The daily Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1854-1855, 1855-04-13

~"iut'~o' Anu NNHSieSS s1ipuiu hoNo oohe
itself and Minnesota justice, by re-enactipg a
law which would have reipstated Minnesota in
her exclusive right to the grant.
| Mr.. CooPER goes on. Having organic d al
company in pursuance Of the Act Of Incorpor-
alton of March At , the Company went tol
work, located the road, gave out contracts,
bought provisions, made all necessary arrange
ments for going OF with the work" Went to
work located the road gave out contracts
bought provisions made all necessary ar
engagements for going on with the work Ha
ha! Upon what solid foundation the House
resolution for the repeal OF the charter Was
annulled i'll the Senate! Surely our reverend
and grave Senators deserve the thanks Of our
whole country in being so proof against bam-
boozlement; and who can after this, have the
hardihood to say that we have not an astute
body of men in the upper House of our Ma
tional Legislature to defend US from knaves
and swindlers But seriously, VIC. Minneso-
tians, lung in the Territory through achich
the road as to run kaow nothing of any lines
having been located, or contracts given out,
or arrangements having been made for going
on with the work! But here is some more of
that hocus poc,,s by which some men for a while
manage to effect their ends. They are vel
come to all they can gain by it.
Mr.. Cooper's reasonings upon the power of
Congress to annul or disapprove of acts of the
Territorial Legislature, are as fair specimen
of the argument ilusory, as may be found in
the pleadings of any small lawyer who thinks
that because he makes q show of argument,
that therefore his hearers are obliged to be
convinced and he gain his cause. But there
is pseudo mode of augmentation, as there
is a pseudo mode of legislating for the coun-
! try's honor and welfare and to this category
belong the Hon. Members method in both
! these particulars. He admits the power Of
/ Congress to annul the acts of Territorial
Legislature, but says it has not been used for
many years. Well suppose it has not. Having
the power should not Congress annul char
ter of Territorial Legislature, it, by this
charter company can alone make use of a
grant which it had been base enough to swim
die out of the government by fraud upon It's
statute books? But Congress had also pass
ed its time for interfering. How SO? This was
session succeeding that OF the Minnesota
Legislature, which every year adjourns on the
4th Of March; and is it not apparent that as
the short session Of Congress terminates on the
same day, uniform rule would always re-
quire that the laws should be submitted at ev
cry succeeding rather than concurrent session?
But Mr.. Cooper says "the Act is referred to
in several reports of the session; and in one
case they legislated in reference to one provis-
ion of this bill, the provision contained in the
ninth section 1t is unfortunate that he was
not more explicit in his remarks upon this
subject for the country then might have had
the full benefit of his argument; but, as it is,
it can be of no weight against the we'll under
stood fact that when the act qccs brought be-
fore Congress in connection with the grant Of
land, which it was proposed by the first bill
in the House to make TO the Company, the
cause of the failure of the bill was the very
charter of this company, by which the Legis
lature proposed to grant the land to the Com
pany, but which Congress had no objection to
give to the Territory provided it did not en-
nure to the benefit of any already constituted
or organized Company.
Common sense teaches says Mr.. Cooper.
"that it will not do that Territorial at
shall be disapproved after important rights
have grown up and become vested under it,
and thus be Invested at o subsequent period
by the operation of an act of Congress disap-
proving it," True, Mr.. Cooper; but when
the Act under which these rights have be-
come vested, has been procured by fraud and
when as in the case Of this company, the con
tinuation Of the rights of the company have
been perpetuated by fraud, as Congress has
the power, with all Difference, | think that
common sense and common honesty rather die
tate, that as the company had proved itself I'M
worthy of the cIemency of the law making
power its own wrong should not be brought
forward in Justification of mercy being extern
ded to it.
Mr.. Cooper continues, But it is said the
House passed this resolution. How did they
pass it? 1t was introduced, the previous
question was called when there were a dozen
of members on their feet to oppose it, and it
was passed without discussion and without
knowledge, therefore, on the part of a great
majority Of the House. But that was not the
case here It went to committee. That
committee gave labor and examination to it.