The Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn. Territory) 1849-1855, 1851-04-17
REMARKS OF MR.. WELLS.

OF Wahashaw, IN reply to Mr.. Rice of
Saint Paul, on the AppoitioHment
BiiIs in the III. of II. of Minnesota
TERRITORY, on the 2sth day Of AnriI.
1851.
Ma. AKER:-Twoday s;ncr, shc gen
tle,,ian ffen Saint Paul proclaimed Il, ,Ai.
floor, that The ApRouiqgnrut Eiil was
foregenc conc'nsi',n-,baf fhelfli yas l,re-
infditatcd-iiat an rdict hads gene firm.
that il must pass-lliis wicked, hrs aho,,,i-
nable bill. which had ,be,u goir..a no with
out reverence for Go.l'or fear Tor si,,s ,aee
pic, IN reply, sir, haze 10 si.y, tha, %,
D.'i STANDS upon It's Intrinsic merits, fiHsssE.s
cllaiIcnges the most scrutmizing exa,nina-
ton, null that its passage or defeat. .lra,nd.
upon the will Of the majority Of tise irai.-
lature, like any other bull. Nox SIR. ,,n,,g
the day that this bill WAS ordered 10 hr an.
CROSSED ia the Council, took no interest In
N, cared nothing about it-ani was uDde-
ternlned whether TO support it or noi, i'm
ITS present SHAPE. II Was then ihai l,arr-
ed, that the complaints against this 5;i.i wA-re
founded upon it's a!e.es. Injustice III Ben
ton county. The D,oyer of this tiIl was az
tuute'l by 4 true spirit OF conciiation, and
without islding ut all the main principle
upon which the bill was framed, ~: rep-
resentaiion proporrioned 10 population, he
was willing that The bill should lie modified
or amended, To any extent consistent at all
with this principle. An aneu,lusnt vas
Offered, to trans!eroae meuber o. he House
from the representation Of Penil;na 10 THAI
"i Denton. he mover OF he bin support-
ca that amendment. What was the sesuli>
w ny, sir, Oh the question of ensrDssina the
NH as amended, tie Benton members voted
against II! was then satisfied Iba, nu n
"A flf,lh H. 4
the bill and The dsiranchisemcnr of The t,,.o-
pie west of the Mississippi, would sa.is.i an.
opponents of the hill.
They were willing to increase the rario
OF representation, to do anything, in short,
hut 10 come IN for Il fair division of repre-
sentation, upon The basis of the census.-
They Wish 10 clutch power, To be used by
certain faction, IN controlling THIS Terri
tory; and TO accomplish t1,s, would stick ut
no means, however unfair, disDrgarnzlng,
or revolutionary. As the enen.ies II the
bili will accept of no amendment, and no
compromise, | go for the bill i,s il j.. if
there - a feature of this bill that j. MOI dem
ocratic, fail to see, or it, other .or.i,. do
not perceive it. a great outcry Is ma,!e
against the Fur Company. Buncon,',r. sir.
Wr' tched Bunconbe, otwhich amy in,eli-
gent man onghi TO be ashamed. " hai, sir
secause Pierre Chouteau, jr., s. Co. have
trading posts west at The river, niu.i the
ireemenl no inhabIt that >ie Of the river
he DISTINGUISHED! Are gentlemen grown SD
wise Oh the East side the river. that they
feel competent to govern the Wet snie,-
Shall we make colony Of The West side,
put It under guardianship, maxi laws &c
govern IL, ani give it 40 representation,
here! That is what gen,Iemen seem 10 de-
sire; for they do not pretend to show--they
cannot show, for figures will not lie, they
cannot show, either by the census ur other
wise, that this bill does not girc he East
side OF the rtrer considerably mare than lis
legitimate share Of representation Come,
now, NC challenge YOU 10 look III the fa-
ures. What then! Are human ria hts AID
human franchises less dear upon .,ur side Of.
a river, than upon the other si,ei Or n.a.t
all bow down to the dominion of the Rare
faction, and cry Great is Diana IF the
Ephe>ians =
Gentlemen ought to he assumed, know
they tciH lie ashamed, OF this senselrs>, an
reasonable t'ra'le Of AZURE aga:ns; his hit.
Truth ,rW prevail; aud the people wlii de-
nand why this spirit of injnS,ire Is nra,,i-
Tested. All sense, all r, a>vn, all con>l,lrra-
tons of Justice and equity, are nn, exIiuct
in The breast of our general constituency
y
ing; aud they examine argumrnIs ani III
Iuire into the reasons nnd nolive- that ne
tuate us as legislators. Sir, | .,chrve that
the famous seven, the minority, ~ ho ai,al.-
done,l their post here, and went a fishing.
VIII yet he as hunlIe, these se;tn ttiscil.i,,
Of lzaak Walton, Will have TO te humbler
than the fishermen ui GalieC, before their
constituents viii forgive them; AMI 81 viii
the faction IN the Council, " hu, If they slui
not fish, cut bait. Poor fellows! IT,
toled all night and caught nothing Nu,h-
ing! Yes; they caught the terisi,a and
contempt of every honest man in he 'l'er,i-
tory, who believes il, fairness amA 6l.Iuv
aud the right of majorities To rule. Now,
SIR, 1t the seven fishermen had -'put lreir
net down on the other ,i.e''-on t!i. side II
popular rights, and fair, honest repre- ,entt-
ton, they would have caught "a great n,u.-
tt"de OF h>hes." But the popular sc0ir
has new turned against Them, AMI het u.n
ma that they have but slender Aoo ieiI,
upon which 10 hang their hopes of re- lecl-
lion; they will find that their shines h-,e
not been east ia pleasant places" thu. ,heir
mel gain is very iittir; that they are rausht
III their own meshes, ana ;bat al hnnsh nas
mad by the same cause that Saint PnuI was
hot nj all, sir, by their muth learaiac,
they will certainly he considered i7l seigc;
that when these fishermen call for ssccor at
the ballot box, the people will tell The fish
er'nen, that they. (the fishermen. ave raih-
ef too willing 10 sucker lhe,nselvc>. tbat
their bills for sret stationery, nre too ca
travaganI; that their fishing rods Vii. ,.ro,e
20 he rods IN pickle tor them, tn rrN, D.-
tol'er election Will each theti,, Ike a..
net; that the people expect Their rrb.e,,l
taiives To tio something for SIS a day, ,-c-.
oo6ding about in the lakes; men beers O.. lf...
House, sir, nj the ein: of the Session, ua,n
everything remains unfinished, have "Of5-s
fish 10 fry" great eel else to do hc-.l.
flying about with gigs and angling tor
bass aud pickerei-takins a troll ilie io join.
Morgan's tin-ess,ng TO defeat al, honest hli,
aLonioning The school of polite 'er hools
OF suntish; and instead OF stay h-re 10
weigh well and deliberate uInp u,eAsUres
Important 10 the welfare OF Mijue Soin, 90
ing off unon a scnIe.--aud sir "A hPp thair