The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1856-02-09

secretary Rossers to Letter the Council.
The following is the letter addressed by
Secretary Rosser to the President of the
Council, which was alluded to in our report
Of Wednesdays proceedings:
/ SEcRErARY's OFFrcE, }
! St. Paul, Feb. 5th, '56.
To the Hon. John B. Brisbin, President of the
!. Council:
Shiny attention has been called to the
following resolutions, which were passed by
the Council yesterday.
THE substance of the resolutions we have
already published.1
1t would seem that my explanations to the
members of your body have not been salts
factory in relation to the funds for defraying
the expenses thereof
1t is always pleasure to me To make any
explanations about my official business to
those who have a right to enquire and know
its condition, and even to crafty those whose
curiosity may prompt interrogations in mat
tiers of any kind. beg leave, therefore, to
say, that in the beginning of the fall of 1854
l forwarded to the proper officer of the Treas
| ury Department of the United States, esti-
mates for the current expenses of the Min
nesota Legislature, amounting to $50, OOO.-
This estimate of course, even if approved by
the Secretary of the Treasury, could not
have been acted on by Congress until the
last session. I find by the general Appfo-
priation Bill which passed, and was approved
by the President, on the Sd of March, 1856
that the sum of $4,000 only was appfo-
priated for compensation and mileage of the
members Of the Legislative Assembly, Off
GERS, clerks, and contingent expenses" 1t
is thus manifested to all who desire to exam
inc the facts before they arraign, try and
condemn public officer, that when the last
appropriation was made, Congress could not
have anticipated the increase of the number
of members of the Minnesota Legislature,
as the act of your body did not pass until
the I'd day of March, 1855, just one day be-
fore the act of Congress passed, making the
appropriation for the fiscal year, ending the
Both of June, 1856. How did Congress or
any body else know that your body would
pass an act increasing the number of fnein=
bers from 81 to SO?
If your honorable body has concluded that
1 am gifted with the power of fore-knowledge
so very extraordinary as to tell precisely
what acts the Minnesota Legislature will or
will not pass, and to make estimates on the
basis of such gifts, they are doomed to dis
appointment las have failed to be medi-
um of the spirits;-it is questionable wheth-
er they could tell, and there is no earthly
chance for your hoh6table body to arraign,
try and condemn me, for "gross violation of
duty" in regard to the amount appropriated
unless you insist on my possessing this won
derful capacity.
In my estimates last fall, of course made |
provision for the increased expenditures, and |
no doubt special appropriation to meet
said increase, would have been made before |
this, but for the failure of the House of
Representatives to organize at the usual
time.
Your honorable body are not ignorant of
the fact, that appropriations are made by
Congress for the civil administration Of the
always one year in advance,
and had last session been the long one, the law
the members of the Legislature of
could have been laid befofe Con-
gress and provisions made. for this emergency
butFas it adjourned on the 18th of March
last, as did your body, it was utterly out of
the question, for any appropriation to be
made as the exigency required.
l may here say that have reserved out of
the present appropriation more than enough
to pay the mileage and per diem of the mem
bers and officers of the present Legislature,
and for which, as stated hereafter, have
already drawn. / am surely not dealing
with children, that it would make it neces-
sary to give more than this bare statement
of facts. It has not escaped my observation
that your honorable body have appointed a
committee Tin parenthesis, it may be prop
er for me to say that two of the committee
have informed me that they would not serve
on such committee, and the chairman has |
neither written nor spoken to me on the sub
ject,) to wait upon me and "enquire the
cause of the delay in the receipt of the funds
appropriated to defray the expenses of this
session." and to report my answer to the
Council.
My answer is, that nothing but miscar
riage of my requisition, which was forward
ed in due time. AS soon as l learned of the
proper officer, that the same had not been re-
ceiYed, I forwarded another, the answer to
which is not yet received but is daily expec-
ted with the funds. If the Hon. chairman
of your committee can devise any means to
facilitate the arrival Of the funds, he will OBJ
lige me no less than himself. But as your
honorable body have seen cause to pronounce
upon me in your resolution, before you have
heard me and without the least particle of
evidence, trust they will give me the evil
dence upon which such unwarrantable judg-
ment is predicated:
As you have said that alone am respons-
ible for the delay in the receipt of the funds
and that by violation of official duty, now
demand the proof-if not given, will be com-
PEELED to lay under an unjust and false accu-
sation, merely to crafty the whim or caprice
of some member of your body. If you shall
fail to show that alone am responsible, or
to amend the injury attempted to be done
me, the judgment of the country is invoked
upon such wanton attacks upon private and
public character.
/ am, sir, very respectfully,
Your obedient servant,
j. TRAVIS ROSSER,
Secretary Minnesota Territory.