Page:The History of Oregon Bancroft 1888.djvu/272

254 the valley of Rogue River and the country west of it to the Pacific. At the session of 1853, it created Coos county from the western portion of Jackson, Tillamook from the western part of Yamhill, and Columbia from the northern end of Washington county. The county seat of Douglas was changed from Winchester to Roseburg by election, according to an act of the legislature.

The creation of new counties and the loss of those north of the Columbia called for another census, and the redistricting of the territory of Oregon, with the reapportionment of members of the legislative assembly, which consisted under the new arrangement of thirty members. The first judicial district was made to comprise Marion, Linn, Lane, Benton, and Polk, and was assigned to Judge Williams. The second district, consisting of Washington, Clackamas, Yamhill, and Columbia, to Judge Olney; while the third, comprising Umpqua, Douglas, Jackson, and Coos, was given to McFadden, who held it for one term only, when Deady was reinstated.

Notwithstanding the Indian disturbances in southern Oregon, its growth continued to be rapid. The shifting nature of the population may be inferred from fact that to Jackson county was apportioned four representatives, while Marion, Washington, and Clackamas were each allowed but three.

A scheme was put on foot to form a new territory out of the southern countriescounties [sic] with a portion of northern California, the movement originating at Yreka, where it was advocated by the Mountain Herald. A meeting was held at Jacksonville January 7, 1854, which appointed a convention for the 25th. Memorials were drafted to congress and the Oregon and California legislatures. The proceedings of the convention were published in the leading journals of the coast, but the project received no encouragement from