The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1854-03-04

Mr.. Rice thinks it will pass without omeEd-
meut:
A Bill 10 aid the Territory of Minnesota in con-
! s,ructins n Railroad for military, postal and
other purposes.
! Be it enacted by the Senate aud House Of
! Representatives of the United States Of Amer
lea in Congress Assembled That for facilita-
| ting the transportation of the mails, men and
munitions of war, and Other purposes, there be,
ard hereby is, granted to the Territory of Min
lesota, for a railroad from the mouth of Left
Hand River, at the head Of Lake Superior. via.
st. Paul, to the southern line Of said Territory,
with the privilege of extending the same to the
northern terminus of the Illinois Central rail
road on the Mississippi river, every alternate
section of land designated by odd numbers for
six sections in width on each side of said road
but in case it shall appear that the United
States have, when the line or route of said
road is definitely fixed by the authority afore-
said sold any section or part thereof granted
as aforesaid. or that the right of pre-emption
has attached to the same, then it shall be law
full for any agent or agents. to be appointed by
the governor of said Territory, to select, sub
ject to the approval of the Secretary of the In
terror. from the lands of the United States
nearest to the tier of sections above specified,
so much land in alternate sections or parts of
sections as shall be equal to such land as the
United States have sold or otherwise appropri-
ated. or to which the right of pre-emption has
attached as aforesaid which land (thus Sc
lected in lieu Of those sold, and to which pre-
emption rights have attached, as aforesaid, to-
gether with the sections aud parts Of sections
designated by odd numbers aforesaid, and ap-
propriated as aioresaid} shall be held by the
Territory OF Minnesota for the use and purpose
aforesaid: Prorided, That the lands to be so
located shall in no case he ful Their than fifteen
miles from the line Of the road. and selected
for and on account Of said road Provided fir
TIER. That the lands hereby granted shall be
exclusively applied to the construction of said
road and shall be disposed Of only as the work
progresses, and the same shall be applied to no
other purpose whatsoever: .7aG prorided fur
Their, That any and all lands heretofore reserv-
ed to the United States by any act of Congress,
or in any other manner by competent authori-
ty. for the purpose Of aiding iu any object of
internal improv ement. or for any other pur-
pose whatsoever, be, and the same are hereby,
reserved to the United States from the opera
ton of this act, except SO far as It may be ne
cessary to locate the route of the said railroad
through such reserved lands. in which case the
right Of way only shall be granted, subject to
the approval of the President 0! the United
States.
! SEC. >. Ind be 1t further enacted, That the
sections ami parts Of sections of land which, by
such grant, snail remain to the United States,
within SIX miles on each side Of said road, shall
not be sold for less than double the minimum
price OF the public lands when sold, nor shall
any Of such lands become subject to private en-
try until the same have been first offered at
public sale at the increased price.
SEC. >. find De it further endctfd That the
said lands, hereby granted to the said Territory
shall be subject TO the disposal of the legisla-
turc thereof. for the purposes aforesaid and 10
; other; and the said railroad shall be and re-
main public highway, for the use of the gov
crnmcnt Of the United States, free from toll or
other charge upon the transportation of any
property or troops of the United States.
SEC. A. ind be it further enacted, That the
lands, hereby granted to said Territory shall
be disposed Of by said Territory only in man.
ner following. that is to say that y quantity
of land hot exceeding one hundred and twenty
sections, and included within continuous
length Of twenty miles of said road may be
sold and when the governor of said Territory
| shall certify TO the Secretary Of the Interior
: that any continuous twenty miles of said road
is completed, then another like quantity of land
hereby granted may he sold ; and so from time
to time until said road is completed and il
said road is not completed in ten years, no far.
. Their sales shall he made. and the land unsold
shall revert to the United States
Sic. ). Ind be it further enacted. That the
United States mail shall he transported oven
: said railroad. under the direction of the Posi-
Office Department, at such price as Congress
may by law direct: PrOridtd, That until such
price is fixed by law the Postmaster General
shall have the power to determine the same.
- !; will be recoIlected that some four OF
, six weeks ago. We announced that an industri
a GUS and worthy man had frozen to DEATH neal
the Halfway House on the Saltwater road
The st. Anthony Democrat and St. Paul Pho
. nccr. in their zeal 10 encourage temperance
y, which is commendablc only in SO far as it il
practised ju,liciousiy. and with due reference t,
=, the ends of TRUTH and justice--took occasion Il
speak i'll ofthe memory of the dead by publishin.
to the world that the unfortunate man wa
drank when the sad casualty overlook him. 4
reliable friend of his. who had known him ion Z
~rotc and offered TO the Pioneer for pubiica
l. ton the following contradiction of the false &C
cusation. That paper having refused to pub
fish the communication we f.ei it our duty II
comply with request to do so:-
: EDITOR OF sHE PIoNEER-SIR In your issu
OF last week | find the above article, copiet
:, from the Northwestern Democrat, and taxi
q the liberty OF asking YOU 10 allow nc a small
!
therein. If true, it is you say dcploraiie: i!
I, on the contrary, false, think it is equally dc
p!orable that there should be found a man S,
lost 10 all sense ofshame as TO villify and sian
: der the character OF the dead and under thu
garb Of sympathy to the living, to open anew
:, the fiood-gases OF sorrow in the hearts of tn
widow and orphan: and that too. without tn
i shadow of proof in support of the assertion
Q made by the writer of the above. As to til,
! motive, any one that is not blind can see, tina
for the sake of making an item in support of thu
Maine Law, he is willing to traduec the charac
n ter Q. one whom be never knew, and as a mat
tex ofcourse whom he had no right to treat a
: be has DONE But to the facts in support Q
t these remarks. have known the deceased anc
It worked with him both in England and this coun
n try for eight years, and therefore think an
better able to judge as to his industry and ais,
. his temperance, than a man who never knew
u him. l therefore testify that he was temper
ate and industrious man, a good husband an(
" father, and a sincere freud At the time h,