Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1873-01-21
LANCASTER. WISCONSIN, TUESDAY, JANUARY p, 1873

These petitions will DO laid before
you, and | bespeak for them you
candid consideration. If a wrong has
been don". which is in your power to
correct, ia will no doubt do so.
In my last annual message, l gave
my views at length upon tue gener-
al subject Of railroads and their man
agement. Those views are unehapg-
ed, and do not deem it necessary
to here repeat them But | desire
this to be borne in mind, that under
state constitution the people are 49,
solute masters of every railway in
the State. Ii railways become OPP
pressive, the Legislature will be in
fau ii it does not apply the proper
correction, and primarily the people
who elect the legislature.
1t cannot be denied that the many
vast and overshadowing corporations
in the United States are Justly a
source of alarm. The Legislature
can not scan too closely every meas.
ure that shall come before il, which
proposes to give additional rights and
privileges to the railways of the
State. The innumerable vast for
tunes in the country: ranging from
fire To fifty millions and upwards,
nearly all are due to our railway sys
lem. and represent in great part
sums drawn from the masses of the
the people in excess of tair dividend
on the capital employed. Whether
the railroads of this State are man
aged fairly and justly or not, is for
you to decide, and you will always
find me ready TO cooperate with
you 10 such measures as may be nee
essary for the pro ecLion of the puh-
lie In my first annual message, |
recommended the organic alton of a
BOARD of Railroad Commissioners !;
with The power to inquire into ali
complaints and abuses, aud To exer-
else a general supervision over the
operation Of railroads within the
| State, and to recommend such legis-
latiou as may seem to them expedio
dent, and report annually TO the
| Governor. That recommendation !
! here repeat.
/ THE ST CRoIX LAND GRANT.
In 1896 Congress granted TO the
State OF Wisconsin alternate sections
of land for six miles in wi tn upon
each side of the line. TO aid in the
construction of railroad from Madi.
son or Columbus to the ST Croix
river or lake, and thence to Superior
and to Bay field. In 1864 an exten.
sion Of the time for FIVE years for the
completion Of said road was granted,
and tho limits were increased to a
| width nf ten nniias -~:i-aAd hos
been constructed over the entire line
defined in the act of Congress, except
from ST. Croix TO Lake Superior. To
extend the time for the completion
of that portion of the line, repeat ed
efforts have been made before Con-
gress. without success, and the State
has felt justly aggrieved at what is
regarded as an unjust and ilhberal
course of action toward it.
By some of the best lawyers it has
always been maintained that no fur
Their legislation on the part Of Can
gress was necessary, rs the lands
were given to the State for partic-
ular purpose, and could only be ia
ken from it by an act OF Congress or
a decree of contempt of court or
both.
The question of the ownership Of
the lands came before the United
States circuit court for The state Of
Minnesota. Judge Miller of the Unit
ed States supreme court presiding, III
June last, and the question was then
and there decided, that the title of
lands was in the State Of Wisconsin,
ard under the decision two jung
ments were obtained 10 favor OF Gen.
Sam'l Harrison, agent for the State
OF Wisconsin tor the aggregate sum
of S23 900. The cases were appealed
to the supreme court of the United
States, and it is hoped that fnal de
cision may be reached at an early
day. In The meantime, a similar
question has been decided by the
court recently, involving the rights
of the Cberok ee Indians TO lands that
were claimed TO have been {, rteited
which decision seems to settle the
question of the ST. Crvix and Lake
Superior Grant in favor of the State,
and should no decision in our case be
obtained before your adjournment, |
think it will be safe to assume that
the lands belong to the State, aud
make such disposition in regard to
them as will insure the building of
the road. 1t is true, that Congress
may declare this grant absolutely
forfeited, but it is hardly TO be ex-
pected, and TO settle any uncertainty
it is hoped Congress may 10 terms
extend he tine for the comp letion
of the road. / hope that no grant
will be made to any but esposlble
parties, and that they will be re.
quested to give ample security for
the construction CT the road, at the
rate of not less than forty miles a
year uu,il it lie fully completed.
No people in the State have been
badly tr,ated as those living at Su-
perior. By the terms of this land
grant, Superior was made one OF the
terminating points, and hope that
through the means Of this grant, they
may soon have railway terminal
ing on their beautiful harbor. With
that and the waters restored TO their
natural channel, the future of that
city is fully assured.
RIVER IMPROVEMENTS.
The necessity for cheaper trans
portsIion is felt ia every section o.
. the Union.
| Will, in Iowa. Kansas and Other
States corn is consumed for fuel, il
? many sections of the c. unlry, peopl,
] suffer for want of bread, 70 trans
Z port busbel of corn from the grea
corDfelds of the West to the consul
a. rnpr in Naw En1land or Nau W, L.