Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 20.pdf/92

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LESTER BURRELL SHIPPEE

84

was seriously considered; the Secretaries of War and Navy, it was decided in Cabinet, should consult with appropriate committees of each house and assist in the preparation of proper

mood

The result of this decision and of the receptive bills. of the committees was the introduction of measures in

both branches of Congress for an increase in the armed forces of the country. Haralson, for the House Committee on Military Affairs, brought in a bill for two regiments of mounted riflemen and moved its reference to the Committee of the Whole House as a special order of the day. Objection to this

produced a result similar to that coming from Cass' resolutions in the Senate, and discussion immediately switched from the subject in hand to Oregon, joint occupancy and all the other aspects of the question. Haralson, who desired the

on its own had framed it with an not merits, stated that the committee idea that it would be looked upon as a measure of preparation He withdrew his arising from the international situation. motion for a special order and called for the previous question on reference to the Committee of the Whole. The House, however, was not going to be cheated out of discussion in this fashion, just because the Committee on Foreign Affairs had been slow in reporting, and refused to desist, continuing its debate on the President and his policy with Oregon into the next day. Then came Sunday, and on Monday the Committee on Foreign Affairs, having been spurred into activity, reported and Oregon could be discussed under the resolutions for Until that topic had been exhausted and the resolunotice. tions passed no other matters dealing with Oregon could get bill

to be considered

a continued hearing before the House. On the twenty-third of March the bill for mounted

men was

rifle-

On

the tenth of the previous month occurred one of the events which gave point to the proposed

measure.

taken up again.

The House,

in response to

a resolution, had received

from the President information calculated was a possibility of hostilities with Great

to

show

Britain.

that there

McLane's

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