The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1858-03-20
From the Gtatfeld Republican. .-asfa -ts
The Higgins Memorial.
uIGGINsyILLE March 8. 1853.

HIGGINsvILLE, March 8, 1853.
To the honorable Legislature of Minnesota:
GENTLEMEN This memorial of your me-
moriallst respectfully represents that he is at
the present time suffering great inconvenience
in consequence of the panic, SO much so as to
be eractiy unable to make as much money as
he could wish, and he therefore has been in
duced to look for aid directly to thu State
itself, or, which amounts to the same thing,
to its authorized representatives at ST. Paul,
augusty assembled.
More hopefully has he been led to do this,
from the fact that he has noticed in the pub
lie prints of the Territory, the highly COM
mendable efforts that are being made by
your honorable (?) body, to recruit, at the
public expense, the finances of several indi-
gent corporations. who were so unfortunate
few months since as to be saddled by the
legislature with burden of several millions
of acres of valuable land. .r,-
Believing that such ssGtesmdnIike generosi-
ty should be encouraged by the people of
Minnesota, L. your memorialst, William Hig-
gins, of Higginsville. Township 1913, Range
"a West, of the principal meridian, embryo
State of Minnesota, do pray that Senators
Van Etten, Lindsey, Mixer, Bates and Stree
teer, be appointed Select Committee by
your honorable body to take into considera-
ton not only my distressed financial condi-
ton, but also my generous proposition to re-
lieve myself therefrom, by dint of State
credit, and, at the same time, give the State
a golden opportunity to grow suddenly rich
by the transaction. To make myself fully
understood, will explicitly and in detail I'M
fold to you my plans.
l am tho owner of 160 acres of land COM
prising the present town plot of Hgginsville,
that is to say, shall be the owner, as soon
| as l pay into the Treasury of the United
States the sum of two hundred dollars, pur-
chase money.
By acts Of Congress at divers times, called
pre-epption laws, this quarter of land is held
in trust for me, a squatter, 10y the officers of
the Land Office Department, till some future
day of public sale, as yet unknown, when, if
l come forward and pay for it, (the 5000
aforesaid) patent will be issued to me forth
with.
So it will be seen by our honorable body,
an d by your special committee in particular,
that my right, mortgage or pawn this proper
ty is clear and indsputable. In the express
sve language of said Committee in their
Railroad report before alluded to, "such de-
fault" on my part toward the U. S. Land OF
flee, that kindly permits me to squat on this
land and hold it, "is uttsly improbable" in fact
''s,aeide'-indeed.
Having thus evidently property of my own
as basis for operations, | now propose to
give it to the State as per the following con-
ditions
l. The State shall, through its Treasurer cause to
be paid to me the 1st day of April, 1858,
| ofta-o ~; ehoI
2 am to be expressly prohibited by p0sitioe ldao
this $500 in drink, riotous living to effect
day of April 1859, before any Judge, Justice of the
Peace, OF Notary Public of the town in which may
chance to be at that particular tme when, if shall ap
pear from my oath that have expended said $500 in
improvements my quarter in and around evansville,
another $500 shall be paid to By said Treasurer
for similar purpose, and year after year. till
shall have received the total sum of As 900 If howev
or, shall appear by oath that have otherwise ap
proprated said money then shall the Treasurer refuse
to pay over to money, and for this refusal
the State shall not be held accountable to me, a suit
! for damages.
This is the main proposition, simple and
-saLubrious
The securities turn over to the State are
ample, and are as follows:
l. mortgage on the aforesaid quarter section.
g. My note bearing 10 per cent. interest," payable tr
yearly-that is to say once in years.
g. Ten per cent. on all the sales of lots in Higgins
q.
quarter and onefourth of the garden and vegea
| l shall not trace the practicrl operations of
this arrangement in all it's parts bat leave
that matter to the subtle and comprehensive
| intellects of your Committee.
Who can doubt but that nv part of this
arrangement will be faithfully performed p
Could fail to discharge the obligation the
States will thus have placed me under Nav :;
it would be case of 'mOrat insanity" indi-
eating such an obliquity of the visual sense
| of right, that to suppose it might be, is the
height of absurdity
Let us look for moment at the practical
benefits that will undoubtedly accrue to the
State by this arrangement.
There about 10000 inhabitants in the
State; so that to raise this SIS 900, poll tax
of only 3 IL cents per head is required. Is
there a man, woman or child in Minnesota
so poor, so lacking in public spirit, as to grum-
bic at this am confident that but speak
the sentiments of your honorable body, when
[ answer, No -emphatically, Mo-!
Now. let us look at the profit that will &C
crue to the State and people, say in 10 years,
after this arrangement shall have been con-
Summated.
In the first place, shall have paid the
principal observation-disclosures 5000. 90
Then interest for ten years ten per $4,000
Ten per cent. sales of 100000 worth of
lots. ............. 10000 90
Every 10th bushel Of grain, say.......... 10000
One fourth of my garden sauce, say. .... 5.25
Total Observation-Disclosures. $50 sos. 25
Deduct principal. Observation-Disclosures. 100000
And there remains clear profits to the State $54 25
More than enough to pay the expenses of
the late Constitutional Convention!
1t may be said by some that my lot sales
of $5OO,0O0 cannot be made. ANSWER moth
ing is easier. No men better than your hon
orable body, know how this can be done.
would make, with your assistance, Hig-
gingsvile point" 1t can be made the
capjtal of the State especially since every