The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1860-02-03

little discussion.
The Senate then adjourned.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
PETITIONS.
By Mr.. REHFELD: of citizens of Brown
county, for the formation of new county.
By Mr.. SHERWOOD of citizens of
Fillmore county, demonstrating against the
relocation of a certain State road.
PUBLISHING THE LAWS.
Mr.. VAN WORRIES, from the Com
mittee on Printing, reported on the bill
pending for the publication of the general
laws in the various country newspapers, and
recommending lis passage.
Mr.. DONOHUE, from the minority of
the Committee, made the following report !:
To the Hon. the House of Representatives.
The undersigned, a minority of the Standing
Committee on Printing, to whom was referred
House File No. So, s. An act to provide for the
early publication of the laws in the newspa
pers," regret that public economy and the int.
rests of the Commonwealth forbid their con-
currence in the majority report of the Commit
tee. The Bill. as amended and recommended
by the majority Committee to be enacted as
the law of the State, is inconsistent in its pro.
visions, indefinite in its construction, neither
specifying when the laws shall first be publish
ed, nor for what length of time they shall con-
tinue to be published; and it designs moreover
lodging in the hands of certain county officers
a wide discretionary power subversive of the
very best interests of good government. The
people ask to be relieved of taXatiOn-they al
ready groan under burdens too grieYous to be
borne. The Bill seeks to fasten upon the sew
eral counties of the State an additional tax of
several hundred dollars, for which they would
receive no quad pro quo, except the publication
of laws. Such knowledge of which as could
be gained through the county newspapers,
would neither enlighten" % nor benefit them,
and an entire ignorance, in the humble opin.
ION of your Committee, would most assuredly
not tend to lessen the reverence of the people
for the majesty of law.
Again, the price set forth in the Bill would
defeat its very object, inasmuch as the
county newspapers could not afford to print
the laws at the rate specified. 1t is well.
known fact, that county orders, on an average,
are not worth more than sixty cents on the dol
lar. They would be required to do the print
ing at SO cents per l000-ems in cash-a rate
that would not remunerate them for their labor
and materials.
The Bill further proposes that the laws shall
be published in two newspapers in each county
not of the same political party.
Your Committee have in vain tried to sim
mer down the cauldron of American politics at
the present day, so as to arrive at the two par
ties which would come within the provisions of
the Bill, and your Committee being aware of
the existence of but one National party-the
Democratic party of the country-and the pre-
sent Legislature having decided sympathy with
John Brown to be treason and all the Repub.
lcan ESQ called) journals having sympathized
with said "martyr," are therefore deprived of
the privileges of publishing the laws according
to the provisions of the Bill.
Besides, the undersigned are firmly con.
vinced that no law has been or will be passed
by the present Legislature, that requires the
serious consideration of the people of this State
and in their opinion publication of the public
acts of the present Legislature, at the expense
of the hard working yeomanry of our young
State, would be adding insult to injury.
Should any laws be passed involving the
public veal, there would be some prOpriety in
passing bill for publishing the same but the
undersigned have lost all hope that such will
be the case. We cannot let this opportunity
pass of entering our protest against the farther
consumption Of time and money of the people
at the rate of $500 per day in worthless legisla.
ton, however strictly it may be in accordance
with Republican views of retrenchment and re.
form.
We therefore recommend that the Bill be re.
(Signed) OSCAR STEPHENSON,
MATHEW DONOHUE.
January 20, 1860.
On motion of Mr.. ACKER, both reports
were laid on the table.
COUNTY BOUNDARIES.
Mr.. MORRISON presented a report
recommending the relocation of the bounda-
ry line between Scott and Dakota counties,
so as to conform 70 the sectional lines of the
U. s. survey. Adopted.
Mr.. HULETT, from the Committee on
Towns and Counties, reported adverse to
annexing six sections of Carver county to
Hennepin. Adopted.
SUNDAY LAW.
Mr.. OLDS moved a reconsideration of
the vote indefinitely postponiDg the bill for
the relief of the Seventh Day Baptists, and
others who observe the seventh day as a
Sabbath, instead of the first. Carried; and
the bill was referred to special committee,
consisting of Messrs. Purdie, Knox, and
Armstrong.
BILLS PASSED.
An act for the protection Of telegraph
companies.
An act attaching the county of Isanti to
the county of Anoka and the counties of
Lake, Carlton, Buchanan, and Itasca to St.
Louis county, for judicial purposes.
An act to change the boundary line of
Sherburne county.