Fifty Years In The Northwest / With An Introduction And Appendix Containing Reminiscences, Incidents And Notes

by William H. C. Folsom

Third—What official correspondence, if any, has passed between the governor and the acting governor in regard to this matter.

On motion the resolution was adopted.

Mr. Sheetz, from the committee appointed to communicate with the acting governor relative to the admission of the state of Minnesota, submitted the following report:

To the Honorable House of Representatives:

Your committee appointed to inquire into the causes of the probable delay in the admission of Minnesota into the Union, ask leave to make the following report:

Your committee find that according to section 8 of the schedule to the constitution, it is made the duty of the governor of the Territory, upon the adoption of the constitution by the people, to forward a certified copy of the constitution to the president of the United States, to be by him submitted to Congress.

Your committee have conferred with his excellency, Acting Gov. Chase, and have ascertained from him that at or about the time of the adjournment of the constitutional conventions, there were deposited with him, as acting governor in the absence of Gov. Medary, two copies of the constitution as adopted by the two branches of the constitutional convention, one copy signed by fifty-one members of the Democratic branch of the convention, and the other signed by fifty-three members of the Republican branch of the convention, that the two copies were preserved by him in the same safe, side by side where they now are.

Your committee are further informed that a short time prior to the departure of our senators and representatives elect for Washington, the governor caused to be made a transcript of the constitution as requested by the schedule and that instrument, which transcript was forwarded to the president of the United States.

No record is known to your committee to exist of the time and manner of making such transcript, and your committee, in the absence of the governor and his private secretary, can not ascertain whether said transcript contained the names of the members of the two branches of the constitutional convention or not.

Your committee are also informed by Acting Gov. Chase that there has been no official correspondence between the governor and himself upon this subject since the departure of the former for Washington.