The daily Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1854-1855, 1855-02-20
Debates in the Council.
speech OF the Hon. S. H. Olmstcad.

speech
Yesterday the Council passed the sup
Elementary bill relative to the Minnesota
and n. W. r. r. Co. by vote of 6 yeas
to 2 nays Those who voted in the affirm
alive were, Messrs. BROWN, Mower, STIM
SON, SrEARNs, FEEEBoRN, and MURRAY.
Those who voted in the negative were
Messrs. OLMsrEAD and VAN ErES.
Quite an animated discussion took place
on the final passage Of the bill, during
which Mr. Brown sustained to the fullest
extent Mr.. R1cEs course in Congress.
Mr.. OLMsrEAD had few words to say
before the vote was taken. The original
Charter to the amendment of which this is
supplementary, takes from the legislature
the repeating, amending and altering pow
er. He remembered the proceedings of the
last week of the last session, when the
President Mr. Murray declared his devo-
ton to the repeating power and declared he
would not support the bill unless this power
was retained. He remembered, too, the
peculiar metamorphosis that took place in
single night with that gentleman, and
brought him forward the following morn
ing the ardent supporter Of the bill with all
its enormities.
He remembered the labored argument Of
the last night of the session by that gentle
man, in which he predicted the defeat, at
the polls, of any man who dare raise his
voice in opposition to the Company, and he
remembered also that at the last October
election majority Of all the members Of
the popular branch of the Legislature elect
Ell, were elected in opposition to that meas
ure. 1t was true the friends of fraud had
triumphed in the other House, but he mere
" adverted to the fact to show what extra
ordinary efforts are being resorted to by the
friends of the ubiquitous bantling to compass
their ends. They had secured three votes
from the st. Paul delegation, Messrs. LIE
may, Brawley, and Haus-the second after
swallowing q chew Of tobacco--and it is
rumored, and generally believed, that they
have out,J udased Judas, and now jingle the
price of their treachery in their breeches'
pockets He had heard it denied that the
fraud question was the question last fall in
the I'd Council District. 10 put this ques-
ton at rest, he would read the following
written pledge of these men, published on
the morning of election in the PIONEER
To the Voters of the I'd Council District.
Having heard that reports in crcula ton and are
being pat in circulation 10y designing persons that We
in favor Of and endorse the fraud that deprived
Territory of the benefit OF the grant of land made to it by
Congress, during the last session. for the construction OF
Railroads take this occasion to say that all such
are false and unfounded.
At the primary meeting held by the Democratic party
at the Court House. last Thursday evening resol
ton was passed. unanimously, denouncing this fraud in
unequvocal terms to which resolution gave
hearty concurrence, and our full endorsement And
should, If elected the Office which have been
nominated bes: efforts grant of lands
from The General Government for the construction of
Railroad our Territory subject to the future legislation
OF our Territory but not for the benefit of any company
WILLIAM a: DAVIS, C. s. CAVE
st. Paul, October ., ls54. AhNA'
Dare any one now assert that that was
not the issue last fall He thought not.
In another District, the third, he also
knew this to have been the issue. Major
Fridley came to him at Anoka, in this
ramsey county, and requested him to
support him, stating his reasons that he was
opposed to the fraud, that he was opposed
to the charter from the beginning, and each
days experience but strengthened him in his
hostility to the measure That man, now,
after his solemn pledges, was working Shout
der to shoulder with the most ardent friends
of the monster This, Sir, is low the bill
passed, and these the means employed to
carry it over the Governors veto.
He had no objection 10 the amendments
under consideration On the contrary, he
liked them, but, as he believed, they had
been introduced to deceive the unwary-as
he believed the Company would never ac-
cept them, he should vote against them. -
If they do pass, he hoped the Governor
would approve them, and thus TEST the hon
esty of those who are loud mouthed in
their advocacy of them. Had these amend
ments been in the original bill, they would
have relieved many Of its obnoxious fea-
lures, but as they were not, he must be
green indeed, who believes them put forward
in good faith.
The arguments of Wall Street had been