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


Fund.
The five per cent, fund is ,,saaly added
in other States to the School Fund, and
the example may well be followed bere.
have felt il, my duty TO recommend
the general features OF a matured-land sys-
tenn at this time, not with view to press
ing 90 immediate sale Of the lands, which
| am far from advising, but because the
great landed interests of the State require
immediAw saper vision il seserslsibpSTtant
particulars, and because If We begin as we
probably viii, TO sell the lands, in two or
three years from now, it will require a
great part of the intervening time to make
the necessary surveys, and to collect and
arrange the necessary plats, descriptions
and other details.
Several circumstances call for an imrne-
diate supervision of the State Lands:
/. The increasing depreciation upon
the State lands, their appropriations by
settlers, and the spoilatien of the. timbered
land tracts, should be ayerted, and
this can only be done efyectually by the
central authority.
2. In'the acts Of Congress authorizing
the State government, it is provided, that
where the school sections have been sold
or otherwise disposed of by the United
States, other lands equivalent.theTeto,a and
as contiguous as may be, shah be granted
20 the State. 1t is Of considerable conse
quence to ascettain as soon hs possible,
what school lands have been appropriated
and to what amount of lands in lieu there.
of the State is entitled, as the progress of
settlement is rapidly narrowing the range
of selectioni in desirable locations. "a
5. have already called your attention
to a re-survey Of the Swamp Lands for the
purpose Of selection. 4, ~, 80 I, = ..9,t,s
These exigenc,es call for. such ageneral
examination of the State lands, that it
seems desirable,te ensure efficiency and as
q matter of general economy, that the ex-
animation should be complete in all typo
graphical details, and embrace all the pre-
iminary steps necessary to the eventual
disposal of the lands. twill not beneces
sary for the purposes, nor until our land
operations begin to be .selEsustaining, to
establish separate Land. Department.
but such functions Of a Land Commissioner
as would be called into exercise by present
sxigencies, may be more economical ly en-
trusted to some Of the existing State Off
cerss aaa,s. ,ts,s ,.-,8,s = ss4
In the formation Of the Constitution
provision has been made for encouraging
our aboriginal population to attain the
status of civilized men. Previous to that
time, for almost a quarter of a century,
individuals, acting under the direction of
benevolent associations in our own land,
had been sowing the seeds Of civilization
which have been springpg up and ripen-
ing into fruit. The Government also,
within few years past, have directed their
attention aud efforts, under, the various
treaties, to civilizing and elcyating the
Red Men within our State. The results
are very gratifying. Many among thelDa-
kotas, and other tribes, have adopted the
habits and customs of white people, and
are very desirous Of being recognized, as
| men and citizens, ,gfd. ..., ts4 1 - $50
In our age of progress with a general
| disposition Oh the. part Of our people. to do
| what may be done for the benefit Of those
whose lands we have acquired, it would
seem that the time had fully come for the
passage of such a law, by the Legislature,
as is needsd to. carry out the provisions of
the Constitution in regard to these original
| inhabitants Of our soil. !, ..,r.@,s
This is desired, with such guards and
provisions as while securing the rights of
citizenship to such Red Men as may be
capable Of enjoying and exercising them,
will afford sufficient guarantee against
abuse. 1t is believed that thereby no det-
riment can occur to the. interests of the
white men, while twill operate as a strong
| motive to elevate and civilize the Indians,
and be just acknowledgements Of syInpa
thy with the improving lnlian aud his
benevolent, self-sscrificing instructors.
| Frequent complaints are made by citi-
zens on the. frontiers, of the presence Of
j rowing Indians in the settlements, and OF
their depredations and spnoy yances to gel
| tiers and their families. II is difficult, if
not impossible. to prevent parties of In
dians from strayihg off from their reserva-
tions TO roam aud hunt once more over the
| woods and prairies SO lately their favorite
hunting grounds; ana their presence. at
times, should be expected by, the hardy
pioneer until the march of civilization
has driven them far westward. Indeed,
it is one of the. ,incoHvenienceS OF the
border, to which the settler is presumed
voluntarily to choose to submit for sea-
son, in consideration of the cheapness of
Government land, the long credit i'm pay
meut, and the ample field Of choice OF
home there afforded.
The act of 1858, relating to Indians off
| their reservations without leave, provides
that such indians may be removed from
| the settlements or claims, belonging to
the white inhabitants, by any Sheriff
Constable, or other county or town off
| Ger. The provisions of the law have
seemed alike unknown to the citizens and
officers of some localities, and there is =
degree of uncertainty in the terms Of the
section alluded to, which. perhaps,
prevented prompt action under it IN other
instances. A law, distinctly clothing the
| Sheriff with authority to require aud en-
force the departure from the county of
such rowing bands, would doubtless give
him great moral power over these ignorant
people, who marvel at but do not under-
stand the workings of organized civilized
government, sufficient without force being
actually employed to effect their removal.
The amount and manne. Of compensation
4
secure the interest and prompt attention of
the proper officers.
| The people in the southwestern border
| counties experience the want ofan efficient
administration of criminal Justice. Those
counties should be definitely attached to
some convenient and more populous com
ty ior judicial purposes.
| The county Of Manomin occupies an
| anomalous and profitless position. Contain
ing only total area Of only sixteen square
miles, less than half township Of land,
it is unable to support the burden ot a
county organization. 1t seldom makes y
return of votes, has paid no State taxes
since its organization, returns no county
officers, and probably has none. II is evil
dent that the county never should have
been created. The territory now COM
prised in Manomn, should be annexed TO
one Of the adjacent counties, and ! trust
you will provide for the annexation by such
means as You shall find necessary. q.
The annual report of the Warden of the
| State Prison exhibits the economical man
agement of that Institution during the
past year, notwithstanding the increasing
number Of criminals. .s
From oversight no appropriation was
made for the salary of the Warden for the
year 1860; this, with small balance for
clothing, bedding, Sc, and for salaries OF
guards, will require the appropriation OF
! one thousand, four hundred aud ninety,
two dollars, which should be made at an =
early day.
H., Ia4