The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1855-02-14
Minnelota J

We have received the message OF
Governor German to the Legislature of
Minnesota Territory, containing many
facts and recommendations of extra-ter-
ritorial interest.
Minnesota has been organised ak
ysars thirty couatieshave been laid of;
aud NEARLY all organized - the popu-
lation has increased from Eve to thir-
~ thousand cor more p the taxable
property of the Territory amounted in
1854 to s4,57s o3S, 80, being an increase
Of s2,132,5 500 % over 1853, and " the
estimated value for 1855 is s 7 ,Ooo, 900 u
wire suspension bridge has been thrown
over the Mississippi river above the Falls
Of St. Anthony ! agricultural societies
have been organized, and one county
(Hennepin, named after the old Francis
can friar, who voyaged and romanced
two hundred years ago out West has
rejoiced in avery creditable fair a
Territorial University is in operation,
we'll endowed by Congress; a system of
common schools, with efficient superin-
tendence, guarantees the future intelli-
genee of the people-these are facts ae-
eomplished, as the French would say,
aud are detailed with proper emphasis
by Governor German.
lii recommended that an emigration
agent, armed with ga brief official his
toryn of Minnesota and its advantages.
be stationed in New York, as if yondsr
region Of the Upper Mississippi needed
farther notoriety than has resulted from
the innumerabie Publications Of late
years-that Congress be memorialized
70 renew the grant of lands for a rail
road to the western extremity of Lake
Superior; aud I, take further measures
TO secure pre-emption rights, especially
to the settlers on the Fort Seelling re-
seryation, while the observations on the
revision of the laws for the. collection Of
debts aud against the expedieacy of
chartering a Territorial Bank deserv2
specific quotation. Ga the first subject
it is remarked :
/" No creditor should be allowed in
this g of civilization an humanity, to
imprison the body of his debtor IN any
possible contingency, except for fraud,
whereof he may be found guilty by the
judgment of his peers No contingency
can in my Judgment arise, to justify this
badge of a barbarous age Remaining on
our statute books, except for the cause
stated.n
And how completely does our Ohio
experience illustrate the truth of the
following passage:
It will be among your most impor-
tant duties to guard with vigilance the
interests of this young Territory against
the insi1ioas ehcroacnmelt It's of capital
and ~extravagant speculation. Your leg
~islative aid may be invoked to charter
corporations for banking purposes, un-
der the specious pretense Of keeping oat
the currency of other States. It will
only require a glance at the subject to
satisfy disinterested persons that q Bank
IN the Territory would produce no such
results. If a Bank in st. Paul issue
bills on the most improved banking basis,
the demand for gold and silver to enter
land, during the next five or ten years
il this Territory, would cause such drafts
upon its metallic busis, as to either ruin
ats credit or destroy its profits, either of
which would sooh cause such an institu-
tion to close its business. Consequently,
to avoid this, a Bank would aud must re-
sort to the policy of pushing out its bills
from home, and to this end evidently
would make arrangements with some
distant Bank or Bankers to circulate
its bills abroad, aud receive and circu-
late those of other Banks i'll turn, SO that
zach would only be required to redeem
IN currency, and not in coin. Thus it
must be evident that no Bank can pro-
duee the result desired in the Territory
under the necessary demand for gold
and silver for many years to come
Such an institution, IN my judgment,
would prove in the end a whitening
blight upon the country. The present
arrangement Of the currency is giving a
sanitary lesson not SOON to be forgotteI
and should warn the people to beware
Of the spieious and seductive reasoning
10 favor of Banks Of our own 10 keep
cut the paper of other Ianks abroad"
The device here mentioned, to force
into circulation the bank notes of distant
States, was practiccd to such au extent
by our banks and that, too, without
any extraordinary demand for specie,
which Governor Gorman anticipates in
q new territory that a aw to expel
the Indiana and other trash became a
public necessity. Fortunately such a
law was enacted, and so seasonabie that
the suspension in our n%eighborlug State
has occasioned but little loss 10 the peo-
pie of Ohio.