The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1865-03-03
LEGISLATURE OF MINNESOTA.
SEVENTH SESSION.
CONTINUED FROM SIXTH PAaR.l
SENATE.

law, allowing gymnastics to be taught in our
common schools. Passed. Ayes II, nays 2.
House bill to amend an act prescribing the
duties of County Auditor. Passed. Ayes H.
laws of 1864. relating. to the town of Mime
apolis. Passed. Ayes 10.
House Joint Resolution relating to the sal.
ary OF the Warden Of the State Prison. Passed.
Yeas 10.
House bills relating to free schools in the
town of Minneapolis. Passed. Yeas 81.
Senate bill to repeal the general militia law
OF 1862, and revive the former acts in relation
thereto. Passed.
Senate bill requiring the Adjutant General
Of the State to act as pension claim agent,
and providing his compensation therefor
Passed-ayes Is.
Senate bill to amend the act regulating the
distribution of the laws and journals. Re.
ferred to select committee of three.
Senate bill to revive and amend the act in
cooperating the st. Paul Fire and Marine In.
House bill to provide for the alteration of
State Road from Saint Charles to Preston.
Passed-ayes 16.
House bill to amend the act establishing
State Agricultural College. Passed-yeas 16,
nays 2.
COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE.
The Committee of the Whole (Mr. PILLS
the general file of bills.
The bill for the exemption of the railroads
from taxation until such time as they shall be
sold or contracted to be sold, coming up. Mr..
RICE offered the following substitute, which,
after discussion, was adopted.
Sec. 1. Whenever any lands heretofore or
hereafter granted to the several Railroad Com
panies of the State, to aid in the construction
or completion of their roads and branches.
shall be contracted to be sold, conveyed or
leased by said companies the same shall be
placed upon the tax list by the proper officers
for taxation as other real estate, for the year
succeeding that in which such contract for
sale, conveyance or lease thereof shall have
been made, but in enforcing the collection OF
said companies, or of any trustee of mort
gage thereof shallbe in no wise impaired or
affected thereby, but the improvements
thereon, and all the interests of the purchaser
or lessee therein, may and shall, in case of de-
fault of the payment of taxes upon such land,
be sold to satisfy the same; and it shall be the
duty of the proper officer to assess and collect
such taxes In accordance with the general
laws relating to the assessment and collection
taxes. ... .r. .1. -.
SEC. 2. In consideration of the grants made
to and the privileges conferred upon, the said
companies, they shall, during the first three
years after thirty miles of their respective
railroads shall be completed and in operation
on or before the first day of March Of each
year, pay into the Treasury Of the State one
per centum of the gross earnings of said rail-
roads for the year ending on the last day of
the preceding December, in lieu of all taxes
and assessments whatever; and shall, during
the seven years next ensuing after the expira-
ton of the three years aforesaid, pay into the
Treasury of the State, on or before the first
day of March of each and every year, two
tho ~
roads; and shall from and after the expiration
of said seven years on or before the first day
of March of each and every year pay in
to the Treasury Of this State three Der
cent. of the gross earnings of said rail-
roads. And for the purpose of ascertaining
said earnings an accurate account shall be kept
by said companies of all the receipts and ex-
railroad and abstracts thereof shall be furnished
by said companies to the State Treasurer on
or before the first day of February in each
year, the truth of which shall be verified by
the affidavit of the Secretary of Treasurer of
said companies; and for the purpose of ascer-
tanning the truth of said affidavits and said
abstracts, full power is vested in the Govern
or or any other person appointed by law to
examine the books and papers of said com.
panies and to examine under oath the officers
agents and employees of said companies and
other persons also, and If any person so exam.
ined by the Governor or other authorized per.
son, shall knowingly and wiltully swear false
ly concerning the matter aforesaid, every such
person is hereby declared to have committed
perjury; and for securing to the State the pay.
ment of the aforesaid percentage, it is hereby
declared that the State shall have lien upon
the railroads of said companies and upon all
other property, estate and effects of said COM
panies, whether real, personal or mixed and
the lien hereby secured shall take and have
ae 81,
ments against the said companies. Such pay
ments shall be in lieu of all taxes, and in full
of all claims of the State for the grants made
to said companies; and in consideration of
such annual payments the said companies
shall be forever exempt from all assessments
and taxes whatever upon their franchises and
estate, real, personal or mixed and the lands
granted to said company shall be exempt from
all taxation until contracted to be sold, or UNI
til leased by said companies as hereinbefore
provided.
SEC. 8. Any railroad company incorporated
pursuant to the laws of this State, may at any
time within three months from the passage
hereof file in the Office of the Secretary Of State
q written notice of the acceptance of the pro-
visions of this act and thereafter this act shall
be considered and construed as q contract be-
tween said company and the State so far as
such company may be affected thereby; and all
laws and acts or parts thereof conflicting in
any wise with the provisions OF this act are
hereby repealed.
SEC. 4. This act shall be considered public
act and take effect from and after the date OF
its passage.
The committee then took up the House bill
extending the time for the completion of the
st. Paul and Pacific Railroad.
On motion of Mr. RICE, the provision re-
curing the company to commence the con-
struction of the first ten miles OF the road at
Winona, was struck out.
On motion of Mr.. SMITH, an amendment
was adopted, requiring the road to be built
through the towns of Red Wing, Lake City,
Wabashaw and Minnesota. ~
After some discussion, the committee rose,
and asked leave to sit again, and the Senate
| adjourned. "a - ~.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
4 ;g MONDAY, Feb. 26, 1865.
HOUSE BILLS PASSED. .tt
II. Emo 220-a bill for en- act to provide
Tor the assessment and collection of a tax for
State purposes. Yeas Is, nays 1.
ID. +. No. 216-a bill for an act to protect
the property of soldiers from civil process and
execution for debt, while In the service. Yeas