Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 9.djvu/69

 Political Beginnings in Oregon. 57 a vsingle person, to be elected at the next annual election, to hold office for two years, with a salary of $300 per annum. By the organic law, the judicial power was vested in a supreme court consisting of a judge and two justices of the peace. The judiciary act of 1844 vested the judicial power in circuit courts and justices of the peace, provided for the election of one judge with probate powers, whose duty it should be to hold two terms of court annually, in each county, at such times and places as the law should direct. The land law of 1843 was repealed and another passed in its place, by which the conditions were narrowed so that only free men over eighteen years of age, w^ho would be entitled to vote, if of lawful age, and widows, could lawfully claim 640 acres. The recording of claims was dispensed with be- cause of the long journey it involved. Occupancy meant actual residence by the owner or agent. A second act was passed which authorized the taking of 600 acres of prairie and 40 acres of timber land, not contigu- ous. Partnership claims were allowed for double the amount to be held for one year, the improvement to be on either half. The object of this legislation was to prevent the missions from holding thirty-six sections, and thus repeating the monopoly of the California Catholic missions. On the whole the meas- ure was popular; the missions were placed on the same foot- ing as other claimants, and the issue between some of the mis- sionaries and McLoughlin regarding Oregon City property was ignored. The division of counties made by the committee of 1843 was vague as to the northern boundary. In 1844 the Columbia River was made the definite northern boundary of Oregon. There was much discussion as to the meaning of the act. Did the United States give up the claim to the territory north? or were the servants of the Hudson's Bay Company prohibited from a share in the government? A definitive clause was added which made Oregon Territory ''That land between 42 deg. and 54 deg. 40 min." Thus our position was made very clear.