Page:Portland, Oregon, its History and Builders volume 1.djvu/156

108 the most powerful commercial organization then existing in the world; and on the other hand by eighty thousand savages ready to kill, slay, burn, and utterly destroy them. And as nearly all the meetings, and legislative sessions of the provisional government, which we shall describe, were held within the territory which this history is to record, the history of this government is a necessary part of this work.

The first steps to organize a government came from the Methodist missionaries, who called a meeting of the inhabitants of the Willamette valley to be held at the American mission house, located near the Willamette river a few miles below the site of the state capitol, on February 17, 1841. At this meeting, Jason Lee acted as president and Gustavus Hines as secretary; and resolutions were adopted recommending that a committee of seven be elected to draft a constitution and code of laws for the government of the settlements; and that all settlers north of the Columbia river not connected with the Hudson Bay Company, be admitted to the protection of our laws on making application.

This meeting adjourned over to the next day when a larger meeting was held at the same place, at which David Leslie acted as chairman and Sidney Smith and Gustavus Hines as secretaries. A committee was then chosen to frame a constitution and code of laws; and Rev. F. N. Blanchet, Rev. Jason Lee, David Donpierre, Gustavus Hines, Mr. Charlevon, Robt. Moore, J. L. Parrish, Etienne Lucier and William Johnson appointed such committee.

That meeting adjourned to meet again on June 1, 1841, at the new building near the Catholic church in French Prairie.

This third meeting met near the Catholic church according to adjournment, and Rev. Blanchet requested to be excused from serving on the committee to draft a constitution and code of laws.

The meeting passed a resolution directing the committee to confer with the commodore of the American squadron, and with John McLoughlin, chief factor of the Hudson Bay Company, about forming a constitution and code of laws; and then adjourned to meet on the succeeding October.

No meeting was held in October, and the subject of organization was dropped until February 2, 1843. Thus far the movement had been managed by the Methodist missionaries. And in the next meeting we see an evident intention to change the management.

The next meeting, called to be held at the "Oregon Institute," a Methodist institution, was held February 2, 1843, ostensibly for the purpose of taking steps to protect the cattle from wild animals. Dr. J. L. Babcock appears as chairman, and W. H. Willson as secretary. A committee of six, consisting of W. H. May, Beers, Gervais, Barnaby, Willson and Lucier, were appointed to call a general meeting on the first Monday of March, next, at the house of Joseph Gervais for the purpose of making war upon bears, wolves, panthers, etc., and report business.

The meeting in March was duly held and well attended and has passed into history as "The Wolf Meeting." The committee appointed at the former meeting, reported a resolution to take steps to destroy the wolves, bears, and panthers; that bounties for scalps be offered as follows: for a small wolf, fifty cents; for a large wolf, $3.00; for a lynx, $1.50; for a bear, $2.00, and for a panther $5.00; and that no one (except Indians) be paid bounties unless they first subscribe $5.00 to the bounty fund.

The object of this war upon the wild animals was simply a ruse to get the French Canadians in the valley to join with the Americans in forming a government. The settlers having no religious affiliations had already left the Methodist missionaries in the background in order to coax the French Catholics to come in and help organize.

And after providing for the exterminating of the wolves, the meeting passed a resolution to appoint a committee of twelve persons to take into consideration the propriety of taking measures "for the civil and military protection of this