The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-07-03

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the territory. If that had been true,
why was it not located at the first ses-
sion? Now there is not a word of truth
In the statement. The ST. Anthony mem
bers, both in the council and house.
fought the bill at every stage, from its
introduction until it's passage, and died
like men in the trenches. John Rollins
represented st. Anthony in the council
and Edward Patch and John w. North
IN the house. The st. Anthony mem
bers, however, did make bargain.
not with st. Paul, but with David
Olmsted and William r. Sturgis, mem
bers of the council from the Sixth dis
tr1ct, that If they would vote with them
to defeat the location of the capital at
st. Paul. they would use their influence
to secure from congress a grant Of a
township of land to aid in the con-
struction of county buildings in Ben
ton county. In fact they did secure
the passage of a memorial to congress
asking for the grant.
The st. Anthony combine, even afteri
the passage of the bill, to show the
blood that was in them, tried to get
the title of the bill amended so as to-
read, "a bill to provide for carrying out
magnificent scheme of log rolling"
1t may be said that in 1851, when an
attempt was made to remove the cap
ital from st. Paul, had it not been for
the st. Anthony delegation in the house
of representatives, the capital of Min
nesota would be on Nicollet island!
today instead of st. Paul. When the
Do mi hQ~
fight was hopeless one and preferrings
st. Anthony to st. Peter, made mo-
ton to strike out the words ST. Peter
in the bill and insert St. Anthony, the
motion came within one Of being car
against 1t. They preferred st. Peter
to st. Anthony. They were a modest
set, with small heads.
Locating the University
The most exciting subject before the
legislature of 1851 was the apportion-.
ment bill. 1t was claimed by one side
that it was unfair, as it gave the ter
ritory west of the Mississippi river an
undue proportion of representatives, as
it's only inhabitants, except soldiers and
Indian traders were Indians. That
Pembina county, with only seventy
acres under cultivation, while Benton
county had 1000 acres-a poor showing
of cultivated land for our dayzhad
twice the representation. After the
passage Of the bill by the house seven
members who refused to vote upon its
third reading handed in their resigna-
tons as members. Their designations
were promptly accepted. The fight on
this bill was the aftermath of the bill
locating the capital. After it had be-
come evident that st. Anthony had no
show for the capital, st. Paul joined
in with st. Anthony to secure the uni
versity. AS ST. Anthony was In Ramsey
county at that time they were as anxious
for it's location at the Falls of ST. An
thony as the members representing
that village, and at their request Gen.
George L. Becker, of st. Paul, drafted
the bill which was afterwards intro
duced into the legislature by Mr.. North,
of ST. Anthony, and becamesa law.
1t may be possible that the st. Paul
members thought that the granting of
charter for university was kind of
mythical, as there had been no appro-
priation in money or grant of land to
aid in its erection. In fact the people
We're more interested in claims, town
sites, pine lands, furs and the where
with to get daily bread than universe
ties. I am inclined to think that had
st. Paul realized the situation. the uni
versity might have been located some
where else. I am willing to admit
that, notwithstanding all the shrewd-
ness, cunning and political manipula-
ton of st. Paul, with the growth and
development of the state during a pc
Rod Of little over a half century, the
city at the Falls of st. Anthony re-
eeived the largest piece Of pie.
During the session there were other
laws passed which it is unnecessary to
refer to. 1t may be said, however, that
they were mostly for ferry charters,
laying out territorial roads, the build
ing of booms and divorcing people who
had come to Minnesota to take fresh
start.
The session finally closed on the
night of March 81, which was
day and night Of excitement,
such as we have never seen in
ST. Paul and never desire to. Hun
dreds of citizens were about the streets
and public places armed to the teeth
and ready upon the slightest provo
cation to shoot down their fellow cit
liens who opposed them. Feelings of
enmity, bitterness and hatred were en-
gendered between citizens during the
session of the legislature, and partie-
ularly during its last days, which ex-
tended even into family relations and
were not eradicated for months.
William Pitt Murray.
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