The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1858-01-16
MINNESOTA LEGISLATURE

MINNESOTA LEGISLATURE.
FRIDAY, JANUARY sth, 1885,
SENArE.-After the usual preliminaries-
BILLS INTRODUCED.
By Mr.. McKUNE: An act to authorize
the inhabitants of Farribault county to vote
to change their county seat.
By Mr.. HULL: A bill to create home
stead for settlers.
NOTICE OF BILLS.
By Mr. VAN ETTEN: An act regulating
the State Printing.
By Mr.. JONES: A memorial to Congress
relative to public lands.
By Mr. REINER An act to declare GER
tain roads laid out by the government. State
roads.
By Mr.. BEMAN: Bills relative to Justi-
ces of Peace and their duties.
By Mr.. VAN ETTEN: A bill amending
an act relative to the Territorial Prison.
RESOLUTION.
Joint resolution relative to Winnebago res
ervatiOns was read and laid over.
BILLS ON SECOND READING.
5. F. bill to grant ferry charter across the
Minnesota River at Shakopee, to Jno. Hare,
was read a second time and referred to COM
mittee on roads and bridges.
Senate File, No. 10, to appoint commits
sioners for Minnesota in other States. was
read, amended by striking out Sec L, and
laid on the table to be printed.
ii. of r. memorial to Congress to defray
tine expenses of expeditions against the hos
tile Indians ON Spirit Lake and Sunrise Riv-
er.
S. F. bill to extend the time for the pay
ment of taxes.
IN COMMITTEE OF WHOLE.
Ii. OF r. memorial to Congress to defray
expenses Of certain expeditions against hos
tile Indians, being under consideration, Mr..
RIDPATH in the Chair
Mr.. COWAN asked information in re-
gard to the matter of the Sunrise Expedi-
ton.
INTERESTING DEBATE ABOUT THE SUNRISE Ex-
PED1TIoN-sTARKEY GETS FITS
Mr. FOLSOM: The scene of the great
battle between the troops and fve Indians is
in part of the county l have the honor to
| represent. The facts are about thus Sew
eral-fve-I believe, wandering, vagabond
| Indians, were lying about the settlement
| called Washington, and were, as far as
| heard, doing no harm. The party of volun-
teers which were sent out, were, as we'll as
the Indians, in state of intoxication at the
| time of the celebrated 'battle" and owing
| to that, Misundei standings arose, they both
| assumed hostile phase, a skirmish ensued,
| IN which one white man, and an Indian was
hnvn fb,
| through the immediate district i'm which it
was fought, and the universal voice of the
| settlers there were against the action of the
party of volunteers, whose conduct generally
| they describe as reckless and undiscipllned-
The Indians had been doing no harm beyond
stealing few roasting ears, and the expedl-
ton and its ill-advised management produc-
ed bad effects on them. Some are there yet
they never aoere driven away, and no alarm
| was ever felt by the settlers from them.
shall record my vote against the passage of
the memorial, as long as that obnoxious ref
erence to the farcical expedition to the Sun
rise country, is contained in it, and believe
shall be acting in good faith to my constitu-
| ency, and with a knowledge of the facts in
| vOlved in the matter referred to.
Mr.. COW AN reviewed the matter con-
taired in the memorial, and read from the
Governor's Message in relation to advising
the Legislature to memoraise Congress to
defray the expenses of the Spirit Lake expe-
| dition. 1t had been undertaken solely with
motive of humanity, and to chastise the
| marauding outlaw Indians and protect the
settlers on the frontier. In referenne to the
Sunrise Expedition, he knew nothing for or
against it, but if the Territory had incurred
expenses, we ought to be reimbursed, and
then remunerate the hardworking frontiermen
| who left their firesides at direct loss of
time and means, to rescue the prisoners on
Spirit Lake, &c.
Mr. SMITH-Mr. Chairman, am oppos-
ed to spending time in discussing whether or
not the Sunrise affray was a bona fde adyan-
tage and necessity, but must oppose hav
ing any notice whatever taken of such RI
dculous, buncombe and ill-advised affair." in
memorial to Congress which calls their at
| tention to the other mentioned expedition
undertaken wisely and successfully, to rescue
white women from terrible captivity, and
chastlse the numbering band who committed
the outrages on the Iowa line. The expedi-
ion to the Sunrise was too foolish an affair
to waste time in considering, and move that
| all in reference to it be stricken out from the
| memorial.
Mr. SMITHS motion having been secon-
! ded, MIR. Cowan offered a substitute, refer
ring the Memorial to committee of three,
| who shall be empowered to send for persons
and papers, and report as socn as possible to
the Senate.
Mr.. FOLSOM-Mr. Chairman, the gentle
man from Nicollet has pathetically painted
the loss of time and means to the frontier
men who shouldered their rifles to rescue the
captives, and defend the settlers,-this is
right-they should be paid for their services.
But at the same time, claims will be sent in
to this Senate from the hardworking farmers
of Chisago, for damages done to their crops
by the troops riding through the fields. It
was in cornfield where the 'battlen took
place.
MIR. VAN ETTEN wished to say something
on the Sunrise Expedition, but he would have
to speak OF it with the ridicule it deserves
The volunteers were out about three days.
they had nice spree, enjoyed themselves
probably, killed drunken Indian, wounded
another, and lost one of their own men. For
this, $4,000 are demanded There was not one
show of necessity for the whole transaction
1t was purely quixotic affair, aud if any
claims are allowed, at least. five or six times
the value of everything used or destroyed by
the troops will be claimed.
Mr.. MURPHY-I cannot agree, Mr..
Chairman, with the gentlemen who wish to
throw dlscredit on these two expeditions, nor
would wish to justify them both, without
some knowledge of the facts of each. l do
not want to see the memorial either rejected
or passed as it is, stating no facts for the
guidance of Congress. whom we ask to ap-
pirate several thousands of dollars to REIN
barse Minnesota for what she has spent, and
Will spend on account of these two expedi-
tlons, nor can | yet oppose its passage in some