Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly volume 37.djvu/158

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old site, with removal of the university to a new plant to be erected in Bush's pasture. Governor Martin recommended consideration for a spacious 90-acre tract known as Candalaria Heights on the hills south of Salem, overlooking the valley. A large number of people urged reconstruction on the old site, as the historic location for the capitol, the center of political tradition, convenient to the business district of Salem and to the three other units of the capitol group. An opinion of the attorney general that the building must be located within the limits of the City of Salem as they existed in 1864, when the state by popular vote fixed the capitol at Salem, did not settle the controversy and it became the subject of a memorable battle in the special legislative session which began on October 21, 1935.

Committees which considered and framed the legislation on the capitol were: Senate--F. M. Franciscovich, Clatsop County, chairman; Robert M. Duncan, Malheur County; Peter Zimmerman, Yamhill County; Walter Fisher, Douglas County; Douglas McKay, Marion County; N. G. Wallace, Deschutes County; Walter E. Pearson, Multnomah County. House--Ellis Barnes, Multnomah County, chairman; C. F. Hyde, Lane County; W. A. Johnson, Josephine County; D. A. Norton, William L. Graham, Homer D. Angell, Multnomah County; Alex Rennie, Benton County; E. W. Kirkpatrick, Clackamas County; Vernon D. Bull, Union County; Carl Engdahl, Umatilla County.

After defeating minority reports, one by Zimmerman to construct a $2,000,000 capitol on the old site, and one by Fisher to build one for $2,500,000 on the old site, the senate passed a bill appropriating $3,500,000, but specifying that three blocks along Court Street west of Capitol Street be acquired for addition to the capitol grounds. The house, under Democratic control while the senate was Republican, rebelled at this designation of property to be bought and amended the bill to empower the commission to buy land either on Candalaria Heights or adjacent to the old site. The amount of the appropriation, $3,500,000 was not changed. The senate refused to concur in the amendments and amended the report of the conference committee to limit the location to the old site and the appropriation to $2,500,000. Attempts were then made to effect a compromise at $3,000,000 with the capitol commission still having authority