Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1881-10-25
THE LEGISLATURE.
The Senate Takes Up the Thread OF the
Bond Debate--Talking Without Conclu-
sion--The House Indulging in Lrgisla-
ton.
THE 8 SENATE.
AN EVENING SESSION.

AN EVENING SESSION.
The senate met at 8 p. M, and was called to
order by Senator Wilson, in the absence of
Lieut.. Gov. Gilman, who did not make his
appearance until few moments after the
hour named. The call of the roll showed a
quorum present. The senate at once resolved
itself into
COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE,
Senator Officer in the chair, for the considera-
ton of Senate File No. 9, being the bond bill
Senator Pillsbury moved to amend the bill
by striking out the first clause of section
of the bill, being the words "For the purpose
of this act the principal of said Minnesota
state railroad bonds shall be considered as
presently due and payable;;" and also to change
the phraseology of the bill in two other places,
to conform to the first amendment.
The amendments were adopted without de-
bate.
Senator Pillsbury, at the request of Senator
Kinds, offered further amendment that the
interest on the new bonds should not COM
mence until January list, 1884, as the interest
under the bills up to that time would be COM
puted in the new bonds. Adopted without
debate.
Senator j. B. Gilfllan then obtained the
floor, and proceeded to answer the legal OBJ
jections made to the bill by Senator D. Buck
and others. He differed with them. He first
stated the point made by Senator Buck, that
this legislature had not the power to issue
new bonds for the payment of the old ones:
He disagreed with Senator Buck. He claimed
that the legislature was Omnlpotent except so
far as it is restrained by the organic law.
Senator Buck (interrupting)-Will the sena-
tor tell nd whether in his opinion the legisla
ture at the time these old bonds were issued,
had the power to make them payable at the
end of fifty three years
Senator Gilfillan answered yes, and proceeded
to argue the legal meaning of the con-
stitntienal amendment. 1t is often said this
is not debt of the state but of the railroad
companies, In one sense this was true, but
as soon as the bonds were issued it became a
debt of the state for the payment of which it
pledged It's faith and credit. He knew of no
law which could have prevented the state from
paying these bonds in cash the very day after
they were issued if it had the money in the
treasury to do so. Not having the money,
it must per force resort to other methods to
pay the debt. There was but two ways to pay,
viz: either by direct tax or the issuance OF
new bonds.
He proceeded at considerable length to
argue in favor of the proposed settlement
and several sharp passages occurred between
the speaker and Senator D. Buck upon the
legal points in the case.
Senator G. F. Buck next obtained the floor
and said, he had not the disposition or pa.
thence to discuss the legal points of this mat
ter. He was citizen of the state when these
bonds were issued, and voted for the amend
ment to the constitution under which they
were issued. 1t was peoples measure. They
wanted railroads and were willing to vote fol
anything to obtain them. Senator Buck then
briefly rehearsed the history of the bonds at
the date of their issuance. The bonds were
issued in strict compliance with the law and
the only reason why Gf it is reason,
they should not be paid in full, is because
they did not cost the present holders their full
face. For himself he was in favor of the
present proposition, and he held that the state
was III honor bound to accept it. In explana
ton of his assertion the other day that he
would not vote for the bill unless it made
better provision for the outside claimants, he
said he had been home and seen his constitu
ents, and at their request he had decided tc
vote for the bill as it is, his constituents being
afraid If they did not accept 1t they would gel
nothing.
The committee then rose.
HOUSE BILL PASSED.
Authorizing the city of Hastings to issue
81, 600 in bonds for building highway across
the Mississippi river bottom in Washington
county. Adjourned.