The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1861-01-25

last winter was read the third time, and sub.
jected to some humorous debate. It was final
~ referred to Committee of the Whole.
The report of the proceedings Of the State
Board of Equalization was presented. Ad-
journed.
TUESDAY, Jan. %. 1861.
Prayer by Rev. W. J. ERDMAN.
PETITIONS.
By Mr.. BALDWIN: From A. E. Ames, Esq,
Of Minneapolis, asking the Legislature to take
some action towards temporarily establishing
plan for the care of the deaf. dumb and blind.
RESOLUTIONS.
By Mr.. GALBRAITH: Instructing the Com
mittee on Elections to prescribe the bounds OF
Senatorial and Representative districts, and
that said committee adopt the number of Sena-
tors and Representatives in the third Legislature
as the basis of such apportionment. Lost, and
motion to reconsider the vote was also lost.
By Mr.. BALDWIN: Providing for the in.
spection of lime.
By Committee on Judiciary: To prevent
fraudulent practices, as a substitute for bill
to repeal certain laws, and to change the prac-
tice in Justices Court, &c. fti t
REPORTS.
MIR. NORTON, from COmmitte on Judiciary,
to whom was referred bill to repeal certain
laws, and to change the practice in Justices
Courts in civil actions, reported that the bill
proposes to do away with pleadings in cases
before Justices of the Peace, by repeating the
statute in relation thereto, and substituting
therefor written or oral statement. The COM
mlttee were OF the opinion that it was inexpe.
dent to make so great change as contem
plated. The practice in this regard is pretty
well settled and understood, and such change
ought not to be made, except upon a general
rem0delling of the whole system. The com.
mlttee therefore recommended the indefinite
postponement of the bill.
PASSED.
A memorial to Congress for an appropriation
river from the head of Lake St. Croix to Tay-
l0r's Falls.
The concurrent resolutions for the printing
of the laws within three days after they have
received the signature of the Governor.
SCHOOLS AND SCHOOL LANDS.
The resolve of Mr.. Watson, instructing the
Committee on Schools and School lands to re-
port bill providing for the sale of portion
of the School lands of this State, and also the
joint resolutions introduced by Mr. Norton for
the following amendment to Section 2, Article
8, of the Constitution, came up for discussion.
1.-The principal OF all funds arising from salesor
other disposition of lands, or other property
granted or entrusted to this State in each town
ship for educational purposes, shall forever be
preserved inviolate and undiminished; and the
income arising therefrom shall be distributed
to the different townships throughout the State
in proportion to the number of scholars in each
township, between the ages of five and twenty.
one years. and shall be faithfully applied to
the specific objects of the original grants or
appropriations"
Mr.. NORTON said he felt the Importance of
the subject. and whatever action the Senate
may take great care should be had that the
State should preserve the benefits of the School
lands The convention that formed the const-
tuition saw fit to put in it provision which they
thought would secure that object. But in his
opinion they failed in avoiding the evils that
had occurred in other states. The object was
not to prevent sale of the School lands, but
to make it as difficult as possible. Whether
these lands were to be sold now VI not, sale
must take place some time or other. He saw
great objections to leasing these lands. The
practical operation of it would be that the
State must become landlord. This was OBJ
jectionable from the difficulty of keeping the
leases and the proceeds, The idea was anti
democratic, and in contrOvention of the princi.
pies Of the government. The trainers of the
government provided that no leases OF agrcui.
tural lands should be for longer period than
fifteen years. The only way in which the state
could secure the full benefit of these lands was
by sale, and this could only be accomplished
by an amendment of the constitution. Assam.
ing that the policy Of the state would be to sell
the lands at some time the amendatory provi-
sion was to allow the state to dispose of them
as it seems best. If sale was attempted I'm.
der the constitution as it now stands. the ex-
pense of the first third of these lands would
cost more than it was worth. It is proposed
by the resolution to have the lands sold. If the
resolution passes and appraisal Of all the lands
must be made-every forty acres must be Wis.
ited-and after the return is made selection
must be made of such as must be sold. When
another sale takes place another appraisement
must be made, in order to carry out the spirit
of the constitution. Another objection was
of the greatest value, those lands must be sold.
Land lying near large cities, which would be
most desirable to keep, must be sold. His OBJ.
jectlOnS to this provision of the constitution,
were that it embarrassed a safe sale of the
School lands. A sale might be desirable now
in some portions of the state. Whenever a
sale can be made to the best advantage, he de.
sired the sale to be made. He didn't care
whether the lands were sold in hundred years,
but whenever it was desirable to have the lands
sold, he wanted it allowed by the laws His
idea upon the subject was that these lands must
be sold sometime. He would provide that
whenever petition should be presented to the
supervisors OF township where these lands
lay, that they should order an election, and the
people should vote whether they were in favor
of sale or not. The Supervisors should then
petition to the District Court, setting forth the
desire of the people, and the Court should then
appoint appraisers, and when their return was
made, If approved, order sale to be made.
and if satisfied that the sale had been fair.
confirm the sale, and pay the proceeds into
the State, to be an irreducible debt of the state
to the common school fund, bearing an inter.
est of six, seven, or eight per cent. interest,
The application tor sale would come from
those who know most about the lands, and the
guards thrown about the sale would ensure the
sale of such lands as were most desirable to
be sold. The school fund could have no better
creditor than the State. The great evil in other
states had been that not enough care was ia
ken of the proceeds. The joint resolutions he
introduced, proposing an amendment to the
constitution, was not for hurryng the sale or for
opening the door for private speculation. He
did not care, personally, whether these lands
were ever sold. If the people were not in IA
vor of sales, he would be in favor of a const.
tutional prohibition against the sale. But If
the people of the State are in favor of sales "a
contemplated in the Constitution, he wanted
the sales made without unnecessary expense.
In his mind there was no more alarming svmn.
tom of the degeneracy of the times, than that
bribery and corruption was preached To the
people-that they cannot and ought not to trust
their representatives. The people themselves
were responsible. When he heard that the
L.: IL