Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly volume 13.djvu/141

 OREGON PROVISIONAL GOVERNMENT 133 except upon those sold to settlers, and he and James Douglas, his chief assistant, consented to receive a formal proposition from a Committee of the Provisional Legislature. (VoL 1, pages 494 and 495 Bancroft's "History of Oregon"; Vol. 1, pages 268 and 269, Elwood Evans' "History of the Pacific Northwest.") At a meeting of the Legislative Committee (changed by the new Organic Law to the Legislature) on August 14, 1845, Jesse Applegate discreetly introduced the following resolutions which were adopted by unanimous vote : "Resolved that, whereas the adoption of the amended Organic Law, by the people of Oregon, was an act of neces- sity rather than of choice, and was intended to give to the people the protection which, of right, should be extended to them by their government; and not as an act of defiance or disregard of the authority or laws of the United States ; therefore, "It is further resolved 1st That, in the opinion of this house, the Congress of the United States, in establishing a territorial government, should legalize the acts of the people in this country, so far as they are in accordance with the con- stitution of the United States." (Oregon Archives, page 106). On the same day a committee of the Provisional Legislature addressed a communication to Dr. McLoughlin asking the Hudson's Bay Company to become parties to the Provisional Government. Dr. McLoughlin and James Douglas on behalf of that company, forthwith replied consenting to join the Provisional Government. This communication and the reply thereto are given in full in a foot-note in Vol. 1, page 495, Bancroft's "History of Oregon." They are as follows: " 'Oregon City, Aug. 14, 1845. To Dr. John McLoughlin, Chief Factor of H. B. Co. Sir : As a question has arisen in the house of representatives on the subject of apportionment upon which we feel peculiarly situated, we beg leave to ask of you a question, the answer to which will enable us to come to a definite conclusion upon that subject. The question to which we would be happy to receive an answer is this : Do you think the gentlemen belonging to the company over which you pre- side will become parties to the articles of compact, by the pay- ment of taxes and in other respects complying with the laws