St. Paul daily globe., 1893-02-07

the railroads interested, and an attempt
was made to again put it over on the
plea that more time was needed to pre-
pare to debate it, Senator Stevens
wanted it TO go over until another day.
Senator Craig objected, and the reSolu-
tion of senator Stevens was voted
down. The JUNIOR Ramsey senator then
wanted the time made three years, but
to this the WaSeca senator entered
vigorous protest. Two years, he said,
would be quite long enough.
''All but two of these grants were
made prior to 1865, twenty-eight years
ago. said Senator Craig, land it is
time that something is done. The result
of all this is that if we allow the rail
roads to go on they will select all the
good lands, leaving the poorer lands for
the state"
The senator from Waseca read from
the decisions of the supreme court in
the case of The Minneapolis Il ST. Cloud
against The Duluth & Winnipeg, The
Duluth & Iron Range InteryenOr, i'll
which the proposition is laid down
that the state has the right to make the
selections and say to the companies,
Here are your lands" and they are
Obliged to take them. Passing on to
discussion of the Duluth d Iron Range
grant, he expressed the opinion that it
has no right to an acre OF land.
Entitled to No Land.
THAT road was given grant to build
a line from Duluth to township 20,
range 12," he said, land it has not built
one mile of that line. A constitutional
amendment was adopted in 1881 pro-
hibiting any more grants. and no grant
made after that time could be made, and
yet in 1888, two years later, the Duluth
d Iron Range secured the passage of a
bill authorizing its change of location.
| believe it is the duty of the state to
declare a forfeiture of that grant. 1t is
not entitled to an acre of it. They come
i'll here with protest against this bill,
when whatever lands they have re-
Of law, being entitled under the conSti.
tuition to not one acre. | hope this
amendment will not prevail.
Senator Stevens declared he had no
interest i'll the matter, but one of his
constituents was very deeply concerned
and he desired that the senate act un-
derstandingly. He read the original
grant to the Duluth & Iron Range passed
in 1915. and claimed that as no bill had
ever been passed declaring its forfeit
ure it renamed contract by which the
state is bound. SkiIlful men were
needed to perform the work OF selecting
these lands and no unreasonable limit
should be fixed.
Senator Leavitt-Will the senator tell
US why they nave to have such skillful
men to select these lands. Is it because
this company want the best lands?
ut takes good man to tell where he
is at in that country" replied Senator
Stevens. II hope this amendment will
be adopted and sufficient time be given
to make the bill hold"
Senator Leavitt requested Senator
Ded0n to explain to the senate the
method Of doing this work, as he had
had great experience in this work. This
request was acceded to by the senator
from Chisago. and he expressed the
opinion that man could examine an
average of about three forties per day.
The real object of the extension, he
thought, was to await further surveys
i'll order to secure better lands, to get
the privilege OF "picking."
''How many months can men be kept
at this work" asked Senator LeavitU.
Dedom Was Posted.
"Flve months at least" replied Sena-
tor Dedon; Sin fact, there are only
three months unfit to work"
Are men capable'o of doing this work
scarce?" asked Senator Davis.
Senator Dedon-l do not think so. |
think | could find ten men along the
Duluth line in day or two, good, capa-
BILE men, who would he ready to 90 in
less than month.
1.-The railroads want more time for
one purpose, and only one" said Sena-
tor LeaVitt land it is that the railroads
want more time to select the best lands,
and leave the worthless ones to the
state. If the senator from Ramsey
wants to give this Duluth & Iron Range,
or the Minnesota Iron company, which
is the same thing, time to sink pits on
every forty 10 see if there is valuable
iron mine on every piece, why twenty
years will not be long enough"
Senator WOOd-UnleSs the railroad
companies want time to wait for future
surveys two years will be ample time.
| know something of this business my
self. 1t is not necessary to extend this
time unless we want to give these rail
road companies time to get better lands.
Senator Donnelly thought two years
quite long enough, presenting figures to
show this. The amendment making
the time three years was overwhelm-
ingly defeated and the time was fixed
Craig. Several other amendments were
voted down by the same overwhelming
vote, and the bill was recommended to
pass with but one or two dissenting
votes.
The committee then arose. and the
senate adjourned for the day.