Minnesota weekly times. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1854-1859, 1856-01-12

tire towpships of land were granted for the ex- ]
elusive use Of this institution. The Secretary Of
the Interior having authorized the solectien Of
the land..to bemade, ths Regents hsse appoint-
discharge that duty, each of whom has been in
dustriously engaged in making the selections du.
ring the past season. am informed that "a 900
acres, partly agricultural and partly pine lands,
have already been chosen. l am fully satisfied,
from reliable information, that these lands, when
the patents are issued, will be available at from
SIS to BIS per acre, as they are no doubt OF the
best quality, owing to the early period of their
selection, by gentlemen cminently fitted for the
duty, from long residence and intimate acquaint-
ance with every part of the Territory. When the
whole is selected, amounting to 46.080 acres, it
is not too high an estimate to say they will bear
an average value of $40 per acre in less than five
years, and at least $5 per acre the day the pat
ents are issued by the Government. At $40 per
acre, it gives this institution an endowment OF
$460, 800. It therefore becomes matter for
your consideration, whether something should not
be done to place part of this fund 10 some avail
able shape for the purpose Of erecting the neces-
sary buildings and engaging the services of suit
able professors. 1t is no ordinary work to found
an institution endowed like this with such mu-
ni6cent grant. If you should devise plan to
accomplish even the beginning of this great work
on permanent basis, it will connect the name Of
each member of the Seventh Legislature with the
history of his country, in form Of which he
may we'll be proud. o4it@e
For the last eighteen months much solicitude
has been felt the subject Of connecting this city,
St. Anthony and Saltwater, by railroad with Du-
buque, in Iowa, and Lake Superior. A charter
was granted to company sty ed the Minnesota
North Western Railroad Company, as believed
then and now, with powers most extraordinary
and dangerous to the future welfare and security
of the people. At the last session this charter
was re-enacted and amended. Among other things
the amendments required the deposit in stocks or
money, of one hundred and City thousand dollars,
with certain gentlemen of the territory, who were
required to give security for its safe keeping, &C..
This deposit was designed security for the
faithful performance of the requirements of their
charter. The fifth section of said act provides,
that if said 'scompany do not accept of this act,
and the act to which this is a supplement, within
six months from the passage hereof, then all lands
before mentioned, together with the property and
franchises of said company, shall be forfeited to
the Territory. ~, sa1tsa ai. sli- L.l5s.
1t becomes my duty to inform you that no such
deposit of one hundred and fifty thousand dollars
as required, has been made, nor has the said COM
pany, so far as am informed, accepted said u
mendments. By the annual report of the said
company it appears they have &c not as yet expend-
ed any sum whatever in the construction Of the
road. contemplated in and by its charter, or in
the machinery thereof, or the appurtcnanccs be-
longing thereto" Nor has any sum been received
by the company during the past year, but they
have expended, during the past year, seven thou
sand nine hundred five dollars and twenty six cts.
for what particular object is not stated, nor have
been advised that any authorized recognizance,
survey or location of said contemplated road has
been commenced, nor anything done in construct
ing the telegraph between Dubuque and st. Paul,
as required by their charter.
1t remains now with you to take such action as
may seem proper and just in the premises.
1t is not in my power, as at present advised,
to inform you what will be the probable result of
the suit now pending between the United States
and this company touching tho question of title
| to the lands heretofore granted by the Congress
of the United States to this territory to aid in
constructing said road, and afterwards repealed.
If the company should fail in the said suit, then
it will be for our Territory to adopt measures to
procure the aid of Congress to assist US in con-
structing road, on the line heretofore proposed,
at least from this city the Iowa line. 1t is fur
Their my opinion that if the old charter to the Nj.
N. w. K. r. Co. was out of the way, the pres
ent Congress could be prevailed upon to repeal
their repeating act and restore the land the
ritory. In the next place, should this fail US,
would suggest the proprety of memoralizing
Congress to permit our Territory to enter, at one
dollar and twenty-five cents per acre, on five yrs.
credit, alternate sections, in like manner and to
like amount before, for the line of road origin
ally proposed. This will secure the completion
of the road quite speedily as the first grant, las
l an advised and believe. In my opinion this lat
ter plan will be favoraby considered and prompt
ly acted upon by Congress, and if active measures
are taken it will in all probability succeed.
If the suit now pending, involved the title to
the late grant Of lands should be decided against
the present organized company, we need not ez:
pect them to build the road rs contemplated.
feel it my duty also to say that if the late a.
mendments to the charter of this company are in
force and of any binding validity, the old charter
and al its grants, powers and privileges are for
feited to the territory. unless YOU should restore
tn I'm by new charter. Or if the amendments
of last session are imperative, then the old char
ter is forfeited for the non-ful6llment of its re-
quirements, that is to say, if the first amendment
passed last session is to stand without reference
to the second amendment, the franchises of SAID
company are yet in force. If the second amend
menr is n nullity, or not binging on the company,
it still leaves the franchises of the company in
force. But if the second amendment is to be held
valid and binding on the Company, then all fran
chises are forfeited to the Territory. But if both
amendments are in force, then their franchises are
forfeited; if both amendments are invalid,
then their franchises are forfeited under the old
Charter, unless you should again amend it so as
to restore to them what they have lost by their
own default. l trust, therefore, that you will
take definite action for some new plan to obtain
aid from Congress, to assist in opening speedy
communication by railroad from this place to the
Iowa line, or to such other more convenient point
as you may deem best. If you should deem it
best to stand still and wait for the M. & N. w.
X. K. Co. to build the oad and until the pend
ing suit involving the title to these lands is settled,
be it SO; but it is feared the result will prove
severe tax on our crcdulity. | should be glad to
see an outlet by railroad from our winter prison
home to the nearest point of uninterrupted COM
muncation with the East and South at any sacri-
ice of individual opinion to policy, and indeed
at any other reasonable sacrifice save the honor
of our Territory and the enthralment Of those
who are to take our places.
There are several projects in contemplation to
reach this Territory by railroads. One from
Green Bay was spoken of by my predecessor
Another, from Manitowoe, on Lake Michigan, to
this point. A third, from Milwaukee to La Crosse,
about l2O miles BY land, and 155 by water, below
this city. A fourth, approaching the Mississippi
river at Prairie du Chen, distant from this place
by water about 290 miles. fifth, from the Iowa
line, by way of st. Paul to Lake Superior. The
lines of road which reach the Mississippi river at
La Crosse and Prairie du Chen, will no doubt
be completed at an early day, as they are, to
some extent, under contract and partly finished.
1t is essential to the future prosperity of Mime
sofa that We should avail ourselves of the route
which promises to let Us out during the winter
season in the shortest possible period. II is evil
dent, then, to my mind, that If we can command
any means, through the action Of Congress or