Provisional Legislature of Oregon
Provisional Legislature of Oregon | |
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Unicameral | |
Houses |
|
History | |
Established | 1843 |
Disbanded | 1849 |
Preceded by | Champoeg Meetings |
Succeeded by | Oregon Territorial Legislature |
Seats |
|
Meeting place | |
Oregon City |
The Provisional Legislature of Oregon was the single-chamber legislative body of the Provisional Government of Oregon. It served the Oregon Country of the Pacific Northwest of North America from 1843 until early 1849 at a time when no country had sovereignty over the region. This democratically elected legislature became the Oregon Territorial Legislature when the territorial authorities arrived after the creation of the Oregon Territory by the United States in 1848. The body was first termed the Legislative Committee and later renamed the House of Representatives. Over the course of its six-year history the legislature passed laws, including taxation and liquor regulation, and created an army to deal with conflicts with Native Americans.
Many of the legislators would become prominent figures during the territorial years of Oregon. At first the body was a small committee of nine people, but the group was altered when the
Background
On May 2, 1843, by a vote of 52 to 50, the
1843
On May 16, the nine-person committee of
The organic laws were based on the laws of
1844
The first meeting of the 1844 legislature took place June 18 at the home of Felix Hathaway in Oregon City.[5][6] This session lasted until June 27, and another session was held from December 16 to 21 at the residence of John E. Long, also in Oregon City.[5] At the December meeting, Executive Committee members Peter G. Stewart and Osborne Russell presented a message to the group regarding the opposing claims of the United States and Great Britain.[5]
Among the laws passed during the 1844 session was the "Lash Law", which banned Blacks from living in the territory with violators subject to 20–39 lashes across the back every six months, until the person left the region.[7]
Members
Members of the legislature and the districts they represented (McCarver served as the speaker of the body with John E. Long as the recorder):[5]
- Thomas D. Keizur, Champoeg
- Robert Newell, Champoeg
- Daniel Waldo, Champoeg
- Asa L. Lovejoy, Clackamas
- Peter H. Burnett, Tuality
- Samuel M. Gilmore, Tuality
- David Hill, Tuality
- Morton M. McCarver, Tuality
1845
The 1845 legislature met three different times, under two different structures. First, from June 24 to July 5, 1845, the legislature met in Oregon City, first at the home of John E. Long and then the home of Theophilus R. Magruder, with Morton M. McCarver serving as the speaker of the group.[8] After this, the Organic Laws were replaced with the Organic Act of 1845, which altered the legislature in several ways.[4] First the number of representatives was increased to include a minimum of 13 and a maximum of 61.[4] Second, the name was changed to the House of Representatives.[4] All members of the body were to be elected by popular vote with vacancies filled using special elections.[4] The body also received new powers to impeach any civil official by a 3/4ths vote, apportion the legislators among the districts, create post offices, levy taxes, declare war, organize and call out the militia, create lower courts, pass laws concerning the general welfare of the region, regulate trade with the Native Americans, regulate liquor sale and manufacture, and regulate the police power of the government, among other powers.[4] Meetings continued to be in June and December.[4]
With these changes, a special session of the legislature met August 5 until August 20 in Oregon City.[9] On August 11, 1845 at the introduction of Jesse Applegate the body passed a law against dueling within a half hour that Governor Abernethy also signed within 30 minutes of the bill's introduction.[2] A new legislature met beginning on December 2, with Robert Newell serving as the speaker of the body through December 10 and Henry A. G. Lee assuming the post until the conclusion of the session on December 19.[10] Polk District was created during the session, with the bill passed on December 19.[1] John E. Long served as the recorder and Theophilus R. Magruder as the sergeant at arms for the group.[10] The same people who served in the summer session also served in the December session.[10]
These sessions of the legislature designated Oregon City as the official
Members
Members of the legislature and the districts they represented:[8]
- Medard Godard Foisy, Champoeg
- Joseph M. Garrison, Champoeg
- Barton Lee, Champoeg
- Robert Newell, Champoeg
- William H. Gray, Clackamas
- Henry A. G. Lee, Clackamas
- Hiram Straight, Clackamas
- John McClure, Clatsop
- David Hill, Tuality
- Morton M. McCarver, Tuality
- Isaac W. Smith, Tuality
- Jesse Applegate, Yamhill
- Abijah Hendricks, Yamhill
1846
After hearing the news that the United States had informed Britain it would be ending its obligations under the
Members
Members of the legislature and the districts they represented:[11]
- Aaron Chamberlain, Champoeg
- Jesse Looney, Champoeg
- Angus McDonald, Champoeg
- Robert Newell, Champoeg
- Asa L. Lovejoy, Clackamas
- Hiram Straight, Clackamas
- William G. T'Vault, Clackamas
- George Summers, Clatsop
- William F. Tolmie, Lewis
- John D. Boon, Polk
- James E. Williams, Polk
- Lawrence Hall, Tuality
- Daniel H. Lownsdale, Tuality
- Joseph L. Meek, Tuality
- Henry N. Peers, Vancouver
- Absalom J. Hembree, Yamhill
- Thomas Jeffreys, Yamhill
1847
In 1847 the legislature met from December 7 to 28 at the Methodist Church in Oregon City.
