The miners' express. (Dubuque, Iowa) 1849-1854, 1854-09-06
NUMBER 81,

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have The act SO modified by the commute
b I re the same should be reported to IL
House, as to meet our views. For this purp,s
! was r. 'qnrsted TO call on AIvan Hunt. esq
treasurer of the st. Charles Air line railroad
Illinois, and did call upon him at his flee
New York. then informed Mr.. Hunt of III
proposal connexlnn Of Marshall O. Roberts
myself, and others, with the Minnesota an
Northwestern rair"ad pro ject, and stated ,
him that we bad sought I" p-ocnre a grant {
lands from Congress, and bad been d4fea,,.
through the Influence Of his friend, the membc
from illinois that new bill had been arppareo
and was then in the har DIS of the Committee o
Public Lands, containing such provisions n
would leave the lands donated subject to IN
action OF a future Legislature Of the Terr tor,
and deprive the Minnesota and Nor,hwrse,er err
Railroad Company ofthe benefit of The ora,
contained in its chart r.-l stated To hin
distinctly the alterations we. desired mad.
namely that the word "futuse" skon.d h.
stricken from the bill, and that i's phraseoloo
should be so changed that the Minnesota an,
Northwestern Company would not be exclude,
from It's benefit, nor compelled to apply for
new grant to future legislature After SOM
general conversation, Mr. Hunt exhibited 4
me his maps, showing the location Of the 81
Charles Air line railroad, explained it's adyan
tagecus location, it's fea ibiity, and other grea
benefits that would accrue to those intereste,
N thnt road, by CONNECTION with our road a
Tete de Mort, and advoiding the termination a
Dubuque, and asked from me a pledge tina
myself and associates would go locate our roat
as to connect with his, informing me that tn,
member from Illinois was largely interested in
this project, was the counsel ot the ST. Charlie,
Railroad Company, large holder of real estate
at and near Galena, and wishes a road con
siructed from that town TO the termination OF
the ST. Charles at Tete de Mort; that the
member alluded to would be governed by his
Mr. Hunt's) wishes in the matter and il they
could be satisfied that their interests would be
promoted and road built so as to avoid Dubu
que and connect with their road at Tcte de
Mort, he The memher) would at once withdra "
his opposition and aid us in passing The bill in
The form we desired. In answer to this, told
Mr.. Hunt had no come xion with the road
rom Dubuque to the northern line of Iowa.
and might never have but that if 1 should.
md if his representations as to the nature of the
ground were found true, we should undoubted-
y make the connection he required Subse>
luently he prnfessed his satisfaction with the
views expressed by me, agreed to aid US in
,ltering and passing the bill, and pledged me
he hearty CO operation Of the member from
illinois in he matter. He assured me that he
would Immediately write the member u,,on the
'ubject, and that he (ihe member) woulI hear.
aly cooperate with US, in the belief that hi..
interests were to be furthered in the ma ner
irst suggested to me by Mr.. Hunt. Soue
weeks having passed without any action of
Congress upon the bill and being informed that
t was YET in the hands Of the committee, and
hat the member from illinois was still opposed
o any alterations thereof, Mr.. Hunt was again
called upon, and was then informed that a
'and should be given, by two responsible indi-
'iduals conditional for The performance of the
hings first required by Mr.. Hunt, with further
condition that a majority of the capital stock Of
he Minnesota and North western Railroad
Company should be allotted and disrshuled to
he member from illinois, so as to give him the
control thereof, and the line of the road located
10 as TO run through his lands in Minnesota
There proposals were wholly rejected by my
ef and associates. Subsequently was infer
ned that some arrangemenis-the particulars
If which am unable to state-wds mace,
whereby the objections Of the member from
illinois were removed, and the bill in the hands
If the committee was agreed to be amended
% as to conform in its provisions to the bill
$ shich had been rejected, and to our wishes in
he matter, which was done by striking out the
yord 'future" and substituting sand for "or, =
" the committee, who agreed to report the
anne to the House as amended.
G. You have spoken of a money considera
ion of FIVE thousand dollars. For what pur
lose was that money to be used:
A. understood it to be for electioneering
in ho Fall oil
G Did you and your friends agree to pay any
money?
A. No we dstiQa,ly refused TO do so.
G Was asy money, sto your knowldge, tver
'aid for such purposes
A. No there was not.
@. Was any money ever demanded after the
assage of the bill
A. was informed that two drafts Of FIVE
housand dollars each were presented for pay
nent.
@. Were they paid
A. was told they were not
G Who drew those drafts, and upon whom
we're they drawn?
A. | was informed they were drawn by one
upon NJ. Roberts, New
fork, and the other upon &. w. Billings, of
he same place.
G. Do you know who Mr.. Harri,g,on is?
A. do not.
G. Who do you mean by the member from
Illinois mentioned in your testimony?
\. Mr.. Washburne Of Galepa.
@ When did you FIRST hear Of the altera-
ion made by the Clerk of the House i'm this
NIL? u
A. When was informed of the appointment
# this investigating committee.
G Do you esteem such alteration of any
Importance 10 your company?
A. | am advised that it is Of no importance
q. Who do you allude 10 as having, with
he member from Illinois, interests adverse to
A. allude to Franklin Steele, Willis A.
J. Travis Rosser, and Mr.. SIbley.
G. What are those adverse interests?
a. am Informed that comp,ny has been
ormed by them, in which the member from
lI'nois is Interested; and ,ha, such company
designed TO prevent any action of Congress un
il after the FIRST Of July instant, and make the
ands granted by Congress subject to the action
# any future legislature, or onpel Us to ac-
,ede to their terms
@. What would have been the effect upon
'our conn., any the omission by Congress to pass
he act before the first Of July?
a. 1t would have deprived them of all benefit
u the grant, and put it at the disposal of the
governor, auditor and treasurer OF Minnesota
@. Were there any parties other than the
member from Illinois is to be benefited by the
i've thousand dollars election fund you have
A understood there were several
G. Can you name them?
A. [ cannot at thus time su!f ,Ient1y recall
heir names TO mind to state
@. Please refresh your recollec ion.
A. cannot al this tune do go with sufficient
iisinclness to state, except that they were re-
PRESENTED Ms p 'l.tica friends of mine.
@ How, then, are you able 10 remember 50
stlnctly that MIR Wa.hburne name was men
ioned
A B cause his name was familiar to me, and
had always understood that he was the con
rolling party who was endeayoring to defeat
ur wishes.
q Have you any p-rs'nal acquaintance with
I1r. Wsshhurr,c, or have you had any canver-
alton with hun upon any ct these SUB ects!
A never saw htm, 10 my knowled. .r. until
n'rnducc, to him by your clerk few moments
40. and have had no convers tion with him
rpnn any snhi ct, except TO say, "kow dc you
10, sir
O. Have YOU ever had any written corresp N
|ence with Mr. Washburne on this subject
A. None at all.
O How and when was This five thousand
!oiIars mentioned y you TO be used IN The fall
,Iocti,,us