The Minnesotian. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn. Territory) 1851-1852, 1851-12-06
THE MINNESOTIAN.
St. 39lul, 5Himnrsota.
Saturday, Tee 6, 1851.
PEMBlNA.
We are indebted to J. w. Bond, Esq,
co. tho followino dated

for the following, dated
sAux RAPIDS, Nov. IS, 1851.
J.P. Owens, ESQ We have just re-
ceived a mail from Pembina, brought
through by half-breed on foot, and
bringing dates up to Oct. 18th, the day al
terrific election; he being unable to reach
here sooner OH account OF the inclemcncy
of the weather, and bad roads. | cannot
send YOU the returns at present. as they
are required by law 10 be opened in pres
ence OF two Justices OF the Peace, and
Messrs. Marks and Egbert, are both at
this time at Itasca and Big Bend. Private
letters. however. inform us, that Norman
w. Kittson, Esq, is elected Councillor,
and Joseph Roleite and Antoine Gingras
Representatives. by a unanimous vote.
Charles Cavileer, Esq, in letter da-
ted Pembina, Oct. 18th, says:
THE election went of to-day, harmo-
niously and very unanimous, all on one
side. With two of the Honorable men,
bers elect. you are well acquainted, viz !:
Messrs. Kittson and Rolclle the other,
Antoine Gingras, is 4 native Of these dig
gings and will make very good represent
talive one that we bufi..lo and pemnican
caters need not be ashamed of. He speaks
very good English and has pretty fair ed
ucalion, and take him all in all, is pretty
shrewd fellow. Since the Governor and
party lett, it has been rather dull !; Kilt
son and myself are going TO the settle
ments in a few days; | have been down
once and found very clever set Of peo
pie and should get hard run this winter
Tor amusement, | will just grease my
snow shoes and slide down."
N. w. Kittson, Esq, in letter dated
Oct. 10th, says:
1.-THE reason we polled so few votes
was owing to the absence Of three-lourths
of our voters, who are all gone to the
plains, to make some provision for The
winter the high water of last spring hav-
ing prevented them from making any use
of the soil. have nothing new to COM
municatc. shall be down by about the
latter end of December"
None of the letters mention the number
of votes polled, but all refer lis to The re-
turns, which for the reason l have men
toned leave us at present entirely in the
dark. The bearer OF the mail starts back
tomorrow. We had a furious snow
storm here all day from the S. E., the
river is still open, though full of ice
weather cold and the sIeiShing excellent.
Yours SC.
J. w. BOND.
In addition TO the above, we have seen
other letters from Mr.. Cavileer, which
state the number of votes polled to be
thirty-three; and assigns, in addition to
the cause mentioned by Mr.. Kittson why
there was not larger vote, the fact, that
some hundreds who ought to have voted,
were prevented enjoying their rights, be-
cause they had no means Of legally decla-
ring their intentions to become American
citizens. These, Of course, are immigrants
from the British side of the line. who have
been moving over and settling, from time
to time, for number of years. Mr.. Cav
ilcer also vouches for the correctness of
Mr.. Dahl's census figures, as returned
last year. The Pioneer, commenting upon
these facts, remarks:
'There ought to be special Commits
sioner authorized by the Legislature, to
administer oaths to these men and to for
ward and file their declarations in the
District Court of Benton, which is dis
tant from them, about 500 miles. Their
poll list, if such provision were made,
would number several hundred votes"
Waving the question of the power of
the Legislature to establish any such COM
mission, the plan proposed by our neigh
Dor does not 60 quite far enough. Two
years ago, in the Chronicle and Register,
we advocated TO the best of our ability,
the establishment Of District Court at
Pembina, not only for the purpose of ia
ciliiating the increase of American citi-
zens in that quarter, by naturalization,
but to the end that our people there might
have some show IN maintaining their rights
against the aggressions of that powerful
cd monopoly OF King Charles II, the
Hudson's Bay Company. We hold the
same views in regard 10 the matter now
that we did then, with the difference, that
they are more strongly confirmed by OBJ
servation and experience since. The fact
that the Valley OF the Red river is about
to become ceded land. is also strong
reason in favor of giving its inhabitants
the benefit Of the civil law, in all its ex-
tent, at once. Were the county seat of
the county, to which Pembina is attached
for judicial purposes, within convenient
distance to the settlements, the case would
be different; but situated as it is, five
hundred miles off, the people are entirely
deprived of the benefit of the law.