Page:The History of Oregon Bancroft 1888.djvu/304

286 over this territory. The preëmption law had never been in force in Oregon; there were no land districts or land offices established. No claims had ever been taken with reference to such a law, nor had any one ever thought of being governed by them in Oregon. And as to town sites, while the California land law excepted them from private entry, the organic act of Oregon excepted only salt and mineral lands, and said nothing about town sites; while the act of 1850 specifically granted the Oregon City claim, leaving all other claims upon the same footing, one with another.

Meanwhile, the citizens of Portland who had purchased lots were in a state of bewilderment as to their titles. They knew of whom they had purchased; but since the apportionment of the surveyor general, which made over to Coffin a part of Lownsdale's conveyances and to Lownsdale and Chapman a part of Coffin's conveyances, they knew not where to look for titles. To use the words of one concerned, a 'three days' protracted meeting' of the citizens had been held to devise ways and means of obtaining titles to their lots. They finally memorialized congress to pass a special act, exempting the town site of Portland from the provisions of the donation act, which failed to meet with approval, being opposed by a counter-petition of the proprietors; though whether it would have succeeded without the opposition was unknown.

In the winter of 1854–5 a bill was before the legislative assembly for the purchase of the Portland land claim under the town-site law of 1844, before mentioned, Portland having become incorporated in 1851, and having an extent of two miles on the river by one mile west from it. Coffin and Chapman opposed the bill, and the legislature adjourned without taking