The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1857-03-14

We do not wish to be illiberal or unjust
with any member of the late Legislature
who differed with us upon local or even po-
litical measures but we must certainly con-
slider it matter of duty to hold the major
ity of the Council guilty Of thwarting the
passage of all bills which were of general
nature, and which the public exigencies re-
quired should become laws.
1t will be recollected that on Thursday,
an amicable arrangement was made by which
all further controversy in regard to the re-
moval Of the Capital was to be dropped, and
the general business Of the session to pro-
ceed This was the last day, under the rules,
that bills from the House could be passed in
regular form. No bills introduced after this
day could 60 through without suspension
Of the rules. There was the bill to provide
for the holding of courts which had passed
the House-the most important of all-and
various others, which should have been re.
ceived by the Council. The hundreds of
private bills of incorporation which have
gone down in the general wreck do not
involve public loss on the contrary, it is
a general public benefit that such is the re-
suit. But there were measures that should
have passed and for the loss of these the
majority in the Council must and shall be
held to rigid accountability.
Mr.. Wales, of St. Anthony, early in the
session avowed to us that he was bound to
use every means to defeat every measure in
which St. Paul had any interest, in order, as
he expressed himself, SHAT the club might
be taken out of St. Paul's hands by which
she had been breaking st. Anthony's head"
What the simple old Councillor meant by
this belligerent figure, we were unable to
comprehend, until on Thursday last we found
him so far carried astray by his crazy advi-
sers that he was induced to attempt to falsi-
fy the date Of report, which he pretended he
alone had made from the committee on en-
rolled bills. The journal of the Council will
bear us out in what we here assert.
This act of the councillor from St. An
thony is only equalled by the use which was
made of him, as one of that committee, to
become one of party of members to carry
to the Governor falsified and imperfect
copy of the Capital moving bill-a copy
which he never received legally, and which,
if he had done his duty, would never have
been in the Governors hands. But let this
pass.
The course of Balcombe and Wales on
Thursday dragged into the conflict the last
chance Of reconciliation. Others of the ma
jority-men whom We respect even for their
frmness in this insane proceeding of re-
moving the Capital ready to yield if
these two would But no! The "original
agreement" must be complied with. And
even on Saturday night, when the five
members composing the minority were in
their seats, ready for business, enough of
the mine" to prevent quorum were absent
until near the legal hour of final adjournment
The last report of the Committee on En-
rolled Bills disgraces these members before
the people, and places them in their right
position from which they will never recover.
The original bill. as it passed the two Houses,
remains in the hands of the members who
composed majority Of that Committee,
subject to the order of the Council.' A
fraudulently altered and mutillated copy of
that bill was placed in the hands of the
Governor by Mr. Wales and others, the same
being under the protest of the presiding
officers of the two Houses, and by the
Governor has been signed as a law.
Let the people reflect upon these few facts.
More of such will be developed in due time.