62 Marie Merriman Bradley. plication was made for proposals to print the laws. The com- pany was known as .the Oregon Printing Association,^ One article of their constitution declared that the press should never be used by any party for the purpose of propagating sectarian doctrine, or for the discussion of exclusive party politics. The reason for this was that there were men in the association who wished to control the Methodist influence. The Methodist Mission being largely represented in the asso- ciation.^ The first editor of this paper was William G. T 'Vault, an uncompromising democrat of the Jeffersonian school. T 'Vault was a marked character in early Oregon history. In 1858 he was elected representative of the first general legislature. In 1855 he, in company with Taylor and Blakely, established the Umpqua Gazette of Scottsburg, the first paper south of Salem. The recommendation of Governor Abernethy that proposals be received for the location of the seat of government created but little interest.^ Two proposals were received. Neither met with entire approval. Petitions signed by sixty settlers of Champoeg County to defer action marked the beginning of Salem's long struggle for the capitol. The matter was practically postponed by the passage of an act ordering that future sessions of the Legislature meet at Oregon City until further directed by law. Two other topics of general interest occupied the legislature of 1846, namely^ the liquor law and the districting of the Territory. Burnett's liquor law of 1844 was found to be 3 For Printing Press Compact see G. H. Himes, in Oregon Historical Society Quarterly, Vol. Ill, p. 337. 4 Gray says the originators of the printing association were the same that started the Multnomah Circulating Library, the Wolf Association, and the Provisional Government. The pioneers of 1843 founded the Library. Gray claims to have originated the Wolf Association, while Jason Lee was the first projector of the Provisional Government. The truth is. Governor Abernethy was largely interested in the printing association, and in spite of the protest contained in the eighth article, the press was controlled by the missionary influence. Shares of the stock sold at $10.00 each. The first paper was the Oregon Spectator, appearing for the first time Febru- ary 5, 1846. Its motto was "Westward the star of Empire takes its way." 5 Grover, Oregon Archives, p. 168.
