The Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn. Territory) 1849-1855, 1853-01-27
GOVERNORS MESSAGE.
Fslio,c Citizens ofthe Council and House
Of Representatives.:


Of Representatives.:
The organci act Of Minnesota has
wisely provided for the annual meeting
Of the Legislature. II is your good for
tune TO assemble ut moment Of gen.
eral prosperity and progress.
The universal hope Of our people has
been gratified by the ratification by the
Senate Of the Uuited States. in July
last, of the two treaties negotiated in
the summer of 1851, with the Sioux In
dams in this Territory. The amend
ments to the treaties made by the Senate
have been approved by the Indians. and
the title to the fertile lands ceded, is now
completely in the United States.
During the coming season, the In
dams will be removed t. the reserve set
apart for them above Little Rock on the
| Minnesota river. AS they are peace
able, well-inclincd, and their villages
but few, their presence in the mcautme
upon the ccdcd tract opposes no obsta-
Gle to its Immediate settlement. HUI
mainly to the Indians induced the Gov
crnmcnt to pay them their annuitics last
fall in advance of removal. Hereafter,
! however, they will be paid in thcirprop-
! or country.
In this connection, would urge upon
the Legislative Assembly the propriety
of memorialiZing the President and Con-
grcss. to secure to the Soak Indians.
for long period Of years. the identical
reservation, temporarily dcsi grated for
them. Should their stay be limited to
! five years. bat poor encouragement will
/ be held out to them to engage IN agri-
cultural pursuits, and the improvements
and expenditures which may III that time
be made, will In great measure he lost
The people of Minnesota, | am con-
vinced, would gladly have the right of
occupancy secured to the Indians for
/ fifty years, the term during which b.
treaty they are entitled to receive annu-
] tiles.
In former message, suggested the
policy OF cuItva,ing friendly relations
with the Indian tribes within our Dor
ders; and cannot refrain from again
III tins place, abiding IL the subject
Large sums arc annually disburscd
among the several Indian tribes in Min
nesota, and these sums, entering annu-
ally into circulation. furnish an import
ant medium for trade The Indians are
well disposed toward the whites, and the
few offences committed by them have
generally given as much dissatisfaction
to their own us TO or people. In saw
age communities, as in civilized, a ma
Joriy of tho wrongs committed may be
distinctly traced to the influence of ar
dent spirits, which in spite OF the dcnun-
Citations of law and the d!sapprobation
sold to the Indian | am of opinion,
however, that this dcba>ing traffic is at
present carried Oh to much less extent
/ than formerly.
The very just order of the Bureau Of
Indian Affairs, transferring from ST.
Louis to this point, the future letting OF
contracts for the supply of provisions to
the Indian tribes in the Territory, will
increase the value Of our agricultural
surplus, and favorably affect the whole
community.
The system BY which the public lands
shall in future be administered, is SUBJ
Ject which at the present time challenges
the fullest attention of American legisla-
tors, and affects more intimately than
any other, the interests and convenience
OF the West. congratulate you. gen.
tlemcn, upon the improved prospect of
such alterations in the land Legislation
OF the country, as will secure liberal
grants for railroads and other improve
'nents, and give to each citizen one
hundred and sixty acres Of land, upon
condition Of occupancy and cultivation
Of the same.
The general Government, from the
earliest days of its existence, has made
provision for the promotion and protcc-
ton Of the foreign commerce Of the
country by the lighthouse systems, by
pilot systems, by consular systems, and
by coast survey systems. 1t has done
this by naval establishments, bv the es-
adjustment Of Notifications, break-wa-
tiers, sea-walls, bcacons and buoys upon
the hays and harbors oi our sea coast.
anu w tIC syStCtudiiL acknowledgements OF
American tonnage. In view of the in
finitcl V greater value of the Internal
commerce of the country, it seems
strange that the care of Government
should so long have been principally
confined to external affairs, to the neg
iect of interior improvements, not within
tic scope or ability of voluntary 1850
citation Or Of any one State, yet calcu-
lated to unite different sections Of the
country, to open Il better, shorter and
cheaper way between the producer and
consumer, and to be also Of the highest
advantage to the government itself.
Channels of transport should possess
three Notwithstanding, CELEBRITY and
cheapness. The whole value of so
much human labor as is expended in /
carrying commodities from one place to
another, beyond what is absolutely nc
cessary is total loss; and he who de-
vises and supplies cheap routes of trans
DortltlDn Is n nuhiic kanof,cto- ct,nJ /