Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly volume 13.djvu/143

 OREGON PROVISIONAL GOVERNMENT 135 August 18, 1845, Vancouver District or County was created. It was composed "of all that portion of Oregon Territory north of the middle of the main channel of the Columbia River." This Act was approved by Governor Abernethy August 20, 1845. August 19, 1845, the Legislature proceeded to the elec- tion of district judges for the District of Vancouver. It re- sulted in the election of James Douglas, the chief assistant of Dr. McLoughlin, for a term of three years, of Charles Forrest, Superintendent of the Hudson's Bay farm on the Cowlitz River, for one year, and of M. T. Simmons, an American immi- grant of 1844, of Newmarket, near Puget Sound for two years. (Oregon Archives page 119). Thus the Provisional Government became, in fact, a true temporary government extending, theoretically, at least, over the whole Oregon Country and applying to all residents therein without regard to allegiance or citizenship. It so continued until the boundary treaty of June 15, 1846, and thereafter south of the present boundary line between the United States and Canada, west of the Rocky Mountains, until the organiza- tion of the Territory of Oregon, March 3, 1849. If the original Provisional Government was in the interest of the United States this came to an end in August, 1845, and it was, and continued to be, until the boundary treaty went into force, merely a government for the people of the Oregon Country by their common consent and acquiescence and without regard to their allegiances. As I have said, in May and July, 1843, there was no real need for a provisional or other government in Oregon, even in the Willamette Valley. But the arrival of the immigration of 1843, made such a government convenient, if not necessary. If, for no other reason, to enable settlers to take up land and not to interfere with the rights of prior locators. Such a gov- ernment became necessary on the arrival of the immigration of 1844 which more than doubled the population of the Wil- lamette Valley. It became imperative on the arrival of the immigration of 1845. The immigration of 1846 was between 1,500 and 1,700 persons. That of 1847 was between 4,000 and