The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1857-03-21
To Our Constituents.


Gil of this Territory, having taken the re-
sponsibility to use the rules, governing the
body of which by your suffrages we were
members, so as to stop to great extent the
action of the late Legislative Assembly deem
it duty incumbent on US to state briefly
the reasonSwhich induced us to take a step
So important and so liable to misrepresenta-
tions.
Even in the beginning of the present ses-
sion, the other branch of the law-maklng
power, was flooded with bills the most per-
nicious to the future welfare of the people
Counties cut up and established for the pur-
pose of making county seats railroad char
tefs, with unheard of privileges, covering
our Territory in every direction, for the es-
pecial benefit of spectators in town sites
a census bill, in which the squandering of
some eighty thousand dollars out of the re-
sources of the Territory, and an utter disre-
gard to an equal and fair representation,
were its least Objectionable features, we had
tried our utmost to defeat. TO crown all, a
bill providing for the removal of the seat If
Government was introduced into the Coun-
Gil, utterly reckless in its conception, and
pushed through both Houses by the most
foul and iniquitous means.
This BILL virtually contract between the
Legislature and the St. Peter Company
wherein the party Of the first part, for, and
in consideration of the sum of twenty thou
sand dollars, to be paid by the said party of
the second part, in certain regular install
ments, locates the Capitol Oh School section
between the towns of St. Peter and Tray
erse, deprives the people of the right guar
anteed to them by the Organic Act, that
they, the people, should select permanent To-
cation of the seat of Government. The
simple fact that the location was on a school
section, which cannot be occupied until af-
ter we become State, shows the act to have
been intended for all time to come, and the
fact that members of the company are indi-
viduals high in Office, and at the same time
the warmest supporters of the bill, makes
the scheme only the more nefarious. On
the eve of assuming the mantle of State
sovereignty, ignorant of the boundaries of
such future State, any unbiased mind can
conceive the folly and presumption of the
late Legislative Assembly in removing the
seat OF Government, even supposing the act
constitutional.
Thus, fellow citizens, contract between
the Legislature and an overgrown Company,
depriving the people of their constitutional
rights; census bill, including an apportion-
ment, the most unfair ever attempted to be
forced upon any people, and granting dan
gerous and unusual power to the Executive;
and mass of private legislation, in the
shape OF Objectionable charters and county
bills for the benefit of town site corporators
and spectators generally, were the evils
which threatened to Overwhelm the people
On Saturday, the 28th of February, the
Councillor from Winona rose, and offered
series of resolutions, depriving the Hon.
Chairman of the Committee on Enrolled
Bills of his office, and substituting tool of
his own. The resolutions were we'll timed,
for Hon. Joseph Rolette, the Chairman of
said Committee, was absent saturday be-
ing day when many members had been in
tie habit of absenting themselves J and the
course of the Councillor offering the resolu-
ton was outrageous and unprecedented, for
Immediately after reading the same, and
while not in possession of the floor, he mov-
ed their adoption, and On that motion moved
the previous question. thus cutting off all de-
bate. Without notice, and in the absence
OF the gentleman attacked, the resolutions
were sprung upon US, and were not even
permitted to shield an absent friend, or to
defend his injured name on the floor of the
body OF which he was a member. Every
honorable and unbiased man can see the
malice aforethOught of the plan of the ma
Jority. Our only resource was call of the
Council and of this We availed ourselves.
Pending said call the minority again and
again requested that the unlucky patchwork
styled bill for the removal Of the seat of
government might be dropped, and the le-
gitimate business, the bills possessing a gen.
eaM interest and aiming at the general good
of the Territory, be taken up; pledging
themselves not to renew the "call," unless
compelled thereto by aggressive motions ON
the part OF the majority. The majority
however, were determined 10 pass the reso-
lutions before an adjournment should be had,
or to renew motions equally as offensive and
TIE minority being equally positive that they
should not accomplish their design, the
Council remained in session, under a call, for
the space of five days and nights. At the
end OF that time several Of the Councillors
who had acted with the majority signifying
their willingness to proceed to business, the
call was suspended on Thursday. at eleven
O'Clock A. NJ, but within an hour of suspend
ing the call the Councillor from Winona
again introduced resolution, the effect OF
which would have been the virtual expulsion
of Hon. Joseph Relette, and for the second
time the call was renewed on our side in self
defence.
Even on the last day of the session, when
the call had again been suspended for the
purpose of transacting some necessary busi-
ness, and before the business could be reach
ed, it was renewed again by the Councillor
from Olmsted, and kept up until the final
close of the session. We therefore contend
that it was the majority who, for the purpose
Il pushing through and passing private char
tiers and local measures for the benefit of
spectators, have delayed business of a gen.
eral and important character.
The above, fellow citizens, are simply the
facts as they appear on the journals of the
two houses. Far from being desirous of de-
laying legitimate and necessary business, the
minority were always ready to bury the strife
and push forward the serious and important
labors of the session, but we could not suf-
fer to see our rights trampled upon and our
selves the impotent tools of an oyerbearing
majority, without resisting and though will
ling to submit our acts when fully and fairly
understood to your judgment, still whatever
your verdict may be, we shall always be con-
vinced that we acted right.