St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-04-19
Heroic Report by the House
Committee on the Mani
tOba.
Legislators Acknowledge the
Pillsbury Donation With
Mixed Feelings.
The Irvine Trust to Be Over
come by a State Manu-
factory,
Reapportionment Passes the
Senate by an Overwhelm-
ing Vote.

The report of the house committee of
investigation into the affairs of the
Manitoba road was made yesterday, and
reads:
Your committee. appointed under
resolution of this house, adopted March
Is, 1889, authorizing certain inveStlga-
tons with regard to the st. Paul, Min
neapolS IL Manitoba railroad, have to
report that, pursuant to such resolution,
your committee met on the 10th day of
April. 1889. and the eX-treasurer of said
railroad company appeared before
your committee. but, upon exam
alton. it was found that he was
not in possession of the information
required bg YOUR committee as author
lied to be elected by said resolution.
Thereupon your committee adjourned to
meet on the 18th day of April, 1889, at
which time c. H. " Orren in charge of
the account of said company, was eX-
ahmed under oath, and being asked the
question, Have you the records regard
ing the gross sales of lands from your
land grant in this state. the proceeds of
which are to he applied TO the payment of
bonds?' replied Il have Whereupon he
was asked: viii you produce them
for this cOmmittee?' Upon advice of
the counsel for said company the wit
ness declined to produce the books and
there was filed with the committee the
reasons for so declining. which were:
That the railroad company having
earned its land grant. the legislature or
any of its committees have no power to
question or investigate what the COM
pany had seen mt to Go with its land"
Whereupon the chairman of your com
mittee Over-ruled the objections of
the company, but the witness still re-
fused to comply with the request of
your committee. Your committee then
examined the eX-treaSurer of said COM
pany, and found from such eXamina-
ton that said company originally fixed
its capital stock at 81 800, 900 and issued
the same; and that in April, 1888, the
said company issued to its stockholders,
in lieu of dividends, bonds to the amount
of S9.000,000, it being understood that
the same constituted 80 per cent of
the stock held by the then Stockhold-
erS. Your committee is of the
opinion that the issue of bonds in lieu
of dividends is Objectionable ande not
warranted by the charter of said COM
pany or by law. Your committee
further states that it is of the opinion
that the subject matter embodied in the
said resolution relating to said COM
pany's land grant is proper subject
for inquiry by either branch OF the leg
islature, directly or through its commit
tee, and that the officers of said COM
pany having charge of the records of
said company relating thereto and of
the information authorized to be OBJ
tanned by said resolution and refuses to
produce such records upon demand or
give such information upon request is
in contempt of your committee and of
this house. Your committee awaits the
pleasure of the house.
j. NJ. DIMENT, ALvAH EASTMAN,
A. T. STEBBINs, T. w. SUMNER,
ID. T. MORGAN, j. c. FLYNN
A. S. CRossFIELD,
Mr.. Diment is determined that the
Manitoba road has not heard the last of
him or his investigating committee, and
last evening the hotel lobies echoed
with rumOrS of "a pcnic' in the house
to-day. A resolution is to be moved, by
which the sergeant-at-arms will be
authorized to bring c. II. Warren be-
fore the bar of the house, SO that the
Manitoba people may be compelled to
furnish the information requested by
the Diment railroad refOrmers. The
rumOr is given for what if is worth.