Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 5.djvu/205

 RECOLLECTIONS OF AN OLD PIONEER. knew thai we had been fairly elected, and our respective con- stituents also knew the fact, and no one was found to dis- pute it ; and. as credentials are only evidence of the fact of the election of the person mentioned, we had in this case the next best evidence to prove our election. We did the best we could under the circumstances. "Such being the composition of the legislative committee of Oregon in 1844, it is not surprising that interests of classes and cliques should find advocates, and that the absolute wants of the country should be neglected. The whole time of the s.-xxioii seems to have been taken up in the discussion of per- sonal bills." (Page 378.) I find it difficult to justly characterixe this sweeping mis- statement. The two sessions of the committee of 1844 occupied to- gether fifteen to seventeen days; and in that time we passed 4-'i bills, some of them of considerable length, and most of them of general importance. Among these 43 acts there were not exceeding eight that could be properly termed personal, vix. : Act granting Hugh Burns a right to keep a public ferry; act authorising Robert Moore to establish and keep a ferry; act to authorize John McLoughlin to construct a canal around the Willamette Falls; act for the relief of John Con- nor; act appointing Jesse Applegate engineer; act authoriz- ing L. H. Judson and W. H. Wilson to construct a mill-race in Chumpoeg County; act amending the several acts regu j hit ing ferries; act for the relief of J. L. Meek. These acts were all just in themselves, and some of them of public importance. Public ferries are public conveniences. The act to authorize John MeLoughlin to construct a canal enabled him to bring the water to propel his extensive flour mill, and was of much public benefit. The act for the relief of John Connor was a short act of one section, re- mitting a fine and restoring him to citizenship. The act ap- pointing Jesse Applegate engineer authorized him to survey a mute for a canal at the expense of J. E. Long, and report the result to the next session of the legislature. The act au-