USA > Minnesota > Renville County > The history of Renville County, Minnesota, Volume I > Part 31
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The census of the territory taken in 1849 by an order of Governor Ramsey issued June 11, although including the soldiers at the fort and pretty much every living soul in the territory except Indians, footed up the disappointing total of 4.764-of which number 3,058 were males and 1,706 were females. Addi- tional and revised returns made the population exactly 5,000- males. 3.253; females. 1,747.
Another proclamation issued July 7, 1849, divided the terri- tory into seven council districts and ordered an election to be held Angust 1 to choose one delegate to the house of representatives at Washington, and nine councillors and eighteen representatives to constitute the legislative assembly of Minnesota. The election passed off very quietly, polities entering scarcely at all into the contests, which were wholly personal. In all 682 votes were cast for the delegate to congress, Henry HI. Sibley, who was elected withont opposition.
The couneil districts were deseribed in Ramsey's proclamation as follows: "No. 1. The St. Croix precinet of St. Croix county,
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and the settlements on the west bank of the Mississippi south of Crow village to the Iowa line. 2. The Stillwater precinct of the county of St. Croix. 3. The St. Paul precinct (except Little Canada settlement). 4. Marine Mills. Falls of St. Croix, Rush Lake, Rice River and Snake River precincts. of St. Croix county and La Pointe county. 5. The Falls of St. Anthony precinet and the Little Canada settlement. 6. The Sauk Rapids and Crow Wing preeinets, of St. Croix county. and all settlements west of the Mississippi and north of the Osakis river, and a line thence west to the British line. 7. The country and settlements west of the Mississippi. not included in districts 1 and 6. The territory now embraced in Renville county was included in the Seventh district. which generally speaking included all the territory be- tween the Sauk and the Minnesota rivers and westward, but none of the settlements on the west bank of the Mississippi except such as might be found north of the settlements near St. Anthony Falls and south of the month of Sank river.
1:49-The first territorial legislature-called the territorial assembly-met Monday, September 3, in the Central House, St. Paul, a large log building weatherboarded. which served both as a state house and a hotel. It stood on practically the present site of the Mannheimer block. On the first floor of the main building was the secretary's office and the dining room was occupied as the Representatives' chamber. As the hour for dinner or supper approached the House had to adjourn to give the servants an op- portunity to make the necessary preparations for serving the meal. In the ladies' parlor on the second floor the Council con- vened for their deliberations. The legislature halls were not to exceed eighteen feet square. Governor Ramsey, during his entire term of office, had his executive office in his private residence, and the supreme court shifted from place to place as rooms could be rented for its use. Although congress had appropriated $20.000 for the erection of a capitol. the money could not be used as "a permanent seat of government " for the territory had not yet been selected, so the machinery of government had to be carted around in the most undignified manner. The Seventh district was repre- sented in the council by Martin MeLeod, of Lac qui Parle; and in the house of Alexis Bailly. of Mendota. and Gideon H. Pond, of Oak Grove.
1851-The second territorial legislature met January 1 and adjourned March 31. Martin MeLeod again represented the Seventh distriet in the council; while in the house were Alex- ander Faribault, of Mendota, and B. H. Randall, of Fort Snelling.
The territory, having been divided into counties, it was ap- portioned by the second territorial legislature (1851) into seven districts. Dakota county. which included the present Renville county, was the sixth district.
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1852-The third territorial legislature assembled January 7 and adjourned March 6. The Sixth distriet was represented in the council by Martin McLeod, of Oak Grove : and in the house by James MeBoal, of Mendota, and B. II. Randall, of Ft. Snelling.
1853-The fourth territorial legislature assembled January 5 and adjourned March 5. The Sixth district was again represented in the council by Martin McLeod. B. II. Randall was again in the house and the new member from the Sixth district was A. E. Ames. This legislature changed the boundary lines of certain counties and created certain new counties. The present Renville county fell in Pierce and Nicollet counties. In spite of these changes in county lines, the boundaries of the legislative districts remained the same.