Members
Members of the legislature and the districts they represented:[12]
- Aaron Chamberlain, Champoeg
- Anderson Cox, Champoeg
- Robert Newell, Champoeg
- William H. Rector, Champoeg
- Willard Hall Rees, Champoeg
- Medorem Crawford, Clackamas
- Jacob M. Wair, Clackamas
- Samuel Simpson White, Clackamas
- John Robinson, Clatsop
- Simon Plamondon, Lewis
- Marcus Aurelius Ford, Polk
- James W. Nesmith, Polk
- David Hill, Tuality
- Joseph L. Meek, Tuality
- Ralph Wilcox, Tuality
- Henry W. Peers, Vancouver
- Absalom J. Hembree, Yamhill
- Levi A. Rice, Yamhill
- Lewis Franklin Rogers, Yamhill
Final sessions
The Provisional Legislature met for two sessions in late 1848 and early 1849.
Members
Members of the legislature and the districts they represented:[16]
- Joseph C. Avery, Benton
- William J. Bailey, Champoeg
- Albert Gaines (disqualified), Champoeg
- Robert Newell (resigned), Champoeg
- Samuel Parker, Champoeg
- William Porter, Champoeg
- Medorem Crawford, Clackamas
- George L. Curry,[17]Clackamas
- Absalom F. Hedges, Clackamas
- John L. Snook (resigned), Clackamas
- John Hudson, Clatsop
- Levi L. Smith, Lewis
- Anderson Cox, Linn
- Henry J. Peterson, Linn
- Jesse Applegate, Polk
- James W. Nesmith (resigned), Polk
- Osborne Russell (resigned), Polk
- Peter H. Burnett (resigned), Tuality
- David Hill, Tuality
- Ralph Wilcox, Tuality
- Samuel Thurston, Tuality
- Adolphus L. Lewis, Vancouver
- Asa L. Lovejoy (resigned), Vancouver
- Absalom J. Hembree, Yamhill
- William J. Martin, Yamhill
- Levi A. Rice, Yamhill
Oregon Territory
On June 15, 1846, the Oregon Treaty was signed with Great Britain, which settled the dispute over sovereignty of the Oregon Country.[15] On August 13, 1848, the United States Congress created the Oregon Territory out of the land between California and the 49th parallel (this served as the border with Britain's North American colonies) and west of the Rocky Mountains.[15] A new bicameral territorial legislature was created with an upper chamber Council and lower chamber House.[18] These bodies met for the first time on July 16, 1849, with some members of the provisional legislature continuing into the new government, including David Hill, Asa Lovejoy, Samuel Parker, and Absalom J. Hembree.[18] Upon statehood in 1859, the territorial legislature would be transformed into the Oregon Legislative Assembly.
References
- ^ a b c d e Corning, Howard M. Dictionary of Oregon History. Binfords & Mort Publishing, 1956.
- ^ a b c Gray, William H. A History of Oregon, 1792–1849, Drawn from personal observation and authentic information. Harris & Holman: Portland, OR. 1870.
- ^ a b "Oregon Legislative Assembly (2nd Pre-Provisional) 1843 Meetings". Archived from the original on 2019-05-18. Retrieved 2021-02-01.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Oregon Legislative Assembly History. Archived 2019-01-30 at the Wayback Machine Oregon State Archives. Retrieved on February 17, 2012.
- ^ a b c d Oregon Legislative Assembly (3rd Pre-Provisional) 1844 Meetings. Archived 2019-05-18 at the Wayback Machine Oregon State Archives. Retrieved on November 9, 2007.
- Frances Auretta Fuller Barrett Victor (1886). History of Oregon. Archived 2014-07-06 at the Wayback MachineSan Francisco: History Co, Vol. 29, p. 428.
- ^ a b c d e f g h History of Oregon. William Henry Gray. 1880. pg. 378
- ^ a b c Oregon Legislative Assembly (4th Pre-Provisional) 1845 Meetings. Archived 2019-05-18 at the Wayback Machine Oregon State Archives. Retrieved on November 9, 2007.
- ^ Oregon Legislative Assembly (Provisional) 1845 Special Session. Archived 2019-05-18 at the Wayback Machine Oregon State Archives. Retrieved on November 9, 2007.
- ^ a b c Oregon Legislative Assembly (1st Provisional) 1845 Regular Session. Archived 2019-05-18 at the Wayback Machine Oregon State Archives. Retrieved on November 9, 2007.
- ^ a b c Oregon Legislative Assembly (2nd Provisional) 1846 Regular Session Archived 2019-05-18 at the Wayback Machine, Oregon State Archives. Retrieved on November 9, 2007.
- ^ a b c Oregon Legislative Assembly (3rd Provisional) 1847 Regular Session. Archived 2019-05-18 at the Wayback Machine Oregon State Archives. Retrieved on November 9, 2007.
- ^ a b "1840–1990 Keepsake Edition". Statesman Journal. October 26, 1990. p. 8.
- ^ a b c Brown, J. Henry (1892). Brown's Political History of Oregon: Provisional Government. Wiley B. Allen.
- ^ a b c Horner, John B. (1921). "Oregon: Her History, Her Great Men, Her Literature". The J.K. Gill Co.: Portland.
- ^ a b c d e Oregon Legislative Assembly (4th Provisional) 1848–1849 Regular Session. Archived 2019-05-18 at the Wayback Machine Oregon State Archives. Retrieved on November 9, 2007.
- ^ Oregon Blue Book Oregon Secretary of State Agency History, page 12. Retrieved on April 28, 2021.
- ^ a b Oregon Legislative Assembly (1st Territorial) 1849 Regular Session. Archived 2019-05-18 at the Wayback Machine Oregon State Archives. Retrieved on November 9, 2007.