The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1855-02-17

we are compelled to omit our formal reports
PROCEEDINGS IN THE HOUSE AT WASH
INGTON:
Passage Of the Joint Resolutions to Annul tn,
Charters Of the Minnesota and North -westerr
Railroad Company and the Transit Railroad
Company!
Gov. Gorman's and Secretary Rosser's names
as Corporators set forth by the Judiciary
Committee Of the House az one of the main
objections to the Characterization O,
.Moha,ck" fulfilled that the names Of Cor.
man and Rosser ,could proue to be Dead
| Weights" to tie Charters in the House -!
Below we give the full official report of the
Debate in the House Of Representatives on the
29th ult., upon the resolutions to annul the two
Railroad charters enacted at the last session Of
the Minnesota Legislature. and approved by
Gov. German, March 4. 1854. We copy from
the Washington Daily Globe Of the evening OF
the 29th. and give all that was said or done
upon the subject-in full.
1t will be seen by the vote to annul the Tran
sit Company's charter, upon which the yeas and
nays were called. that only 132 members voted;
and we are led to believe that the vote on the
resolution previously passed was decided by
about the same number of members. Thus We
find th t 102 members were absent on the call
Of the yeas and nays.
In the Senate, where there is no previous
question to cut off debate, We are led to believe
the principle of popular sovereignty in the
Territories" will be brought to bear on this
question with power which will annul the an
nulling resolutions. We have full faith that
this will be the result in the Senate, If action
be not had until the decisive action of the Min
nesota Legislature in the premises is known at
Washington. The present Senate cannot, con-
sistently. take any other course.
The Pioneer ofyesterday, with characteristic
mendacity. garbles the report ofthe House pro-
ceeding-leaving out all that portion of Mr..
Cuttings speech which mentions one Of the
main reasons Of the action of the Judiciary
Committee to be the fact, that Gov. German
and Secretary Rosser are named in both char
ters as corporators. The Pioneer is short-sight-
ed. 1t might as we'll have attempted to edify
its editors with the play Of Hamlet, with the
part OF Hamlet left out! But read the debate
in full, as we give it below:
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVE,
WASHINGTON, Jan. 20, 1856.
Mr.. CUTTING. The Committee on the Judi
cary. which was charged with the following re-
solution of the House:
h. l., -
Of Minnesota in the last clause Of section six.
in the following terms. viz: All laws passed
by the Legislative Assembly and Governor,
shall be submitted to the Congress Of the Unit
ed States, and, if disapproved, shall be null and
Of no effect reserves to Congress the right of
reviewing and disappearing all laws passed by
said Territorial Legislature: Therefore
| Resolued, That the acts of said Territorial
| Legislature. as certified to this body. be refer.
red to the Committee on the judiciary. and
| that said committee inquire into the proprety
and Northwestern Railroad Company null and
OF no effect. and that they make report to this
House of their action in the premises"
Have directed me to report joint resolution.
The resolution was reported, as follows:
A resolution to disapprove and disaffirm an
act of the Legislative Assembly of the Territory
| of Minnesota. entitled IAN act to incorporate
the Minnesota and Northwestern Railroad
Company"
Mr.. CUTTING. Mr. Speaker. am directed by
! the Committee on the Judiciary to make brief
| statement of the circumstances connected with
| the act proposed to be disapproved, and upon
which this report is founded. 1t is within the
recollection of the House that at an early day
of the last session. a bill came from the Senate
granting portions Of the public land to the Ter
ritory Of Minnesota, 10 aid in the construction
of q railway. And about the same time, in
pursuance OF notice. another bill was introduc.
ed in this House. by one of the honorable mem.
4 hers from NJ Michigan having the same object in
view. While these two bills were pending
| Mr.. RICHARDSON. would suggest that the
lioint resolution be referred to the Committee o
the Whole on the State Of the Union, and thai
explanation be postponed until that time.
MIR. CUTTING. When I have made the state
ment which hold to be due to the committee
of which am member. I shall then take the
sense of the House as to what disposition shall
be had Of the matter.
when interrupted. Mr.. Speaker. I was Oh
serving that. while these two bills were unde,
considerat;on-the one from the Senate and the
other originating in this House-an AZ was
passed by the Territorial Legislature of Mime
the 4th day of March, Incorporating the Mime
Isota and Northwestern Railroad Company.
1t is necessary that l should draw the atten
ton of the House to one OF the provisions o
that act. 1t was provided that the lands whicl
had been. or might at any time thereafter he
granted by the United States to the Territory
of Minnesota. to aid in the construction of thi
railroad. should be. and thereby were, vestet
\ absolutely in the individuals composing thi
company. without the necessity Of any furthe
4 deed or grant; so that the title. by virtue o
this act, to all these lands was. rs far as thi
territorial act could make cit, perfect. Tn
!, amount Of land disposed of by these bills Il
aid Minnesota was eight hundred and ifty-tw
thousand tour hundred and eighty acres.
The bill which came from the Senate was re
ferred to the Committee on Territories. aud
having been reported on favorably by that com
mittee, was referred to the Committee OF tn
whole on the State Of the Union. After discus
, sion in committee, that bill was reported bac
to the House with amendments. One of thes
amendments was carried in the House. an
then, on motion, the bill was laid on the tabl.
Subsequently, the bill. which had been intro
duced on notice by one of the honorable men
!, bers from Michigan, and referred to the Con
t mittee on Public Lands, was reported back b
the same gentleman, and was retained in th
House. and. after various questions taken on
was finally passed. But inasmuch "a anterit
to that action there had been the territoria
act, now proposed to be disapproved passe,
by which the title, in fee, to all these eight hal
dred and ffty-two thousand four hundred On
;, eighty acres were vested in this Minnesota an
|Northwestern Railroad Company, this Houl
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