The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1861-02-01

WEDNESDAY, Jan. %.
M .3f la rci SENATE.
PRAYER by Rev, w. J. ERDMAN.


WEDNESDAY, Jan. %.
eli soi SENATE.
Prayer by Rev. W. ]. ERDMAN.
PETITIONS.
3 By Mr.. PELL: For the repeal Of the Lager
Beer Law-[from the State Temperance Con.
vention.l BY Mr.. JONES: From citizens Of
Portland and Duluth, Lake Superior, i tor =, 2
consolidation of those two towns nnder the
name of Duluth. By Mr.. LYND: From Ger.
tain Dakota Indians that they may be made
citizens. tss e
BILLS INTRODUCED.
By Judiciary Committee, for the location OF
State Road from Beaver to Rochester.
EXECUTIVE MESSAGE.
message was received from the Governor
inclosing q letter from Mr.. Kennedy OF the
Census Bureau. at Washington, speaking IN
the highest terms Of the first report OF the Com.
missioner of Statistics of Minnesota. The
Governor recommends that department OF the
government to the favorable consideration OF
the Legislature, and urges proper remunera-
ton to the Commissioner. The communication
was referred to the Committee on State Affairs.
20 IL l1 APP0RTIONMENT. ID, al ae.
A message was received from the House OF
the passage of concurrent resolution INSTRUCT
ing the Committees on Elections to re.district
the State, in accordance with the late census.
Laid on the table, similar resolution having
been voted down in the Senate yesterday.
PASSED.
To amend Section s, of Article 3, of an act
to provide for laying out, altering and discon.
tnuing working and repairing roads and
bridges. JoegJ w 4ql5.
To change the time of holding court in the
Sixth Judicial District.
II. SCHOOLS AND SCHOOL LANDS.
The resolution relating to school lands was
taken mp.
Mr.. SMITH, of Ramsey, moved to amend by
instructing the committe to report bill for
'sleasing"or sale of school lands. He said, to
dispose of all these lands would be q violation
of the laws of Congress donating those lands.
They should be considered not only for the
mental benefit, but for the physical use of the
scholars. If the school fund can be better in
creased by leasing, it was our duty to provide
for leasing the lands and not for their sale. If
the lands are not sold, the school fund will be
always protected, and there will be steady
and annual accumulation Of the fund.
The school system will be entirely remod-
eled at this session. If the Legislature con-
ours in the Recommendation of the committee,
there will be appointed in each county three
trustees, to take charge of the school lads for
the benefit of the fund. who will provide that
waste is not committed. He favored the leas.
ing Of the lands for twenty years, giving the
lessee permanent interest in tho lands, by al
lowing him the first right of renewing his lease.
Let the amount of the lease be reterned to the
County Treasurer and collected the same as
taxes are collected. He considered this sys.
tenn of leasing the only way of preserving
these lands intact. If the taxes are not paid,
let the County Treasurer have the power to
eject the tenant, and release to one more re-
sponsible. He strongly opposed the sale of
the lands. He objected to the lands being
sold, and the proceeds being put into the State
Treasury. 1t would be squandered in railroads
and fancy improvements. Let the interest be
invested in United States stocks, or Ohio stocks
and not in Minnesota seven per cent. bonds.
There is valuable section within mile of st.
Paul. and the sharks are watching it as wolves
watch carcass-that they may seize it when
it is brought into market.
Mr.. HEATON thought the project of amend
ing the Constitution very Objectionable. he
deprecated the constant amendments of the
Constitution, which were proposed. In Ohio
three-ffths Of the members of the Legislature
must vote for q proposition before it can be
submitted to the people. he questioned
whether the moral influence of the Constitu.
ton of Minnesota was greater than any Of the
laws made under it,. He regretted that the
provision in the.C Constitution for the protection
of the school lands was not made stronger. In
eight years all the lands will be under the con-
troll OF the legislature, as one-third are now.
Ohio did not see fit to make q sale of the lands
were leased, and the State prospered under
that system of leases. They were leased for
Q term of fifteen years. He spoke at some
length of the vast Importance of the subject,
and the necessity of its careful consideration.
Mr.. CLEVELAND opposed the amendment
to lease the lands. He understood the policy
of the Governor was not that the lands should
not be sold. His great point was that high
minimum price should be fixed upon them.
The leasing of these lands would consume all
the profits of such lease, at least in the portion
of the State he represented. He did not think
there was any danger of the fund being squan-
dered in the hands of the executive officers of
the State, any more than in the the State of
New York, where it was kept inviolate and
in the sparsely settled portions of the State
demand that portion of these lands should
be sold. because the taxes levied Tor schools
were entirely insufficient to sustain the schools.
He would favor the sale of 0ne-tenth of the
lands. The timbered lands were worth more
now than they would be ten years hence, in
southern Minnesota, and the same had been
found to be true in Iowa. 1t was for the sake
Of preserving these timbered lands that he
favored the sale at the present time, tai;
MR.. JONES, of Olmstead, said that the SEN
timent Of the people of Olmstead county was
in favor Of sale soon, of Q portion of the
school lands. The only question was whether
IL was 6Ounu pOuCy 10 make b sale now. ne
was utterly opposed to leaseing the lands in
every shape and form. It was opposed to the
spirit of the age. No man of any spirit under
such q system would touch foot of these
lands, and it is only applicable to the densely
settled country. Nobody but vagabond who
wanted q crop this year and to leave the next
would lease these lands.
~ The timber lands, as the country becomes
settled up, would depreciate. They are rapid
Iy being devastated, and no laws would pro-
teet them for Q single hour. All prosecutions
had been futile. You may cover your statute
books with laws, but you cannot protect these
lands, and therefore they should be sold at once.
The expenses of an appraisal were alluded to.
There was no necessity Of an appraisal of all the
lands. There should be law put on the stat.
ute books settling this definitely and forever.
One half Of these lands in Olmstead county
would sell as high now as the minimum stated
by the Governor $500 per acre) and as high
as ten years hence, and the settlers are willing
to-day to pay portion Of the sale. Three
hundred thousand acres of these lands are
worth more now than they will be ten years
hence. You have recogized the settlement of
these lands as an honest settlement, and these
settlers demand to know what is to be the pol
icy of the State. They compose one.eighteenth
of the population of the State. They ask for
relief, and will not cease to ask it until your
policy is settled Unless it is settled they will
cnmhin6 with aoma nnlitical marty 'ond h.