CONTESTS OVER THE CAPITAL OF OREGON.
By Walter O. Winslow.
On May 2, 1843, at the call of the committee appointed at the "Wolf Meeting," the inhabitants of Willamette Settlement met at Champoeg for the purpose of taking steps to organize themselves into a civic community, and to provide themselves with the protection secured by the enforcement of law and order. At this meeting the decision was for organization and a committee was appointed to draw up laws suitable for a provisional government and report at a meeting of the people to be held at Champoeg July 5, 1843.
Pursuant to order, the people assembled July 5th to hear the report of the committee. The report, which became the first organic law of Oregon, was adopted, and a provisional government was formed.
The first legislative assembly of the Provisional Government met at Oregon City (then called Willamette Falls) in 1844. The first clause of the journal of their meeting states that they met pursuant to the organic law, but there is no provision in this law regarding their place of meeting; further, no part of the journal of the meeting, when the organic law was adopted, makes provision for a meeting place. AH that is left is the fact taken from, the journals of the legislative assembly, that the seat of the Provisional Government was established at Oregon City. On December 19, 1845, a bill was passed, specifying that the assembly should meet at Oregon City until otherwise directed. The journals show that the capital remained there until 1849.
The Territory of Oregon was established by act of Congress, passed August 14, 1848. This act provided that the legislative assembly of the Territory of Oregon should hold its first session at such time and place in said Territory as the Governor thereof shall appoint and direct; and at said first session, or