Franklin Pierce having been elected president of the United States in the previous November, promptly proceeded after his inauguration. in accordance with the good old JJacksonian doc- trine. to remove the Whig officeholders and distribute the spoils among the vietors. The new territorial appointees were: Gov- ernor, Willis A. Gorman, of Indiana : secretary, I. T. Rosser, of Virginia : chief justice, W. H. Welch, of Minnesota ; associates, Moses Sherburne, of Maine; and A. G. Chatfield, of Wisconsin. Soon after entering on the duties of his office, Governor Gorman concluded a treaty at Watab with the Winnebago Indians for an exchange of territory. At the election in October Henry M. Rice was elected delegate to Congress.
1854-In 1854 the legislature of Minnesota for the first time assembled in a regular capitol building, its previous sessions having been held haphazard wherever accommodations could be had. This building, which was started as early as 1851, was totally destroyed by fire on the evening of March 1. 1881, while both branches of the legislature were in session. Some of the more valiable papers in the various offices were saved, but the law library and many thousands of documents and reports were burned. The total loss was about $200,000. The present "Old Capitol" was erected on the site of the first building. The fifth session assembled January 4 and adjourned March 4. The Sixth district was represented in the council by Joseph R. Brown; and in the house by Hezekiah Fletcher and William H. Nobles.
1855-The sixth territorial legislature assembled January 3 and adjourned March 3. JJoseph R. Brown again represented the Sixth distriet in the council, and Henry Il. Sibley and D. M. Hanson represented the district in the house. It was this legis- lature that created Renville county.
By the apportionment of 1855 Renville county was placed in the Tenth distriet with Le Suenr. Steele. Faribault. Blue Earth, Brown, Nicollet, Sibley and Pierce.
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1856-The seventh territorial legislature assembled JJanuary 2 and adjourned March 1. The Tenth district was represented in the council by C. E. Flandrau and in the house by Parsons K. Johnson, Aurelius F. de La Vergne and George A. McLeod.
1857-The eighth and last territorial legislature assembled January 7 and adjourned March 7. The extra session lasted from April 27 to May 20. The Tenth distriet was represented in the council by P. P. Humphrey and in the house by Joseph R. Brown. Francis Baasen and O. A. Thomas.
CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION.
March 3. 1857, congress passed an act authorizing the people of Minnesota to form a state constitution. Each council district was to be represented in this convention by two representatives for each councilman and representative to which it was entitled. The constitutional convention, consisting of 108 members, was authorized to meet at the capital on the second Monday in July, to frame a state constitution and submit it to the people of the territory. The election was held on the first Monday in June. 1857. JJuly 13 the delegates met but, a disagreement arising in the organization, the Republican members organized one body and the Democrats another, fifty-nine delegates being given seats in the former and fifty-three in the latter, making 112 in all. Each of these bodies, claiming to be the legally constituted con- vention, proceeded with the work of formulating an instrument to be submitted to the people. After some days an understand- ing was effected between them, and by means of a committee of conference, the same constitution was framed and adopted by both bodies. On being submitted to the people, October 13, 1857, it was ratified.
The Tenth distriet was represented in the Republican wing by Amos Cogswell, Lewis MeKune, and Edwin Page Davis. On the Democratie side, from the Tenth district, sat : . Joseph R. Brown, C. E. Flandrau, Francis Baasen, William B. MeMahon, and J. B. Swan.
The history of this convention is so graphically given by W. H. C. Folsom, who was one of its members, in his interesting volume, "Fifty Years in the Northwest, " that we quote it almost entire :
"The state was nearly equally divided between the Repub- lieans and Democrats, still the question of politics did not enter largely into the contest except as a question of party supremaey. The people were a unit on the question of organizing a state government under the enabling aet and in many cases there was but a single ticket in the field. It was a matter, therefore, of some surprise that there should be a separation among the dele- gates into opposing factions, resulting practically in the forma-
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tion of two conventions, each claiming to represent the people and each proposing a constitution. The delegates, although but 108 were ealled. were numbered on the rolls of the two wings as 59 Republican and 53 Democratie, a diserepancy arising from some irregularity of enrollment. by which certain memberships were counted twice. The Republican members, claiming a bare ma- jority, took possession of the hall at midnight, twelve hours before the legal time for opening the convention, the object being to obtain control of the offices and committees of the convention, a manifest advantage in the matter of deciding upon contested seats.
