Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 2.djvu/363

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Political History of Oregon.
347

due consideration by the committee to which it had been referred. At the evening session Messrs. G. R. Helm and H. A. Gehr also presented their written protest against the passage of the resolution, they being the minority members of the judiciary committee. In the light of subsequent events this language, found in the protest, is interesting: "This resolution proposes to adopt certain amendments to the Constitution of the United States, which amendment if adopted will change, if not entirely destroy, the republican form of government under which we live, and crush American liberty." The previous question was ordered, however, notwithstanding these protests, by a vote of twenty-seven to nineteen, and the main question being put, the resolution passed the house by a vote of twenty-five in the affirmative to twenty-one in the negative. This amendment was proposed by congress June 16, 1866, and declared ratified July 28, 1868. Governor Woods at this session sent a special message to the legislative assembly, calling its attention to the depredations committed by hostile bands of Indians in the counties of Wasco, Baker, Grant, Union, and Umatilla, and noted the fact that more than $100,000 of property in horses and cattle had been driven off annually for the past three years, and that families had been compelled to abandon their homes, mails robbed, and life and property rendered unsafe.

On September 25, 1866, Addison C. Gibbs received in the senate thirteen votes for United States Senator; J. S. Smith, four votes; James K. Kelly, four votes; John Kelsay, one. In the house Governor Gibbs received twenty votes; Mr. Smith, eleven; Mr. Kelly, seven; Mr. Nesmith, five; Benjamin Simpson, one; Jesse Applegate, one; Henry W. Corbett, one; David Logan, one. A joint convention was held September 26, in which, upon the first ballot, Governor Gibbs received