Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1877-05-10

your views OF the legal aspect OF the case, as
well as the moral duty Of the people in rela-
ton thereto, and particularly a statement
or synopsis Of the laws, decisions OF courts
and actions of State officials on the subject,
which your careful official Investigations
will enable you to give with accuracy. A
plain, free and full statement OF facts is de-
sirable that the people may be able to judge
intelligently upon this very important ques-
tion' Respectfully yo y R,er,ow
ST. PAUL, April "a, 1877.
C. II. BigeloW, Esq.,:
DEAR SIR :-Your communication of the
18th inst, is received, relating to the Min
nesota State Railroad Bonds, and asking a
statement Of the facts connected with their
authorization and issue, the legal questions
involved and a synopsis Of the recent legis-
lation for the adjustment of these bonds
under the provisions of which the people are
soon to vote for or against such adjustment,
etc., etc.
Recognizing your right as an elector Of
Ramsey county to call upon me for an &C
count of my action as one of your represent
tatives. I do not feel at liberty to decline so
to do.
The only objection that one could with
any propriety urge to a compliance With
your wishes is the labor necessarily involved,
the care required in stating the facts, and the
natural reluctance one feels to attempt the
discussion of a question about which con-
siderable difference OF opinion exists amongst
our people, a difference that appears to me
ought not to exist if the actual facts and
circumstances under which these bonds were
authorized and issued are fully and correctly
understood. However I will give you what
I believe to be a correct statement OF the
facts and of the legal obligations involved
and as 1 think practically adjudicated, add
ing such comments and deductions as seem
to be called for in your letter.
It appears to me that it is not improper to
say that l never have owned State railroad
bond, nor did / ever act as an attorney for
either of the railroad companies receiving
aid in railroad bonds, and whether my state
ments are Of any value to you OF any one,
they are not colored or influenced by private
interest, or any other consideration save and
except that OF a citizen interested in the
prosperity, credit and good name of the
State.
1st-As to the facts.
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY OF THE BONDS.
In 1857 the Congress of the United States
granted to the Territory OF Minnesota about
six millions OF acres of land to aid in the
construction of railroads. By the terms of
this grant, unless certain lines of road were
completed in ten years, the lands were to
revert to the United States. At an extra
session of the Legislature in 1857, portions
companies. viz, The Minnesota and Pacific
(now the St. Paul & Pacific,) the Transit
(now the Winona & St. Peter,) the Root
River Valley and Southern Minnesota (now
the Southern Minnesota and the St. Paul &
Sioux City, and the Minnesota and Cedar
Valley (now the Minnesota CENTRALLY
Before the work OF construction COM
menced, the financial crash Of 1857 and 1858
reached Minnesota, and Frustrated or par
alyzed every business project. Lands would
not build railroads., and the companies had
neither the means nor credit to enable them
to borrow sufficient to carry on the work.
The first State Legislature convened Deem
Der Sd, 1857. Everybody felt the exigency
of the times, and there was a popular de-
mand for relief, and the legislature was
looked to as the source from whence relief
should come. AS a result Of this demand,
which seemed to come from every city, vii
lage and hamlet in the State, the original
constitutional amendment which authorized
the issue of five millions of bonds to aid in
the construction of the land grant roads,
was conceived and passed for the purpose of
securing the construction of said railroads.
(See amendment to sec. 10, article 8 of the
Constitution ; page 68, Bissell's Statutes.)
1t provided for a mortgage by the several
companies participating in the loan of State
credit, of their land grant which had been
made by congress to the State, (see Edger-
toms Railroad Law, page 82,) and trans
ferred by the State to said companies, (see