MULTIPLICATION OF FACTIONS. 295

an adjourned session of the convention on the first Thursday in October. In the mean time they were advised to confer with the commander of the United States exploring expedition, then in the Columbia Kiver, and with John McLoughlin of Fort Vancouver. Resolutions were then passed rescinding the nomina- tions made at the previous meeting, and instructing the committee on constitution and laws to " take into consideration the number and kind of offices it will be necessary to create in accordance with their con- stitution and code." The report of the nominating committee was to be referred to the legislative com- mittee. An adjournment was then taken to the Octo- ber meeting at the Methodist Mission.

The withdrawal of Blanchet from the chairman- ship of the legislative committee was taken, as was probably intended, to signify that the Canadians would take no part in the organization of a govern- ment; hence the rescinding of the nominations em- bracing a number of their names This revived the discussion as to the necessity of a governor, and in fact threw many difficulties in the way of the scheme for an organization. Moreover, some of the most influ- ential persons in the country and some of the mem- bers of the legislative committee were opposed to the idea of a government so long as peace and harmony existed without it. 5

Besides this formidable opposition, Wilkes, on being consulted, condemned the scheme, on the grounds that only a small minority of the inhabitants desired to establish a government, that laws were not necessary, that they would be a poor substitute for the moral code they all followed, that there would be great diffi- culty in enforcing them within any definite limits,

5 William Johnson, who was the only one of the settler class not French on the committee, said that there was as yet ' no necessity for laws, lawyers, or magistrates.' Blanchet ' was of opinion that the number of settlers in the Willamette Valley would not warrant the establishment of a constitution, and as far as hi3 people were concerned, there was no necessity for one, nor had he any knowledge of crime having been yet committed.' Wilkes" Nar., iv. 373-4.