LESTER BURRELL SHIPPEE
354
was referred to a bill of the cuson Indian the Committee Affairs, although in the Senate, introduced tomary type for this purpose was passed by that body and adopted by the House. Indian
title
to the land west of the Cascades
Disposing of the public domain, however, gave rise to great After the introduction of a resolution requiring the interest.
Committee on Public Lands to look
into the expediency of
creating a land office and providing for the survey of lands in Oregon, Thurston, in February, moved a set of eight resolutions.
The Committee on
Territories
was
to be directed
to inquire as to the relative numbers of Americans and foreigners in Oregon, and what proportion of the latter had de-
clared an .intention to
become
citizens of the
United States
the expense and time it took to reach Oregon; how long the people there had managed for themselves without assistance
from the Federal Government. 18
The purpose of
tions was, of course, to point out the duty of
the resolu-
to provide liberally for those who had undertaken the sacrifice necIn April a bill was introduced in essary to go to Oregon.
each house, and in the one on
its
May
calendar.
the
Congress
House of Representatives took up questions arose. As reported
Two
bill would make grants of land to settlers, but Bowlin wished to amend the provisions by inserting the word "white" thus provoking a little anti-slavery skirmish led by Giddings, who always took every opportunity to deliver a blow at anything connected with slavery. The obnoxious word remained in the bill as passed by the House, for Thurston told the Congressmen that the people of Oregon were so in dread of the introduction of free negroes that they had passed a law pro-
the
coming to the territory. The second question was on the new policy of giving away the public lands, which some opposed. A long delay ensued and Thurston began to get uneasy he feared that the session would end before his land bill became law and so, at the end of July, he tried to introduce a resolu-
hibiting their
iSGlobe, XXII, 413.
