The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1860-03-16

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rejected. s.
Mr.. BISHOP moved that Messrs.
Hodges and Taylor be added to the COM
mittee to whom the memorial was referred.
COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE. ~
Mr. MoKUSICK, of Washington county
in the Chair.
The Relief Bill" was recommended to
be read third time. Adjourned.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. -.
APPRAIsEMENT, SALE AND LEASE OF SCHOOL
LANDS. --...
A bill which passed the Senate for the
appraisement, sale and lease of the school
lands, was taken up. The bill constitutes
the Governor, Attorney General and State
Superintendent Board of State School
Fund Superintendent :" and permits the
County Commissioners, with the assent of
the State Board, to appoint appraisers to
affix price upon the lands, and dispose of
them under certain restrictions.
The lands are not to be sold at rate less
than SIS per acre, and the prairie land is to
be subdivided, and sold in quantities not
exceeding 40 acre lots, and the timber land
in smaller quantities. In regard to pay
ment, ten per cent. of the purchase money is
to be paid on the day of sale, together with
interest, at the rate of seven per cent. to the
first of September ensuing. For the balance
OF the purchase money, secured notes shall
be given, payable in one or more install
ments. at any time within twenty years, with
interest payable annually, in advance, on
the first of September, at the rate of seven
per cent. per annum. t/t@ 80.
The bill was opposed by Messrs.
SecOmbe, TOllman and Sweet, on the
ground that it was inexpedient to sell the
lands at present-they would bring but a
small price, and no bill could be matured at
this late period of the session sufficiently
complete and guarded to prevent the lands
from being squandered.
Messrs. Cleveland and Stearns favored
the sale of portion of school lands, in order
that proper system of schools could be
initiated.
Mr.. GREENE belieced that it was
universal desire among the people of the
southern part of the State, that the most
valuable portions of the lands should be
brought into market at this time under such
restrictions as would prevent their being
squandered.
Mr.. TOLLMAN moved to refer the bill
to the next Legislature. Lost-ayes, 20
nays, 80.
Several votes were then taken on fixing a
minimum price, at which the lands should
be sold. Eight dollars was voted down, and
then three dollars. Finally the House
concurred with the Senate in fixing the
price at SIS.
The bill was then laid aside.
THE GOVERNORS VETO OF THE B1LANsKY BILL
Pending the consideration of the school
land bill, the Secretary of the Governor,
Mr.. Jennison, presented to the House a
message of the Governor vetoing the bill
committing the sentence of Mrs. Anne Bi
lansky. The. business on hand was laid
aside, and the message read.
To the House of Representatives.
herewith return without my signature bill
entitled IAN Act to commute the sentence of
Mrs. Anna Bilansky, now under sentence of
death. to Imprisonment in the state prison dur
ing her natural life."
Anna Bilansk was convicted, in the District
Court of the Second judicial district in and for
the county of Ramsey, of murder in the first
degree. She had in that court full, fair and
impartial trial. No extraordinary effort was
made to procure her conviction. Her defense
was conducted by two of the ablest counsellOrs
in the state, the district attorney appearing
alone for the prosecution. The jury-selected
in the manner required by law, and accepted by
the accused, after full exercise of her privilege
of challenge-having deliberated upon the evil
dence, rendered their unanimous verdict; and
each OF the twelve, separately, and in open
court, and under the sanction of his oath, de-
clared that, upon the evidence before him, he
found the prisoner guilty of the crime charged
in the indictment-guilty of the deliberate
murder of her husband, Stanislaus Bilanski, by
poison. On that trial, so strictly according to
law and the practice of courts of justice in
criminal courts were all the proceedings, even
in matters of mere form, that each and all the
objections taken by the counsel who defended
her at the trial, as well as those made by the
by the Supreme Court in full bench, no one of
the judges dissenting. Thereupon, all ques-
tiOns of error having been thus decided, the
judgment and sentence of the law was duly
pronounced. certified copy of the record of
the proceedings in the case, and the minutes of
all the material testimony, taken by the pre-.
siding judge, were filed in this office, as re-
quired by law.
1t then became my duty to designate the day
upon which the sentence of the law should be
executed; unless, indeed, it should appear
proper to exercise the power to pardon or re-
pFlcVe, WHICH tne CONSTITUTION vests IN the exc
cutive. To my great regret, there appeared no
occasion for the interpOsitiOn of the pardoning
power at that time. The proceedings had all
been regular and according to law; and the
minutes of the evidence LETT no doubt in my
mind that under those proceedings just yer.
dict had been rendered. In the discharge of
this most dsagreeable but imperative duty, 1
issued to the proper officer the warrant re.
CURED by law, appointing the 23d day of March
next for the execution of the sentence. And,
until this day, neither the judge who presided
at the trial, nor any juror who convicted, nor
any attorney engaged in the cause, nor indeed
my other person, has filed in this Office any
memorial or petition, with or without reasons
alleged, asking the pardon or reprieve of the
guilty person.
So far the proceedings herein were all in
conformity with law. And in this case, it be.
gan to be demonstrated that, at length, laws
for the protection OF human life could be exc.
cuted in Minnesota; that the greatest felons
could no longer escape justice at the hands of
our courts and that the terrible spirit of
Lynch Law had thereby received an efficient
check.
There comes to me now this bill proposing
by Legislative act to change the penalty which
this unhappy woman had been sentenced to
undergo.
: The pardoning power is vested by our con-
sttutiOn in the Executive of the State. 1t has