Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 5.djvu/199

 1K<"!II' lln.NS (IF AN <>||, 1 >|< >NK I ! i: . 1 V. ' a committee of nine persons. To call a legislative body a < "iiniiiii, i as a misnomer; and we amended that provision by vesting the legislative power in a House of Representatives composed of members elected annually by the people. Tin- laws of 1843 made no provision for the support of the irovernment, except putting in circulation a subscription paper, as follows: We. the subscribers, hereby pledge ourselves to pay annu- ally to UK- tivasmvr of Oregon Territory the sum affixed to our respective names, for defraying the expenses of the gov- ernment : I'roridnl. That in all cases each individual sub- scriber may ;it any time withdraw his name from said sub- scription, upon paying up all arrearages and notifying the treasurer of the colony of such desire to withdraw. <>nr committee were fully satisfied that no government could he practically administered without taxation; and we therefore passed a revenue law containing twelve sections. The law of 1843 in relation to land claims is as follows: Article T. Any person now holding or hereafter wishing to establish a claim to land in this Territory, shall designate the extent of his claim by natural boundaries, or by marks at. the corners and upon the lint's of said claim, recorded in the office of the Territorial Recorder, in a book to be kept by him f i that purpose, within twenty days from the time of making saiil claim: I'mrithd. That those who shall be already in [..^session of land shall be allowed one year from the pas- sage < f this act to file a description of their claims in the re- corder's office. Art. II. All claimants shall, within six months from the time of recording their claims, make permanent improvement upon the same, by building or inclosing, and also become oc- cupant upon said claims within one year of the date of said record. Art. III. No individual shall be allowed to hold a claim of more than one square mile, or six hundred and forty acres, in a s(|iiare or oblong form, according to the natural situa- tion of the premises, nor shall any individual be able to hold more than one claim at tin- same time. Any person complying with the provisions of these ordinances shall IM> entitled to the same process against trespass as in other caws provided by law.