The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1854-05-20
The Territorial Roads.

The Territorial Roads.
While many of us are so busy devising Rail
road schemes for the benefit of Minnesota, we
must not forget to pay due attention to the
completion of the Territorial Roads which are
now in course of construction, and through the
commendable exertions of our Delegate are
about to receive the additional help of $4,000
from the Government. AS we stated on Satur-
day, the bill making this appropriation was be-
fore the House on the LIST and I'd inst, and passed
that branch on the last named day. We extract
below portion Of the proceedings upon the
bill in Committee of the Whole:
The CHAIRMAN. The bill first in order for
consideration is House bill No. GA. "making
appropriations for construction of roads in the
Territory of Minnesota, in accordance with the
estimates made by the War Department.
The bill was then read through by the Clerk.
The CHAIRMAN. An amendment is reported
by the committee to strike out all of the bill
after the enacting clause, and insert the follow
ing:
That the following sums of money be, and
they are hereby appropriated for continuing
the construction Of roads in the Territory Of
Minnesota, to witt
For the continuation of the road from Point
Douglas, on the Mississippi river. to the mouth
Of the st. Louis river, of Lake Superior TWEEN
ty thousand dollars.
For the continuation of the road from Point
Douglas to Fort Gaines now Fort Ripley, ten
thousand dollars.
For the continuation of the road from the
mouth of Swan river to the Winucbago agency,
five thousand dollars.
For the continuation of the road from Waba-
shaw to Mendoza, fifteen thousand dollars.
The continuation of the construction Of said
roads to be made under the direction of the
Secretary Of War, pursuant 20 contracts to be
made by him. or under his direction: PrOri-
ded, That so much of any former acts as REQUIRE
the aforementioned road to terminate at the
falls or rapids of said st. Louis river, arc here
by repealed.
The CHAIRMAN. In the month of March last
we had under consideration, in the Committee
OF the Whole on the state of the Union, terrific
rial business. At that time question of order
was raised as to what latitude of discussion
could be allowed when special order was I'M
der consideration. The present occupant of
the Chair then ruled that, under the order of
the House, he would be compelled to restrict
debate to the bill under consideration. In that
decision the committee then acquiesccd. The
Chair feels it his duty to make this statement
now in advance of any discussion, so that gen
tlemen of the committee may be aware of the
decision of the Chair, which was sustained on a
former occasion.
Mr.. FARLEY. With the indulgence Of the COM
mlttee. will eudearor to explain the reasons
which induced the Committee on Tel ritorics to
report this bill back to the House with recon-
incubation thai it do pass. There are four roads
named In the bill, which are all Of military
character, necessary for the convenience of the
Government in the transportation of troops and
military stores, and necessary also for the pro-
lection OF settlers in that section OF the coun-
FRY, which, it is well known tUthe Committee,
Is quite new.
The bill now under consideration proposes to
make an appropriation for the continuation OF
the construction of these roads The first ap-
preparation made by Congress for their con-
struction was in July, 1850; and further ap-
preparation for the same purpose was also made
in January, 1853. The appropriation made in
July, 1850, amounted in the aggregate to the
sum of s35, 600 and the appropriation OF Jan
uary, 1853, amounted in the aggregate to the
sum of $4,000. 1t is now apparent. rs eXhib-
tied by the estimates coming from the Topo-
graphical Bureau, under the direction OF the
Secretary of War, that further appropriations
are necessary, amounting in the aggregate to
the sum of $4,000. If gentlemen will turn to
the third volume of the documents accompany
ing the Presidents message, they will find on
pages four and five that the sums named in the
bill are there recommended to be appropriated
by this Congress. And in letter addressed to
the Delegate from Minnesota, by the Colonel Of
the Bureau of Typographical Engineers, the
opinion is expressed that these sums named in
the bill are the sums which can be judiciOusiy
expended during the present year. The Com
mittee will find also, on pages twenty eight and
twenty-nine of the same document, q letter
from J. II. Simpson, of the Corps of Civil En-
gineers, dated st. Paul, September IL. 1858,
stating the progress that has been made IN the
construction of these roads.
In accordance with the report of the Bureau
bill has been drawn, and the sums recon-
mended in that report arc embraced in the bill,
90 that, in addition to the sums which have
been already appropriated, the whole expend-
ture thus lar will amount to $4,000. The esti-
mates for the building of these four roads
amount in the aggregate to the sum Of $ 1911
As before said, the sums which have been al
ready expended, with those which it is now pro-
posed to appropriate. will amount to SIPS, 900
And this will leave the sum of $4,000 to be an.
propriated hereafter, which amount will as |
understand, from the best information can OBJ.
tain-complete the roads.
And would now call the attention of the
Committee to the fact, that this is not new
project, but is merely proposition to continue
tie construction of roads that have been al
ready commenced. There are one or two amend
ments proposed by the committee, to which
also wish to call the attention Of members
The first of these amendments is in relation to
the termination Of the road which commences