The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1860-02-17
The Vast Amount Of Labor Of the
Committee Of Six.

The MinneSOfidn, OF the Sth instant, says
no one not familiar with the action of the
Committee can form any conception of the
vast amount of labor performed by ITS men,
bers." We suppose by the Committee, the
Minnesotian means the /" six individuals"
who have signed that equally famous and
useless report on " Railroads and Railroad
Bonds" If the report of that Committee
is the evidence of its labor, then indeed like
the mountain did it labor, and like the noun
tain bring forth mousse For six long
weeks did the people of the State wait the
action of that Committee, each day and each
week, to have their hopes depressed, until
their hearts grew as sick of the subject as
the minority of ten grew sick of the action
of the majority of six, and its notorious lea.
der, managers and hangers on.
At first we heard of this Committee in
quiet consultation, in quiet rooms, discussing
By itself the vast interest which they were
to arrange to the satisfaction of all again
we heard of the large amount of evidence
before the Committee from eminent engi-
neers with regard to the value of work on all
the different lines of Railroad in the State; of
leading contractors with regard to contracts;
and from large bond-holders with regard to
the cost Of bonds in their hands until, at
last, one night in the parlor of the Fuller
house, was distinctly heard the familiar noise
of the engine putting, and blowing: and
Wheeling, and snorting, in its vain attempt
to drag the Committee of sixteen up two
pair of stairs into the private room of
gentleman from neighboring State If the
motive power of the engine had but been
sufficient, no doubt before this the whole
Railroad and Bond question would have
been triumphantly settled But, alas! words
and logic passed for wind, and wood and wa
ter not being at hand, ten Of the cars un-
hitched themselves from the engine, and
from each other; and, switching off by
themselves, found rest, either at the foot of
Maiden Rock, among the Pine trees of the
st. Croix or Chengwatana, or with the cop
per-colored nations of old Superior while
six empty cars, unmindful of fate, and reck-
less in their despair, were dragged down
steep places, and, plunging headloDg, crushed
their tender, and were-choked
But, seriously; We have looked carefully
through this famous report, which the Mn
nesotion so applauds, and we cannot find the
first fragment Of evidence Of the vast labor
the Mnanesotiaa so loudly asserts has been
performed The report gives no data what
ever for its rough conclusions,-furnishes us
with none of the names of the distinguished
engineers and contractors who made the
estimates with regard to work perfor med on
the different lines of Railroad, and nothing
whatever with regard to the present owners
OF the Railroad bonds, and the cost of the
bonds to the present holders. These facts,
many of them, are OF difficult to obtain.
Gentlemen are now in st. Paul, and have
been for weeks, who could have given very
on the Root River and Pacific Railroads,
and Mr.. NORTH, of Mortified, we have no
doubt, would have furnished similar facts
with regard to the Cedar Valley. 1t may
be the committee have got in their posses
sion those figures and, if so, we would
suggest that just now they would be much
more entertaining than trite statistics with
regard to the cost of Railroads In New
York, which, if they prove anything, prove
the estimates of the committee to be unfair.
If the committee will furnish us a single
page of figures concerning the cost of the
grading of the present lines of road in this
State, we will, in return, send them CARLOAD
of Railroad statistics of New York, Illinois,
Wisconsin and Missouri, or. if needed, of
Canada and the British Isles of the sea.
One word more with regard to the incon-
siStencies of this famous report. The bill
introduced by the committee of six, and
accompanying the report, provides that in
no case shall greater amount of Mime
sofa State bonds" be issued to any company,
person or association than shall be equal to
the amount of Minnesota State Railroad
bonds received by the State for CANCELLATION.
Now the whole amount of State Railroad
bonds issued is $2,275,000; and this bill
provides for the issue of just $3,062 AIS, as
follows:
To the Railroad Company, to be or.
SdnlZeu pl.So1,VVU
Twenty-Five cents on 81, $50, 900 State
Railroad Bonds, is. ...... 337, 500
Interest for five years at seven per
cent on the other bonds, as provi.
ded in the bill of the Committee. 793,975
Total State Railroad debt, by the
terms of the bill. $3.50" ..........$3 O62,47
Again, this Committee report with regard
to the payment of the State Railroad Bonds