Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly volume 16.djvu/356



328 ROBERT CARLTON CLARK

The advantages secured by the union seem to have been just such as had been anticipated. The Hudson's Bay Com- pany, and a subsidiary organization, the Puget Sound Agri- cultural Company, made contributions, during 1845 towards sustaining the infant state amounting, according to statement of McLoughlin, to $226.65. Since the agreement for the union was not made until August the officials of the Company had apparently agreed to be taxed on the sales of merchandise for the whole year. The amount contributed by the Company was about a fourth of the expenses of the Provisional Gov- ernment during the preceding year and two-thirds as much as that raised from all sources during 1844. Thus it will be seen the entrance of the Hudson's Bay Company and the contributions it made by way of taxes went far towards assur- ing the stability of the new government.

Nor was it altogether a one-sided bargain. To McLoughlin it was a matter for congratulation to have "secured the rights of the Hudson's Bay Company without embroiling ourselves or the British Government in vexatious disputes with a gang of low, contemptible vagabonds." He further expresses the opinion that the position of the Company has been greatly strengthened and danger of collision with the American ele- ment removed by joining in this union with the Provisional Government. The wisdom of such action is also commended by the two British military officers, Warre and Vavasour, who express the opinion that "a more judicious course could not have been pursued by all parties for the peace and prosperity of the community at large." 12

Immediately "full advantage of the laws of the Asso- ciation, in regard to land claims" was taken and the country around Vancouver surveyed and platted into nine lots, each of one square mile. These were registered in the office of the recorder of the territory under the names of officers and employees of the Company to be held for it. The requirements of the law as to survey, markings, and building of a hut on

12 Last Letter, 116. Warre and Vavasour, 51.