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

no usarsr NV Yea d, ghisago in the winter
than We ~. n4wt Thpsit is~svident, We must
look sitheR Soqtlt41 East of Lake Superior for .
winter read. From The Lats to Green Bay 10
farther than from q. Pasl % Green Bay, and
Milwaukee, Madison Or Chicago.
A speedy connection With Lake Superior 10
highly desirable, and it, Importance fully sppre.
ciated. Our people, however, want 8 winter
communication Southeast with older States first,
or have misapprehended the true interest Of q
large portion Of the people Of Minnesota.
road from st. Paul, by way Of La Crosse, to
Madison and Chicago, is the most direct route by
which we can reach the great Railroad City of the
North-west. But at the same time we must keep
steadily in view the'importance Of q speedy cou-
nection with Dubuque BY a road west Of the Mis-.
sissippi river. ,1t moe I'm
The Chicago and Rock Island Railroad Compa-
ny are pushing forward their road into the interi
or OF Iowa with much rapidity and, am in
formed by some of the officers, that they design
at u early period to tap the agricultural valley
of the Minnesota, at or near its great bend. 1t
bchooves, then, the citizens of the valley Of the
Upper Mississippi to so guard their interests as
to be able to cOmmad the trade of the Upper Min
nesota, or it will be snatched from them by some
point on the Mississippi, at or below Dubuque
This can be done to some extent, for few years,
by procuring an additional appropriation for the
Mendoza and Big Sioux Government Road, now
being rapidly constructed under the charge of
highly competent aud efficient officer, Capt. j. H.
Simpson, Of the corps of Typographical Engi-
neers, by which means permanent bridges can be
built over the streams; and also by taking meas
ures to have substantial improvements made in
the navigation of the Minnesota river. To ac-
comphsh the latter object, plan can be adopted
which will place the matter beyond any reasona-
bic doubt.
While am bringing to your attention some
OF the improvements necessary to the devel-
opement of our resources, / would suggest
further the necessity of a Government Road
from Lake Superior to the Mississippi river at
some point above the Falls Of St. Anthony.
This would not only be great convenience to
the National Government as means Of reach
ing her military stations at Fort Ripley and
Pembina, but would also connect the agricul-
tural valley of the Upper Mississippi river with
the Lake, where mining and manufacturing
must soon spring up, demanding for the subsis-
tence of the laboring classes, the product Of
that agricultural region. The present is an
appropriate occasion for the suggestion that a
military road is necessary to reach Fort Ridg-
ley, the Sioux Agency, and the New Fort at
Pembina, from some point below Lake Pepin.
Its utility and paramount public importance are
made clearly manifest by glance at the map
of our Territory. 1t is hoped that some
action will be taken for its construction by the
Government.
Under the act Of Congress granting certain
swamp and overfowed lands to the States in
which they respectively lie, it has been held by
the Commissioner Of the General Land Office,
that Territories, upon becoming States, are en-
a., II 81. r Al T.
| is believed, therefore, that some action may and
should be taken to secure to our future State
| the benfits accruing under said act. What is
deemed necessary to be done by you, will be
for your consideration, and it is hoped it will
not be overlooked.
The Commissioner Of immigration, Eugene
Burnand, Esq, appointed under the act of the
last Legislature, proceeded to New York as
soon after his appointment as funds could be
procured from the Territorial Treasury to de-
fray the incidental expenses of his mission.
am happy to say, that he has most faithfully
devoted himself to the objects intended to be
accomplished by the creation of the Office. He
has opened an Office at No. l Battery Place,
opposite Castle Garden, N. Y, and has also
entered into correspondence with five promi-
nent and leading newspapers published in Ger
ed in the principal journals Of N. Y, some Of
which are sent to Europe TO be on board every
vessel carrying emigrants to the U. S., by which
means they are read during the voyage. His
reports are made to the Executive quarterly,
from which it will be seen, that no great effect
can be produced until the spring Of 1856. 1t
is also stated that up to September, 1854, there
arrived in N. Y. 2l5,45 efnigrants. To the
same date in 1856, IS, 945, showing decrease
from the previous year Of 1l9, 5O7. This dilni-
mutton is attributed partly (and as conceive
very JUSTLY to the political excitement in this
country, created by the unjust and intolcrant
spirit of Know Nothingism toward foreigners
and Catholics, but the unconstitutional and an
ti-republican measures proposed by this secret
order will soon be overwhelmed by the good
sense and sober second thought" Of our peo-
pie, and the confidence of the foreigner in the
permanency and liberality Of our government
restored. Our great and growing West is
deeply interested in the speedy consumma,ion
Of this desirable end. 1t is believed that the
ensuing spring will bring to our Territory
much larger population than any previous sea-
son.
The financial condition OF the Territory will
fully appear by reference to the Report Of the
Auditor and Treasurer, to which you are re-
spectfully referred.
BY the Auditors Report it will be seen that
the taxable property of fourteen counties, (be-
ing all that have made returns to that Office
amounts to nine million, twenty-five thousand,
one hundred and fifty-seven dollars, while the
estimate for the past year. including all the
counties. only amounted 10 seven million dollars;
yet the returns from fourteen counties alone
show an increase over the estimate for the whole
Of two million, twenty-five thousand, one hum
dred and fifty-seven dollars; and the estimate
for 1856 is fifteen million dollars. Thus you
will perceive, that not only has our population
doubled in 1855, but the taxable property has
increased in a like ratio.
Therefore it will be seen that no returns have
been received from the counties Of Winona,
Olmsted, Mower, Dodge, Steele, Farribault,
Brown. Pierce. Davis, Scott, Carver, Wright,
Todd, Wabashaw, Rice, Itasca, Doty, Superior,
Freedom, Renville and Pembina and as they
were not all attached to other counties for judi
cial purposes, most probably have paid no taxes.
or at least with but few exceptions; yet they
are represented in this Legislature. From this
conclude that twenty million dollars would not
be too large an estimate for the taxable pro-
perry Of the Territory for 1856.
1t appears from the report Of the Treasurer,