The Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn. Territory) 1849-1855, 1850-06-27
CONGRESS.
SATURDAY, JUNE 8, 1850.
In Senate.
PUBLIC BUILDINGS IN TERRITORIES.

ritories. to whom was referred House
bill No. l4S, making further appropria-
tons for public buildings in the Terri
tories of Minnesota and Oregon, have
had the same under consideration, and
have directed me to report it back with
out amendment, and to recommend its
passage; l would state that the appro-
priations are very limited, and are very
necessary for the erection of public build
ings in Oregon; and it is important to
pass this bill Immediately, as a steamer
is about to leave for Oregon. pre-
sumo there will be no objections to it,
and | therefore ask for its immediate
consideration.
The motion was agreed to, and the
Senate, as in committee Of the whole,
proceeded TO the consideration of the
BILL
Mr.. Butler. Do l understand that
this bill is under consideration as in COM
mittee of the whole?
The Vice President. 1t is.
Mr.. Butler. | should like to have
some explanation of it.
Mr.. Douglas. l will explain it in
few words. The first section provides
an appropriation of $50. 900 to each of
the Territories, Minnesota and Oregon,
for the purpose of erecting penitentiarles.
there being no prisons there, the bill
creating the Territories, having omitted
to make any appropriation for the pur-
pose.
The second section provides that the
Legislature of the Territory of Mime
sofa may expend an appropriation here
tofore made, in the erection OF public
buildings, any law to the contrary not
outstanding; which means just this:
When the law creating the Territory of
Minnesota was passed: it provided that
the first session of the Territorial Leg
islature should be held at St. Paul, and
that this Legislature should provide by
law, for the location of the seat of gov
eminent; they omitted to 60 through the
formalty of locating the seat of govern
ment, as required, at the first session;
this is to cure that defect, so that they
may expend the money in the same way
as if they had acted at the first session.
The other provision relates to the APP
preparation for Oregon; the usual APP
preparation for public buildings in Ter
ritories is so, 900; the Oregon bill ap-
propriated but $1,000; this is to add
So, 900 to that SIS, 900, supposing that
$50 GOO would not now be equal in value
to $40, 900, and certainly not equal to
SO, 900 at that time; consequently, IT is
proposed to give $1,000 more than the
usual amount appropriated for the cree
ton of public buildings. This is the
whole bill, and, as the House has passed
it, the Committee on Territories did not
hesitate to recommend its passage.
Mr.. Butler. OF course the best guar
antee for bill of this kind is what has
been done heretofore in making other
appropriations for Territories; | shall
certainly accede very much to what the
chairman of the committee has said on
this subject; but it strikes me that 1t is
unusual, SO far as know, to appropriate
money for penitentiaries in distant Ter
ritories; ! do not know why you want a
penitentiary there; 1t seems to me an
tici pating what State ought to do for
right to prescribe as to the mode of pun
ishment, or the public buildings there
| think that the ordinary county prisons
or iails, would be sufficient for all the
purposes of the Territory; at any rate
| do not know whether it is proper to
r make appropriations for penltentiaries al
all; know that some States are op-
posed to penitcntiaries, and others IN ia
vor of them; t.,e system has not met the
: probation of al. the States Of the Union
) | would rather leave this matter till the
country is more settled, before we make
| any appropriations, unless there IS some
very urgent reason for it; ! suppose
they can dispose of their criminals with
out penitentiary; they can tie them uI
to saphng, or confne them in some
such way. Laughter. l think the
worst punishment would be to shut then
: up in that wild Territory, particularly il
: penitentiary.
Mr.. Jones. Feeling deep interes
|, in whatever relates to the welfare Of thu
l people who inhabit the Territories, ant
as it happens that was the delegate IL
congress from TIC eITllOIy VI w 10
consin when that Territory was organ
r lied, and when appropriation for he
, public buildings was made, and having
been continued as the delegate at th'
time of the passage of the act for thu
, organization of the Territorial govern
ment of Iowa, | desire to correct mis-
apprehension into which some have in
!, advertently fallen.
The first appropriation made for pub
:. lie buildings in Wisconsin, was twent.
: thousand dollars, to be expended unde
the direction of the Legislative Assem-
bly, of the Territory. The law provide
that the seat of government should b
established by the Legislative Assembl
and government at the first session. Th
sum of twenty thousand dollars provin
F. to be inadequate to the purpose, the Leg
= islative Assembly memorialized Cor
n gress for an additional sum; and at tn
- session of 1898, being still the dele
h gate, twenty thousand dollars more wer