The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1857-10-03

tves for retiring from this business At the proper time
the public will be fully informed that 1t is mere
business transaction amicabiy entered into, which Will
prove entirely satisfactory doubt to all directly con-
cerned, and to the Republican party generally. Me"n
time 1t proper remark that since the commence
present week. these editorial columns nave
been under the charge of other than mine, and viii
continue until at least the close OF the present po
ltcal campaign. / shall be absent from the Guy
most Of the time until the election engaged other du
ty to the cause. - T. "A
ST. Paul, September Goth.
Who is the True Friend OF the FiOh-
Ger settlers of Minnesota, Ramsey or
Sibleys
The editors of the Pioneer f Democrat
have occupied great portion OF their time
since the domination Of Gov. RAMSEY, in
searching the files of the Congressional Globe
to find some vote of his during his four years
service in Congress, whe'e by they could
commit him to position inimcal to the in-
terests of the people who stand ready to elect
him as the first Governor of the State of
Minnesota. They finally succeeded, two
DAYS since in finding record where he once
voted, while in Congress as Representative
from Pennsylvania, against bill to knock off
the odd quarter of dollar per acre from the
price of public lands, and still compel The
prc.cmptor to pay the one dollar per acre.
Let us examine this vote for q moment.
1t is a well-known fact, that among the
earliest advocates for free homes to actual set
tiers in the West, Gov. RAMSEY was promi-
nent in the ranks of leading men in the Mid
die States. lie went into Congress as an
advocate of this great measure. The Grad
uation Bill, referred to by the Pioneer, was in-
tr oduced and carried along till the day of
its death by men of desperate speculative
character who wished to grab the rich
lands of the West at a cheaper rate than the
old and still existing minimum price. Fore
most among these men was ROBERT SMITH,
of Illinois, we'll known here as an unscrupu-
lous land Spectator, and nothing e lse and
a man who is now bound to ''kick up muss'
in the next Congress with FRANK STEELE,
because FRANK got ahead of him in the Fort
Smelling purchase. This Mr.. SMITH the Pr
oneer now holds up as sincere friend of the
first settlers of Minnesota, because he voted
| to buy for himself his thousands OF broad
acres in this region for Sl.OO per acre instead
of being compelled to pay $l.25.
But how with ALEX. RAMSEY? What
motive impelled him to vote to kill this
graduation bill? He was opposed, we assert
without fear of successful contradiction, to
Government charging any price at all per
acre to actual settlers up n the public lands.
He was then, as he is now, in favor of Free
Homes to Free men; and to cut down the
price to these Free men only one fifth, he
| Justly considered would be mere mockery,
and hence he voted to defeat Bob Smiths
and Gen. SHIELDS bill to grab valuable lands
for themselves at little or nothing.
| AS an interlude, we will here mention that
Senator TooMBs, of Georgia. man whom
the Pioneer attempted to import into Mime
sofa last Spring to make Pro-slavery speech
es at the expense of Gov. RAMsEY's purse,
as well as at the cost of other Repub-
lican purses; a man whom We heard Col.
ROBERTSON say in his speech at the Forum
on Wednesday evening was aloae to be thank
ed for our munificent Railroad grant-this
same Mr.. TONES, was member OF the
House at tho Same time, and yotet with RAM
sEY-according to the Pioneers published
record-to kill this graduation bill. We had
not before heard from the Pioneer that its
great Southern pet, Mr.. TONES, ever voted
''to sacrifice the dearest interests" Of the pco-
pie of Minnesota. Why make fish of RAM
sEY and flesh of TooMBs-onc Of the idols
which you daily worship?
| We come now to Gov. RAMSEY home re-
cord, here in Minnesota, upon this land ques-
ton. He was the man in Minnesota who
originated the measure of granting pre-emp-
tons to settlers upon unsurveycd public
lands. The first Territorial Legislature OF
Minnesota convened in the old Central House,
| st. Paul. the first week in September. 1S40
| Gov. RAMSEY sent in his message earnestly
advocating the passage of a memorial to
Congress, praying for law to this effect.
The memorial was introduced and passed
through the influence of Gov. RAMSEY s
now Republican supporters who were men,
bers, comprising such men as DAVID OLN-
sTED, Mormon S. WILKINSON, WIN. II. MAR
SHALL, J. w. FURBER, l.. A. BABcocK. and
Others. SIBLEY's Fur Company minions in
the Legslaturc-W. II. FORBES and sucl
like-threw all the impediments in the way
of the memorial they possibly could they
didn't want the country to settle too fast fol
tier interests" Mr.. SIBLEY himself sneaket
about the two houses to defeat the memorial
said to members such thing would embar
rass him as Delegate, &c, and threw obsta
Giles in its wa7 in the most approved Indiar
style of diplomacy. But RAMSEY and hi
friends were too much for him. and he s'slpp
ed up AS we have sad the memorial wa
passed.
Well, in few weeks after the Legislator,
adjourned, Mr.. SIBLEy went to Washington
as Delegate. He got through most of tn,
measures prayed for by the Legislature, bu
let this most important one to the actual set
tier, 60 by the board. Gov. Ramsey wa
compelled in his next message to come bacl
upon this question in the following language
We quote from his Message of January
1851:
lowing doubtless to the pressure of Other
and important business, the memorial of the
Legislative Assembly, asking the extension
OF the presumption privilege to actual settlers
on unsuryeyed lands, received no action on
the part of Congress. This is greatly to be
regretted; for the long delay which has oc
Cured in surveying and offering for sale the
public lands of the Territory operates as a
virtual d. NAL to our people Of the beneficent
legislation of Congress; and the liberal poll
cy OF the government, which encoura. es set.
Element and cultivation as rapidly as the in
creasing population of the country is compc
tent 10 extend, fails of its accomplishment.
sThe first and only public sale of lands
which are comprised within the present limits
of Minnesota, was made at the land office in
st. CrOix village, Wisconsin, on the 18th day
of August, 1S4S At that time twenty
seven townships and fractional townships O