Fillmore County, Minnesota - Chapter 23: Events from A. D. 1864 to the Admission of Minnesota to the Union, 1882

Ilfkh LegiaUture - Kz«etttioa of Tuhaase - Sixth LegialAtore - Tint bridfe over the Miniasippt - Arctie Explorer - Seventh Lefulatura - Indian firl killed neAr BlooDiincton Fenr - Eighth LegUlatore - Attempt to R«n«ve the Capital - SpeeUl 8«Mioo of the La«li-latiir»-CQOT«otioii to flraine ft Stato Ooostitataoo - AdmiMion of Minnwoto to th« Union.

The fifth session of the legislature was commenced in the building just completed as the Capitol, on January fourth, 1854. The President of the Council was S. B. Olmstead, and the Speaker of the House of Bepresentatives was N. C. D. Taylor.

QovemoT Gorman delivered his first annual message on the tenth, and as liis predecessor, urged the importance of railway communications, and dwelt upon the necessity of fostering the interests of education, and of the lumbermen.

The exciting bill of the session was the act incorporating the Minnesota and Northwestern Bailroad Company, introduced by Joseph R. Brown. It was passed after the hour of midnight on the last day of the session. Contrary to the expectation of his friends, the Grovemor signed the bill.

On the afternoon of December twenty-seventh, the first public execution in Minnesota, in accordance with the forms of law, took place. Yu-hazee, the Dahkotah who had been convicted in November, 1852, for the murder of a German woman, above Shokpay, was the individual. The scaffold was erected on the open space between an inn called the Franklin House and the rear of the late Mr. J. W. Selby's enclosure ill St. Paul. About two o'clock, the prisoner, c ressed in a white shroud, left the old log prison, near the court house, and entered a carriage v.ith the officers of the law. Being assisted up the steps that led to the scaffold, he made a few remarks in his own language, and was then executed. Numerous ladies sent in a petition to the governor, asking the pardon of the Indian, to which that officer in declining made an appropriate reply.

The sixth session of the legislature convened on the third of January, 1855. W. P. Murray was elected President of the Council, and James S. Norris Speaker of the House.

About the last of January, the two houses adjourned one day, to attend the exercises occasioned by the opening of the first bridge of any kind, over the mighty Mississippi, from Lake Itasca to the Gulf of Mexico. It was at Falls of Saint Anthony, and made of wire, and at the time of its opening, the patent for the land on which the west piers were built, had not been issued from the Land Office, a striking evidence of the rapidity with which the city of Minneapolis, which now surroimds the Falls, has developed.

On the twenty-ninth of March, a convention was held at Saint Anthony, which led to the formation of the Republican party of Minnesota. This body took measures for the holding of a territorial convention at St. Paul, which convened on the twenty-fifth of July, and William R. Marshall was nominated as delegate to Congress. Shortly after the friends of Mr. Sibley nominated David Olmsted and Henry M. Rice, the former delegate was also a candidate. The contest was animated, and resulted in the election of Mr. Rice.

About noon of December twelfth, 1855, a fourhofse vehicle was seen driving rapidly through St. Paul, and deep was the interest when it was announced that one of the Arctic exploring party, Mr. James Stewart, was on his way to Canada with relics of the world -renowned and worldmourned Sir John Franklin. Gathering together the precious fragments found on Montreal Island and vicinity, the party had left the region of icebergs on the ninth of August, and after a continued land journey from that time, had reached

The seventh session of the Legislative Assembly was begim on the second of January, 1856, and agam the exciting question was the Minnesota and Xorthwestem Railroad Company.

This year was comparatively devoid of interest. The citizens of the territory were busily engaged in making claims in newly organized coimties^ and in enlarging the area of civilization.

On the twelfth of Jime, several Ojibways entered the farm house of Mr. Whallon, who resided in Hennepin county, on the banks of the Minnesota, a mile below the Bloomington feny. The wife of the farmer, a friend, and three children, besides a little Dahkotah girl, who had been brought up in the mission-house at Kaposia, and so changed in manners that her origin was scarcely perceptible, were sitting in the room when the Indians came in. Instantly seizing the little Indian maiden, they threw her out of the door, killed and scalped her, and fled before the men who were near by, in the field, could reach the house.

The procurement of a state organization, and a grant of lands for railroad pvirposes, were the topics of political interest during the year 1857.

The eighth Legislative Assembly convened at the capitol on the seventh of January, and J. B. Brisbin was elected President of the Coimcil, and J. W. Furber, Speaker of the House.

