The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1857-01-17

except where the mountains may develO
minerals, but even if any given area of fift..
thousand square miles should sustain pop
ulation of half a million, why, it was asked
should not the West regard the sparsely set
tied States of plains and mountain ranges a
tie fair and just equivalent for Delaware
New Jersey, and the New England States
AS for the expenses of the new States before
admission into the Union, it was proposed al
an essential part of the measure, that the
federal government should appropriate one
third of the proceeds of sales Of public
lands, within each subdivision, to the support
of the government and the construction o
roads-not as gift, but as an exchange fol-
the exemption, on which the United States
insists, of all their lands from taxation. Oh
course no interference was proposed withthe
present Indian administration or land sys-
tenn of the country.
More stress was laid upon the alleged ad-
vantages of the plan. 1t was claimed that it
would encourage an Independent tone Of To-
cal politics that the harmony of the Union
would be secured by removal of the end
lessly recurring controversies in Congress. in
respect to the Territories; that the emigra-
ton Of Europe and America, which is des-
tined to solve so many political problems on
this continent, would be encouraged; and
that such an act for the future organization
and admission of new States, would be the
most effective preliminary to the construc-
ton of at least three, and perhaps five, rail-
ways to the Pacific. A sketch was also
suggested, of a general enactment for the en-
couragement of such construction, on which
we have no space to particularize,
In regard to the general question of the
extension ofour present national limits, the
speaker judging from his apotheosis of the
battle of New Orleans, and other intimations.
will probably acquiesce in southern extension
to the Isthmus, and over the adjacent Arch
ipelago; but we were gratified by evidences
of his enthusiastic appreciation of the fact
that there is North. He described with
much minuteness region of British America,
between Lakes Winnepeg and Superior and
the Rocky Mountains-1OOO miles from east
to west, and 500 from north to south, and
embracing 20O,00O,00O acres-as beautiful,
fertile, sufficiently timbered, abounding in
coal and valuable minerals, penetrated by the
navigable Saskatchewan, with its north and
south branches, and possessing climate not
too severe near its eastern limits and sensi-
bly, ameliorating as we progress westward
The capacity of this country to sustain mill
ions of population is now appreciated in
England and Canada-the penal settlements
Of Great Britain are soon to be removed
from Australia to the vicinity of Lake Atha-
basca, beyond the Saskatchewan basin-the
monopoly of the Hudson Bay Company now
encounters hostility, which will unquestion-
ably remove its hateful incubus within few
years-a railroad is proposed from Fort
William to Fort Garry on the Red River;
while the country is capable of system of
canaiaSe, lolloWihS the Old pOrtageS, which
will probably be a surer means of future de-
velopment than any other policy of internal
improvement. Indeed, Mr.. 7. labored to es-
tablish an analogy between the country north
of the Iowa line, and extending from the me-
ridian of Lake Superior to the Rocky Noun
tains, and the entire area Of Russia IN ENope,
l. IL ~
was entirely successful. Certainly mag
nificent prospect for the future developement
of the Northwest.
The lecture closed with cheerful auguries
of the perpetuity of the Union, and the future
greatness of the Republic of North America,
invoking the principle of Hope, so visible
in all directions, and its application to public
alike with private interests.