Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 26.djvu/360

294 establishment of a state government for reasons I think will be considered legitimate and proper. A new Territory cannot be made as proposed. The delegation from California does not think of entertaining the idea of clipping their state."

It seems that the promoters of this scheme ascertained that the California delegation in congress did not favor creation of such a new Territory and the plan was dropped. Nevertheless, the subject came up again at the Oregon constitutional convention of 1857, when Marple, a delegate from Coos County, offered a resolution providing that at such time as the electors of that portion of the state lying south of the Calapooia Mountains or a part thereof shall desire to detach the same from this state and unite with a portion of California in the formation of a new state they shall be permitted to do so. But the provision was not adopted and nothing more was heard of Jackson State or Territory.

Those favoring the "Democratic Dogma of Statehood," were no sooner apprised of the adverse vote in the June election of 1854 than they laid plans for another campaign. When the legislature met in December of that year a bill was at once introduced. This was followed by the adoption of a joint resolution to provide for a joint committee of the two houses, whose duty it would be to draft a Constitution and submit it to the people for adoption, but after appointment of the committee another resolution was adopted, discharging this committee; still another house bill was offered for a 'state Convention, but was finally defeated, while a Council bill of similar tenor was adopted January 30, 1855. This measure provided for an election to elect delegates, on the first Monday of June, 1855, and required the delegates to meet on the first Monday of February, 1856. The number of delegates was to be seventy, and the con-