How BRITISH AND AMERICAN SUBJECTS UNITE 145 of this meeting show only an expression of approval of the recognition given the needs of the community by the United States in the appointment of an Indian agent, there is other evidence that the claim of Dr. White to an authority over the territory equivalent to that of a governor aroused again a discussion of the question of organizing a provisional govern- ment. At least Dr. White's activity seems to have given anxiety to the officials of the Hudson's Bay Company who char- acterized him as "active, forward and very presumptuous" and held him responsible along with some of those con- nected with the missions for further meetings of the peo- ple held with "a view to the election of a governor." 1 ? But whatever efforts of this nature may have been made in 1842 were again defeated by the Canadians who "outvoted" the Americans. 16 Further incentive for urging on the formation of a pro- visional government grew out of the grievances against the Hudson's Bay Company held by some of the Americans, espe- ically those connected with the Methodist Mission. McLough- lin, chief factor at Vancouver ? laid claim to land at the Falls of the Willamette that was coveted by the Methodists. Some of these as early as 1841 had formed a milling company and seized upon a site on an island in the river at the Falls, on the ground that McLoughlin had taken possession of on behalf of the Company in 1829. 1 ? The missionaries had also erected build- ings on the east bank of the river, a further encroachment on the McLoughlin claim. In 1842 McLoughlin had the claim surveyed and laid out into lots for a town named Oregon City. He had also set up a rival mill and the American company were fearful of its competition. The conduct of the Company in its dealing with the colony and of McLoughlin in insisting upon the priority of his claim at the Falls were made subjects of complaint and grievance in a petition to Congress drawn up in a meeting of the Americans held early in 1843. They urged 1 5 Letter of Sir George Simpson written from Red River Settlement, June 21, 1843, F. O. Amer., 401. 1 6 Ibid. 17 Simpson Letters, Am. Hist. Rev., XIV., 80.