On Saturday, February twenty -eighth, Jklr. Balcombe offered a resolution to report the bill for the removal of the seat of government, and should Mr. Rolette, chairman of the committee, fail, that W. W. Wales, of said committee, report a copy of said bilL

Mr. Setzer, after the reading of the resolution, moved a call of the Council, and Mr. Rolette was found to be absent. The chair ordered the serrieant at arms to report Mr Rolette in his seat.

Mr. Balcombe moved that fnrther proceedings imder the call be dJ'ipensed with ; which did not prevail. From that time until the next Thursday afternoon, March the fifth, a period of one hundred and tv\'enty-three hours, the Council remained in their chamber without recess. At that time a motion to adjourn prevailed. On Friday another motion was made to dispense with the call of the Council, which did not prevail. On Saturday, the Council met, the president declared the call still pending*. At seven and a half p. m., a conunittee of the House was announced. The chair ruled, that no commimication from the House could be received while a call of the Council was pending, and the committee withdrew. A motion was again made during the last night of the session, to dispense with all further proceedings under the call, which prevailed, with one vote only in the negative.

Mr. Ludden then moved that a committee be appointed to wait on the Governor, and inquire if he had any further commimication to make to the Coimcil.

At twelve o'clock at night the president resumed the chair, and announced that the time limited by law for the continuation of the session of the territorial legislature had expired, and he therefore declared the Council adjourned and the seat of government remained at Saint Paul.

Tlie excitement on the capital question was intense, and it was a strange scene to see members of the Council, eating and sleeping in the hall of legislation for days, waiting for the sergeant-atarms to report an absent member in his seat.

On the twenty-third of February, 1867, an act passed the United States Senate, to authorize the people of Minnesota to form a constitution, preparatory to their admission into the Union on an equal footing with the original states.

Governor Gorman called a special session of the legislature, to take into consideration measures that would give eflSciency to the act. The extra session convened on April twentyseventh, and a message was transmitted by Samuel Medary, who had been appointed governor in i)lace of W. A. Gorman, whose term of ofilce bad expired. The extra session adjourned on the twenty-third of May ; and in accordance with tiie provisions of the enablhig act of Congress, an election was held on the first Monday in June, for delegates to a convention which was to assemble at the capitol on the second Monday in July. The election resulted, as was thought, in giving a majority of delegates to the llepublican party.

At midnight previous to the day fixed for the meeting of the convention, the Republicans proceeded to the capitol, because the enabling act had not fixed at what hour on the second ^Monday the convention should assemble, and fearing that the Democratic delegates might anticipate them, and elect the ofiicers of the body. A little before twelve, A. m., on Monday, the secretary of the territory entered the speaker's rostrum, and began to call the body to order; and at the same time a delegate, J. W. Xorth, who had in his possession a written request from the majority of the delegates present, proceeded to do the same thing. The secretary of the territory put a motion to adjourn, and the Democratic members present voting in the aflirmative, they left the hall. The Republicans, feeling that they were in the majority, remained, and m duo time organized, and proceeded with the business specified in the enabling act, to form a constitution, and. take all necessary steps for the establishment of a state government, in conformity with the Federal Constitution, subject to tho approval and ratification of the people of the proposed state.

After several days the Democratic wing also organized in the Senate chamber at the capitol, and, claiming to be the tnie body, also proceeded to form a constitution. Both parties were remarkably orderly and intelligent, and ever>lhing was marked by perfect decorum. After they had been in session some weeks, moderate counsels prevailed, and a committee of conference was appointed from each body, which resulted in both adopting the constitution framed by the Democratic wing, on the twenty-ninth of Auggust. According to the provision of the constitution, an election was held for state officers and the adoption of the constitution, on the second Tuesday, the thirteentli of October. Tlie constitution was adopted by almost a unanimous vote. It provided that the territorial officers should retain their oflices until the state was admitted into the Union, not anticipating the long delay which was experienced.

The first session of the state legislature commenced on the first Wednesday of December, at the capitol, in the city of Sauit Paul ; and during the month elected Henry M. Rice and James Shields as their Representatives in the United States Senate.

On the twenty-ninth of January, 1858, Mr. Douglas submitted a bill to the Uiuted States S?nate, for the admission of Minnesota mU) the Union. On the first of February, a discussion arose on the bill, in which Senators Douglas, Wilson, Gwin, Ilale, Mason, Green, Brown, and Crittenden participated. Brown, of Mississippi, was opposed to the admission of Minnesota, imtil the Kansas question was settled. Mr. Crittenden, as a Southern man, could not endorse idl that was said by the Senator from Mississippi ; and his words of wisdom and moderation duiliig this day's discussion, were worthy of remembrance. On April the seventh, the bill passed tlie Senate with only three dissenting votes ; and in a short time the House of Representatives conciu'red, and on May the eleventh, the President approved, and Miiniesota was fully recognized as one of the United States of America,