The daily Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1854-1855, 1854-09-04

desired in relation to thcbill, if anothcrwas
introduced; the answer was: 1T must he
so framed as to go to future legislature,
or include road from Tete dc Morris. on
the Mississippi river, on the ridge, fifteen
miles back of Dubuque, up to the Minneso-
ia line; that tie COnneXiOn of the Minneso-
ia road must lie made with that road.'
cannot rccollect what answer | gave him,
and think for a week or so | had nofurthir
conversation with Mr. Washbnrne on that
subject. Al our next interview, the cues
ton put was more direct i'll regard to the
form in which an arrangement could be
made to make it satisfactory; the answer to
that was, whoever obtained the grant should
enter into contract with the parties inter
ested in the ST Charles Airline road to
buM the road from Tete &c Morris up to
where it would intCrSect the branch from
Dubuque to the Minnesota line; my answer
to that was, there were no parties in exist
ence as a corrOratiOnt to make that contract
He then proposed individual security. |
told him it was doubtful if it could he pro-
cured, that it would be satisfactory. |
think this conversation took place Iefore
the new bill, as it was called, was drawn
When the new bill was about to be drawn,
| understood that Governor German, Mr..
Washhurne and Mr. SibIey, of MINES ota,
were the parties that drew tie bill; and |
was told that it was drawn so as to cut off
all prior legislation. had some conyersa-
ton with Governor German while here, and
his mind seemed to lie to prevent the pres
ent company from having anything to do
with the subject, but to throw the opera
ton Of it into the nineteenth section Of the
act Of incorporation Of the Minnesota and
Northwestern Railroad Company. l con-
suited several parties from Minnesota i'll re-
gard to that matter, among whom were
Governor Ramsey, Messrs Wiikn, lie
Due and Steele and some others whose
names do not recoIlect; they solicited me
to try and make some arrangement that
would satisfy parties WHO seemed to be dis
satisfied; | told them | would use my best
endeavors to do so. came to Washing
toa again about the time the bill Twas drawn,
or | understood it was drawn | had
further interview with MIR. WashLurnc. AT
this interview | asked him to name the pre-
else terms upon which he would enter into
an arrangement to have the bill perfected
as it was originally proposed; his reply was
that the Tetc Gle Morris road must lie built,
and the Illinois Central Railroad Company
must have nothing TODD with it. answer
ed him that so far as the Illinois Company
was concerned, they would have nothing to
90 with it. though some of the parties who
were in the Illinois company were corpora
tors in the Minnesota company. Itoldllim
that the Illinois company had more to at
tend to than they could Go and that it was
not my intention that they should havy any
thing to do with if, and that he might set
his mnd at rest Oh that score Then came
the question about the Tctc de Morris con
nection. Go not rccolIcct whether it was
at this interview, or the one succeeding,
that | asked him what would lie the least
that could lie done to insure the bill, in its
passage in its original shape, to correspond
with tie charter. The direct answer to
that was as before; his friends must be sat
lSlic'l and il they were satisfied, he wOald
consent to tie bill Being passed as original
y drawn. | inquired WHO tic friends
were lie said, "IAlvah Hunt, of New
York; and if Mr.. Hunt wasSats.!cd, there
would be no difficulty about it with tie Air
line road. | went back to New York and
procured friend to see Mr. Hunt, and
from the interviews had between those par
ties had supposed that Mr. Hunt was
perfectly satisfied with the result.
Hon. Lcstor L. Stecens, suorn.
Question. Are You a mcmLer of the
House OF Representatives?
Answer. | am.
Question. Do You know anything hlatcri-
al, outside your statement made before the
House, in relation to the alteration of
House bill No. 342?
Answer. Nothing material.
Question. Who spoke to you in relation
to making the alteration?
Answer. The first person that I recol-
lect who spoke to ne i'll relation to making
the change was Mr. Billings, while the bill
was before the Committee onPubl;c Lands
Mr.. Billings said that the friends Of the bill
wanted the change made in the 81 section;
and if Billings did not see the bill in my
possession, think Mr.. Thompson did. !
think Mr.. Billings stated they wanted it
so changed that the present legislature
should act Oh the subject, that the work
might go Oh this summer. l remarked,
that to act upon it they would have to call
an extra session. as the legislature was not
now in session, as | was told. Thisconver-
sation may have been with some other per-
son than Mr.. Billings is, in reference
to the action Of the legislature 1t was
also said that the friends of the measure