The Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn. Territory) 1849-1855, 1849-05-05

sion. We owe to them debt Of gratitude
for their exertions in our ehalf, and we are
also under particular obligations to Hon.
Henry and A. C.. Dodge, Walker, Jones,
and Douglass, of the Senate, for their kind
sympathies, which were manifested not in
idle words, but by firm advocacy Of all
those measures which involved the interests
of Minnesota.
The removal Of The Land Office to Still
water, was only effected after much delay
aud difficulty. MS q remonStrance had been
made by the members of the Wisconsin
Legislature, and sent TO Senator Walker,
against its being removed out of the limits
OF the State. This obstacle was eventually
surlnounted by the establishment Of an adj
: dltona! Land District in Wisconsin, the
location Of which office mas been made ar
Willow River. A weekly mail has been
granted US by the Postmaster General, at
my earnest and repeated solicitation. Twas
aided in obtaining this grant by the gentle
men composing the Iowa and Wisconsin
delegations.
~ offered resolution IN the House, which
was adopted, to instruct the Committee on
the Post Office TO inquire into the expedl-
ency of establishing poss route from Fort
Smelling to Fort Gaines, also to instruct the
4 Committee of Indian Affairs to inquire into
the expediency of extending the laws of the
United States over the Northwest tribes, SO
as to make all amenable to the proper ,ri-
bunals, and thereby put stop to The muir
ders and other crimes habtually perpetrated
among them. | also drew up bill which
was presented in the Senate by Hon. Geo.
w. Jones, and in the House by Hon. Robert
Smith, appropriating $4,000 for the con
struction of a road from the St. Louis river
of Lake Superior, to St. Paul and Point
douglass via the Marine Mills and Still
water There was not sufficient time TO
push these measures through Congress at
this short session; but they will doubtless be
effected next winter, as | do not apprehend
any difficulty will he thrown in the way Of
:. their passage Much business appertaining
10 4.liyidnals and TO priVate claims have
also i,esst entrusted tome, and Ishaveg,yf'n
il as great share of my attention as other
and more important duties would permit.
] Having been furnished with a power of
attorney, signed by large number IF Sioux
niixel ioods, 10 dispose of their lands at
| Lake Pcpio, waited upon the Secretary of
! War and Commissioner of Indian Affairs
repeatedly, with hope Of procuring their
concurrence in the furtherance of this OBJ
iect Ii was finally decided by the former,
that as IA change OF Administration was 60
soon to take place, il would not be proper
for him to enter into any negotiations with
me; and he likewise objected, that as many
of the signatures were in the same hand
writing, and only Witnessed by Yto persons,
that the letter OF attorney would not be con-
sidered valid in law. then made the at
tempt to procure an item to be appended to
the General Appropriation Bill, for suifi-
cient sum to defray the expenses of making
la treaty with the owners of the Lake Pepin
tract, and for negotiating general treaty
with the Sioux Indians; also for $4,000 til
pay the expenses of general treaty of pa
Obligation between the Sioux, Chippewa, and
Winnebago tribes; bot the bill was so far
advanced, that the Chairman Of the Com
mttee of Ways and Means refused to re-
commend these measures, and | knew it
would be useless to press them in opposition
to him.
The petitions of those individuals who
had suffered by being driven from their
places Of residence OF the Military Reserve,
as also those who had lost part or all of
the aliioGnt allowed them unier the Sioux
treaty OF 1857, were presented ah,lfefcrred
to the proper committees for examination;
but they were received too late inthe season
to he acted on at the session just closed
There is DO doubt of the justice of the
claims of all these persons, and trust and
believe, that if properly represented and
pressed, they will be met in spirit Of lib
erality by Congress at its next meeting.
have thus, feiow-c citizens, glanced at
those measures of importance 10 Minnesota
and its people, which have been attempted
or accomplished. II remains for me now
only TO state few facts and make few
suggestions, which are intimately connected
with the subject. In the first place, assert
as proposition which cannot be con,radic-
ted, that your Delegate would not have been
admitted to seat if he had appeared here
Jas elected by party, aud that his defeat