MEMORIALS. MEMORIAL to Congress on the subject of a Mail Route. To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the United States in Congress assembled. The Memorial of the Legislative Assembly of the Territory of Wisconsin respectfully sheweth: That the convenience and interests of a large portion of the people of this Territory, will clearly justify the establishment of a mail route from Racine on Lake Michigan, via Burlington, Racine county, Geneva, Walworth county, Beloit, Rock county, and White Oak Springs, Iowa county, to Galena in the State of Illinois. Your Memorialists would represent, that this route is situa ted in the midst of one of the most densely populated portions of the Territory, as yet almost entirely destitute of mail facilities, the inhabitants of which are laboring under a serious inconvenience arising from the want of a direct mail route through this rapidly flourishing district. Your Memorialists would therefore pray your honorable body to establish a mail route as above, and that the mail be transpor ted tri-weekly in four horse post coaches. APPROVED, February 24, 1845. MEMORIAL to Congress on the subject of the canal lands. Memorial of the Council and House of Representatives of the Territory of Wisconsin, to the Congress of the United States. The Memorial of the Legislative Assembly of the Territory of Wisconsin respectfully sheweth: That Congress by an act approved June 18th, 1838, granted to the Territory of Wisconsin, to aid in the construction of the Milwaukee and Rock River Canal, one-half of a strip of land ten miles wide, along the route of said canal, consisting of the odd numbered sections, and embracing about one hundred and forty thousand acres. This grant seems to have been induced by the belief that by the aid thus given, the canal would be soon constructed, that thereby the value, sale and settlement of the public lands would be rapidly promoted, and that a grant on these terms was ardently desired by the settlers on the canal line, and by the people of the Territory. By this act, the territory having accepted the grant, became a trustee, bound to apply the proceeds of said grant to aid the Canal Company in the construction of the canal, and accountable to the United States for such proceeds, in case the canal should not be completed within a limited time. The Territory, in execution of the trust, thus accepted, passed laws for the sale of the lands on a liberal credit, and for the borrowing of money upon the pledge of her faith and of the grant aforesaid. The project of constructing said canal is believed to be far be. yond the available resources of the company, and of the territory; and has long since been abandoned by its friends, by the company, and by the territory. It is believed that the canal grant has been a serious injury to the settlers upon it, and to those counties of the territory in which it lies. At every session of the Legislature, numerous petitions of the settlers, and of the public generally, have been presented, in which the petitioners complain of the burthens of the canal grant, and ask for measures of relief. It is complained that sai grant has greatly retarded the settlement and improvement of a large region of the finest country; that only a small part of the lands have been sold, and that the price is oppressively high. That in consequence of withholding the lands from market, for so long a time, the north part of the counties in which said grant lies, has Suffered much injury by doubts as to the ultimate security of titles in the hands of the settlers, thereby preventing improvements on the lands themselves, as also upon roads, school houses, &c.: and that the south part of said counties is subjected to an unequal burthen of taxation, by imposing upon the people there residing,the greater part of the county expenses. While such are the facts of the case, and while the legislature has been disposed to afford relief, it has been greatly embarrassed in its action by its relations to the canal company, and by the restrictions contained in the act of Congress. A small portion of the canal has been constructed near the termination at Milwaukee, which is believed to be very valuable for hydraulic purposes. The impracticability of continuing the work without larger and more available means, and in the present state of monetary affairs, is admitted on all hands. It appears that there have been sold of the land granted by Congress, 43,527 10-[100ths] acres, and that the whole amount of receipts from such sales, is $13,624 49. There has also been received from the sale of a territorial bond, (canal loan) $1,000,This has been disbursed pursuant to law, in the payment of offi. cers and of work done upon contracts. There are now outstanding direct liabilities against the territory, on account of the canal, to the amount of $15,059 43. It appears, also, that the canal company claim to have expended on account of the canal, over and above all receipts, $46,573 84. The Legislature, with a view to afford relief to the settlers on these lands, and extricate the Territory from the difficulties of its position, feel sensibly the necessity of early providing by law for the sale of the canal lands, and effecting a settlement with the canal company, by which all connection between it and the Territory may be dissolved. An effort for these purposes has been made at the present session of the legislature, and a law has been passed providing for the sale of the lands at the reduced price of one dollar and twenty-five cents per acre, unless the same shall be prohibited by Congress, and requiring the payment of so much of the balance due on lands previously sold as shall make the purchase money amount to one dollar and twenty-five cents per acre. The proceeds are to be applied in the first instance to pay certain debts of the Territory on account of the canal, and the balance to be kept in safe deposite, subject to the future action of the Legislature with the consent of Congress. This course has been adopted by the legislative assembly from a conviction of its imperious necessity in regard to the interests of a large and respectable portion of our fellow citizens, and with the ardent hope that it will meet the approval of Congress. In view of these facts, and to enable the legislature to adjust legally, at an early period, all matters concerning the canal, your memorialists request Congress to pass a law authorizing the Territory to effect a final settlement with the canal company, and to purchase the canal with all its privileges, to be paid for out of the proceeds of the sale of the canal lands, and that the same may be granted to the Territory. Your memorialists would also ask that the said canal lands, or the balance of the proceeds thereof may be donated to the Territory, to be appropriated to beneficial public uses. In this view we would suggest that the Territory has been compelled to incur a considerable debt for the completion of the capitol. The Territory also needs a Penitentiary, and has no means of building the same, except by a direct tax for the purpose, which the people are not able to bear. Your memorialists would therefore pray that the Territory be authorized to apropriate out of the proceeds of the sale of the canal lands, so much as shall be necessary to pay the debt incurred in completing the capitol, $50,000 for the building of a Penitentiary; $20,000 for the establishment of a normal school, and the balance for such beneficial purposes as the legislature may deem proper. Your memorialists would also respectfully call the attention of Congress to the condition of the. government lands within the bounds of the canal grant, and suggest that the same reasons which would render proper the reduction of the price of the cana] lands, bears with equal force upon the even sections, and as evidence ofthe necessity of that reduction, your memorialists would state from an official statement from the Register of the Milwau kee land office, in answer to a resolution from your memorialists it is stated that of the whole amount of government lands embraced within the grant, being about 140,000 acres, less than 19,000 acres have been entered at the land office, whilst said lands lay in one of the most populous districts of the Territory. And as in duty bound your memorialists will ever pray. MEMORIAL to the Congress of the United States, relative to a road from the Falls of St. Croix to LaPointe on Lake Superior. To the Honorable the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States in Congress assembled. The Memorial of the Legislative Assembly of the Territory of Wisconsin respectfully shows: that the business of an important portion of this Territory requires a road from the falls of St. Croix to LaPointe on Lake Superior, a distance of about three hundred miles. Your memorialists further state that the U. S. mail is carried nearly every two weeks from one of these points to the other, but that travelers are compelled to employ a pilot to enable them to find their place of destination. This road will need little more than a survey and an appropriation of two thousand dollars will be all that is necessary, and when laid out will make a direct communication from Fort Snelling, at St. Peters, and the Fort to be established at LaPointe, which, with the vast increase of business in this region, imperiously demands of your honorable body that measures be taken to establish such a road. APPROVED, February 10, 1845, |