Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly volume 15.djvu/170



158 SAMUEL ROYAL THURSTON

on Monday and see the Sec. of the Treasury about forward- ing the money over the Isthmus to pay off the late legislature, and to see the Sec. of the Navy to get him to order the Store Ship "Supply" to Portland to carry the government officers and stores. After this I returned home, wrote a letter to J. W. Nezsmith, and went to bed at one o'clock.

December 3, 1849 This day Gov. Gaines and I called on the 1st Comptroller of the Treasury relative to ordering the Collector at Astoria to pay off the members &c of the last Legislature. He immediately wrote a note to the Secretary recommending the course. The Secretary approved the course, and he informed us that the order would be forwarded accordingly.

We next called on the Secretary of the Navy to get him to have the Store Ship "Supply" ordered to Oregon, at Port- land ; he informed us that he would do so with the approbation of the President. The President had previously said to us that he would have it done, so that Gov. G. and I concluded it would be done, of course. On this day, too, I got instruc- tions to say to Gnl. Lane and Pritchett that their dues for salaries would be paid to their order, upon their forwarding a certificate of their oath of office, and their act. to the De- partment to be audited. I wrote Gnl. Lane accordingly. In the evening I went to have another interview with Gov. Gaines on Oregon matters, in which we continued till twelve o'clock at night. I wrote a number of letters to constituents in Oregon, and finally went to bed at one o'clock in the morning.

December 4, 1849 In the morning and forenoon I applied myself to writing home. Went to the R. Hall at 12, and stayed till four, while the house was balloting for Speaker. There was no choice of Speaker, and the House adjourned. During this time I wrote a letter to A. L. Lovejoy relative to the Coast Survey, giving him an extract from a letter of the Superintendent of the U. S. Coast Survey to the Secretary of the Treasury. After supper, I went to see the 2nd Assistant P. M. General relative to postoffices and post roads in Oregon.