Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 9.djvu/194

176 the members of the legislature, and on the 12th of December, 1855, an act was passed relocating the seat of government at Salem. On the same day a resolution was passed calling for a recess of four days, at the expiration of which time the legislature should convene at Salem. In the discussion on the relocation act, Mr. Tichenor said: "Let us go where the property of the Territory is. Let us clew-up, tack-ship, and steer for Salem. The facts are to my mind most conclusive, that it was nothing but corruption that caused it to be removed here in the first place. It has been removed by the tickle-me-and-I'll-tickle-you game." This is simply quoted to give a possible, at least one man's, reason for the removal from Salem to Corvallis.

In accordance with the act and resolution, the legislative assembly met at Salem on December 17th to resume the work of the seventh annual session. Two rooms having been especially fitted up for the purpose, they met in the new State House. After a few days' session, they adjourned for the holidays, and during the recess, on the night of the 29th of December, 1855, the new State House building, which was nearly completed, with the library and most of the public records, was burned to the ground.

As soon as the legislature assembled, a committee was appointed to investigate the matter. This committee entirely exonerated the watchman and gave as their opinion that the fire had been set by some mischievous hand.

The people throughout the Territory seemed to accredit the disaster to a strong feeling in Corvallis, that with this building at Salem, which was largely the cause of the ruling of the Treasury Department, and the people eager to be economical, Corvallis would stand little chance in the race for the permanent location of the seat of government. However, this is merely an opinion, influenced by the newspaper reports of the fire.

Before the end of the seventh session, a bill was passed submitting the question of the permanent location of the capital to the people. The act provided that the vote should be taken at the next regular election, and that no place should be chosen