The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1861-02-22
Legislative Topics.


resolutions, which were adopted by very
large majority. The session was an exciting
one, and the lobbies were crowded all day.
A bitter personal warfare was waged the
whole forenoon between Mr.. BANNING and
Messrs. TEFFr and CORNELL. Mr.. BAN
MING had impugned the motions and attack
ed the positions of DR.. TEFFr several times,
and yesterday morning that gentleman, in
set speech, gave ascathing, bitter and sar-
castle review of the history of friend BAN
NINa's record on the Railroad question,
which was frequently applauded by the
obbies. 1t was an unmerc iful castiga.
ton. .a.a. L
Mr.. CORNELL followed by an attack on
the positions held by Mr.. BANNING, and
under the fire thus made on him, his "plan"
Jared bad. When the House came to vote on
the question in the afternoon, the BANNING
plan" was laid on the shelf by vote of al
most three to one. The resolutions adopt
ed will be found in the House report. They
are the Senate resolutions before mentioned.
In the Senate, Thursday, Mr.. JONES, of
Olmsted, made fierce onslaught against
having State Superintendent of Public
Instruction. He argued that the Office was
unnecessary; that the people did not want
it that it would not subserve the interests
of education; that there were scarcely any
duties incumbent upon Superintendent by
any existing or contemplated laws, and
that the State was not in condition to pay
the salary attached to the Office, and that
the law providing for that Office was very
far in advance of the educational interests
of the State, &c.
These positions be enforced in strain of
fierce invective, and eloquent denunciation,
that places him among the first debaters of
the Senate, but calm consideration of the
subject will dispel the effect of his speech.
We do not believe the Legislature, or the
people at large, are in favor Of dispensing
with the Office or willing to lose the servi-
ces of the present incumbent. These SER
vices have been universally acknowledged,
and the only plausible reason for dispensing
with them hereafter, is that the State is not
able to remunerate them. The amount
could be saved every week, in the expenses
of the Senate, if members would set them
selves about it. The flagstaff on the capitol,
the printing of ponderous bills that not
quarter of the members are in favor of pass
ing, and expenditures of like character could
better be dispensed with than the labors of
Superintendent of Public Instruction.
BUREAU OF PUBLIC LANDs.--A bill is
before the Senate for the appointment of the
Commissioner of Statistics, as e1-cficio
Commissioner of public lands. He is to
procure maps of the surveys Of public lands,
and keep schedules of all lands belonging to
or hereafter acquired by the State, and to
perfect the title thereof in the State. The
Governor is to appoint surveyors ia the un-
organized counties, and the county survey
ors of organized counties are required to
examine such lands, and their reports are to
set forth the quality of such lands, etc. The
Commissioner, by the advice of the Gov
ernor and Attorney General, is to make an
accurate survey of all the swamp lands, and
if it is found that 10 per cent more OF the
lands are found, by actual survey than the
government plats give, the Governor is to
give notice to the Commissioner of the land
Office that the State will offer proof of the
fact, but if otherwise the Governor is to
give notice to the General Land Commits
sioners that the State accept the Govern
eminent surveys. Provision is also made
to have the State lands patented at an early
day. The salary of the Commissioner is to
be three hundred dollars.
VIEW OCHOUL DlLL.-1u IuC OcudtC, MI.
MCLAREN, from the Committee on Schools
and School Lands, on the part of the Sem
ate, and the Committee on Education on the
part of the House, introduced bill for q
general system of Common Schools. 1t
provides that each township shall be dis
trict, the Supervisors being Trustees, and
empowered to sub.district the town pro-
vides for schools to be held in each SUBJ
district on equal length of time; to appoint
a town Superintendent to have the manage
ment of school houses, collect all taxes,
voted by the town or sub-district; the town
clerk and treasurer to be clerk and
treasurer of the districts they are to
make a report to the electors of the
condition of the district at the annual meet
ing on the first Tuesday in April; sub dis
tricts can vote tax TO build school houses,
not to exceed three hundred dollars, elect
three directors and clerk, who report to
the town trustees. or Superintendent on
mot+ero which thew think advisable