The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1852-06-26
ROADS In MINNESOTA.

| order, is the consideration of House bill
No. 255, making appropriations for the
construction OF certain roads in the Ter.
ritory Of Minnesota. When the bill wa.
last under consideration, the demand fol
the previous question on the engross.
ment of the bill had been seconded, and
the main question was ordered TO be put
The question now is: ''Shall the bill be
ordered to be engrossed and read third
time.'
The question was put, and there were
on division-ayes SO, noes 35.
Mr.. Cleveland. l demand tellers.
Tellers were ordered; and Messrs
Moore, Of Louisiana, and Stanton, of Ten
nessee, were appointed.
Mr.. Jones, OF Tennessee. This mat
ter is being proceeded with to the exclu-
sion OF The business oil the morning hour,
which is the special order.
The Speaker. The Chair was misled
at the moment, supposing this to be a bill
reported from one of the committees du-
ring the morning hour.
MIR. Richardson. 1t is now too late to
object to its consideration. We have had
action upon it.
The Speaker. 1t will certainly make
no great material difference in the busi-
ness of the House. The Chair would
suggest, that as matter Of accommoda-
ton, the House take the vote on this bill
the main question having been put
before proceeding to the execution OF the
business Of the morning hour.
TCries of agreed !"" "Agreedw1
The question was then taken upon the
engrossment of the bill: and the telers re-
ported that there were-ayes 78, noes 40.
The bill was ordered TO be engrossed
and read third time, and having been
engrossed, was read the third time.
The question being, "Shall the bill
pass ?"
Mr. Johnson, of Georgia, demanded the
yeas and nays; which were ordered.
Mr.. Stanley. Is it in order to say a
word upon this bill?
The Speaker. 1t is in order.
Mr.. Stanly. l wish to call the atten-
tion of the House to one of these roads,
for which there is an appropriation OF
$4,000 made, for surveying and laying
out a road from Mendoza to the mouth OF
Rig Sioux river, on the Missouri i. 1t
will take some 100000 instead OF So
600 to complete that road. We have had
10 survey of the road by any officer of
Government, and no one knows what the
cost of the road will be. The appropria-
ton ofthe survey and laying out this road
was reported from the committee on Roads
and Canals to the House. Whether it
was sanctioned by that committee or not,
/ do not know. 1t was reported l pre-
sumo, as all act of courtesy and kindness
to the Delegate from that district.
Mr.. Sib!ey. Will the gentleman allow
me to make an explanation.
Mr.. Stanly. l shall be glad to hear
some explanation about it.
Mr.. Sibley. l wish to state to the
House, that at the first session of the last
Congress, $4,000 was appropriated for
the survey Of the road 10 which the gen.
tleman alludes. Since that time there has
been report made by the engineer who
is in charge of that road under the War
Department, stating that the sum of $4,000
additional will be required to enable him
to complete the survey. The report of
that gentleman has been made to the De-
partment of the Engineer Bureau; and
upon my request, and upon the resolution
which introduced, and which was adopt
ed by the House, the whole document re-
lating thereto was laid before the House
at the beginning of the session and if the
gentleman from North Carolina Mr..
Stanly] had had his attention drawn 10
that subject, he would have found it ex-
actly as I stated to him, that this $4,000
is asked for by the War Department.
Mr.. Stanly. What is the length of that
road?
Mr.. Sibey. Itis between two hum
dred and fifty and two hundred and sixty
miles long. beg leave to state further
to the gentleman, that the greater part OF
this road is through prairie country, and
very little is required to make it. 1t is
not like road running through timber
ed country.
Mr.. Stanly. In regard to these roads,
we should not spend great deal in at
tempting to do what the Territory itself
can do. l object to this one-sided, par
tial way of making appropriations for in
ternal improvements. We have had pend
ing before the Committee on Commerce
since the early part of the session, a bill
making appropriations for improvements
in canals and navigable rivers, and upor
lake coasts, in the interior, which are
much more wanted than these roads ane
we are not to set an example, and take W
one bill from one Territory, appropriatinf
there, nobody knows how much-I thinl
in this bill alone, some $45, ,OOO-and dis.
carding all the other and necessary i'm
provements throughout the United States
1t is not fair. Let there be a general bill
reported for all these Territories, ant
for such States as require internal i'm
provements within their borders. A gen