The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1893-04-19
PINE LAND FRAUDS.

MT. DOnnelly introduced IN the
senate, several days before adjourn
ment Joint resolution to continue
the Investigation of the robberies
of the public lands of the state by
certain lumbermen of Minneapolis
and elsewhere. 1t passed the senate
with only one dissenting vote and
went to the house There it was re-
ferred to the committee on public
lands, of which Comstock of Mime
apoiis was chairman. Mr.. Com
stock pocketed the bill and slit out"
and thought he had ended the matter
for that session. The friends of
the bill IN the house were in de-
spair. But Mr.. Donnellv remarked
that "there were great many ways
of killing a dog" So he introduced
another bill in the senate, just like
the first; got the senate to suspend
the rules and passed it in ten min
utes, with only one opposing
vote. He then made the secretary
of the senate go over to the
house at once (this was on the last
day that bills could be passed., and
as soon as the secretary announc ed
the bill to the house, Hon. r. A.
Walsh, of Ramsey county, moved that
the rules be suspended and the bill
passed at once; and in twenty min
utes this was done without a dis
senting vote. The reader can i'm
~ ho%
gentleman-Comsto of Minneapo-
lis-when he learned that the bill
he had been so carefully treasuring
in his breast-pocket, and keeping
out of range of the sergeant
alarms of the house for, wasn't
worth the paper it was written on;
and that his little coup d'etat was
a fizzle; and that his friends, the
lumbermen, would have to be inves-
tigated, from now until January,
1895
The bill, as it passed the leg1sla-
ture, provided for three committee
men from the senate and
four from the house. Mr..
Donnelly begged to be excused from
serving, as he had his hands SO full Of
other matters, but Lieut.. Gov Clough,
president Of the senate, insisted on
appointing him. The committee, as
appointed, consists of Donnelly,
Eaton of Wright county and Leavitt
of Meeker county, on the part of the
senate; and Messrs. Cotton of Du-
luth, Staples of Dakota county,
jacobson of Lac qui Parle county,
Of
the part of the house.
The committee held it's final meet
ing, April Is, and organized by elect
ing Mr. Donnelly chairman and
Charles F.,Staples Of Dakota county
Zone of the committee), secretary.
The committee will meet about May
20 and commence work. They pro-
pose to waste no money in extrava-
gance; but will administer the S., 900
placed in their hands as carefully as
though it was their own money. On
the 10Th of April the committee held
a conference with Gov. Nelson and
had a perfect understanding with
him as to the prosecution of the
work. The same resolution which
created the committee placed S1O
600 in the governors hands, with
which to protect the public lands of
the state, which are worth millions
of dollars. The committee will also
put forth an ADVERTISEMENT, in which
they will ask all persons who have
knowledge of any frauds, practiced
upon the state, in connection with
the public lands-pine lands or agri-
cultural lands-to write at once to
the committee. If they desire it
their names will not be divulged.
The inheritance of the little chill
dren is at stake, in the school fund
and we hope every person will help
in the good work of protecting
them.