the Cayuse War, which it was expected the Government of the United States would assume. This was attended to through an act authorizing the ascertainment of amounts due and issue of scrip; and another act provided for the manner of exchange and payment of interest. Various minor matters of legislation received attention. Among them was "An Act to provide for the weighing and assaying of gold and melting and stamping the same. ' This was the source of the celebrated "beaver money," so called from the figure of a beaver stamped upon the coins. These pieces, coins of $5.00 and $10, of which six thousand of the former and two thousand eight hundred and fifty of the latter were stamped, are extremely scarce, and almost beyond price. The dies upon which these pieces were stamped were found many years afterward by Hon. D. P. Thompson in an old garret at Oregon City, and were by him sent to the Secretary of the State for safe keeping. They ought to be transferred to the custody of the State Historical Society.

The date of final adjournment of the Legislature of the Provisional Government was February 16, 1849. The work of this government was done. Two weeks later Gen. Joseph Lane, who had been appointed Governor by the President of the United States, under act of