"In obedience to the eall of the leaders of the party. issned the day before, the writer, with other Republicans, repaired to the house at the appointed hour, produced his credentials as a delegate, and was conducted into the illuminated hall of Hon. John W. North. The delegates were dispersed variously about the hall, some chatting together, others reading newspapers, smoking or snoring, and here and there one had fallen asleep in his seat. Occasionally a delegate nervously examined his revolver as if he anticipated some necessity for its nse.
"The Democratic delegates were elsewhere, probably plotting in secret conclave to capture the hall, and perhaps it might be well enough to be prepared for the worst. Thus the remainder of the night passed and the forenoon of July 13. As soon as the eloek struck twelve the Demoeratie delegates rushed tumultu- ously in, as if with the purpose of capturing the speaker's stand. That, however, was already occupied by the Republican dele- gates and the storming party was obliged to content itself with the lower steps of the stand. Both parties at the moment the elock ceased striking were yelling "order" voeiferously, and nominating their officers pro tem. Both parties effected a tem- porary organization, although in the uproar and confusion it was difficult to know what was done.
"The Democratic wing adjourned at once to the senate cham- ber and there effected a permanent organization. The Repub- licans, being left in undisturbed possession of the hall, perfected their organization, and the two factions set themselves diligently to work to frame a constitution. each claiming to be the legally constituted convention, and expecting recognition as such by the people of the state and congress. The debates in each were acri- monious. A few of the more moderate delegates in each recog- nized the absurdity and illegality of their position and questioned the propriety of remaining and participating in proceedings which they could not sanction,
"The conventions continued their sessions inharmoniously enough. Each framed a constitution, at the completion of which a joint committee was appointed to revise and harmonize the two
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constitutions, but the members of the committees were as bellig- erent as the conventions they represented. Members grew angry, abusing each other with words and even blows, blood being drawn in an argument with bhidgeons between two of the dele- gates. An agreement seemed impossible, when some one whose name has not found its way into history, made the happy sugges- tion that alternate articles of each constitution be adopted. When this was done. and the joint production of the two conven- tions was in presentable shape, another and almost fatal difficulty arose. as to which wing should be accorded the honor of signing officially this remarkable doemment. One body or the other must acknowledge the paternity of the hybrid. Ingenuity amounting to genius (it is a pity that the possessor should be unknown! found a new expedient, namely. to write out two constitutions in full. exact duplicates except as to signatures, the one to be signed by Democratie officers and members and the other by Ro- publicans. These two constitutions were filed in the archives of the state and one of them, which one will probably never be known, was adopted by the people October 13, 1557."
Mr. Folsom is slightly in error. The enabling act did not specify any hour for the meeting of the convention, nor did it designate any definite place in the capitol where the sessions should be held. both of which omissions contributed to the con- fusion in organization. W. W. Folwell, in his " History of Min- nesota." narrates the preliminaries as follows: "To make sure of being on hand, the Republican delegates repaired to the capitol late on the Sunday night preceding the first Monday in June and remained there. as one of them phrased it, 'to watch and pray for the Democratie brethren." These did not appear till a few moments before twelve o'clock of the appointed day. Imme- diately upon their entrance in a body into the representatives' hall Charles R. Chase, secretary of the territory and a delegate, proceeded to the speaker's desk and called to order. A motion to adjourn was made by Colonel Gorman, and the question was taken by Chase, who declared it carried. The Democrats left the hall to the Republicans, who proceeded to organize the con- vention. Fifty-six delegates presented credentials in proper form and took their oaths to support the constitution of the United States. At noon of Tuesday the Democratic delegates assembled about the door of the hall, and finding it oreupied by citizens who refused to give them place, met in the adjacent council cham- ber and proceeded to organize the convention. Henry HI. Sibley was made chairman, on motion of Joseph R. Brown, and later became president of the body."
After the adjournment of the constitutional convention the Republicans and Democrats held their party conventions, each nominating a full state ticket and three candidates for Congress.
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The Republican candidate for governor was Alexander Ramsey and the Democratic candidate Henry II. Sibley. The election was held October 13, 1857. the constitution being adopted by an overwhelming vote: H. 11. Sibley was elected governor by a majority of only 240 in a total of 35,240 votes, and the Demo- erats had a small majority in the legislature.
