MINNESOTA. 



507 



works have met with decided and strenuous 

 opposition on the part of the State of Wiscon- 

 tin, so that the matter was made the subject 

 of a lawsuit, and carried to the Supreme 

 Court at Washington. 



The following preambles and resolution were 

 adopted in both Houses almost unanimously, 

 the vote having been, in the Senate, yeas 30, 

 nays 4 ; in the House of Representatives, yeas 

 all except one : 



Whereat, By authority of the Legislature of this 

 State, by large grants of land and liberal privileges 

 granted to the Lake Superior & Mississippi Railroad 

 and Northern Pacinc Railroad Companies, constructed 

 to their natural and most eligible connection with 

 the waters of Lake Superior, in the State of Minne- 

 sota ; and 



Wiureat, The expectations of this State are now 

 being rapidly realized by the cheapening of rates of 

 transportation by the construction of said roads, and 

 by perfecting and developing the harbor system at 

 the head of Lake Superior, thus organized by the 

 policy and Legislature of the State ; and 



Whereat, The city of Duluth, in the furtherance 

 of this policy, has acted in conjunction with, and 

 under the direction of, the War Department ; ex- 

 pended large sums of money in the improvement of 

 aid harbor, by constructing a canal through Min- 

 nesota Point, and construction of a dike across Su- 

 perior Bay, said works of improvement being wholly 

 within the State of Minnesota ; and 



Whereat. The State of Wisconsin, by various acts 

 of unfriendly legislation, and interested political and 

 official influence, is attempting to destroy and render 

 useless said harbor, thus made at great expense, 

 and under warrant and direction of the War Depart- 

 ment of the United States; and 



Whereat, The maintenance of policy and harbor 

 system is eventually required to make a sate and 

 commodious harbor at the head of Lake Superior, as 

 well as to make, hold, and protect, the only port and 

 harbor of this State on said lake: therefore 



Boohed, By the Senate and House of Representa- 

 tives, That the Governor be authorized to take such 

 necessary steps as will protect the interests of the 

 State of Minnesota in the premises, and command 

 the services of the Attorney-General in any action 

 instituted affecting said harbor system, and retain 

 and employ such other able counsel as he may deem 

 advisable, and otherwise act as in his judgment may 

 fully and completely protect the interests of the 

 State and harbor of Duluth in said matter, and that 

 the sum of ten thousand dollars, or so much thereof 

 as may be necessary, and the same is hereby appro- 

 priated out of any moneys in the public Treasury, 

 not otherwise appropriated, for the purpose of de- 

 fraying any expenses that may be incurred in carry- 

 ing out the foregoing resolution, the same to be paid 

 out on the order of the Governor. 



Of all the measures acted upon by the Legis- 

 lature during the session of 1873, the greatest 

 importance has been attached to its action in 

 regard to the State Treasurer. 



The chief points of this action and its re- 

 sults are as follows : On February 1st the fol- 

 lowing resolution was adopted in the Senate : 



Rftolted, That a committee of tliree be appointed 

 to investigate and ascertain whether the surplus 

 funds reported in the Governor's message are in the 

 vaults or the State Treasury at the Capitol, or loaned 

 to banks or individuals, and if no loaned, at what 

 rate of interest, and whether said interest is paid 

 into the State Treasury, and if not into the State 

 Treasury, to whom paid, and what disposition has 

 been made of the funds during the last fiscal year, 



and report the result of such investigation to the 

 Senate at an early day. 



The House of Representatives adopted a 

 resolution calling for the Treasurer's annual 

 report. 



This latter resolution the Treasurer an- 

 swered by a written communication to the 

 House on the 4th, stating that the manuscript 

 of his report had been handed to the State 

 printer as early as the 4th of the preceding 

 January ; that the printer had been hindered 

 by a crowd of business, but would distribute 

 it within a week. 



On February 6th, the chairman of the Sen- 

 ate committee offered a resolution empower- 

 ing the committee to send for witnesses, books, 

 and papers, administer oaths, and compel the 

 attendance of witnesses, and asking lor the 

 appointment of two additional Senators upon 

 the committee, which was adopted, and the 

 two additional Senators were appointed. By 

 another resolution, adopted on the 10th, the 

 said committee was allowed an assistant ser- 

 geant-at-arms for the purpose of subpoenaing 

 witnesses, and other services. This committee 

 subsequently reported that the State funds 

 were not in the place and condition required ; 

 expressed dissatisfaction with the manner in 

 which the Treasurer had met and answered 

 their questions, and submitted recommenda- 

 tions calculated to secure order and safety in 

 the management of the Treasury. The report 

 was adopted, and referred to the Committee 

 on Finance, with instructions to report a hill 

 covering the said recommendations. 



The Committee on Finance shortly after re- 

 ported two hills. On the 27th a Senator point- 

 ed out some defectsHn these bills, and, saying 

 that an effort should be made to correct the 

 irregularities and abuses which had been shown 

 to exist in the Treasury Department, offered, 

 in lieu of them, two substitutes, one of them 

 creating a Board of Audit for immediate ac- 

 tion ; the other fixing the salary of the Treas- 

 urer at $3,000 per annum. These substitutes 

 were read, and referred to the Judiciary Com- 

 mittee. 



In the House of Representatives a resolu- 

 tion was offered on February 26th, "that 

 William Seeger, Treasurer of the State of Min- 

 nesota, be impeached for corrupt conduct in 

 office, and for crimes and misdemeanors." On 

 the following day a substitute by way of 

 amendment was offered, turning the resolution 

 of impeachment into one of censure. This 

 substitute consists of two resolutions, the sub- 

 stance of them being respectively, " that the 

 State Treasurer * * * was flagrantly neglect- 

 ful of his official duty in concealing the de- 

 linquency of his predecessor from the proper 

 officers of the State government ; and that no 

 ties of family relationship can be held to 

 justify the concealment of such official delin- 

 quency ; and further, that the past manage- 

 ment of the State Treasury as expressed by 

 the Senate committee of investigation calls 



