Astoria, on the Columbia, 8 miles from its mouth, population 252, is one of the oldest American trading places in Oregon, having been founded by Mr. J. Astor In 1811, but its present increase is very slow. Milton City, Washington county, population 692, is one of the rising towns of Oregon. Oregon City, on the right bank of the Willamette River, 35 miles N.E. from Salem, population 652, is the chief town of the Willamette Valley, the beet settled and meat flourishing district in Oregon. The city possesses a great amount of water and appears likely to become a place of considerable importance. Port land, on the left bank of the Willamette, above its confluence with the Columbia, 47 miles N. by E. from Salem, population 821, is also busy and flourishing place, being the port of entry of an extensive and rich counts'.
The constitution was enacted by Congress in 1818; by it the right of voting is vested in every white male inhabitant of Oregon, 21 years of age, and a citizen of the United States, or who shall in the usual manner declare his desire to become one. The legislature consists of a counoil of 9 members, elected for three years ; and a house of representatives of not less than 18 nor more than 30 members elected for oue year. All laws passed by this legislature must be submitted to Congress for approval. The governor is appointed for four years.
The coast of Oregon was visited both by the English and Spaniards in the 16th century, and it has been much disputed to the mariners of which country the honour of the discovery is to be ascribed. Spanish writers claim its discovery for Ferrelo, the pilot of Cabrillo, who they assert reached 43° N. lat. in 1513 ; while those who claim for England the honour of the discovery chow that Drake in 1579 attained to 4S° N. let. The mouth of the Columbia, although Ileceta in 1775 and Vancouver early in 1792, suspected the existeuce of an important river from the general appearance of the bay into which it empties itself, was not actually discovered until later in 1792, wheu a Captain Baker of the English merchant service and a Captain Gray, the master of an American merchant vessel, entered the (estuary of the river. On tho
priority of Gray'e entry the United States government some years later founded its claim to the territory drained by the river and its tributaries; but the river was actually ascended for the first time by Lieuteuaot Broughton, RN., who a few mouths after Captain Gray had entered its mouth, went up it for above 100 miles. and formally took possession of the country iu the name of his sovereign George The sovereignty of Oregon was in 1789-90 a matter of grave dispute between the governments of England and Spain, but the question was terminated in 1790 by the Convection of Madrid, by which the right of exclusive possession was relinquished by both countries. The Americans subsequently formed a trading settlement at Astoria, which during the war in 1814 was taken poasessiou of by the English, but given up at the close of the war. After the treaty with Spain in 1819 the United States government first set up a claim, founded on the right of discovery, and also on their having by the treaty succeeded to the Spanish right of occupancy, to the exclusive possession of Oregon ; and the chum involved the English and American govern ments on more than ono occasion in very serious disputes. The question was not finally settled till 1846, when a treaty was concluded between the two powers, giving to the United States the entire couutry up to the parallel of 49° N. lat.. Includiug therefore the whole tract since formed into the territories of Oregon and Washington, but reserving to England the free navigation of the Columbia River as a line of communication with the Hudson's Bay Territory; and Oregon was constituted a territory by Act of Congress August 14th, 1848.
(Statistical Gazetteer of the United States ; American Almanac ; Seventh Census of the United States; Wilkes, Narrative of the United Statu Exploring Expedition ; Greenhow; Falconer; Wallace; Twins; Nicolay, &c.)