The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1864-05-20
Extra Session of the Legislature.

The project, started by the Press, of calling
an extra session of the Legislature to dispose
of the lands just granted by Congress for rail-
roads, does not seem to meet with much favor
in any quarter. The Winona Republican
enters the following emphatic protest
against it:
We apprehend that the people of the State
at large have no disposition whatever to incur
an expense OF many thousands of dollars
which would necessarily fOllow-to crafty
either the Mississippi and Lake Superior Rail
road Company or the city of St. Paul. A rail
thing, but by no means absolutely indispen-
sable. There are other improvements of far
more immediate importance to the State in
aid of which no extra session is called or asked
for. Let the Superior road bide its time. Gov.
Miller cannot surely be SO insensible to the
real interests of the State to heed the clamors
Of those who, for purely local reasons, would
thus saddle the tax payers with burden which
is not only unnecessary bnt which they are at
this time il.prepared to assume.
The Republican, as we'll as the public, will
be amused on learning that the question of ex-
pense has been considered and satisfactorily
settled. To induce the Governor to call the
extra session, the company or companies to be
benefited, proposed to pay the expense there
Of! And strange to say, proposition of this
ridiculous nature has found many advocates.
We learn that it was gravely submitted to the
Attorney General by the Executive, for an
opinion upon its constitutionality and propri-
ETY.. The Attorney General, as we are in
formed, decided in effect that there was no au.
thorityfor calling an extrasession except in cases
of urgent public necessity, of which the Cover
nor was to be the Judge; and that in such ca.
ses the expenses must be borne by the State, or
the public, and not by private individuals or
corporations. We do not learn that the At
torney General considered any other than the
legal points involved in the proposition. AS
the Governor has gone to Washington without
taking any action on the subject, and as public
opinion has been so decidedly expressed against
the project, we conclude that it will fail.
We make few extracts from remarks of
prominent organs of the dominant party on
the subject. The Faribault Republican OF the
18th says:
In the organ of the railroad mendicants the
St. Paul Press we find communication from
"Civis." He wants an immediate session of
the Legislature. to dispose of the st. Paul and
Lake Superior Moonshine Railroad Land Grant.
Had not the people, for the accommodation
and benefit of these railroad beggars and such
scallawags as "Civis,' who propose to take
advantage of the present commissions of the
country, to secure private benefit they fear the
development of o few months may render it
impossible for them to secure, better consider
the constitution amended SO as to have a legis-
lature constantly in session. Burning Rome
had only one fiddler to rejoice over its destruc-
ton. Our cOnvulsed and suffering country can
find scores of them in Minnesota. 1t would be
GOd-send if they were only organized into the
right kind of q string-band.
The Minneapolis A tlas of the 18th says:
An effort is being made to induce Governor
Miller to call an extra session of the Legisla-
ture, to dispose of the recent grant made by
Congress to the State, to aid in the construc-
ton of railroad from ST. Paul to Lake Supe.
rior We have no fears that the Governor
will be csjoled or wheedled into any such
measure. There is not the least call for an
extra session. Our taxes are likely to be high
enough without mourning an additional eX
pense of $4,000 for calling together such s
Legislature for such an object.
We do not believe Governor Miller will be
so foolish as to burden the State with tine
enormous expense OF an extra session, for sc
absurd and foolish an object.