Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 9.djvu/75

 Political Beginnings in Oregon. 63 inadequate to prevent ilie use of intoxicating drinks.^ It became an offense to give away "ardent spirits" as well as to sell or barter, and a fine of fifty dollars was imposed for each violation of the law. It was made the duty of every officer or private citizen who knew of the distillation of any kind of spirituous liquors, to seize the distilling apparatus and de- liver it to the nearest county judge or justice of the peace. Not more than one-half a pint could be sold by any practicing physician for medical purposes. The following legislature (1847) amended the law whereby liquor could be sold under certain restrictions. This action was inspired chiefly by opposition to the Hudson 's Bay Com^ pany. The settlers felt that so long as the fur company kept liquors at Vancouver, the Americans should not be deprived of the benefits of the traffic. Every British subject in the house voted against the bill and Governor Abernethy vetoed it, but it passed over his veto and Oregon has not had complete prohibition since 1846. By 1847 the population had increased enough to warrant the adding of two new counties: Lewis County, comprising all Oregon Territory north of the Columbia and west of the Cowlitz, up to 54 deg. 40 min. ; and Polk County, south of Yamhill, including all territory between the "Willamette and the Pacific. Neither county was allowed a sheriff of its own ; Vancouver did duty for Lewis, and Yamhill for Polk. Abernethy was nominally the head of the American party as it had been when there was a iHudson's Bay party. No such association as the latter now existed, because the British inhabitants were politically fused with the American, and most of them were only awaiting an opportunity to become natur- alized citizens of the United States. But the real American party was now that party which had been, in the first days of the Provisional G-overnment, opposed both to foreign cor- porations and Methodist missions; from this time on, for several years, the only parties were the American and the Missionary. The Governor belonged to the latter. 6 Grover, Oregon Archives, pp. 158-208.