Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 26.djvu/359

Rh you, California, as vice-president; S. Culver, of Jacksonville, Oregon, vice-president, and Messrs. T. McF. Patton and C. S. Drew, of Jacksonville, Oregon, as secretaries. The purpose of the meeting was stated to be to take measures to organize from parts of Oregon and California a new territory to include the district of California north of Trinity Mountains and in Oregon from the Calapooia Mountains, south, (Jackson, Douglas and Umpqua Counties). The following preamble and resolution was adopted:

""Whereas, the legislative assembly of the Territory of Oregon have introduced and passed an act providing for the sense of the people to be taken in reference to the formation of a state government. Therefore,

"Resolved, that we will use every exertion to prevent the formation of a state government in Oregon with its present boundaries.""

This motion was offered by L. F. Mosher, a son-in-law of Joseph Lane, who was then in Washington as delegate to congress. The meeting adjourned to meet at Jacksonville on Monday, April 17, 1854, after appointing three committees as follows: For drafting memorial to congress, E. Steele, L. F. Mosher and E. J. Curtis. To memorialize Oregon legislature, George F. Snelling, T. McF. Patton and D. M. Kinney. To memoralize California legislature, C. N. Thornbury, E. Moore and W. A. Robinson.

At the Oregon territorial legislative session of 1854, Representative Ladd introduced a Memorial instructing delegates in congress to create a new Territory out of northern California and southern Oregon, but nothing came of this, as consideration was indefinitely postponed. However, the following afterward appeared in the Umpqua Gazette, written by General Lane:

"Some time since I wrote a letter for publication in relation to the division of Oregon Territory, as proposed by the people of Jacksonville and Yreka, in which I gave my views in opposition to such a division and urged the