Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 5.djvu/206

196 PETER H. BURNETT. 1 lion/ing Judson ;uid Wilson to construct a mill-race was of a similar nature to the one in regard to John McLoughlin. The act to amend the several acts regulating ferries simply fixed the rate of toll of the two ferries across the Willamette River, at Oregon City. The act for the relief of J. L. Meek is a short one, giving him further time to finish the collection of the revenue for the year 1844. The acts of the legislative committee of 1844 will fill sonic thirty printed pages, while the laws of 1843 only occupy seven pages of Gray 's ' ' History. ' ' If we spent a part of our time in the discussion of personal bills, we passed but a few of them, and did a large amount of other legislative work. "The proposed constitutional revision was also strongly recommended by the executive committee, and the legislative committee went through the farce of calling a convention, and increased the number of representatives, and called it a leg- islature." (Page 383.) The executive committee, in their communication to our committee, dated December 16, 1844, says : We would advise that provision be made by this body for the framing and adoption of a constitution for Oregon previ- ous to the next annual election, which may serve as a more thorough guide to her officers and a more firm basis of her laws." It will be seen that, while the executive committee recom- mended that provision should be made for the framing and adoption of a constitution previous to the next annual elec- tion, they did not suggest the mode in which this should be done. Our legislative committee thought that a convention, composed of delegates elected by the people for the sole and only purpose of framing the fundamental law, was the Ameri- can, and the proper mode. When the people come to choose delegates to a constitutional convention, they are very apt to duly appreciate the great importance of the work to be done, and will therefore generally select the best, and most competent men for that great purpose. The body that forms a constitution should have but wne task to accomplish, for the