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 FEDERAL RELATIONS OF OREGON

357

instances, the survey had not been made and no 640 acre claim, with no privilege could be issued. patent of sale, made population sparse and schooling dear; many young men had gone to Oregon and they should be allowed to in

many

A

a portion of their land in order to be able to return to the States for wives. Although the restriction was removed there

sell

was some opposition; Letcher (Virginia) saw in it another evidence of the intention of the North to force population into the northern territories thus further destroying the balance which had been disturbed by letting California in on the prinHe urged men of the South ciple of squatter sovereignty. to oppose all these attempts to propagate northern sentiment

and to multiply northern representatives

in

both house of

22

Congress. Lancaster, the Delegate from the newly-created territory of Washington, who was in favor of Lane's amendment as a benefit to his

own

constituents,

threw into the discussion a

reference to one factor which had proved troublesome in the territory ever since 1845 and which had persisted in coming

Congress whenever the land question was mooted. He charged Thurston with having secured the original restriction on account of fear that the Hudson's Bay Company and the up. in

Puget's Sound Agricultural Company would get control of large tracts, and that Dr. McLoughlin would "reap some bene-

from the labor and money he bestowed interests of American citizens." fits

The

relation of

McLoughlin

in

promoting the

to the land question brings

up

one of the least pleasant incidents of early Oregon history. While it was the almost universal testimony that the venerable

had treated with the utmost consideration and liberality the early settlers in Oregon, and had united with them in all proper activities for promoting mutual interests, he had incurred the enmity of some persons, notably of those with whom he came in contact on account of the claims at

chief factor

A

22 Globe, XXIX, Pt. 2, 1075 seq. provision prohibiting the establishment of donation claims on townsites and places selected for the purposes of business The law also extended to without and not of agriculture was adopted opposition. Oregon and Washington the provisions of the Preemption Act of 1841.