MINNESOTA. 



507 



Lands. In January the Secretary of the In- 

 terior affirmed the decision of the Commissioner 

 of the General Land Office in the case of Arch- 

 bishop John Ireland, involving the title to 33,178 

 acres in the State. It is held that under the first 

 contract, made with the St. Paul, Minnesota and 

 Manitoba Railroad Company on July 17, 1880', 

 Archbishop Ireland was not a purchaser, but that 

 under the second contract, made on March 30, 

 1883, he was a purchaser. Accordingly, the lands 

 covered by the first contracts will not go to him, 

 while he will receive those under the second con- 

 tract. The case has been pending several years, 

 and involves the titles of a large number of set- 

 tlers. The archbishop secured the lands for set- 

 tlers, .an Irish settlement was made, and most 

 of the lands have passed to these settlers. There 

 still remained, however, a good many acres not 

 sold or only partly paid for. Most of the lands 

 are in the vicinity of Graceville. 



The trouble over the Cass lake lands appears 

 to have been settled in July by a decision of the 

 secretary to sell the lands to the highest bidder 

 as timber land under the Nelson act. Although 

 the settlers are regarded as trespassers, yet they 

 have settled w r ith the expectation that the lands 

 were to come into the market, and therefore it is 

 thought best not to press them to leave. 



National Forest Organization. At Chicago, 

 Aug. 11, an organization was formed with the 

 object of preserving the forests about Itasca, 

 Leech, Cass, and other lakes in northern Minne- 

 sota. It is called the Minnesota National Park 

 and Forestry Association. Cyrus M. Northrup, 

 of the University of Minnesota, is president, and 

 Gov. Roosevelt, of New York, first vice-president. 

 The object is to preserve as a great national 

 park, as far as practicable, the native forests, 

 waters, and topography of an extensive tract in 

 the northern part of Minnesota, together with 

 the w r ild game in the woods; that an intelligent 

 system of forestry may be established therein, 

 and that citizens may have for generations to 

 come a great region abounding in native and cul- 

 tivated forests and waters, to which they can 

 resort in search of health and enjoyment, and that 

 the preservation and renewal of the forests may 

 be inaugurated in the central Western States. 



Court Decision. The law of 1894 prescribing 

 the manner of listing for taxation the property 

 of companies other than banking, railroad, tele- 

 graph, and insurance was declared void, in so 

 far as it provided for deducting the indebtedness 

 of a company from the value of its stock, on the 

 ground that the result is inequality of taxation. 



Legislative Session. The thirty-first session 

 of the Legislature began Jan. 3 and continued 

 till April 18. Lieut.-Gov. Smith presided over 

 the Senate and Hon. A. N. Dare over the House. 



In joint session, Jan. 18, United States Senator 

 Cushman K. Davis was re-elected, having re- 

 ceived 136 votes in both houses, against 42 for 

 Charles A. Towne, candidate of the Democrats 

 and Populists. 



A constitutional amendment was passed, to be 

 submitted to vote at the November election of 

 1900, for permitting permanent school and uni- 

 versity funds to be invested in local government 

 bonds which will not make debts exceed 15 per 

 cent, of assessed valuation. The present limit is 

 7 per cent. 



Resolutions were passed requesting representa- 

 tives of the State in Congress to use their influ- 

 ence in favor of a constitutional amendment pro- 

 viding for the election of Senators by direct vote 

 of the people; also asking them to oppose the 

 seating of Mr. Roberts, of Utah. 



Very soon after the opening of the session a 

 concurrent resolution was passed calling for i 

 vestigation of alleged abuses in connection wi 



the .State binding-twine plant and the adminis- 

 tration of the grain inspection department. As 

 a consequence of the inquiry an act was passed 

 to regulate the sale of twine made; at the Peni- 

 tentiary, and a board of appeals for grain in- 

 spection disagreements was created. 



Hereafter the Railroad and Warehouse Com- 

 missioners are to be elected by the people, not ap- 

 pointed by the Governor; and the term is length- 

 ened from three years to four. 



New State boards and commissions are: A 

 board of forestry, a board of electricity, and a 

 library commission. Forest reserves were desig- 

 nated, and the fish and game laws were amended. 

 Electricians must be registered after evidence 

 that they possess required qualifications, but em- 

 ployees of interstate telegraph and telephone 

 companies are exempt. The Library Commission 

 is to provide for traveling libraries. A commis- 

 sion was created to settle State claims when 

 collection is unfair or doubtful. 



The legal rate of interest was reduced from 7 

 to 6 per cent. Interest on State deposits in banks 

 may not be less than 2 per cent, instead of 3, 

 as heretofore. 



State institutions are forbidden to exceed their 

 appropriations except that, in cases of calamity, 

 the Governor, Auditor, and Treasurer may au- 

 thorize special necessary expenditures, and debts 

 made before appropriations are not lawful. Cities 

 of fewer than 10,000 population may issue bonds 

 for not more than $16,000 for sites for State 

 institutions. Asylums for the insane are to be built 

 at Anoka and at Hastings, on the cottage plan; 

 the cottages are to be not more than two stories 

 high; for land $15,000 was appropriated, and for 

 buildings $125,000. Orphan asylums and homes 

 for the indigent were exempted from taxation. 

 Two or more counties with a joint population of 

 25,000 may establish district almshouses. 



The election laws were changed in some par- 

 ticulars. The use of voting machines is allowed. 

 Townships are permitted to buy voting places 

 in incorporated villages. When townships cast 

 fewer than 400 votes they may be consolidated 

 to form election districts. In regard to primaries, 

 it was provided that in counties of 200.000 the 

 nominees of the parties must be chosen by popu- 

 lar vote on Tuesday, seven weeks before the elec- 

 tion. The same election officers must act for 

 all parties. Assessors are to be elected by the 

 people, not the council, in villages constituting 

 separate election districts. 



Measures in reference to corporations provided 

 that foreign corporations are to have public of- 

 fices in the State and file articles and statements 

 of property with the Secretary of State, license 

 fees to be on proportion of capital stock. After 

 assignment of a corporation or appointment of a 

 receiver the court may proceed at once, after 

 petition of creditor, assignee, or receiver, to en- 

 force the law in regard to the liability of stock- 

 holders, and make assessments. Stockholders not 

 already parties to suits may be assessed after 

 final judgment. Co-operative associations that 

 have not declared a dividend for five years may 

 be dissolved by the court on petition of five stock- 

 holders. 



One fifth 'of the net profit of a bank, instead of 

 one tenth, is to go to the surplus fund. 



A defendant is permitted to file an affidavit of 

 prejudice against a court commissioner when 

 brought before him for examination. 



A law was made providing for the licensing and 



