Minnesota weekly times. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1854-1859, 1854-09-12
inquire when the bill would come up:

| New YORK, May 25, 1854.
DEAR SIR have delayed writing to you fol
some days, hoping that the Nebraska storm would
blow over, and that your House would be in
good temper to transact business. Please give
me your opinion as to the proper time to bring
up the Minnesota land bill. 1t is important that
it should be acted on at the earliest moment.-
Would it be polite to hurry and take vote on il
before the first or second week in June? Please
let me hear from you.
Hon. E. B. WAsHBURNE,
! Washington, D. G.
| Mr.. Hunt is treasurer, and MIR. Washburne at
tornev. of the Airline Railroad Company, as Mr..
Hunt told me, and as think Mr.. Washburne told
me- l came back to Washington about the 10th
of June, and about the 18th met Mr.. Washburne
and had repeated interviews with him as to the
value of the Airline railroad, what the stock
would be worth, &c. Mr.. Washburne said the
company that had this grant would make great
deal of money if the bill passed. | differed with
him: we had discussions as to the value of rail-
road property. He asked nae who the par
ties were who were to take the stock and be at
the head of the concern. told him who they were
and he was satisfied, as were his friends in New
York.
From the last of April to the first of May told
him that the books were opened at the Bank of
the Republic, and asked him if he and his friends
would like to take stock. His reply was, that he
was sick of railroad property, he would not take
any himself; it would depend on his friends in
New York whether they would take stock.
Nothing of moment occurred till after the pas
sage of the bill. went to the Senate and found
the bill living on the table, l took it up and read
it saw Gen. Jones, and called his attention to
the error in the word 'or,' asked him whether 1T
could be corrected he said certainly, thatit read
very badly, and that he would 60 and get it cor
rected. / saw him, think, in the afternoon,
when he told me that the error was corrected.
Question. In your interview with MIR. WASH
burne, did he say that he was opposed to the Min
nesota bll or say that he friendly to the bill,
but wanted it so framed that all the roads should
have an equal chance, and that the benefit OF the
grant should not insure to the benefit of any par
ticular company, to the exclusion of any other
company equally deserving?
Answer. l did not understand him so. In my
interviews with him. the drift of his opposition
was against the Illinois Central Railroad Com
pany, and friend of mine (Rober5 Smith, of Hi
nois, understood the same, who was present at
one of our interviews.
Question. Did Mr.. Washburne not state to you
that he was perfectly willing that the Illinois
Central Railroad should stand on the same footing
with any other road?
Answer. | think he did not.
Question, Did Mr.. Washburne not state to
you that the granting of the charter of the Min
nesota railroad would weaken the chances for
grant by Congress to aid in the construction OF
Railroad in Minnesota?
Answer. There was something said about that
in the first instance, but yielded to the necessities
of the Territory, that they could 60 on that sea-
son with the work.
Question. If Mr.. Washburne had such con-
versation, state exactly the time and ciccunlstan
ces under which the conversation took place, and
the language, and who was present, II any one
Answer. 1t was about the lst of May. The con-
versation was in his room, and no person pre-
sent but ourselves could not repeat the language,
except in general terms.
Question. You have spoken of Mr.. Hunt.
Did you understand Mr.. Washburne refer
ring to him as representing the interest of one of
the roads running through his (Mr. Washburne's)
district?
Answer. Yes; Mr.. Hunt represented the Air
line Railroad Company as treasurer
Question. Did not Mr.. Washburne distinctly
and repeatedly state that he had no friends
and no private interest to serve that, in the
grant, he wanted the interests of the Territory
properly protected; and that the two roads
through his district should stand on an equal
footing, so far as regards this grant