The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1870-05-12
For the St. Cloud JOurna
TIE BOND QUESTION.

On the lest Tuesday Of the present
month Of May the voters of this Dis
trict will have an opportunity Of voting
Il. upon the proposition submitted to them
by tho late Legislature, of appropriating
the 5000 acres Of Internal Improve
ment Lands 50 called, in payment Of
the old Minnesota State Railroad
Bonds. .,. f..
.a4,y These bonds. wore donated to the
State under act Of Congress, approved
September 18th l84l, and tho act ex-
pressly directs that the proceeds there
of DO faithfully applied to purposes of
Internal Improvement, in the State,
naming Railroads, Canals, Bridges and
the improvement Of navigable streams,
as proper ben6cirnies Of tho grant, and
creservlng to the government the per-
-, pctual use thereof free of further charge
: for the transportation Of its mails,
troops and munitions Of war. The re-
served rights Of the government in the
routes to be promoted by such donation
T. were evidently intended as an equiva-
lent therefor, and it would be a mani
IT, fest wrong on the part Of the State to
defeat these reserved rights, by making
II auoh disposition Of the lands a. did
~ not, provide for their construction.
Il, The advocates Of tho Legislative prop
p .ositiop claim that it is not in violation
FL of the reserved. rights Of the govern
.r nsnt, inasmuch as the Bon's sought
to be liquidated thereby were issued for
=, .tlat very purpose.
,res Twill be remembered that the gov.
q ~ ernment gave large subsidies in lands,
ITO build these very roads, and coupled
"a saph gift With like reservation. When
!, tsthe State therefore assumes to CONSOLE
~ date different grants upon one project, it
% lesisletes in extiuguishment of these
Preserved rights, which it cannot we'll
afford To- do. :: 1t was the evident de-
the government, in making the
.s1Apnetjon Of these lands, that they should
side saP]ied in the encouragement such
works Of Internal Improvement in the
!. S qys&a hays aqt rseeeiyed sufficient en-
ai.Aao arrangement a sy f!om other sources. As
,sHsll Wig4t Ehe ststo ,a''ttempt 70 consoli-
.idat4a1 All tda different Z land grants upon
On 1924 pev,aa aste apply these SCI. lands to
ID, ! psttssl growing out Of roads already
endowed ::ysIrhheeifto,r foregoing eg remarks are
uis al l has9d upon the proposition that
the State is obligated: to pay the Rail-
!. rQ,SA Bofqsse .Ilhat ;:'.he stattoe' is 90.
.ddeg.llyy l|IIaAbkje, j. clearly esEablishedaio
odtIh s fat 1 th9t t l, holders Of the same
have sought redress through the public
prints rather than IN the Courts where
remedies for legal claims exist: The,
:. arc not olasts5 Il men men Who would Dc.
liz enfS 5a sSa.S Of tneir right. o.,
fssarJ ter; o our fseliog.;, H]prov prov idsd
such, Fight.1 Gould 50 legally enforced. 81
=, ~. These Bonds a ~ not II an equitable
sl.1m ss99thentt If their actual
cost in tho hands Of the holder Its
. well known that largo miajoorrit y Of
thsth cost mach less than ne amount
&c Sapsesssea nSoh ii their face, in some IN.
7'@1sxcdasP Is 1ioo*i:. s 'l4} "cr'nts upon the
1'a1aaolhf: 1hsy could have been pu,rcb.s:
70 1ssd bS&fsy tthhais1p proposition passed The
NV 1Ssghlsitadaf1gg fol from rs to Is cents Of
dthelf a,eR vsdtda. s'rd 1862, the 1.egis.
opktare 4aipfpooiditts'd T. commission to tax,
; te1nmony il irssssrd' t. these bonds and
gmHnake fepoft II the facts d. they found
t6en& TIE commission 4 developed the
40 flast .h,t tie Bonds were originally
fiaapped totho b3guls, land grant corpor.
esaatiopss lafgs1y2ib excess Ct tie work done
soa 81 81 fem H. e obe instance th.tiot,
Salt U6.nbss th . lapdrt' shows;
,hlt lor work which cost him About
esaa1 saszsfo& 90 osssssss z:sss,;s e.se