Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 19.djvu/332

314 LESTER BURRELL SHIPPEE on the subject of the title to, and the occupation of the Terri- tory of Oregon," also copies of the correspondence "which may have passed between the Government and that of Great Britain in relation to this subject." The President replied that he did not consider it expedient to communicate the desired information. The activities of the House followed much the same lines as those of the Senate with perhaps a little more of outspoken- ness. Several measures relating to Oregon were introduced, but none passed or even reached the point where there was a division. As in the Senate the chief discussion took place respecting a resolution calling upon the President to give notice to Great Britain for the termination of the convention, but the debate was neither so long nor so able as that which took place in the upper house. 6 This resolution, introduced by Robert Dale Owen of Indiana, received most support from Ingersoll of Pennsylvania and Wentworth of Illinois, but the discussion was desultory and not especially interesting to the House. 7 Politics interfered more obtrusively in the House debate than had been the case with that in the Senate ; more- over the House took more definitely the stand that it was the duty of Congress to strengthen the hands of the President as well as limit his discretion by some positive action. The "shame" of the treaty of 1842 was dragged forth and elicited from Winthrop of Massachusetts a denial of the allegation that Great Britain had gained a large amount of territory in Maine; Winthrop regretted the temper manifested on both sides, especially deprecating the disposition to sow seeds of perpetual war with England, as the Democratic party did with its habit of bringing out the "red lion" on all occasions. Hughes of Missouri, with the aid of Duncan of Ohio, tried in vain to secure a hearing for a bill to create a territorial government, a bill which was essentially the Linn bill of the previous Congress. Twice the question was ordered on going 6 A modified resolution by Hughes of Missouri introduced before Owen's came up for discussion but was dropped. Owen's resolution in Globe, XIII, 106, 182-91, 409-12, 418. It occasioned the discussion in January and again in March. 7 Adams records, Memoirs, XI, 494, "I found Wentworth roaring like a bull buffalo, about the Oregon Territory; but nobody fallowed him."