FEDERAL RELATIONS OF OREGON active part in framing the details
361
and pushing the land
bill,
ex-
consideration, he had placed in it certain apparently innocuous clauses which would practically have prevented every British subject in Oregon from obtaining a donation
cept to urge
its
grant as well as have deprived Dr. McLoughlin of his claim. To accomplish the first purpose the bill contained the words "all
white American citizens" to designate those eligible to the Committee on Public Lands had considered
secure land
this a little too
strong and had changed
it
to "all
male
citizens
of the United States, or persons emigrating from the United States, and who shall have made a declaration of intention to
become citizens." This amendment the House adopted, but it meant that every British subject in Oregon, including those who had long since established their homesteads along the Willamette, would have to go into some one of the United States and "emigrate" from there in order to qualify for a
The Senate
struck this out, leaving it necesmake a declaration of intention. should sary only that aliens the process of naturalizauntil Aliens still would have to wait
donation claim.
tion should
would be
have been completed before a patent for their lands
issued.
Dr. McLoughlin, however, was dealt with in a section by This was the more easily done since Thurston had itself. played upon the ignorance of the members of Congress; he had described McLoughlin as the enemy of Americans in
Oregon and Oregon City
as
a menace to American interests
still.
The
claim, except for the lots sold or given away by the Doctor before the fourth of March, 1849, was to become
property of the territory. Abernethy's Island in the Willamette, on which the mills had been erected, was granted to the Willamette Milling and Trading Company which had bought up the claims of the Methodists. No provision was
the
made
to reserve to
McLoughlin any of
had declared formally of the United States, he had as he
When
his original claim, and,
his intention to lost his
become a
citizen
standing under the
the text of the proposed act
was received
in
treaty.
Oregon
