Minnesota weekly times. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1854-1859, 1854-07-18
1.-THE RAILROAD GRANT"

| 1t will be remembered by our citizens, that last
winter no paper in the Territory was more ardent
in its efforts to secure charter through our Leg.
islature, for the then embryo Wall-st. Railroad
Company, than the Pioneer; that it used every
argument it could adduce in its favor, and that
the editor " worked like Beaver' to accomplish
the desired result. Since the passage Of the char
ter it has been comparatively quiet, until few
days since, when it took exceptions to anonymous
correspondents who had written on the subject
but did not express its views, fearful perhaps, Of
committing itself. This was all well enough, but
at the time, in view of its past course, it was
kinder &c funny" to see it thus astride the fence
However, " ALPS well, that ends WE'LL" An arti-
Gle in yesterday mornings paper takes very cor
rect view of the whole matter, and shows conclu-
sively that the position we have assumed on the
subject, is sustained, both by the meaning Of the
act which passed Congress, and the facts, in the
case. The writer of the article evidently knows
what he is talking about, for he says:
':.The language used in the Sd section of the
bill is, that the said lands hereby granted to the
said Territory shall be subject to the disposal of
any future Legislature thereof for the purpose
aforesaid and no other, nor shall they enure to
the benefit of any Company heretofore constituted
or organized 1t is very plain to our mind that
the word future, which we have place in quotation
above, omitted accidentally or purposely in
engrossment of the BILL for otherwise the phrase
oogy any legislature thereof" would hardly
have been made use of in lieu of sthe legislature
thereof which is the ordinary and proper mode
of expression.'
Now if the word s'future' was ''accidentally()
omitted" it ought to be rectifed, and if it was
purposely'' omitted, this community, nor no
other community, ought to pass it by in silence
it is an imposition upon the intelligence of the
people.
The writer continues
I" Be this as it may, the subsequent part of the
sentence constituted or organized settles the
question, in spite of the opinions Of Wall street
petitioners to the contrary. There might be a
bubble raised if CONSTITUTED and organized had
been used but as it is, if Company has here
tofore been chartered, it has been constituted
to all intents and purposes
Certainly. Why not? They were constituted
by the fact of the charter having passed. By the
fact of opening books and receiving subscriptions
by the fact of advertising and preparing the
primary and preliminary ground work upon which
to build basis. But, say the friends of the
charter, it is constituted and organized" Very
vel, admit it is, but how came the word &c and''
inserted? Where was the Bill altered ?-who al
tered it ?-on what authority?
The Minnesotian says that the charter was
'' three weeks" before the Legislature, and that
'the friends of the Bill were as calm as May
morning" 1t is strange how Doctors will disa-
gree. The Pioneer says, (and the Pioneer ought
to know, for it was the head and front Of the
whole matter) that:
''The question of the charter of the last
session was sprung upon the Legislature sud-
denly, and without giving many of the men,
bers an opportunity of consulting their con-
stituents but if the disposal of the lands dona-
ted for railroad purposes, shall be made promi-
ncnt point in the election of representatives, as
it evidently will be- there should be allowed free
expression of sentiment the subject, by the
community at large, which must have controlling
influence in deciding what is to be done with the
grant"
The writer closes as follows:
" The intention of Congress to nullify all for
mer charters of the Territorial Legislature, dis
posing Of these lands in advance, is too obvious
to escape the notice of any but those whose inter-
est it is to affect to believe Otherwse.o
Were we not fully convinced that the writer of
the above article, understands thoroughly what
he is talking about, we should not devote so much
of our space in support of that which is self-evi-
dent to every reasonable, thinking mind.