Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-02-19
RAILROAD WOODCHUCKs
Watching the Legislation Which the MIL
waukee g. st. Paul and Northwestern are
Trying to Secure.

waukee g. st. Paul and Northwestern are
Trying to Secure.
| The Senate committee on railroads, Senator
y. ID. Gllhllan chairman, met last night to con-
slider Senate bills Nos. 253 and 254, introduced
| by Senator j. b. Gilfllan on the 18th inst Be-
| sides the committee, there were present Alder
| men Sanborn, Griggs. Mccarthy, Dreis, Grace,
Mayor Dawson, City Attorney Murray, City
Engineer Sewall. City Clerk O'Connor, and
President Drake, of the st. Paul Sioux CITY
railroad
Senate bill number 253 gives the right
VI eminent domain, ETC., and empowers
the Chicago, st. Paul & Minneapolis railroad
company to construct road, spur-tracks, etc.,
| through and in the city of st. Paul
Senator Gllflla1 explained that the question
OF two rights were involved: that of the city of
st. Paul and the railroad company.
! On the part of the city an amendment or in
sertlon to the proposed bill was offered in
| words as follows After line 8, page 2, section
2: add the following:
provided, however, that nothing in this act con-
famed shall authorize the said company to condemn
part OF the public levee in the city of ST. Paul.
without the consent of the common council of said
city; and, provided, further that the grade of the
tracks OF said railroad, where the shall cross
any public street in the said cities of St. Paul and
Minneapolis shall be such as shall be designated and
liked by resolution of the common council of the
city where such crossing shall be made, and in case
bridge to allow of any street passing under or over
any such railroad, such company shall pay the ex-
penses of the construction and maintenance of the
saoutments excavations and superstructure of such
Drldge and the city shall pay the expense of the con-
structon and maintenance of the street approaches
to such bridge.
City Attorney Murray commended that no ma
terial objection was urged by the railroad COM
pany, and it reserved right to the city which
was absolutely necessary.
whole Wit oil
into the hands of the Senate committee to be
acted upon.
Senate bill No. 254, giving the same right as
above to the Chicago, Milwaukee & st. Paul
railroad company was next taken up.
The same amendment or Interpolation was
offered as above and accepted
MT. Murray asked who was to build the bridge
approaches, the city or the companies. It was
provided that the companies should keep them
IN repair, but who should build them?
Aid. Sanborn presumed the city would, as it
was a matter pertaining to street grading after
all.
Senator E. M. Wilson, of Minneapolis, re-
marked that was the way it was done in .'our'
city.
President Drake interpreted an objection to
the bill. AS the provision read, the companies
could cross and recross the side tracks of his
road. He proposed limit to this right and
suggested that even the general law was de-
feotlve in this respect, and that it ought to be
amended. The right should be so circum-
scrlbed that they could not or should not inter-
fere with other roads.
Senator Wilson thought the law as it stood
and the provisions of the bill were all that were
necessary. He saw no difficulty ahead, and
presumed no other road would be incouveni-
enced by the provisions of the bill.
An amendment to the bill embodying the
provisions suggested by President Drake was
offered to the committee after which the COM
mlttee adjourned.