The miners' express. (Dubuque, Iowa) 1849-1854, 1854-08-23
THE REPEAL .. rur Minnesota LAND

WAsHSussE, H II. sisLEs. GOV. Goa
Nam and j. T. RossER.
The repeal BY Congress Of The Minne.o'
land Bill, il severe blow. not only 70 u
: Territory Of Minnesota and the Northern pr
lion &c Iowa, but to TIE whole North Wes'.
mar he considered . National calamity be
cause. had the grant hem preserved and IN
,o,d bern constructed, ii would have opene
millions upon millions IT acres Of wild iaho
settlement and cultivation, and added TO IN
commerce II the country an auxiliary power
FIJI IN itself and potent for the commercial pos
cer,v Of the country and the world schrm
or his magnitude, connecting the Nt'rther'
Lakes at two points with the Mississippi an
~. Atlantic sea board extending into me yer
heart of the immense lumber region OF 'h
North draining the rich mines o. copper an
,..a and being upon The best natural cours
-. pacific /: cannot be ton hi .hly przed r,
the country. Such ,th sche les are 10
70 be cnnsumm,ted by private enterprise. The.
overreach tho ability Of individual capitalists t
accomplish their construction and yet their ad
s.snta,,e "a the country at large ana their neces
s;ty far promoting the settlement Of the w''t
lands. fer,ilizing the continent and increasing
The power, wealth, population and prosperity o
the country, are 30 apparent to the common" un-
derstandinr, and appeal so strongly to the com
cor sense and Justice Of Congress, that this
body has lent the sanction Of its approving
vc;ce and the power Of the Legislative Depart
mont of the Government, TO grants Of every al
1ternate section Of land through the public DO
main for rail roads 1t did il in the case OF lii'-
n,.is. Missouri and Arkansas, and it has been
,e,;,;oned and implored 10 do the same for other
new S. ates, where large tracts Of the ruehc
Lard. remsin unsold and unsettled upon. i
vas asked 10 do it in The case OF Minnesota
and after fierce and prolonged contest in the
House. with Mr. Washburne Of the Galena
District. az its secret enemy, consented, by the
p....se Of Bill granting lands for a railroad
from Lake Superior to the Southern boundary
II Minnes9ia. slight alteration in the Bill
substituting the word and for or, but net mate
rally changing the sense Of the bi.Fcr the
terms If the grant, after it passed the House
and before il passed the Senate, FURNISHED a
convenient EXCUSE for its enemies 10 make war
upon il and XII it which they accomplished
with due flourish Of patriotic and virtuous
indignation.
Now, it il due To the people Of minnesota
and Of the North West, To be informed VIII"
the parties are, who have brough, shout this
unexpected calamity, and Whist their motives
were Tor 90 doing. After careful Perusal OF
the report Of the Committee appointed BY the
House Of Representatives to investigate The
pretended fraud, it turns out ,hat E. B Wash>
burne. Of the Galena District, and Gov. Gor>
man, H. H Sibley and J. Rosser, of Min>
'nesota, were DESTROYS Of controlling thr grant
AFTER made and Of shaping the course Of the
road and the profits Of the enterprise to suit
themselves; and ir the bill could not be pissed
in such shape as 10 accomplish these ends.
they were willing 10 see this magnificent ems
terprise defeated, and the hopes Of the North
West destroyed II npsears from portion OF
the evidence adduced before the Committee,
that Washburne wan labor ing for two 81 :
ircts one was, to shape the the grant. as 10
make the road run South Of the terminus OF
the Illinois Central Rail Road and connect with
the Chicago and st. Charles Ait>Line road, /,
By crossing The river at Tete des Merits; and
the her, was TO secure money consideration
o. $4,000 to be expended for slect,uaeering |
purposes, and to aid h,u, (Washhurne> in his
election. WashbCrne's patriotism and integrity |
have been heralded in partizan journals tr"m
the Atlantic to the Mississippi, and from Maine |
II Florida, as the seten times yegenernted
Stateeman, no had the bodness to expose this |
gigantic fraud, and his partizan ech"es have
with unlicensed pen attempted 10 defame the i
character ui Hon. Geo. w Jones'. II l. SITES |
leaders in this business, when the eviJ, nee
clearly shows, that Of all the mt n who have f.ur
ed in this aGair, he occupies pre~eminent'y the
worst position Of any. His course has been
dictated By aarro,o local seifshnt IS, petty
spleea and sord,d desire for political and p,.cu>
mary advancement, which marks him as
man infinitely better adapted to tire tricks
Of the card table, than to promugsto
system Of wholesome Legislation. Il was
MT enough that he should return the gem
crosby and public virtue displayed in the
lct Of Senators Dodge aud Jones, in aiding to
advocate and secure the passage Of the Illinois
Central Rail Road grant, BY rsssrt to the
most pstty ssctioaal hostility to measure Of
Iranscendent public importance; it was not
enough that he should form an insur,nnun,a5fe
'bstacle 10 the accomplishment Of an enterprise,
which vitality Interested half the nation and
Aalf the world, unless that enterprise should be
70 directed - to bene fit his interest in the Chi,
sago and 81. Charles Air Line road and hisi
property It Galena; but to secure his friendship
which proved in the end 10 be in.incere and
f10xsaad dollars had to be set
lpart for the benefit Of his election, according
10 the statement under oath of Mr. Billings
This 10 the gentleman who pre- ends to emu
late and claims the character Of statesman.
Such specimens Of craftsmanship as he has ex.
hibited in this transaction, would better suit
he Council chamber Of Bucaniering party,
Than the peaceful Hall Of a Republican Legis.
lative Assembiy.
we cannot approve OF the course OF the
agents Of the Minnesota and North Western
Rail Road company in their system Of lobbying
It WashingtoA. II betrays disregard Of prin.
ciple and reck.essness in the use Of means to
accomplish their object which merits censure;
yet 70 our mind they occupy positionin6nitely
lbove, the Galena Representative, whose feel.
'nss Of dsiicscy prompted him, TO Withdraw
ffom the committee Of Investigates.
AZ to Messrs. German, Sibley, and Rosser,
Ne do not think they desired the repeal of the
Bill. but they certaiR!y were instrumental in
producing IL! Why For two reascns-one
political and the other pecaniasy. In the frst
place, the project was favo,te with Hon H.
N. Rice, the Delegate from Minneso,a, and as
lhe above named gentlemen are an,agonstic 10
him personally, the modification Of the Mime
sofa Land Bill! 10 suit their purposes aid disap