The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1855-01-20
JOINT CONVENTION.

JOlNI UNIV ENI1ON.
The two Houses met in joint convention, in
the hall of the House, at eleven o'clock. The
members of the Council were seated in front Of
the Clerks desk, and Mr.. Olmstead and His
Excellency Gov. German were provided with
seats on each side of the Speaker of the House.
The Speaker of the House presided.
On motion of Mr.. Sibley, joint committee
of two was appointed to wait on the Governor,
and inform him the two Houses were assemb-
led in joint convention,
The committee returned in a few minutes
with his Excellency. He proceeded to deliver
the following Message:
Fello,o Citizens of the Council
| find House of Representatives:
You have again assembled in obedience to the
requirements of Law, to deliberate upon the
condition, wants, and interests of your respec-
tive constituents.
congratulate you upon the growth, and I'm.
exampled prosperity of our Territory, during
the year that has just closed. The goodness Of
Divine Providence has been graciously bestow-
ed upon us in peculiar manner; with but few
exceptions, all have enjoyed good health the
seasons have been genial the harvest abun
dant; labor rewarded new avenues of wealth
and prosperity opened up immigration has
poured in from the east, south and north !; hun
dreds of thousands of acres of land have been
claimed and settled upon, and thousands of acres
more purchased of the General Government
hundreds of farms have been opened, and from
every quarter of the Territory the most cheer
ing news has been received of uninterrupted
prosperity.
| Not quite six years have elapsed since the Ter
ritory was established. During that period
twenty counties have been laid off, and nearly
all organized. Our population has increased
from about five thousand to thirty thousand OF
more our commerce more than quadrupled
And new villages have sprung up ; new facili
ties for education have opened splendid church
edifces erected and society has taken high
moral stand. With such high and hopeful pros
poets before us, you are again called upon to
look into the future, and if possible, give such
vitality to the civil institutions of the Terrific
ry as their various interests may require
Sound political economy has taught us that
population is the basis of wealth and greatness
| it is therefore the duty of the law making pow
er to so frame the political institutions Of Gov
eminent as most certainly to secure it. Our
agricultural, mineral and manufacturing resour-
ces are SO abundant, that Minnesota needs nc
utopian pictures to be drawn to entice to our
|
We need only true history of our broad fer
tile prairies, our woods, lakes, rivers, minerals
pineries. water power, and navigation, to tempt
capital in abundance, and direct emigration to
where they can find enough of those advanta-
ges combined to satisfy the enterprising of all
classes and countries We need not stop to in
quire why it is that thousands of our fathers,
brothers, and friends can content themselves to
stick to the worn out and cOmpa1 atively barren
soil of the old States, rather than seek home
in this invigorating and healthy climate, and
fertile soil. They will soon find out our facili-
ties for wealth and comfort, when we take steps
to advertise them. l would, therefore, as the
first step to this end recommend that you take
into consideration at the earliest day convent
ent the propriety of appointing an emigration
agent to reside chiefly in the city of New York,
whose duty it shall be to give to the people cor
rect Information of our Territory, its soil, eli
climate, population. productions, agricultural,
manufacturing and educational facilities, and
prospects. Up to this time our Territory has
hrd mainly to rely upon the faithful pen Of visi-
tors and our local press, while most of the Ter
ritOries of the c0pfederacy have been ushered
before the civilized world, in Congressional de-
bates each and every page Of their history
published before their organization, owing to
the peculiar sensitiveness of the public mind
north and south, on the subject of slavery. The
wealth, beauty, and fertility of each hill, noun
tain, mine, prairie, navigable stream, SOIL and
climate have been portrayed by the able and
watchful Senator or Representative in Congress-
until the reader of our national history in the
old world, and elsewhere, is fully informed from
reliable authority of all he needs to enable him
to make up his mind where he will 60 to seek a
home. While Minnesota came before Congress
quiet and unobtrusive, asked for civil govern
ment, and has received it and has made her
way up to her present high position by the force
of truth. and her own natural resources, fertili-
ty and beauty. 1t is a lamentable truth that
the climate of Minnesota is less understood
among the masses of the people in the States,
than almost anything else connected with her
history. During the past year have received
almost innumerable letters from the Middle
States propounding variety of questions
about our Territory, especially desiring to know
if our winters are not very long, and SO exceed
ingly cold that stock freezes to death, and man
hardly dare venture out of his domicil. This
popular error among the citizens of the States
must be speedily corrected in some reliable man
ner To this end I respectfully recommend that
you take measures to have prepared brief,
regard to the soil, climate, productions, agri-
cultural, manufacturing, and educational facil-
| tiles; our growth, population, and prospects,
which, having your official sanction will pro-
duce such favorable results as have been nei-
| Their seen nor felt before. Such brief official
history of our Territory should be placed in the
hands of the people in all parts of this cOun-
try and Europe through an emigration agent
and it is believed that it can be fully prepared
by the first of March, and ready for distribu-
ton by the opening of navigation in the Spring.
1t was the pleasure of the last Legislature to
enact charter for q company to construct q
railroad from the Iowa State line by way of St.
Paul, to Lake Superior, by which they a9tici-
pated grant of lands from the Congress of the
United States to our Territory to aid in the COM
pletion thereof. This charter was first introduced
into the Council on the 23d day of February,
1854. The extraordinary powers and privileges
given by it to the company thus constituted,
aroused the opposition of this community,
away whom were some of the soundest men of
our Territory. Every Objectionable section or
clause. was contested inch by inch, from the day
of it's introduction till the moment it received
my signature, which was given but five minutes
before the final adjournment. under what may
be perhaps properly termed q protest against
the extraordinary powers and privileges therein
granted. And suffice it to say, that had with
held my official approval, we should to-day
have our magnificent grant OF lands in full
force ready for your action, after You had an
opportunity to confer fully and freely with your
constituents, and been better prepared now to
do their will in the premises. The second sec
ton of the charter provides that said company
shall meet in the Chamber of Commerce, in the
City of New York, in not less than 80, nor more
than 60 days from the passage of the act, and
then and there accept or reject the charter.
They did so meet, and did accept the same, and
their letter of acceptance is herewith trans