Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 8.djvu/349

 HISTORY OF STATE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 341 the friends of the bill. In the committee of the whole, how- ever, prior to this time, Benjamin Stark, of Multnomah; B. F. Harding, of Marion, and R. B. Cochran, of Lane, all in the lower house, opposed the bill, and on October 16 it was indefinitely postponted. Believing it to be a matter of interest I quote the bill that was introduced: ''Section 1. Be it enacted by the Legislative Assembly of the State of Oregon : That the Treasurer of the State shall, on the day of, 18 , annually, pay to the treasurer of the Oregon State Agricultural Society, the sum of dollars, out of any money in the State treasury not otherwise appropriated. "Section 2. The sum granted, as aforesaid, shall be ap- propriated by the managers of said society to the payment of premiums awarded to encourage and promote the objects for which said society is instituted. "Section 3. That each of the agricultural societies, not exceeding one in each county, to be hereafter organized in this State, shall be entitled to receive from the State Treasurer, within one year after permanent organization, the sum of dollars; and the State Treasurer shall, upon the filing in his office of proper evidence of such organization, pay to the treasurer, or fiscal agent, or officer of said society, the sum of dollars ; and the Treasurer of this State shall be en- titled to a credit for amounts so paid, in the settlement of his account as such State Treasurer. "Section 4. The said sum of dollars thus appropri- ated to the county agricultural societies, shall be expended in the purchase of premiums to be procured and distributed under direction of said societies, respectively, in the manner prescribed in the constitution and by-laws, or other regulations of said societies. " The friends of the society were greatly chagrined over the result of their first effort to secure State aid, especially so since twenty-eight out of the fifty members of the legislature were farmers. At a meeting of the board of managers held in Salem on January 9, 1861, Chester N. Terry was elected corresponding secretary to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Samuel E. May. A committee of five E. M. Barnum, J. H.