STATE REPRESENTATION.
The first Minnesota state legislature assembled December 2. 1857. There was a serious question, however, as to whether it was really a state legislature, as Minnesota had not yet been admitted to the Union. There was a question as to the recog- nition of Samnel Medary, the territorial governor, as governor of the state, but by a vote of 59 to 49 he was so recognized by the legislature, and he, in turn, in his message recognized the law-making body as a state legislature. None of the state officers could take the oath of office, and the Republican members of the legislature entered a formal protest against any business what- ever being done until after the admission of the state as a member of the Union. But the Demoerats having a majority, decided to hold a joint convention December 19 for the election of two United States senators. Henry M. Rice was elected for the long term on the first ballot, but it was not until after several ballot- ings that General James Shields won the short term. He was a new comer from Illinois and his election was a bitter pill for many of the old Democratie war-horses, such as Sibley, Steele, Brown and Gorman.
As a means of relieving the state from the awkward predica- ment in which it was placed the legislature adopted March 1 an amendment to the constitution authorizing the newly-elected offieers to qualify May 1, whether the state was admitted by that date or not, this amendment to be submitted to the voters at an election called for April 15. A second amendment, submitted at the same time, provided for the famous $5,000,000 railroad bond loan, which was the cause of great loss and great bitterness to the people. Both amendments were overwhelmingly adopted, but in November, 1860, the bond amendment was expunged from the constitution, after $2,275,000 bonds had been issued. The legislature, March 25, took a recess until June 2.
In the meantime the steps looking toward the recognition of Minnesota's statehood by Congress had lagged sadly. For some unknown reason President Buchanan had delayed until the mid- dle of January, 1858, transmitting to the United States Senate the constitution adopted by the people. A bill for the admission of Minnesota as a state was introduced by Stephen A. Douglas. chairman of the committee on territories. When this bill eame up February 1, there was a prolonged diseussion, a number of the
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senators being in opposition because it would add another to the number of free states, thus disturbing the "balance of pow- er" between the free and slave states. Among those participat- ing in the debate were Senators Douglas, Wilson, Gwin, Hale, Mason, Green, Brown and Crittenden, the latter being much more moderate in his expressions than most of his fellow senators from the South. The debate continued until April 8. when the English bill, which provided for the admission of Kansas as a supposed slave state having passed. the opposition ceased, and Minnesota's bill was adopted by a vote of 49 to 3. The bill then went to the House, where it met the same kind of objections as had been raised in the Senate, the English bill standing in the way until May 4, when it was passed. One week later, May 11, the bill admitting Minnesota, passed the House by a vote of 157 to 38. the following day receiving the approval of the President. and May 12, 1858, Minnesota obtained full recognition as a state in the Union. Informal news of the action of Congress reached St. Paul, by telegraphie information brought from La Crosse. Wisconsin. May 13, but the official notice was not received until some days later, and May 24 the state officers elected in October, 1858, took their oaths of office.
1857-58-The first state legislature. as already noted. assem- bled December 2, 1857. On March 25, 1858, it took a recess umtil June 28, and finally adjourned August 12. The state was ad- mitted May 11, 1858. It will, therefore be seen that, although this legislature is called the first state legislature, nevertheless it assembled in territorial times. By the apportionment of 1857 set forth in the state constitution adopted October 13, 1857, Sib- ley, Renville and MeLeod counties constituted the Eighteenth distriet with one senator and three representatives. The Eighteenth district was represented in the senate by Elijah T. Mixer. John D. Stevens, Michael Cummings and Henry Poehler sat in the house.
1858-59- No session was held in the winter of 1858-59, mainly owing to the protracted session of 1857-58, which was believed to render unnecessary another one following so soon, the legis- lature of that year having so provided by enactment.
1859-60-The second state legislature assembled December 7, 1859, and adjourned March 12. 1860. The Eighteenth district was represented in the senate by John HI. Stevens and in the house by Peter Wilkins. Mathew Donohue, and Hamilton Beatty.
