St. Paul weekly Minnesotian., 1861-01-11

sage Of the act creating that officer State
Of Public Instruction
he entered upon the duties of mis- Office
Owing to the incompleteness Of existing
school laws, while every effort has been
made by the Superintendent, the local
officers have failed to render the reports so
necessary to learn the workings oil the
Common School system.
The increasing correspondence Of the
department viii render necessary an ap-
preparation for clerk for the ensuing year;
compensation ought also to be made for the
services of the Superintendent for the last
year, and suitable provision should be had
for the same in future. so!
The recommendation of the Report i'll re-
lation to a revision Of the school code, text
books and other subjects, should engage
your earliest attention, SO that, il possible,
the new code, if one be determined upon,
upon, ,hay be ready for distribution by the
adjournment Of the Legislature.
The Normal School established at Wi
mona, from the Report, appear to have more
than nner the sanguine expectations Of its
friends. An enlightened public policy die
tates that an Institution whose object is TO
train meI, and women for the noble avoca-
ton of teachers in the the public schools
OF tie State, should receive the fostering
care of the Commonwealth. ~. .....
d. The last Legislature created a State
University 10 sncceed the Territorial insti-
tuition Of learning, which had been in ex-
iStehce for several years previous to the
admission Of Minnesota into the Union.
The Regents have been surrounded with
difficulties growing out Of the pecuniary
embaffassmeuts Of the Territorial Institu-
tes, and the confused and irregular mode in
which its accounts have been kept. The
full settlement OF affairs of the old institu-
ton is made the subject Of the first annual
Report OF the Regents Of the State Uniyer-
sity.
" The history Of railroad enterprise in
Minnesota is too recent, too brief, and too
well renneub bered to demand recapitulation
in detail. The lesson taught thereby is
easy to comprehend, and has been no
doubt wei ierened.
tt is now confessed '{y all that the State
prematurely entered U.s. the railroad en-
terprises OF 1857 Had its action been
confined to the disposal of the Congress
ional Land Grant, it had been well, but
the conditional loan Of State credit super
added to the gift of lands, and the futile
results of scheme from which so much
was promised, have satisfied the most en-
thusiastic the imprudenco at all times
Of loaningtle credit Of State to private
corporations, and the special folly of at
tempting by such means TO accomplish en-.
terprises in advance of the necessities and
requirements of community's material
interests. '--
The terms upon which the loan was con.
coded not having been fulfilled by either Of
the railroad companies receiving it, default
followed, and IT became within the power
Of the State, by enforcing the forfeiture,
to agair. resume control of her land grant.
Tire Act Of March 9th, 1859, required OF
the Govcrner to foreGlose or cause to be
foreclosed, the trust deeds of the default.
ing companies and authorized him in his
discretion, at the sale on such foreclosure
to bid off and purchase the property,
rights and franchises, covered by the trust
deeds, for and in the name of the State,
aud TO make or cause to be made the ne
ccssary conveyances to the State.
Pursuant to this Act the trust deeds OF
-the several companies havo been foreclosed
in accordance with the terms of the re.
spective instruments. This was done at
my request by the Trustees Of the Mime
apolis and Cedar Valley Company, and by
my own action in the other cases, on the
neglect aud refusal OF the Trustees 10 pro-
cced. The forfeited lands, rights, franchis.
es and other property of all of these com
panics were purchased at the foreclosure
sales in the name aud on behalf of the
State Of Minnesota, for the sum of one
thousand dollars in each case, for the pay
ment of which an appropriation will be.
come necessary
Prior to the sale Of the property and fran
chises of thc Transit, Southern Minnesota
and Pacific Companies, temporary injunc
tons were served upon me, proceeding
from the. District Court Of the Second Ju.
dicial district. in and for the County Of
Ramsey, onioning me from proceeding
further with the sales then just about tc
take place, Knowing that injunctions ol
that nature are granted e. parte, and as Of
course, my conviction that the Chief execu.
tive officer of the State, in the exercise o
his official duties, is Independent Of the
other coordinate branches of the Govern.
ncnt, did not impair my confidence in the
integrity and sound judicial wisdom of the
Uourtfrom which the mandate issued, al
though that conviction led me to disobey it
should not however have deemed it ad
vi9abe 10 proceed with the sales, had il
not been nv opinion, confirmed by the
advice of the Attorney General, that the
grounds on which a perpetual injunction
was asked, were untenable, and that the
sales could never be successfully attacked
and set aside; and further, that it was
particularly desirable for the State to re
take her grant before the present session
Such is a history Of Executive action ir
this regard since the adjournment of the
last Legislature. BY this action, as was
contemplated, the State has again become
possessed Of her muniiicent Congressional
grant, and the franchises of the late com
psiiies have reverted. In short, we are ir
the same condition as to Railroad lands and
Railroads as on the day when the Legisla
ture OF 1857 assembled in extra session
except, that we have about two hundred
aud forty miles of graded road bed, and
something over two and quarter million
dollars of conditional State obligations out
standing, as perpetual warning of the folly
of attempting to legislate Railroads into
existence, before the demands of trade and
transportation of abundant surplus pro
ducts, OF, themselves offer temptations t.
capitalists to undertake their construction
The. extent and value of the existing
agricultural surplus, and the certainty o
its constant and rapid enlargement, the
growth, of population, and the continually
increasing value of he railroad lands
seemed to justify the eXr ''ation that pro-
positions would be laid . fore you by in
dividuals or companies OF capital and ex-
perience,who would undertake the compile.
ton OF some portion at least Of our rail.
roads. But in the present discomposed
state Of the public mind, it may happen
that no parties will come before you, rea.
dy to furnish that security Tor the perform
ance of their agreements, which, trust
in any future disposition of whatever por.
ton OF our railroad property, the State
will insist upon receiving
Yet it is desirable, al least-and, per-
haps, for the reason just assigned, this is all
that is now possible, that you place upon
the Statute book some law general in its
terms yet well guarded as to the provisions
for security Of the State, by compliance
with which capitalists may, ifthey desire, at
any time become entitled to the lands and
other railroad property Of the State along
the line or lines which they shall propose,
with a deposite ofpledges, to build, without