The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1886-01-22
THE FARGO CONFERENCE.
The Convention Takes Action ON All Oues
tions Which lt'Was Called to Consider,
and Adjourns Sine Die.

and Atljourns Sine Die.
Non. .Committal Resolutions ON Disision
and Admission Adopted-The Trail
County Case.
On the first day, when the roll ofthc con.
vention was called at Fargo, 100 delega tes
were present, representing Grand Forks,
Barnes, Cass, Cavalier, Dickey, Griggs, LII.
moure Mclean. McHcnry, Ransom, Steele,
Stutsman, Trail, Wells, Sargent and Penn
bina counties in North Dakota, and Brown
county in Central Dakota. Hon. Waldo
NJ. Potter was made temporary chairman
OF tho convention, and w. H. Burke sccre.
tary.
The chair appointed as committee on
permanent organization F.. p. Wells OF
St1tsman, Alex Grigss Of Grand Forks, E..
Charles Eillodeau of Wells, D. +. Ellsworth
OF Sergeant and ]. o. kiolsberg OF Trail.
On the second day tho committee on
Observation-Disclosures as follows:
For chairman, r. H. Wallace, Stutsman
county; vice president, j. H. Bray, Grand
Forks county; w. H. White, Ransom; Mar
tin RYAN, Cass; G. NJ. Wing, Barnes; II. ID.
Fruit, Nelson secretary Henry Dickay;
assistant secretaries, Il: 1. Smith, Trail;
". >. montgomery, Sargent.
MIR. McIarcn, Of the programme commit
tee, reported in favor of three sessions per
day. He also recommended that the iol-
lowing subjects be discussed in tho order
mentioned:
First, waterways; second, the decisions
oi the commissioner OF the general land Of
flee; third, the Trail county case; fourth,
the Red Lake Indian reservation; fifth, the
question OF the division and admission OF
the territory; sixth, other matters that
may be properly brought before the con-
vcntion.
Your committee further recommend that
there be appointed by the president per-
maneAt committees OF seven members each
for each Of the five subjects aforesaid and
one committee OF five members to whom
all other subjects shall be referred.
Col. Plummer offered the following, which
was referred:
Resolved, That Mcssrs. Ellsworth OF Sar-
gent, Kiclshurs, OF TrailI and White, OF
Rnnsom are appointed IL special commit
tee to prepare blanks upon which the dele
gates to this convention can certify to
their expenses; that said committee shall
cause ;ll expense bills presented to them
to be properly verified and certified by
them in duplicate one copy to be returned
to the delegate and the other to be trans.
mittea to the secretary OF the territory for
safekeeping until the meeting OF the next
legislature, when it shall be the duty OF
the suid committee to see that the same is
transmitted to that body with Il request
for payment out Of the moneys in the ter
ritorial treasury not otherwise appropria-
ted; and this committee is hereby author.
lied to make vouchers for such necessary
expenses as may be incurred in the per.
iormance OF their duties TO be included with
other vouchers herein mentioned.
Together with long preamble, the fol-
lowing resolution was offered by Mr.. Con.
nclla Of Mclean
Resolved, That it is the sense of this
convention that the public school sections
should be disposed oi in some manner for
the greater benefit OF the public school fund
OF the territory.
MIR. McLarcn, who was afterwards APP
vision and admission, offered u very long
preamble and the following
Resolved, That the delegates in convcn-
tion assembled declare ourselves in favor
OF division on the Missouri river or in such
manner as to throw the Black Hills out OF
the boundaries OF Dakota.
Various res solutions Of Il minor character,
not directly in accordance with the object
OF the meeting were offered, when the chair
announced the following committees:
Waterways-Bennctt, Grant; Jordon,
McHench, Gill, Cass; Griggs. McKclvey,
Grand Forks; Potter, La Moure.
Land Office Dccisions-Walsh, Grand
Forks; Wing, Barnes; Reeves, Trail;
ser, Dickey; Bcudeau, Wells.
Trail County Decision-Wells, Stuts-
man; Bell, Pcmbina; Fleming, Cass; Root,
Selzby, Barnes; White, Ransom; Potter,
La Mourc.
Red Lake-Grisgs, Noycs, Bray, Walsh,
Grand Forks; Stevens, Cavalier; Bcarlslcy,
McIIenry; West, Pcmbina.
Division and Admission-McLain, Steele;
Ellsworth Sargent; Plummcr, Trail:
bartholomew, La Moure; Roberts, Cass;
Walsh, Grand Forks; Bnrrctt, Brown.
Miscellnncous-Edwards, Cnss; Noyes,
Grand Forks; White, Stutsman; Jordan,
Cass; kiclsburg Traill; Moore, Ransom;
Eddy, Stutsman.
ing the recent rulings of Commissioner
Sparks, which were upheld in speeches by
Messrs. Connella, Reeve and Ryan, while
Pnmmer aY' Potter spoke against the
rulings. ThI convention adopted resolu-
tions advert to the commissioner and Sc
verely atta( .ng many OF the recent rul-
ings.
On the ird and last day there was n
large att( lance OF delegates and spccta-
tors. MI ;ennett OF the committee made
a long report, showing the possibility and
Importance OF opening navigation between
Big Stone Lake and the Red River, and
closing with this resolutions:
Resolved, by this convention, That con-
grcss be ncmoriaizcd to oappropriate $780,
600. for the opening OF this natural water
way and the improvements herein mention
ed, and that our representatives in congress
be requested to urge upon that body the
importance OF this work and the necessity
Of an appropriation therefor.
After Il good deal OF discussion the re-
port and resolutions were adopted.
The committee on the Trail county dis
cussion reported at length, but a discus
sion cnsued, resulting in another report,
which was unanimously adopted.
The committee to whom was referred the
matter OF the decision of the so-called
Trail county tax case by the supreme
court Of the United States, respectfully re-
port your committee has examined said
case in all its bearings, and find that said
decision does not in any manner effect the
title OF lands heretofore sold or heretofore
to TO sold by tho Northern Pacific Rail
road company in Dakota, and all reports
to the effect that said titles were made in
secure or clouded by such decision, hereto.
fore made and spread throughout the East,
arose either from q deliberate pervcrsion
OF the facts or an unapprehension OF their
real bearing that, upon the contrary, all
titles made or which may hereafter be made
by that company OF its land grant lands
rests upon as secure II formation as any in
the country. Your committee do believe,
however, that to render lands hereafter
sold by the said company liable to tax
alton, the fees for surveying the same must
be first paid to the government.
Your committee have the most positive
assurances that the fees on lands heretofore
sold are now being paid as fast as lists
OF the lands so sold can be prepared and
certified to by the surveyor general of the
territory, and that the whole matter, so
far as it concerns lands already sold, will
be thus settled and disposed OF within n
very short time probably within ninety
days; and that as to future sales the same
will be- reported and the fees paid, so that
lands will be taxable at the next ensuing
assessment. While yonr committee believe
that your assurances, coming from the di.
rect representatives OF the company, and
undoubtedly made in the best OF faith, will
be fully and fairly carried out, yet they
deem tho matter OF sueh Importance to the
revenues OF the various counties interested
that they do recommend the following as
the sense Of the convention; on the subject
that the said Northern Pacific Railroad