The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1857-05-02

TUESDAY, APRIL %.

sA TUE0DAY, APRIL %. x
CoUNCIL.-Council met at 2 O'Clock. ,. NJ
Aquorum present.
On motion of Mr.. Setter the Council adj
journed until tomorrow morning at 10
o'clock.
HOUSE OF REPREsENrATIvEs.-Th House
was called to order at 10 o'clock. PRAYER
by the Chaplain.
Messrs. Hayden, Smith, and Plummer of
Hennepin, and Costello of St. Paul appeared
in their seats
Mr.. Whitlock said that the House yester-
day appointed . committee to wait upon His
Excellency the Governor and inform him
that the House was now organized and ready
to receive any communication he might be
pleased to make and that the Governor had
intimated his intention to communicate by
message this morning at ii o'clock in wri-
ting; but a. the Council had adjourned to
two o'clock this afternoon, and as it was de-
sirable that the two Houses should be in
Join: Convention when the message was read,
and the Council having appointed commit
tee to act with similar committee on the
part of the House to wait upon the Cover
nor, it had been suggested that it would be
better that the message should be received
tomorrow morning in Joint Convention of
the two Houses. He therefore moved that
committee If two be appointed to act with
the committee on the part of the Council, to
inform the Governor that the two Houses
were now organized and ready to receive any
communication he might have to make
The motion was adopted, and Mcssrs.
Whitlock aud j. r. Brown were appointed
said committee
Mr.. Murray moved that the Sergeant-at-
Arms be authorized to procure what wood
would be necessary for the use Of this House
during the present session. Adopted.
Mr.. Baasen moved that the Clerk be d.
rected to furnish the members with tho ne
cessary amrunt Of stationery durinD :. me
session. Adopted.
MIR. Baascn moved that the rules DO sus-
pended and that the House now resolve it,
sell into committee Of tue Whole for the
purpose of considering House File No. l,
bill to accept the grant of land recently
donated by Congress te the Territory.
MIR: Whitloak hoped that the motion would
not prevail till we had heard the message of
the Governor. We would no doubt there
find matters worthy of consideration.
Mr.. Baassen withdrew his motion,
MIR. j. r. Brown offered the following res
olution:
Nesobred, That a committee of three be
appointed to examine the several laws rela-
ting to our legislative powers and organiSa-
tons. and report to this House their opinion
of the Legality Of the present session of the
Legislative Assembly.
Mr.. Whitlock moved to lay the resolution
on the table.
Mr.. Murray said as this was mooted
question, be would like to see it investiga-
ced; he would therefore vote against laying
it on the table, and hoped it would be re-
ferred.
Mr.. ], r, Drown said that the fact of the
Legislature having assembled in accordance
with the proclamation of the Governor, was
sufficient recognition of the power as to his
authority in the case on our part hut as it
was provided in an act of Congress that no
session of a Territorial Legislature should
be held till an appropriation to defray the
expenses thereof had been first made, it
would seem that the legality of the present
session Is exceedingly questionable, unless
the act passed by the late Congress, provid-
ing for defraying the expenses of the "next"
Legislative assembly, may be construed to
mean the "eXtra" session of the same.
Mr.. Whitlock said this was new ques-
ton which he did not desire now to see
brought up. He read from the Organic Act
SHAT no one session of the Legislative AS
sembly should exceed sixty days." which by
implication he thought authorised an extra
session. ..9 btebTr.> r r.. ...sI ~
Mr.. j. r. Brown said this was certainly
no new question, for he had, on several &C.
| casiOnS durinp Onr late session sonoht IN
pass resolution appropEiating money pro-
viding for the very contingency that We now
find ourselves in.
The Speaker reminded gentlemen that the
question whether this Legislative Assembly
was or was not legally assembled, was not
the question before the House.
The motion to lie on the table did not
prevail, and the resolution was then adopted.
The Speaker appointed Messrs. j. r.
Brown, Berry and Stannard as said commit
tee. ..r
The House then adjourned till 10 o'clock
tomorrow morning. .t.