The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1858-02-25

VIII continue 10 be, unless we snow The world
that Minnesota will supply every portion Of her
territory, within few year, with the indispcn
sible avenues 10 markets.
There remained several topics, of those al
ready discussed upon which the speaker de
sired TO offer further illustration. One was the
manner in which lhe lands might be sold by
the Companies. Much misappreheusion pre-
vailed npon this point. Section 1 Of the Land
Grant Act Of Congress, enaets "that u quantity
OF land not exceeding one hundred and twenty
sections for each OF said roads and branches,
and included within u continuous length OF
twenty miles OF each OF said roads aud branch.
e., MAY BE SOLD" This is the first clause Of the
section--complete in itself. unc onditional. with
out syllable requiring the construction of any
portion Of the road. Ii is clearly the intention
OF Congress that 10, 500 acres OF land (l2D sec
tions) should be available for contingencies, In
advance OF construction, and such il the pro
vision in the Legislative Act conferring these
grants upon Companies. by Section 10, OF
that Act, il is provided that :" whenever TWEEN.
ty or more continuous miles Of road shall have
been iocof,d, the Governor shall certify the same
10 the Secretary of the Interior, and thereupon
the title to one hundred and twenty sections Of
said lands shall vest in the said Company,
&c. In Wisconsin, the Legislature required
twenty miles Of construction instead OF loca.
ton but allowed the Companies, when said
twenty miles was completed, 10 sell $40 sections
81 tand-thus recognizing the law OF Congress
to provide as the Legislature OF Minnesota di-
rected.
But how, it may be asked. may the compa-
nies sell the lands hereafter, after the construc
t0n has commenced Section 1 of the act Of
Congress, as already quoted. vests immediately y
the right to sell 100 sections, and then proceeds
as follows: "And when the Governor OF said
Territory or future State shall certify to the
Secretary OF the Interior that any twenty con.
mil ut a.tl a.. l.e.n h..
is completed, then ANOTHER quantity Of land
hereby granted, not 20 exec sd one hundred and
twenty sections for each OF said roads and
branches having twenty continuous miles com
pieted as aforesaid, and included e,i.n q con
fruous hngh of hcsnfy mules OF each Of such
roads or branches, may be sold, and 40 from
time To time until said roads and branches are
completed and il any of said roads OF branches
10 not completed within ten years. no further
sale shall be made and the lands unsold shall
revert TO the United States Here il will be
seen that, in addition to the donation to the
State, and thence to the companies, Of I6.h0D
acres at the start, Congress vests right to Sc II
an equal quantity thereafter -" another one
hundred and twenty sections "--on the con.
suuction OF every twenty miles, and this with
only one qualification. namely, that the land
shall be Included within u continuous length
Of twenty miles Of the road What does this
mean, Only that the ~. 500 acres shall he 10
Gated in body. in analogy with the practice
Oi the land office.
There can be no doubt Il twenty miles ia CON
structed from saltwater towards 81. Anthony,
although not vacant acre can be found along
the line, that the company may take the whole
ono hundred and twenty sections Ia the Big
Woods, or west, wherever, on the located line,
tbs company may elect No other cOnsiruc-
ton can carry the land grant into effect, and
such is the practice Of the government. There
IL no doubt about IL.
In one respect however, tn opponents of ia
measure exhibit a determination TO mlsrepre
sent Il at all hazards. They draw frightful pic
lures of taxation for interest and principal
when the proposition provides for nothing Of
the esort-coutemplates nothing Of the sort
nay, EXPIRE ssiy contains securities Of the most
ample nature for the "srmsrafion Of the State
7Jsa,uvg from anu adraness Of money" But
this il the last card Of the opposition. and IL IL
hoped by ALI empty and fraudulent elanor 10
blind the people TO the simple truth. Missouri,
Tennessee, Georgia, all the states who have
adopted the system, maxi no prorision rhafsrsr
for taroi,on and hold securities against de
fault Ia the payment Of interest by no means
equal 10 those here provided, but not single
dollar have they been called upon 10 pay. 80
with Massachusetts,; 40 with the city Of Milwsu.
kee. The provision in the hiunesoia Constitu'
tion for public debts for the purpose OF de
iraylng extraordinary expenditures. y Sehtirely
Ni-tnCS-A tolaUy uUeFeut hNDJfth mattsf-
from the proposed issue of special bonds Of the
State NJ loan Of public credit, aud with spe-
cifc safeguards against any advances OF money
irOm the state Treasury. The state pledges
the public credit, and. y the Companis' d.(auh,
will pay BDndholders, in all the cases named,
require no other ASSURANCE than such guarsn.
ty. Such conditional liability is all that u
needed. The state cannot suffer. except on
the supposiiion tia, the Companies vii! sacri.
bee their ffanchi-ss, al their landed Interests,
aud the public aud personal character Of indi.
yiduals Connected with their manageHent.--
Tkeywii. certainly do nothing of the kind.
The speaker confidently believed that with
the assurance conveyed 70 the world. cst tbs
peopl. aud government ~ Minnesota will unite
In the only effective mea-ure now within reach,
for expediting, railroad construction, and relisy-
ing the iinAnc lsl depression, a mOst favorable
iIhuencs will be visible upon every Interest,
public aud private. Especially VII! The public
credits be placed upon a satisfactory footing. -
Ih. state bonds vii tigetns,s With The general
prosperity AMI prospects oi the people ~ whose
name they issgs.
Wha, proposition can be palmer with rail
roads will come population. tev"ry western
state demonstra'es this. wealth foii9Ss 10
iOaf fold ratio, the Cenza. Os I-5D ~iA EXHIBIT
aprosperiy greatly augmented BY tue pa..as'
of this measure, and with thsss results. .ecuf'
ing the Welfare of individuals will come pre-.
MON upon all our seeurIti..
There . technical objection. that the pro-
pnss! AlasbdHsn, ls legislative 10 ia caAfssisr.
Sgth NJ can be adied 10 M. HniAnsheSd Al.
gu,nsn' o. this point but may he we'll to re
m si those ~ho are exercised thereby. that
tae Cen.t.tstSu oi AiDhsss,A, a.. u nov siaad,,
f.ga..aes a ysf.s,y n precsdsnts. One section
I,gfsla;cs eomptsh"u.issly upon the question Of
tie lor.tsoa 0fthe ssat ~ rov.rpfn-li; and 10
the event Of the refBSTa' from st. PAsi. dsdL
eats tue eapit5. ba!.4.Eg and groands to al
iastltGi.oa for The pfDngi.0n f science, lisTa
tsrs and ar,.. an4 sf,ets that the Minnesota
Hstsfrs Society .hsi always be depart
meat ~ such institution. ia -scti0n ~ of art
Gle ., . m4tsriAl psruSa q s7s-ueasafy act
). Inserted. A. 70 tue p'oP0s.isOn aSier eoss.d
srs,ion. tsA iesAibg ie;As regu.ati.g tbs i.sne
al bgods, spS The inportast gssst'rs n sscrfi-
~. are very Iropsriy placed o-yoaf the reDh
kys ause caprce.
49, --.--..-. n. 2 -. u LA. iLa