The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1863-03-13
OmmunicAtton from the st. Paul
and Pacific Railroad Company TO
the legislature.

At meeting of the Directors Of the St.
Paul and Pacific Railroad Company, held
at the Office of the Company, in St. Paul. on
Monday, March I'd, 1868, it was unani-
mously
Resolced, That the following communication
be addressed to the Hon. the Senate and
House OF Representatives of the State Of Min
nesota, respectively, to witt
To tue Honorable, tie Senate and House Of Rep
resentatioes Of the State of Minnesota:
The undersigned, the St. Paul and Pa
ciic Railroad Company, having been I'M
officially informed that your Honorable
Bodies have under consideration, with
prospect Of its becoming a law, an act to
confer upon the said Corporation addition
al franchises for the purpose Of building a
branch road from point at or above St.
Cloud on the Mississippi River to the
waters of Lake Superior, beg leave to in
form the Senate and House of Represen-
tatives, that it is impossible for this Cor
poration to accept of the diversion of their
grant Of lands for the purpose of building
branch road to Lake Superior under the
terms of said proposed act, for the reason
that this Company, supposing that the
Legislature of this State would be as lib
eral as the Congressional resolution in leav-
ing open the points of divergence from
their original branch line of road, have
devoted their time and energies to secure
the building of the Superior branch upon
this basis After full consultation with
capitalists and railroad contractors, they
have been enabled to secure fair hearing
with prospect of success. Indeed
proposition for an early commencement
and speedy completion of said branch road,
has been considered by said Company,
and only awaits the proper and requisite
action of the State Legislature, all based
upon the nOn-restriction of the Company
to particular point upon the Mississippi
River.
In view OF this state Of facts, we beg
leave to say, that we have no assurance
that the road can be built under this con-
templated legislation, and respectfully de-
cline to accept OF the provisions Of the act
which has recently passed both branches
of the Legislature.
As an evidence OF the sensitiveness Of
Capitalists tuu ldiiI odO COItidCCptS, NpOii
this question Of restriction TO a particular
terminus, We append letter from Mr.. Z.
B. Litchtield, the present enterprising con-
tractor of our road.
Very respectfully. your ohciicnt servants,
THE ST PAUL & PACIFIC r. Y. COM
TRUE Corr.
Attest
HENRY AcKEE. Secretary.
COPY PosT-MAKKED =. :. FEB. IS, 1868.
NEw YoeK. Feb, 23d, 1868.
T. RICE, Esq.-DeGr Sir. am q little
surprised that the Legislature of your State
should for g moment hesitate IL relation TO
the Superior road. It is going to be avery
difficult matter to build it any way.
The location should be left entirely free
so that careful survey car decide it
There may be difference in the routes Of
q million of dollars; and the company
ought to be at liberty to select the one
most feasible; but if the Legislature wish
to trammel the road with a location fixed,
I will not advise the expenditure Of dollar
by the Company for surveys, &c.
now expect to leave for Europe on the
2Sth day of March; and if the law were
passed in a proper shape, ! am inclined to
think may be able to DO something in the
way of building the road but if the loca-
ton is fixed by the bill, VIII not try At
present Yours,
f. 3. LITCHFIELD.