THE FEDERAL RELATIONS OF OREGON—VI
By Lester Burrell Shippee, Ph.D.
CHAPTER XII
Territorial Organization
From all outward appearances there was nothing to prevent the Twenty-ninth Congress from proceeding to the completion of the work for Oregon when it convened in its second session in December, 1846. While it was expected that there might be some angry reverberations from the storm of the previous session, no repetition of that hurricane could occur for the question of the boundary was permanently settled. It now remained for Congress to make those customary provisions for territorial organization, surveys and land disposition, Indian regulation and the like which had so often been before Congress with other portions of the public domain. To this end Polk included in his second Annual Message a brief recommendation calling attention to the remaining needs of Oregon.[1] The Secretary of the Treasury also mentioned the desirability of extending the revenue laws of the United States to Oregon for, as he pointed out, there might easily be inaugurated an illegitimate trade in goods from the Orient and elsewhere which would affect the more settled portions of the Union. He also adverted to the advisability of land grants; "with a system of liberal donation of tracts of land in Oregon sufficient for farms to settlers and emigrants, this highly inter csting portion of the Union would soon contain a considerable population and near and convenient as it s to Asia, its com merce would rapidly increase, and large revenue accrue to the Government.[2]
The Indian Commissioner, in his report to the treasury department, pointed out the exposed condition of the American citizens in Oregon. He mentioned the fact that the trade relations of these Indians of the Northwest were chiefly with the
