It was in 1849 that the conspiracy against Dr. McLoughlin and his land claim began to become effective. In 1846 Governor Abernethy became the sole owner of the Oregon Milling Company and its property on Abernethy Island, Abernethy and his son claiming to own the island, which was then known as "Governor's Island," in supposed compliment to Governor Abernethy. W. P. Bryant, the first Territorial Chief-Justice of Oregon, arrived in Oregon April 9, 1849. May 29, 1849, fifty days after his arrival he purchased all said interests of Gov. Abernethy and son. Bryant gave his promissory notes to Gov. Abernethy, aggregating $30,000 in principal, as part consideration for the purchase. Bryant also bought from Gov. Abernethy, on time, wheat, flour, and staves for about $2500 and a quantity of lumber and logs, the value of which I am unable to give. Bryant's judicial district included Oregon City.[42] In June, 1849, Samuel R. Thurston was elected Territorial Delegate to Congress from Oregon. He arrived in Oregon in the fall of 1847. He was shrewd enough to obtain the support of the Mission Party. He skillfully made his canvass largely against the Hudson's Bay Company. Having the support of the Mission Party, and many of the voters being then in the California mines, Thurston was elected. The vote was as follows: Thurston, 470; Columbus Lancaster, 321; J. W. Nesmith, 106; Joseph L. Meek, 40; and J. S. Griffin, 8. The most important measure for Oregon was the passage of a land law, for no person had or could then obtain a legal title to land. It was all owned by the United States except the small portions granted to the Missions. Thurston used his best endeavors to obtain the passage of such a bill. But he was anxious for re-election and to ingratiate himself with the Mission Party and the conspirators against Dr. McLoughlin. _Thurston's Letter to Congress._ Thurston prepared the way, by a letter addressed to the members of the House of Representatives, for introducing into the land bill a section depriving Dr. McLoughlin of his Oregon City claim. This letter contains many false statements. This section is section eleven of the Donation Land Law, which was passed without opposition. To this section I shall presently refer. This letter to the members of the House of Representatives was issued by Thurston at Washington, D. C., in the month of May or the early part of June, 1850. Said letter was published in full in the _Oregon Spectator_ of September 12, 1850. Nothing was known in Oregon or California of this letter until late in August or early in September, 1850. As this letter is quite long and relates mostly to the general features of the Oregon Donation Land Bill and the necessity of its passage, I have omitted all that part of the letter excepting Thurston's discussion of the eleventh section of that bill, which contains all that part of the letter referring to Dr. McLoughlin and his land claim. In that part of his letter Thurston said: