The Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn. Territory) 1849-1855, 1851-01-30

whenever they visited ST. Paul. Good roads
branched from it to every part Of the territory.
One Of the most important, If TAO. the very Inost
important branch Of business in The territory fire
laundering basinsss) had iis headquarters there.
The gentleman from ST. Paul Mr.. Rice had
given the Saltwater delegation great cred.s les
'.smartness' in managing well fos the n.erests
Of their town. He thanked the gentleman To- iao
compliment, but thought il great pity they c2me
from 80 miserable. obscure, and out-of-the-may
place The people. however, mast be son,er l,as
ahead Of the town, or they never would have
chosen such 'ssnart" representatives,.
Mr.. Tilden again rose and stated that il .vaA
utterly absurd TO suppose we (st FuuD =oad
make any other arrangement Tor securing tb.
ca pitol at this time, if this bill should be defsae
No proposition had come from amy other qoss-
ter, and the present bill once lost, everything was
at loose ends.- - rg
Mr.. Brunson-I hope, Mr.. Speaker, thai gsn-
tlemen, in their efforts to deprecate Stwa.at.
will be more careful TO recollect where it is SITE
atei. Look at the map Of our territory. Nhere
lies the greatest extent Of habitabie country within
our borders. They will find it below Siiina-
ter, west of the Mississippi and directly &C essi
BILE to that place by steamboats,. The cour,rY
between the Iowa line and the mouth Of The 81
Crox must eventually embrace the burtiea of
our population. 1t is our duty 10 look TO tn H..
terests Of those who TO be oar citizei s. 81
well as those who are now among us.
MIR. Ames, (Mr. Rice in the chair took
the floor to discharge what he consider u
duty to his constituents. Much time had al
ready been occupied in the discussion Of
this bill; but it WAS nm important measure,
and one which might be expected to cat! OFT
the local feelings of members; and deman3
their most deliberate attention. Hedid-red
materially from the gentleman from 1T.
Paul who had first spoken, Mr.. Rice in
regard to the power of The Legislatlre 10
remove the capitol from ST. Paul. Tie act
of Congress, read by that gentrnan, provid-
ed that we, with the Governor. might eX-
pend the appropriation at the tenn srsFy
seat Of government. 1t was true 81. paus
was no,c the temporary seat, but could not
we, at any moment, locate it elsewherc
Such were his views, and such he snGcr-
stood to be the views Of our delega;e in
Congress, who procured the passage of me
act referred to- The Saltwater dele "a. ion
had been complimented for their shire 5, ness
in managing this affair, hut he must bs al
lowed to give more credit TO the maiorly Of
the ST. Paul delegation Messrs. Brunson,
Tiiden and Ramsey,] for their good sense
and judgment in this matter. than himself
and colleagues could possibly be entitled to.
They had done the very best they coald for
St. Paul, and were entitled to all Praise
Had they looked elsewhere for votes 10 gus
them the capitol they would in all prohaLi.-
ity have failed. Much had been said agaias,
the selection of Sillwater..as the site Or he
Penitentiary, but he found but very little
force in any argument yet used. 1t aay~
thing thus far said, was worthy the name o.
valid objection, it was the statement thai
the expense of Transporting criminal from
Benton county would he great burihe0 to
the people thereof. This, however, copsd
not be avoided. 1t was a matter 10 b look
ed to by those most interested. S. mach
had been said in regard to. the obscurity Eni
remo.eness of Saltwater, that it might n1g
be inappropriate TO remind genilemen Of It's
actual locality. 1t was situated or th,
beautiful waters Of Lake ST. Croix,--ona Of
the finest channels for steamboat nav CATION
in the north. The alarming distence q
eighteen miles, over good road, isy be-
tween it and St. Paul, The political and cosra-
mercial metropolis of Minnesota. Nc steaa.-
boat ever assembled our waters thus far With
out visiting Saltwater. In point OF coul-
mercial importance, so far as exports are
concerned. she is ahead of any Other town
in the Territory. Our exports are q, least
one third greater than those of any other
point. About twenty-five million fees of
lumber annually leave our town for tbs
markets below. By this it will be seen.
MIR. Speaker, orr insign;fcance is nc. 50
great as some would seem to imagire NJ
A. further addressed the House, to show The
absurdity Of the "border'' argument, -
brought forward by the opponent Of sns
bill. Most Of The STATES Of the Uniun had
built their penisentiaries on their bpzders,
SC.
Mr.. Olmstead-I wish, Mr.. Speaker, 10
say one word in regard 10 my feelings, and
believe the feelings Of the whole Benton
county delegation, with reference TO ST.
Paul. AS for myself, | am, and aiways
have been, willing to vote the capitol at S.,
Paul, and believe all my colleague hold
the same views. ~
Mr.. Warren wished to present an argu~
ment against the location of the prison "a.
Saltwater, which bad no, yet been ad6ced
lie was IN favor of the capitol here, i,u,
thought the prison should go to Benton
county, for obvious reasons. appeared
TO he the policy Of the general goyernment
to colonize all the northwestern tribes IF
Indians upon the borders Of that count --
Our delegate in Congress was striving tc
bring oil these Indians within the CT, ju-is-
diction Of the United States If ihis 3-
done, We all know, from the hnbt,s AMI
character Of the Indian population. ih4s
they will furnish q large proportion If ibe
inmates of the prison. And furlbsr. a
prison in that part of The country wouId 20
as far, and probably farther. to deteG thenl
from crime than fort
Mr.. Northiread from the 18th sec;ioa or
the organic act to show that no pow e.
listed in the Legislature to Iocate the 4e ,upo-
rary scat of governments a second ,if.e
One reason why he opposed this bill was
because it involved bargain--a trade be
tween members for objects of .nutual gale
He was utterly opposed to the omnibns sys-
tenn of legislation. 1t was execrabIe anu
dishonest, and pernicious "a its tendency.
MIR. Trask-Certain gentlemen appear
very much troubled a'sour bargains. know
of no bargain in reference to this hill
came here with my mind made up to vole for
St. Pant for the capitol. drew up This hIH,
and submitted it To certain of the S.. Paul
delegation, and other memiers. IL Hlet hejg
views, and reported it. Does this involve
q corrupt bargain: But could Mr.. Speaker,
tell Of proportions for bargains upoa this
question, made TO me and others, thai lngh1