Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 26.djvu/353

Rh political relations of the times. The democrats objected to the whig president appointing executive and judicial officers for the Territory and demanded the right of local self-government. They believed that if the state could be organized under a constitution of its own, the unsatisfactory condition of dependence upon distant Washington would come to an end.

The agitation for statehood was renewed in the December, 1850, legislative session, where on the ninth of that month, a resolution was adopted providing for the appointment of a committee of five to enquire into the propriety of calling a convention for the purpose of forming a constitution. Another such committee was appointed at the December session of the following year upon a new resolution of the same import, and a bill was reported that was adopted by both houses, reciting the fact that the legislative assembly had memorialized congress to permit the qualified voters of the Territory to elect the officers of the executive and judicial departments, but that if the then current session of congress should adjourn without granting the prayer of the Memorial, a proclamation should be issued by the President of the Council and the Speaker of the House, within two months after adjournment, authorizing a poll on the question of calling a convention to frame a Constitution. However, it seems that nothing was done to put the law into effect and no such election was held.

The principal newspapers during the territorial period were the Weekly Oregonian, published at Portland as a whig advocate, and the Oregon Statesman which first made its appearance at Oregon City but later was