Saint Paul weekly Minnesotian., 1858-06-05

From the St. Paul Times.
LETTER FROM EDMUND RICE, ESQ.
No diniculty In Negotiating Money II tho
Loan Bill IL Ratlhed--ROads to be put
under Way.
WASHINGTON, March 80, 1853
7. N. Neaoson, Esq:
My DEAR SIR:-I have received yours of
the 18th inst. You desire to know what the
prospect of our Railroad Companies is for
money. In reply have to say that the Mn
nesota and Pacific Company has made ar
rangements for all the money they wiN require,
and will be able to commence work about
the lst Of jane, simultaneously at 81. Paul.
st. Anthong and Still,Oater, and push it stead
ly forward until the ROAD is in operation be-
tween the points named and thence North
and West. Without State aid we could do
nothing. With it we can do all that need be
done, and carry out to full cOnsummatiOn
the long and ardently cherished projects of
the people of Minnesota. Other COmpones
will be able to negotiate for money as readily
as ours. The President of the Southern
Minnesota Railroad Company has been with
us in New York, and we are assured by him
that he finds no difficulty in negotiating loan.
If the people show their faith in the Rail-
road enterprises Of the State it will inspire
capitalists with full confidence. If the peo-
pie condemn them, capitalists will condemn
them as matter of course.
Very respectfully,
Your obedient servant,
EDMUND RICE.
Yesterday was the time fixed in the
above letter for the commencing work on the
Railroads simultaneously at St. Paul, St.
Anthony and Still,cater."
No one has as yet seen the pick axes lifted
nor the wheelbarrows trundling, nor the
spades and shovels cutting dirt in approved
Railroad style; but we cannot doubt that in
in all this acesk we shall witness those afore-
said welcome phenomena, in full operation at
all the three places mentioned by Mr.. Ed
MUND RICE.
We have not heard it is true of his arrival
here with the money; but as he told the peo-
pie before the election that his company had
'MADE arrangements for all the money they acily
rquire,"-and of course he didn't lic-we
confidently look to see him arrive daily with
few hundred thousand dollars in his pocket
to distribute amongst our laborers and con-
tractors and from their hands to radiate into
every business mans pocket, like rays of
light from the parent sun.
We do confess that when the pledges were
given to the people of the State, that if the
Loan bill was ratified, the work would
be commenced on these roads in May or at
farthest in the early part of June, we had
the most serious doubts, amounting almost to
conviction, that these pledges would be but
idle breath.
But We now prefer, however, to take Pres
ident RICE at his word, and we are glad to be
assured also by his friends, that his letter was
written in good faith; was based upon the
facts; and that he spoke truly when he said
he had ''made arrangements for all the money!
that would be required.
We rejoice most heartily, not only that
our doubts are to be dissipated, but that the
pledge given to the people that the road
should be commenced at this time, are to be
honestly and fairly kept. Our satisfaction is
increased in consequence of those very pre-
viOuS doubts and what we can do shall be
done to encourage the companies in the fulfill
ment of their engagements to the people,
who have risked so much to enable them to
do so.
We hope also to see the Companies con-
struct first, those portions of their respective
roads, which will be most serviceable to the
people of the State; and as this was part of
the pledge given, we see no greater reason to
induce us to suppose that they will not full
fill it, than we had for our doubts of the good
faith of the pledges in regard to the time
when the work was to be commenced.
Mr.. President RICE having thus obtained
all the money he requires, we cannot believe
the rumor which has been set afoat by our
contemporaries, that the construction of fifty
miles of the Minnesota & Pacific Company's
Road has been all let to one man, Mr.. CHAM.
BERLAIN, the great Missouri Railroad Con.
tractor, who it is said has agreed to construct
that much of the road and receive the State
bonds when issued, for his pay!
This c,nnot be the fact; Tor it is we'll
known that pledges were made before the
Loan Election, to numerous smaller contrac-
tors amongst our own citizens, to divide the
work amongst them, and to employ the dis
tressed laborers already here, rather than
bring any more from distance, as it is also
represented Mr.. CHAMBERLAIN intends to do.
We think MI. RICE should not violate the
promises and pledges to these devoted friends
of the loan bill, any more than he will those
made to the people of the three cities about
the simultaneous commencement of the road
thereat about the lst of June.
If he hadn't the money, we should pardon
his making this kind of wholesale contract :;
but as, from his Both of March letter, and
from the assurances of his friends here, there
can be no doubt about his having a good
large pile of the golden rocks" it will be
hardly fair to apply the cash to settling the
back debts-perhaps the bribery dcbts-of
the Company, and in order to do SO sacrifice
his friends and the friends of the Loan, by
giving MIR. CHAMBERLAIN this large monopo-
Iy in the construction of the Road.
We hope yet to see the road let out in
smaller contracts, and the money spent first to
build the roads, and not pay anybody's old
debts.
Billy ID. Phillips.
This distinguished old settler in St. Paul,