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About Oregon free press. (Oregon City [Or.]) 1848-1848 | View Entire Issue (July 15, 1848)
OREGON FREE PRESS mi. ' Geo. L. Curry, Editor and Proprietor. OKEGON CITY, SATUHDAY JULY 15, 1818. Our Land Claims. -Wo would remind our readers of the inn ling this afternoon, at the City Ih.tel, for the purpose ofproU'cHng our rights and interests in regard lo land claims It is a matter of the first importance, that concerns allone as much as another and the meeting will therefore be expressive of the popular mind upon the subject. In our judgment, there seems to be a misunderstand ing of the President's Message in the phrase, "grants upon liberal terms, of limited quantities of the public lands," etc. Now, the construction that we give it, is thai "terms" allude to the comparative rights and qual ifications of the claimants ;--lhal is to say, that there will be a" distinction observed in granting land that those who have been citizens here for a definite period will receive accordingly that those who may become citizens, or residents, hereafter, until a certain lime, will obtain a more limited granti In other words, " upon liberal conditions" which is the difinition of " terms' The bare idea of any citizen of Oregon pay ing fin Ins land, after all the circnmslances of the case are taken into consideration, would m ingest a policy too wretched, Unwise, and manifestly unjust, to ever be conceived by our General Government, much less carried into execution. PnoLiFic Growth of Oats. VVc have received a spe cimen of fine pals from the crop of Mr. T. F. Jackson, on the Molllrf! It is anticipated that the yield mill UtJ upwards of a hundred bushels to the acre. We should say that Ihe specimen exhibits an astonishingly prolific gtowlh some of the heads, measuring 23 inches in helgth, are remarkably full, and the grain large and Well developed. Generally speaking, oats grow in this country infinitely heller than in any part of the Stales, and may always be considered a certain crop. The same may truthfully be said of wheal. Hut wo have never seen any oats that could compare with Mr. Jackson's production. itm i ml n .mt mi A Word of Ourselp. Previous to the issuing of the first number of the "Oregon Free Press," we had des patched orders t Ihe Islands and CalKornia, with Ihe iiecessary means on our pari Tor their fulfilment, for a supply of mati rial type, paper, etc., which we stand vei'y much in need of. The recent return or the Cow litz brought us iolt lligenre unfavorable to the immedi ate realization of our wishes, which we the m-ne re gret as we are extremely anxious for a speedy enlarge ment of our sheet, which cannot be accomplished until we have more type. We are dai y looking (or infor mation, in leference to this mailt r, from (. aliforuia. It is proper likewise lo slab', that through Ihe "packers" reluming lo the Stales lasl spring, we made the icqui sile arrangements for (be ullimali establishment of a thoroughly appointed printing ollice of our own, here "in Oregon, lhdeed, V feel loo deeply interested in our undertaking to leave any worthy elTorl untried thai may 1' id Mbe. accomplishment o' our object. Although Jabonng under very many difficulties, we do not lose heart, an.l trust Swon to be able lo gratify the most fas tidious laste iii the appearance aud size of the "Oregon Jfire Press." , In order the more effectually to do this, we kindly remind those of our subscribers who have not yet set tled with us, that by their doing so they will very ma terially help us along. We have upwards of three hundred subscribers, of which number only about onc'lhird have paid Our payments, incidental to (he commencement of our enterprise, have been numerous and hiavy, which must be our excuse for calling on ourpalrons. To "Querist." In regard to those of 'Querist's' queries that do not answer themselves, we can only say, (hat, notwithstanding the general supposition that an Editor must know everything and be qualified to answer any question, "if ignorance is bliss?" we have much more than our share of it in relation lo the sub ject matter in question, as an entire oblivion seems to have settled down of late upon government operations generally. "Querist" will give us credit for having endeavored to obtain light, but it would seem, really, as though there were none lo be had. Marine. The Brig Eveline, Capt. Goodwin, left Port land, on yesterday, for the Sandwich Islands, with a cargo of lumber. Mr. Curry: 1 see, by reference to the "Spectator" of July 13lh, that H. A.G. Lee lias issued his proclama tion, as Superintendant of Indian Affairs, declaring that portion of Oregon Territory, heretofore occupied by the Cayuse Indians, as forfeited, and Capt. Thomp son and James Taylor, Esq., with their associates, are authorised to settle and hold land claims within said territory. Who ever heard of an Indian Agent giving charters or grants to settle a colony? The law creating the office of Superintendant of Indian Affairs in Oregon does not express such a grant of power, nor can it be implied. The public are informed that "after consultation with" Gov. Abernelhy, "and with his advice and consent" it is therefore declared that the territory of said Cayuses be forfeited by them and justly subject to be occupied, Can it be possible that citizens of (he United Slates, settlers in Oregon Territory, living under a Provisional Government, with an Organic Law Tor a Constitution, limited in its duration to an indefinite pe riod, in form Republican, securing to ANY person a claim of 640 acres of land by complying with the law in such case made and provided, as also the bounds of the. Territory defined; I say can it be possible that Capt. Thompson, of Yamhill, and James Taylor Esq., of Clatsop, will receive a chatter for a grant to settle a colony within the before acknowledged limits of Oregon Territory, and that from the present authorities? This is a subject worthy of discussion, if the principle should be insisted upon. But us the Governor and Superintendant have just been discharged from their military career in conduct ing the late campaign against (he Cayuse Indians, this may be a " ruse de ouerre" and not intended as a real attack upon the people's rights. Who knows but that the authorities may attempt to sustain their position by q legal construction of the Organic Law? Or it may bo that it is their intention lo acquire the Cayuse country by conquest, and insist that it is not Oregon proper, and dispose of it to those charterists and their associ ates for means lo defray the expenses oftbe late wart I say, remember "quidquid in altum fortuna tout fttUTORA LEVAT." THESEUS.