Having learned that one St. John had been appointed to the custom house at Astoria vice John Adair, and that the time allowed him by law to file his bond had expired, I requested the President that he would take no further action in the matter till I had an interview with him. He promised that he would not. Before we went in, I had requested Gov. Gaines to intercede also. He promised he would; accordingly he requested the President not to do anything further in the matter till he could reach Oregon and report back to the President, remarking that he knew Genl. Adair, etc. The President also promised him that he would not, so that Genl. Adair will not now be removed for 6 or 8 months, anyhow. I think he will not be removed at all. In the evening, after we left the President's, I conversed with Gov. G. till 12 at night upon Oregon matters, and promised to see him today which I shall yet do. Yesterday I received various letters from persons in different parts of the States, inquiring for their friends in Oregon. I replied promptly, considering that that was also a part of my duty, because my constituents in Oregon were interested in the matter. After the interview with Gov. G. I wrote two letters to Oregon communicating a part of the information obtained by my calls and researches. Also on this day I procured a boarding place at the St. Charles, paying nine dollars per week and finding my own lights, the landlord finding everything else. I also attended the Democratic caucus this evening from 7 to 8, in which all the states were represented save S. C. and

The President is to recommend the reduction of postage to Oregon to five cents per letter. This he promises and I hope he will perform.

December 2, 1849-This day I went to meeting at the Wesleyan Chapel, Methodist, and heard the minister discourse upon the following text, "I was glad when they said unto me, Come let us go up into the House of the Lord." In the evening, as Gov. Gaines was soon to start for Oregon, and had previously requested me to do so, I called on him to converse relative to Oregon affairs. And we agreed to go

on Monday and see the Sec. of the Treasury about forwarding the money over the Isthmus to pay off the late legislature, and to see the Sec. of the Navy to get him to order the Store Ship "Supply" to Portland to carry the government officers and stores. After this I returned home, wrote a letter to J. W. Nezsmith, and went to bed at one o'clock.

December 3, 1849-This day Gov. Gaines and I called on the 1st Comptroller of the Treasury relative to ordering the Collector at Astoria to pay off the members &c of the last Legislature. He immediately wrote a note to the Secretary recommending the course. The Secretary approved the course, and he informed us that the order would be forwarded accordingly.

We next called on the Secretary of the Navy to get him to have the Store Ship "Supply" ordered to Oregon, at Portland; he informed us that he would do so with the approbation of the President. The President had previously said to us that he would have it done, so that Gov. G. and I concluded it would be done, of course. On this day, too, I got instructions to say to Gnl. Lane and Pritchett that their dues for salaries would be paid to their order, upon their forwarding a certificate of their oath of office, and their act. to the Department to be audited. I wrote Gnl. Lane accordingly. In the evening I went to have another interview with Gov. Gaines on Oregon matters, in which we continued till twelve o'clock at night. I wrote a number of letters to constituents in Oregon, and finally went to bed at one o'clock in the morning.

December 4, 1849--In the morning and forenoon I applied Went to the R. Hall at 12, and myself to writing home. stayed till four, while the house was balloting for Speaker. There was no choice of Speaker, and the House adjourned. During this time I wrote a letter to A. L. Lovejoy relative to the Coast Survey, giving him an extract from a letter of the Superintendent of the U. S. Coast Survey to the Secretary of the Treasury. After supper, I went to see the 2nd Assistant P. M. General relative to postoffices and post roads in Oregon.

He said he would help us all he could and promised to go with me and see the P. M. Genl. next day, in the forenoon.

I then went to see Horace Greeley,* Editor of the N. Y. Tribune. Oregon has nothing to expect from him. He will oppose Govt's giving us a section of land, and in fine will be both small, mean, and stinted in all his views towards Oregon. After this I went home, and wrote a letter to the Pacific News, San Francisco, for the purpose of getting the people there petitioning Congress for the mail once in two weeks from New York. After attending to various other business, I went to bed at 12 o'clock.

