The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1855-02-17
Gov. German on Facts and Law.

1ne house mas also passed Dill approprla-
ting $4,000 for a fort at Pembina.
Gov. German on Facts and Law.
1t has proved great curse to Minnesota, that
her Intelligent people, by the change of nation
al Administrations were compelled to have
foisted upon them as Governor, a man whose
only element of success in public life since the
commencement of his career has been through
the channels of deception and cunning,as prac-
tised by the lowest politicians of the party to
which he belongs. The comprehension of any
ofthose broad and expansive views, character
istic of statesmen, and the capacity to reason
from cause to effect upon great measures re-
sulting from liberal and statesmanlike theories.
were denied him at the day of his creation. If
be can only succeed by the practice of decep-
ton. false statements, and false reasoning adj
duced from false statements, he is content
This is course Of conduct sometimes overlook
ed among men reckless in politics, while they
are engaged in a political canvass before peo-
pie ignorant of the facts in the premises, and
incapacitated to understand the facts-such a
community, for instance, as perhaps composed
majority of the voters represented by Gov
German while a member of Congress But
among men having the least pretensions to
craftsmanship, when called upon to send forth
an official document to an intelligent and en-
lghtened community, such low attempts at
cbicanery and deception-such falsifcations of
the record as are apparent in our Governors
Veto Message # last Thursday, can have no
shadow classification; and are only calculated
to degrade the author in the mind of every
man. friend or foe, who has capacity of reading
and understanding.
We advanced the fact en- Saturday. that the
veto was merely review of the old Railroad
Charter of last session. which the Governor ap-
proved at the time Of it's passage, and not con-
else statement of his objections to the amend
atory bill. Setting out, he runs a pretended
comparison between the charter of the Illinois
Central Railroad Company and the Charter of
the Minnesota and North Western. 10 say no.
thing of the foolish clap-trep about depositing
security with the Territory for the faithful per-
Torrance of contract which is amply guaran-
teed to the Territory by the granting act OF
Congress, the Governor evidently wishes fur
Their to deceive those not acquainted with the
facts, by making the following statement and
withholding the collateral reason which 90.
verned the State of Illinois at the time she sur
rendered her grant of lands to the Central Com
pany. He says:
Again, while Illinois secures to her people
per cent IN money of the gross proceeds of
her road. Minnesota asks only per cent on
the net proceeds"
Now,let us see the difference between the two
cases. 1t is true that Illinois required that 7
per cent. should be paid into her treasury upon
the gross earnings Of the road. But in doing
this,she also gave to the Company 1,ropersy-in
addition to the lands granted to her by Con.
gress,-which cost her, fifteen years ago, one
million eight hundred thousand dollars. She
had been unfortunate. and was compelled, at.
ter the expenditure Of this sum in the construc-
ton of the Central Road, to abandon the enter
prise, and repudiate her debt, for the time be-
ing. The principal and interest of this Central
Railroad debt will amount by July next to
s3.750,00o. Why does Gov German, on all
occasions, when referring to this provision of
the Illinois charter, obstinately refuse to men,
ton this important condition of the contract
between the State and the Central Company
Simply because such statement on his part
would show the fallacious absurdity of his ri
dculous position in the premises. Simply be-
no fricG
than open and straightforward honesty.
But had Illinois given no guild pro quo to the
Company for this seven per cent. gross earn
ings, the difference is more than made up be-
tween the terms exacted by her and Minnesota,
There the road traverses comparatively old
and thickly settled country. while here,
he would have US demand the Same terms
from capital required to build line OF road
through an unbroken wilderness-a road which |
will not pay dividend of one per cent. to its
stockholders during the fist ten years after its
But We pass on.
The Governor. still speaking of the charter
not the amendatory bill before him-.ays:
by the 9Th section of the Minnesota charter |
the fee simple is granted to the corporation alb. |
solutely. without any further act or deed, and |
the Governor is directed to give an additional
deed. if required by the Company. to vest in |
them more perfect title.' 1t will be observed |
that when this title is complete. the Company |
have the power, under the 10th section, to |
the road franchises lands and mate. |
rails belonging thereto, thus empowering the |
Company to borrow any amount of money they |
need in constructing the road. This money
they may use at will, and in any wav they
choose. either to bank upon, in New York, or |
speculate in any way the most profitable div- |
lends can be realzel tor three years, and not |
eXpend one dollar on the road. against which |
Minnesota has no remedy until the expiration |
2fthe first three gears. and then she can only |
hare forfeiture of their charter. and bring |
nit at the end Of said three gears for the ualue |
IF the lands thus nisapplied."
We italicise portion of the above extract |
or our own convenience. Looking further in
10 the message, we find the statement below
The reader will please bear in mind that his as.
tute Excellency.in the quotation we now give
which, by the way is found in paragraph fast
y approaching the fnis OF the precious .'docu-
nent"--makes slight allusion to certain
provision of the bill placed before him for con-
liberation some twenty hours previous to his
Message being sent to the House:
by the bill presented to me it appears that
he 10th section of the charter of the NJ. & N.
". K. r. Co. is repealed. The section thus re-
,ealed is the one which declares the charter
'bsolutely void if they fail to comply with all
Is provisions"