tive under the census of 1850.[1] Lane protested against the amendment and urged that practically this same bill had passed the House in the previous year, although it had failed in the Senate on account of the late day in the session when it passed the House. He promised that if the bill were adopted now the people of Oregon would present their constitution at the next congress when they would be certain to have a population sufficient, if (as he did not admit) they did not already have a sufficient number. The spirited debate was participated in by many members, the committee of the whole arrived at no conclusion, and the bill did not pass. During the debate Cadwallader proposed an amendment fixing the eastern boundary at the summit of the Cascade Mountains, but this was successfully opposed by Lane, who urged that the people of Oregon should be allowed to fix their own boundaries.[2] Amendments were also offered to require the voters to be citizens of the United States. Lane finally gave up his fight for the bill, doubtless foreseeing defeat, and it did not come to formal vote. The failure of the bill was partly due to the feeling that the population was insufficient, but the members of the whig party feared that if admitted the state would send a pro-slavery delegation to congress.
Governor Curry, in a message which he read to the Territorial legislature, December 10, 1856, included the following:
"The organization of a State government for Oregon, with the experience obtained at Washington in reference to the treatment of territorial interests there, I deem a subject of first consequence. There are many disadvantages and positive grievances entailed by the territorial form of government, in that, in the acquisition of
- ↑ The ratio of population to one representative in Congress had been 70,680 from 1843 to 1853, but was 93,500 from 1853 to 1863. The question was raised as to how many persons were in Oregon, and Lane was pressed for a definite statement The Oregon census of 1850 showed 13,294 persons.
- ↑ Cong. Globe 34th Cong. 1 Sess. v, 39 pt. 2, pp. 1452-8