December 5, 1849-In the morning, after breakfast, I called on the 2nd Assistant P. M. Genl. to learn what I could relative to the mail service in Oregon. I found that there had been reported to the Department one post-office at Astoria, John Adair, P. M., one at Portland, Thos. Smith, P. M., and one at Oregon City, Geo. L. Curry, P. M. I found the following mail routes had been established: 1 from Ft. Vancouver to Oregon City, 1 from same place to Astoria, 1 from Independence (Mo.) to Ft. Vancouver, and 1 from Oregon City up the Willamette Valley to Klamet River. Bids had been received for carrying the mail on these routes. There was also another route omitted above, from Ft. Vancouver by Ft. Nesqually to mouth of Admiralty Inlet. To carry the mail on this last route once a month there was a bid of $3000; to carry it from Independence to Vancouver once in six months, 24,000 dollars; from Vancouver to Oregon City, 1 per month, $429; from Ft. Vancouver to Astoria once a month, $1500; and from Oregon City to Klamet Valley, once in 3 months, $6000. After I had ascertained the above facts, I attended the session of the House until supper time. In the evening I visited Genl. Cass and found him, as usual, all the

*Mr. Thurston's estimate of Greeley's attitude towards Oregon proved to be correct. He opposed the admission of Oregon to the Union in 1858 and 1859; and yet as the holder of the proxy of Leander Holmes, of Clackamas county, who was one of the three delegates elected at the Republican State Convention held in Salem, April 21, 1859-the other two being Dr. W. Warren. of Marion county, and A. G. Hovey, of Benton county-to represent Oregon in the Republican National Convention of 1860-he was an important factor in aiding to nominate Abraham Lincoln as the Republican candidate for President.

time for the West. He will go for all we ask. He says Govt. never ought to sell any land in Oregon, but should donate it to settlers.

December 6, 1849-Today I attended the session of the House, but there was no choice for Speaker. The Whigs adhered closely to Winthrop, while many of the Democrats adhered but partly to Cobb. I also wrote a letter (see copy retained) to the Postmaster Genl. making inquiry as to what mail routes, postoffices and postmasters &c there were in Oregon.

I also answered a letter written to Col. Benton by a man from Ohio, asking certain information relative to Oregon. Col. B. requested me to do so. I accordingly replied by a letter of 8 pages, and forwarded same to the Ohio Statesman for publication. In the evening I occupied my time in ascertaining what laws had ever been passed favorable to Oregon, more particularly to establish post routes, and for carrying the mail to our country, after which I retired to bed at 12 o'clock.

December 7, 1849-This day I called on the Secretary of the Navy to see if I could get him to order a Government vessel to Oregon. He informed me that he had already ordered the steamer Massachusetts to Astoria to await the use of the officers of Oregon. This being satisfactory, and in conformity to the promise of the President before made, I then brought to his notice the fact that a British vessel, in Oregon, under guarantee of Major Hathaway, U. S. A., violated, about last July, the American laws regulating the coasting trade. He requested me to communicate the fact in writing to his Dep., and he would attend to it. I then called on the Treasury Department to see if the Collector at Astoria had ever communicated the fact to the Treasury Dept. The First Comptroller tho't not, but requested I would make the inquiry in writing, when he would attend to it promptly. Accordingly, I went to my room, and did so. After this, I attended the session of the House, but no choice of Speaker was made. This was the fifth day. During the session I

!

wrote to Mr. Atkinson of New York, giving him information relative to Oregon, requesting him by private note to publish the same, because I tho't. the facts stated would induce emigration to Oregon. In the evening, after writing several letters, I attended the Democratic caucus. Returned home, and after writing this, went to bed, about 12 at night.

December 8, 1849-This day I attended on the session of the House. The forenoon I spent in hunting up what laws had been passed, either relative to or in favor of Oregon. Wrote several letters, during the day, and received answer from the Postmaster of New York informing me, in answer to a letter addressed to him for that purpose, as to the number of letters and papers sent to the Pacific and brought from there since the commencement of the Pacific Mail line, with the amount of postage charged on the same.

This day I also received a bundle of notes and receipts left in my [trunk] when lost. The man who forwarded the same to me informed me he had found it on the sea beach near Panama.

December 9, 1849-This day I went to the Methodist meeting, and heard Mr. Morgan preach from these words, "Happy are ye if, knowing these things, ye do them." The sermon was most able. Same day I addressed him a note requesting him to call at my house of board. Read in the evening and went to bed about 12 o'clock.

December 10, 1849-This morning Revd. Mr. Morgan called as per request of yesterday. mittance into Br. Purcell's class. forenoon in looking up Oregon matters.

Gave me a letter of adSpent the balance of the Then from 12 A. M.

to 4 P. M. attended the session of the house. The 30th or 31st ballot was completed today and no organization. I wrote several letters home, and hunted up 1Greenhow's map of Oregon for the purpose of drawing up a resolution upon the subject of extinguishing the Indian title to all Oregon lying west of the Cascade mountains. After supper I re

1 Robert Greenhaw, translator and librarian to the Department of State at Washington, D. C., and author of a memoir, historical and political, on the Northwest Coast of North America, published in 1840.