The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1858-04-10
For the MInnesotian.
The Bilious bill OF Five Millions
Milled.O

For the MInnesotian. t
The Bilious Bill OF Five Millions
Milled.n
FELLow-CIrIzENs: l am opposed to tn
Loan on the ground, that it does not affort
any good security whatever to the State
That there is no security contained in tina
bill except the first two hundred and fort,
sections of land, no one will deny. The net
profits of the Road and the Road itself, arr
worse than no security at all for the simpL
reason that they will not, if built, pay tn,
expenses of keeping the wheels in motion
except short piece of Road located leadins
from Saltwater to St. Paul, St. Anthony ano
Minneapolis; and even that much of it viii
not pay until there is a R.oad built through
Wisconsin to connect with it at Saltwater
These are facts which the company them
selves know full we'll.
am further opposed to the bill on thu
ground, that there is no specified point men
toned where the roads shall be commenced
save one, and that is the Minneapolis and
Cedar Valley Road, which company shall
commence their road at Faribault and Min.
neapolis. If two pieces of roads in those 10.
calities will be of any use to this State, OF
any part of it, I am unable to see or com.
prehend how.
Being an old settler, twenty-three years
upon the frontie rs of Iowa and Minnesota. nv
business being principally government survey
ing L have some knowledge of the localities
OF the country. where these roads are to pass.
will briefly sta te that which all should know
that at the pl'.ce of beginning OF all of these
roads, the col intry is abrupt and billy for Sc
veral miles near the Mississippi river, below
the falls of st. Anthony. Above that, the
country assumes different form; the country
being generally level; and when you get
through the Big Woods which extends about
forty or fifty miles above West and North
West of Minneapolis and St. Anthony you
then come into a vast region of endless and
expansive and level prairie.
There you Will see plainly the object of
this Railroad Company. 1t is not hard to
get three or four hundred miles of Railroad
all graded, ready for putting the superstruc-
ture thereon" 1t will not cost to exceed
one thousand dollars per mile to grade one
hall of those roads, in my humble judgment.
" nat then is the object of this (M. & P. R.
b. Company 1t is simply this-to grade
those Prairies that are already graded by the
hand of the Almighty, and come and dem and
their share of the Five Millions of dollars,
which they will be entitled to if you vote for
this bill
Now, let me ask you, Farmers and Labor
ers, Merchants and all classes, what are you
to gain if this Company succeeds in getting
this Five Million Loan 1 can see nothing,
but much for you to loose.
Does any sane man suppose for moment,
that this Company will or does intend to com
mence their work at the points of their COM
mencement 1 assert they will not. But
you say, if they do not, you will raise up in
mass against them. We will suppose you do.
What then You say you will stop them
from getting that money from the Governor.
A very poor dependence this. But suppose
this Company, "a hours after they get this
loan, shall sell out to some Company in New
York or any other place, what then? You
say you will not let the Governor pay the
money. This will do no good, for they have
received it through the Civil Law of the
Land.
What then2 Why, seven per cent taxes
on the dollar, on every dollars worth of pro-
perty you are worth-horses-catt
es-land-lots and everything you have
No matter how poor you are-you will
have this tax to pay-or the Sheriff will sell
your property.
All, but you say you "will sell out w
Who will you sell to Eastern people
Do you suppose Eastern people do not know
what taxes, at the rate of seven or eight per
cent, means ? If you think they don't, you
will be wofully disappointed.
1t is my humble opinion, that it would be
best or at least as well, to give the Compa-
MES the State and be done with it.
Germans - Frenchmen - Irishmen and
Americans-I entreat you to pause and think
we'll upon this important question, before you
cast your votes in favor of it. Germans and |
[rishmen time is on the wing and is fast
moulding you into American citizens. Your
children that are born here are already Amer
can children. Did say Germans and Irish
men? l am mistaken-you are all Ameri,
cans. We live together-we trade and work
'osether-we rest, laugh, marry, suffer and
lie together Now, since we are all Amer
cans in fact: let us be Americans in feelings
My wife is half-breed-my brothers wife
8 lrish-so we go-and now let me ask you
ny brother Americans, how long has it been
since we were all foreigners? myself am
part WEIGH and part Yankee that kind of
people that never did stay whipped. Honor
Ind merit are the only distinctions that am
acquainted with. 1 hold that we are all born
rec and equal.
But to return to my subject.-I hope to
zee men OF all nations on the 18th day of
April, waving the proul banner of America
'ver their heads and the Railroad bill man.
lilly voted down beneath their feet. Stand
irm, and the day is our own. If we are beat
'ur names will live in the hearts of all true
repeat, stand firm-heed not their pro-
nses-the Devil makes fair promises-the
Bill itself shows their intention. 1.-THE Com
any did intend to do the fair thing, why did
hey object to giving ample and good secur-
" The very refusal to give good security
sufficient evidence that they do not intend ,
l. - u