The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1860-02-10
Legislative Topics.

WHAT HAS BEEN DONE ?-The Legislative
Assembly, in our Territorial days, when
that body boosted of RoLErrE, a Dixon.
WnKIE, GRANT, and others of that ilk,
was not conceded by a particularly large
majority of the people of Minnesota, to be
very earnest or industrious in the dispatch
of business. Yet even our Territorial
legislators in their sixty day sessions accom-.
plshed, with considerable evil, much bene-
fetal legislation. 1t is different with the
present State Legislature however. This
body isemphaticaly do,nothing institution,
and it deserves this title if we could forbear
stigmatizing it, as par excellence, a law
breaking one. Yesterday the Legislature
completed, the FIFTY SEVENTH day of the
session, and the number of laws, general and
special, which have been added to our Stat.
ute book, by the retrenchment and reform
Republican party, are presented below, as
copied from the records, in the Executive
Office, at noon yesterday:
An Act to pro, ide for the Interest on the Loan Of
$3.50 coo, due January l, le6O.
several judicial districts of the State OF Minnesota
To attach the county of Manomin to Anoka unity, for
To attach the county of Tod the county of Morrison
for Judicial purposes.
To appropriate money for certain purposes therein
named.
Joint Resolution in relation to the destruction of
To amend act entitled AN Act to regulate the
traffic In Logs and Lumber" approved Aug 9, 1853.
Concerning Contempts.
To authorize the Governor to the State the
five centum of the nett eeds o. the sales of Pub
To lend section nineteen an Act providing for the
State, passed Aug. r. 1858.
Te survey the town of New Ulm.
locate and estab ish State Road from St. Cloud to
Breckenridge" approved Feb: g. 1858
Minnesota Bridge Company
To change the boundaries of the counties of Mile Lac
and Benton.
To remove the county-seat of Mile &C county.
We do not complain, by any means, that
such small number of enactments have
been made, but that an extraordinary and
unnecessarily lengthy period of time, has
been devoted to the consideration of measures
of no general Importance or benefit to the
people Of the State, in their present dis
tressed condition. Look at the list, tax
paying reader, and discover if you can, the
ful6llment of those promises of retrenchment
aud reform with which Republican orators
tickled your ears before election. The list
does not show, as the result of FIFTY SEVEN
DAYS WORK, one general law which will
benefit the impoverished people Of Mime
sota-not one act which will advance or
promote their interests, or preserve their pro-
perty from the grasp of the tax payer, or
the avarice of the remorseless creditor.
FIFTY SEVEN DAYS! How much, think
you, of the oppressive taxes with which you
were so loathe to part, this fifty seven days
of idleness will eat up? A careful calcula-
ton makes the actual expenditures of the
Legislature, while it is in session, $500 per
day. Multiply the fifty seven days by this
sum, and we have, as the price of dozen
insignificant laws, the sum of TWENTY EIGHT
THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS And
this sum, it must be recollected, has been
expended by men who secured the votes of
lifelong Democrats by hypocritical cant
about reform and retrenchment.
The Democratic minority in the Legis
lature has done its duty, and more too, in
endeavoring to frame laws for the public
benefit. But the Republican managers de-
termined in caucus, early in the session, that
all important measures introduced by Dem
ocrats should be smothered in Committee
intending to reserve to themselves the credit
of every beneficial public measure. This
system, thus initiated, has been followed out,
and important and necessary bills are slum-
bering in the hands of the Committee, SIM
ply because their originators are Democrats.
ANOTHER CAPITAL REMOVAL BILL.-In
the Senate on Thursday, the bill lookingto
a removal of the capital to the neighborhood
of the Kandiyohi lakes, in Committee of the
Whole was recommended to be engrossed
for third reading, but the Senate refused
to concur, and referred it to select COM
mittee. There seems to be no disposition
to pass the bill, and it hardly gets serious
consideration, but out of respect to the gen.
tleman who introduced it, there is reluc-
lance to dispose of it in summary manner.
The LAND GRANT, THE BONDS, AND THE
RA1LRoADs.-The Joint Committee of the
Senate and House, appointed early in the
session, to consider all matters pertaining to
the Railroads, the State Railroad Bonds,
and the Land Grant, made their reports last
week.
Six reports have been presented, one
signed by six members of the Senate and