On February 25th, at this same session, an act was passed to incorporate the University of Minnesota, to be located at or near the Falls of St. Anthony, to be governed by Regents who were authorized to select a site and erect buildings.

The passage of bills authorizing the capitol building at St. Paul, the prison at Stillwater, and the University at St. Anthony, all within a month, seems to confirm very clearly the agreement alleged to have been made in the legislature for the distribution and location of the public buildings,-an agreement which from that time to this there has never been an attempt to violate, excepting in regard to the location of the Capitol.

Pursuant to the Act of February 7th, 1851, the Building Commissioners were duly elected, and in their first report to the legis lature, February 5th, 1852, stated that D. F. Brawley and Louis Robert were elected from the Ramsey county district; J. McKusick, from Washington county; and E. A. C. Hatch, from the Benton county district.

The Board elected D. F. Brawley building commissioner for the erection of the Capitol building, and J. McKusick building commissioner for the Territorial Prison.

At its second meeting, May 20th, 1851, the Board proceeded to select a site for the Capitol building, whereupon Mr. Robert moved that Block No. 12 of Robert & Randall's Addition be chosen, being the block opposite to the present old Capitol, bounded by Cedar, Minnesota, Ninth and Tenth streets, on which the Central Presbyterian Church now stands. The site was to be donated, and was to comprise at least four acres of ground, including the streets.

On June 27th, Col. Wilkin," the attorney of the Board, reported the title of the above property to be imperfect, whereupon the Board proceeded to select another site. Commissioner Hatch moved that Block No. 7 in Rice & Irvine's Addition to St. Paul be chosen. provided the owners donate the block and bind themselves to effectually drain the property. This block is opposite the new Post Office, being bounded by Washington, Franklin, Fifth and Sixth streets.

The motion, however, was lost, and thereupon Commis

*Col. Alexander Wilkin was killed, during the Civil War, while gallantly commanding his regiment, the Ninth Minnesota, at the battle of Tupelo, Mi.. July 14, 1864.

sioner Robert moved that Charles Bazille's offer of Block 6, Bazille's Addition to St. Paul, be accepted, being the block upon which the old Capitol building now stands. The motion was adopted and the question of site finally settled.

The plans of the Capitol building submitted by N. C. Prentiss were accepted, and an order for $50 in payment therefor was directed to be drawn in his favor. The dimensions of the building were 139 feet front, by 5312 feet deep, with a wing in the rear 44 by 52 feet. A Greek porch fronting on Exchange street adorned the otherwise extremely plain structure.

On May 24th, 1851, five days after the Board was organized an advertisement was published, inviting proposals for the erection of the building, according to the plans; and on July 15th the Board decided the bid of Joseph Daniels, of $17,000, to be the lowest, and directed the attorney to draw up a contract. In its report to the Legislature, the Board stated that the contract was for the completion of the exterior of the building entire, according to the plans adopted, and the Council Chamber, Representative Hall, Governor's, Secretary's and Clerk's rooms to be finished in a suitable manner.

The lowest bid for the completion of the Capitol was $33,000. The report states that the contract entered into by the Board does not contemplate an entire completion of the building. The Territorial Commissioners were evidently daring cititzens, to let a contract for a building to be paid for from funds which the Secretary of the United States had decided could be used only when the permanent seat of government had been fixed by the people. They contracted to expend, for an incomplete building, almost the whole of the appropriation of $20,000 given by the government to the Territory for its Capitol.

With great frankness they then suggest, in their report to the Legislature, that it memorialize. Congress for an additional appropriation of $20,000 to provide funds to complete the building, and suitably to lay out the grounds and enclose them with a stone wall and an iron fence. This the Legislature proceeded to do, at its next session, with a happy response by the government, partially acceding to the request, in granting an additional $12,500 to complete the Capitol building.

LATER LEGISLATURES AND THE FIRST CAPITOL.

The third legislative session met January 7th, 1852, and assembled in what was known as the Goodrich Block, on Third street below Jackson, which is now a part of the Merchants' Hotel.

The fourth session met on January 5th, 1853, in the two-story brick building on the corner of Third and Minnesota streets.

The new Capitol building (shown in Plate III.) was first occupied by the Legislature in its fifth session, on January 4th, 1854. The Commissioners, in their report to the Legislature, announce the completion of the building, excepting the fitting of the Supreme Court room, which was then in progress. Like all public buildings, more money is reported as needed, and the Legislature is recommended to memorialize Congress for further appropriations to build and fence, and to complete other unfinished details.

Governor Gorman, who had been appointed by President Pierce to succeed Governor Ramsey, occupied the Executive Chamber in the new Capitol on July 21st, 1853.

In looking over the proceedings of the Commissioners, old settlers will be interested in the mention of the names of those connected with the erection of the Territorial Capitol, of Joseph Daniels, I. P. Wright, C. P. V. Lull, Downer & Mason, J. T. Rosser, afterwards a general in the Confederate army, and Secretary Isaac Van Etten, besides the Commissioners already named.

The total cost of the building appears to have been $31,222.65.

ATTEMPT TO REMOVE THE CAPITAL TO ST. PETER.

The Legislature continued to meet and hold its sessions, year. after year, with nothing of special note to disturb the placidity of its proceedings, until the memorable session of 1857, when an almost successful attempt was made to remove the Capital to St. Peter. It appears that a company, called the St. Peter Company, had been organized, and, in anticipation of the success of their project, had erected temporary buildings at St. Peter, for the accommodation of the territorial government, with the promise that, upon the removal of the Capital to that point, buildings equal or superior to the ones occupied at St. Paul would be erected and donated to the Territory.