FEDERAL RELATIONS OF OREGON
357
instances, the survey had not been made and no 640 acre claim, with no privilege could be issued. patent of sale, made population sparse and schooling dear; many young men had gone to Oregon and they should be allowed to in
many
A
a portion of their land in order to be able to return to the States for wives. Although the restriction was removed there
sell
was some opposition; Letcher (Virginia) saw in it another evidence of the intention of the North to force population into the northern territories thus further destroying the balance which had been disturbed by letting California in on the prinHe urged men of the South ciple of squatter sovereignty. to oppose all these attempts to propagate northern sentiment
and to multiply northern representatives
in
both house of
22
Congress. Lancaster, the Delegate from the newly-created territory of Washington, who was in favor of Lane's amendment as a benefit to his
own
constituents,
threw into the discussion a
reference to one factor which had proved troublesome in the territory ever since 1845 and which had persisted in coming
Congress whenever the land question was mooted. He charged Thurston with having secured the original restriction on account of fear that the Hudson's Bay Company and the up. in
Puget's Sound Agricultural Company would get control of large tracts, and that Dr. McLoughlin would "reap some bene-
from the labor and money he bestowed interests of American citizens." fits
The
relation of
McLoughlin
in
promoting the
to the land question brings
up
one of the least pleasant incidents of early Oregon history. While it was the almost universal testimony that the venerable
had treated with the utmost consideration and liberality the early settlers in Oregon, and had united with them in all proper activities for promoting mutual interests, he had incurred the enmity of some persons, notably of those with whom he came in contact on account of the claims at
chief factor
A
22 Globe, XXIX, Pt. 2, 1075 seq. provision prohibiting the establishment of donation claims on townsites and places selected for the purposes of business The law also extended to without and not of agriculture was adopted opposition. Oregon and Washington the provisions of the Preemption Act of 1841.
