Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 20.pdf/372

 LESTER BURRELL SHIPPEE

354

was referred to a bill of the cuson Indian the Committee Affairs, although in the Senate, introduced tomary type for this purpose was passed by that body and adopted by the House. Indian

title

to the land west of the Cascades

Disposing of the public domain, however, gave rise to great After the introduction of a resolution requiring the interest.

Committee on Public Lands to look

into the expediency of

creating a land office and providing for the survey of lands in Oregon, Thurston, in February, moved a set of eight resolutions.

The Committee on

Territories

was

to be directed

to inquire as to the relative numbers of Americans and foreigners in Oregon, and what proportion of the latter had de-

clared an .intention to

become

citizens of the

United States



the expense and time it took to reach Oregon; how long the people there had managed for themselves without assistance

from the Federal Government. 18

The purpose of

tions was, of course, to point out the duty of

the resolu-

to provide liberally for those who had undertaken the sacrifice necIn April a bill was introduced in essary to go to Oregon.

each house, and in the one on

its

May

calendar.

the

Congress

House of Representatives took up questions arose. As reported

Two

bill would make grants of land to settlers, but Bowlin wished to amend the provisions by inserting the word "white" thus provoking a little anti-slavery skirmish led by Giddings, who always took every opportunity to deliver a blow at anything connected with slavery. The obnoxious word remained in the bill as passed by the House, for Thurston told the Congressmen that the people of Oregon were so in dread of the introduction of free negroes that they had passed a law pro-

the

coming to the territory. The second question was on the new policy of giving away the public lands, which some opposed. A long delay ensued and Thurston began to get uneasy he feared that the session would end before his land bill became law and so, at the end of July, he tried to introduce a resolu-

hibiting their



iSGlobe, XXII, 413.