The Shasta Courier

Expunging the Record.

A farmer friend of ours, who has a keen appreciation of a 'good thing,' furnishes us with the subjoined pleasant reminiscence of the early legislation of the country:

In the autumn of 1847 the Legislature of the provisional government in Oregon, being assembled at Oregon City, Jim Nesmith, the rising young member from Polk, (now Senator Nesmith) introduced a series of resolutions in relation to the Indian massacre at Wailatpu. 'Nes.,' then in the plastic gristle of his youth, of course made a speech in favor of the resolutions aforesaid, which abounded in the common staples of patriotism.

For Clerk, the House enjoyed the services of young C—, a person of fine phrenological development, great flow of 'staked and ridered' speech, and an exorbitant estimate of his capacity, and the importance of 'taking down' everything that was said as well as done. The following morning found the members present, in their best moccasins and blue blankets, to hear the reading of the journal; when up rose Mr. Clerk, and after brushing his hand across his frontal sinus, and back through his bristling and positive hair, read from the journal: 'Mr. Nesmith, of Polk, offered the following resolution, which he supported in the following patriotic remarks: Mr. Speaker, the red enemy is at our door, while we sit here, supinely waging a wordy war upon the petty question of whether the rum and tobacco of our drinking and chewing constituents shall be regulated or prohibited,' &c. As soon as the Clerk had concluded, Major Jo. Meek, the member from Tualatin, but late from the Rocky Mountains, arose, and in a voice that betokened intense disgust, said: 'Mr. Speaker, I motion to strike out them thar 'patriotic remarks.''' In a theatrical sense, down came the house; you can imagine the rest.—Portland Advertiser.