CHAPTER LI.
1845.—Public meetings to elect delegates to convention.—Candidates for governor.—Members elected to the Legislative Committee.—Oath of office.—Mr. Applegate’s announcement.—Dr. McLaughlin’s amphibiousness.—Description of the members of the Legislative Committee.—Business of the session.—Ermatinger’s election contested.—Mr. Garrison’s resolutions.—Anti-slavery resolution.—Organic law revised.—Improvements and condition of the country.
1845.—Public meetings had been held in most of the districts, and nominations made for the Legislative Committee. Delegates were elected to meet at Champoeg in convention, to nominate candidates for governor, supreme judge, and Territorial recorder.
In this convention A. L. Lovejoy, George Abernethy, O. Russell, and Dr. Bailey were candidates for governor. After several ballotings, Mr. Lovejoy received a majority of the votes, and was declared the regularly nominated candidate. Mr. Russell’s friends were dissatisfied, and in the final vote at the June election, joined with Mr. Abernethy’s friends and elected him, although he was absent from the country. This left the old Executive Committee in power until after the meeting of the Legislative Committee, and revision of the organic laws, which was the first business the committee attended to, and submitted the amended organic compact to the people for their approval.
The members elected were:—
From Clackamas County: H. A. G. Lee, W. H. Gray, H. Straight.
From Champoeg County: R. Newell, J. M. Garrison, M. G. Foisy, and B. Lee.
From Yamhill County: Jesse Applegate and A. Hendricks.