THE OREGON QUESTION 1818-1828 209
Oregon scheme by any unpopular attempts at adminis- trative or departmental reform.
An attempt made to table the entire bill failed, prin- cipally, it would seem, because the House wanted to hear Baylies speak on it again. 29 The debate continued on the 25th but nothing new was added. Breckenridge of Kentucky, who was later to be associated with a vice- presidential candidate from this same Oregon country, held that the scheme offered was neither constitutional nor politic. He reiterated the "no community of inter- est" argument.
By this time the House was evidently content with what it had heard arid carried a motion to table the bill, ayes 76, noes 61. 30 The margin was not great and on the 27th Floyd moved that the House proceed to the con- sideration of the bill, but the negative side had received astonishing accessions and his motion was rejected 100 to 61.
One hears no more of the Oregon question in the House that session except when Mr. Little of Maryland presented a memorial from "eight enterprising farmers and mechanics in his district praying that the bill for occupation be passed, and intimating their wish to re- move thither for the improvement of that country and their condition." This also was ordered to lay on the table. 31 This is of interest and some importance as the first official record of popular interest in the affair. In- deed, one of the objections made in January had been that no petitions had been received from merchants or anyone else. However, there can be no doubt that popu- lar interest along with popular knowledge about Oregon was very slight. The country was not yet through its first period of purge through emigration, and was hardly in any condition to attempt anything so formidable as
29 Op. cit., pp. 683-684.
30 Op. cit., p. 696.
31 Op. cit., p. 1077.