By the apportionment of 1860 Renville county was placed in the Nineteenth district, which was to have one senator and two representatives. The other counties in the district were Nicollet, Sibley, Brown, Pierce, Davis counties west of range 33.
1861-The third state legislature assembled January 8 and ad- journed March 8. The Nineteenth district was represented in the
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senate by James W. Linde and the house by M. G. Hanscome and E. E. Paulding.
1862-The fourth state legislature assembled January 7 and adjourned March 4. The Nineteenth distriet was represented in the senate by Henry A. Swift and in the house by M. J. Severance and Adam Buek, Jr.
On account of the Indian outbreak in 1862, an extra session was called by the governor. It assembled September 9 and ad- journed September 29. The officers and members were the same as at the regular session, except that L. K. Asker, from-the Ninth distriet, was not present at the regular session, but presented his credentials to the second session.
1863-The fifth state legislature assembled January 6 and ad- journed March 6. The Nineteenth distriet was represented in the senate by Henry A. Swift and in the house by William Huey and W. Tennant.
1864-The sixth state legislature assembled Jannary 5, and adjourned March 5. The Nineteenth distriet was represented in the senate by Henry A. Swift and in the house by Samuel Coffin and William IIney.
1865-The seventh state legislature assembled January 3 and adjourned March 3. The Nineteenth distriet was represented in the senate by Henry A. Swift and in the house by Hamilton Beatty and Henry Poehler.
1866-The eighth state legislature assembled JJanuary 2 and adjourned March 2. The Nineteenth distriet was represented in the senate by Charles T. Brown and in the house by Thomas Russell and J. S. G. Honer.
By the apportionment of 1866 Redwood county was added to the Nineteenth district. It was to be represented by one senator and two representatives.
1867-The ninth state legislature assembled January 8 and ad- journed March S. The Nineteenth distriet was represented in the senate by Adam Buck and in the house by Charles T. Brown and D. G. Shilloek.
1868-The tenth state legislature assembled January 7 and adjourned March 6. The Nineteenth distriet was represented in the senate by Charles T. Brown and in the house by John C. Ru- dolph and Adam Buck.
1869-The eleventh state legislature assembled Jannary 5 and adjourned March 5. The Nineteenth distriet was represented in the senate by Charles T. Brown and in the house by J. C. Rudolph and J. C. Stoever.
1870-The twelfth state legislature assembled Jannary 4 and adjourned March 3. The Nineteenth distriet was represented in the senate by William Pfaender and in the house by William L. Couplin and P. H. Swift.
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1871-The thirteenth state legislature assembled January 8 and adjourned March 3. The Nineteenth distriet was repre- sented in the senate by William Pfaender and in the honse by W. L. Couplin and J. S. G. Honner.
By the apportionment of 1871 Renville and Nicollet counties were placed in the Thirty-fourth distriet and were to have one senator and three representatives.
1-72-The fourteenth state legislature assembled Jannary 2 and adjourned March 2. The Thirty-fourth district was repre- sented in the senate by Marshall B. Stone and in the house by H. E. Wadsworth. Hans C. Hanson and J. H. Dunham.
1×73-The fifteenth state legislature assembled January 7 and adjourned March 7. The Thirty-fourth district was represented in the senate by Marshall B. Stone and in the house by Francis Baasen, E. St. Julien Cox, and David Benson.
1874-The sixteenth state legislature assembled January 6 and adjourned March 6. The Thirty-fourth distriet was represented in the senate by E. St. Julien Cox and in the house by John N. Treadwell, Peter II. MeDermid and David Benson.
1875-The seventeenth state legislature assembled January 5 and adjourned March 5. The Thirty-fourth district was repre- sented in the senate by E. St. Julien Cox and in the house by John N. Treadwell, P. II. MeDermid and David Benson.
1876-The eighteenth state legislature assembled January 4 and adjourned March 3. The Thirty-fourth district was repre- sented in the senate by J. T. Schoenbeck and in the house by D. S. Ilall, Andrew Nelson and Nicholas Sons.
1877-The nineteenth state legislature assembled January 2 and adjourned March 2. The Thirty-fourth distriet was repre- sented in the senate by J. T. Schoenbeck and in the house by Isaac Lundeen. W. J. Bean and David Benson.
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