The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1862-02-14
Minnesota State Legislature
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

SATURDAY, Feb. s, 1862.
INTRODUCTION AND FIRST READING.
By Mr.. ROY: A bill to construct State
Road from Little Falls to Chippewa Lake.
By Mr.. FORD: A bill to legalize the tax
District in Wabashaw county.
By Mr.. TEACHER: To amend an act
defining the duties of Clerks of District
Court.
THIRD READING AND PASSAGE
Senate bill to change the name of
Laurentz johnson to that of Lewis johnson.
Passed.
Senate bill to change the number of AS
SCISSORS in the City of Rochester. Passed.
MESSAGE FROM THE GOVERNOR.
In reply to the resolution of Mr.. PAST, for
information concerning the rights, proper
ties and franchises of the Land Grant Rail-
roads, the Governor sent in the following
Message:
STATE OF MINNESOTA,
EXECUTIVE OFFICE, ST. PAUL,
Feby. Z, 1862.
Hon. Jared Benson, Speaker of the House of Re-
personalities:
SIR: l have the honor to acknowledge
the receipt of a resolution of the House of
Representatives, requesting the Governor to
communicate any information in his posses
sion as to whether or not the rights, fran
chises and properties of the Land Grant
Railroad Companies, which have been for
feited to the State, are now in the posses
sion Of the State authorities; and if not
what measures are in his opinion necessary
to obtain and secure such possession.
In reply, l have respectfully to state:
that during the summer of 1860, the Mort
cages executed by the Land Grant Railroad
Company, in trust for the benefit of the
State and other first Mortgage Bondholders
were foreclosed pursuant to powers of sale
therein contained. The lands, properties
and franchises purchased by the Governor
for and on behalf of the State, and that
deeds thereof were duly executed to the
State, which, together with the proper evil
dences of the regularity of the proceedings
was filed in the office of the Secretary of
State. That by several acts passed by the
Legislature of 1861, the lands, properties
and franchises thus acquired were granted
to certain parties upon the conditions there
in contained, and upon failure in the per-
Torrance Of such conditions, the rights,
properties and franchises were to revert to
and vest in the State without any other act
or conveyance whatever. None of the parties
named in said acts made any attempt to
comply with these provisions except the
Minnesota and Pacific Railroad Company.
The latter Company deposited pursuant to
law $4,000 with the Governor as guaran-
tee for the completion of ten miles of its
road in the manner and at the time prescrib-
ed by law, and paid to the State Treasurer
the expenses of sale and foreclosure.
This Company having failed to comply
with the conditions imposed upon it by law.
the deposit and all its lands, properties and
franchises have reverted to and become alb
solutely vested in the State.
Since the passage of these Acts, the con
stitutional forfeiture has become operative
by the failure of each of the Land Grant
Companies to complete that portion of it's
road prescribed by the Constitution, on or
before the expiration of the year 1861.
The combined operation of these several
forfeitures has, l think, without doubt
Invested the title of the companies and yes.
ted it in the State.
No further action has been taken by the
Executive and l conceive none to be nee
essary.
Respectfully,
ALEXANDER RAMSEY.