Minnesota weekly times. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1854-1859, 1854-10-03
MONDAY Ger. 2, 1854.
LEArrN HISTORY.

-
The determined disposition on the part Of the
Democrat, to bolster up Mr.. Rice, induces us to
turn over new leaf in history, for the purpose of
cuiing therefrom certain facts which the people
ought to know to arrive at Just understanding
of the railroad matter under discussion. lot ,,a
therefore, direct the attention of the reader t tho
time when the first bill for grant of land to aid
Minnesota in railroad purposes, was in course Of
agitation, and to the time when Mr.. Rice made
That false step which will ultimately consign him
10 an Obvious fate. The precise manner in,
winch the idea OF procuring grant Of land from
congress, was conceived, is irrelevant to the
point, although we could, perhaps, explain the
origin and the naOdus Operandi of the transaction
but we have another object in view.-to show The
cause cthe defeat cfdhe first bill, and the Darties
a"ap''cdted. 1t is asserted by gentlemen at WASH
ng.on' conversant with the matter, that Capt Til
ton' Oh INDIANA, as feeer from Mr.. Rice, went to-
MIR. Lane OF the same State, with view of Sc
curing the cooperation Of the Indiana Delepa-
ton, and stated to him that Senator Bright had
purchased an interest of Rice in 1000 acres of
lana at the mouth OF the Left Hand River, "a
part OF which now comprise the town of Supe-
rlor)upon conditions of the road terminating at that
Poiht' and offered to Lane an interest equal with
bright on the same conditions. Lane asked TIL
ton from whom he could purchase. Tilton said
from IL. NJ. Rice. Lane partially assented to this
arrangement, and an appointment was made with
Tilton, Lane and Rice, to meet at O'Clock on
the day previous to the final vote being taken on
'he Dill Tor the purpose of consummating the
sale' seems, however, that Mr.. Lane did not ap-
prove OF the actions of these gentlemen, and after
ne had drawn out of them all that was necessary
to show fraud in the transaction, he repudiated
tne act, and the next day, when the bill came to
the hnai vote, he charged certain members of the
house In being interested at Lake Superior. So.
at least, it was reported. Mr.. Rice denied these
charges, and called upon Mr.. Lane for the proof.
Mr. Lane had consultation with Mr. Tilton. who
stated that ne had been misinformed, but subse-
quent events have TRANSFERRED to show that Mr..
fice was one OF the gentlemen alluded to and that
he was interested at Lake Superior at that time.
and is now. Members becoming irritated and feel
ing fully satisfied that Mr.. Rice was working for
his own interests and the interests of his partcu-
lar friends and not for the people of Minnesota.
became disguised with the matter and would not
hear to any thing further on the subiect-the
fate of the bill was irrerocably sealed.
Now let US inquire, why did the members vote
against the measure? Simply because they saw
that MIR. Rice and his friends were determined to
make grand speculation out of the matter. and
that self-intercst was paramount to the interest
OF the people whom he was sent to represent.
Simply because they knew that if they gave Min
nesota grant of land, that land would fall into
the hands OF spectators, and the people would be
the sufferers. If no charges had been brought
against Mr. Rice as being interested at Lake SUI
perior, the probability is that the bill would have
passed; ON the strength of those charges the bill
WIS defeated. Who is responsible? MIR. Rice.
for up to this time the members supposed that
our Delegate was working for the interests of
Minnesota, but when the facts were developed
that he was engaged in buying and selling, the
members felt justified and they uere justified
In voting against the bill and defeating it. In
the language Of the Minnesotian, we can truly
say, that the bill for the first grant of land to aid
Minnesota in the construction of Railroads. was
defeated solely by ''thc oraricious heart of H. NJ
Rice" Let the responsibility rest where it be-
longs.
When certain friends of Minnesota who were in
Washington at the time alluded to, heard of the
defeat of the bill and the causes assigned. tbcv
felt sadly disappointed not only for the loss of the
grant, but for the part our Delegate had taken in
bringing about that l,ss They immediately set
themselves to work to get up new bill. and suc
ceeded. This bill was placed in the hands of MIR.
Lane and laid before Congress, Mr.. Rice refusing
to have anything to do with it, giving as his rea-
sons that his influence was gone.
AS stimulating as this may appear to our Dele
gate and his friends, it is nevertheless true. His
own admission is sufficient evidence of what we
say. Well, while these gentlemen were endcay-
orlng to get this bill through the two Houses.
uov. Uorman and Hon. II. II. Sibley arrived at
washington. They were inquired of by members
as 10 the manner in which certain charter had
passed our Legislature. On being informed that
the action of our Legislature was hasty and in
Jucious, they became more deadly opposed to all
grants, and expressed themselves SO in an empbatic
manner Mr.. Sibley and Gov. German then took
the Dill which had been drawn up by the friends
OF Minnesota, previous to their arrival, and after
making several alterations, among the rest, in
serting the word s'future'' and the word ssor.,,
placed it in the way of Mr.. Rice, and Billings, who.
disiking the alterations, wherein it would be
obliged to come before another Legislature, still
assented to them, knowing that it was the last
and the only hope of procuring a grant. Thew
were informed that by submitting the act to fu-
ture legislation, it would be the means of recon-
CLING conflicting elements in Minnesota, and also
of securing the votes Of the opponents of the bill
as they based their objections ON the ground that
unless some such provisions were inserted, the
land would inure to a company they intended
should be excluded. They knew from the actions
of Mr.. Rice, that certain persons were determin-
ed to get hold of the land to speculate with and
they were determined they should not-hence their
acquiscence in the bill with the word Cor, and
the word culture" This point gained. the bill
was placed, at the request Of Mr.. Rice. into the.
hands of Gen. Stevens, Of Michigan, particular
and confidential friend of our most WORTHY Dele
gate, and what followed is well known to most r.
not all Of our readers. Mr.. Rice, as we have stated
had lost his influence. He again made an attemnt
to get members to vote for the new bill. but r
was useless-they had lost confidence him. and
discouraged, and somewhat disheartened. he Anallv
appealed to Mr.. Sibley for help. Gov. German
and MIR. Sibley then consulted their ,,.,.o-,