OCCUPATION OF THE MARKET HOUSE.

While the old Capitol was still in flames and its destruction evident, Mayor Dawson telegraphed to Governor Pillsbury, who had gone home to Minneapolis, offering the new and commodious market house, which the city of St. Paul had just about completed. for the use of the legislature and State officers until the Capitol could be rebuilt. Fortunately, the building was admirably adapted for the use tendered. The second story had two large halls, that could be used for the Senate and House of Representatives, and the first floor could be suitably partitioned for the State officers. Extraordinary efforts were made during the night by the city officers and citizens, and by the morning of March 2nd the halls were ready for occupancy by the legislature, which met at the regular hour and continued the business interrupted by the fire. but two days of the session remained, the members were all anxious. for the fate of the bills still on the calendar. Before the day was over the Governor and other State officers were as comfortably accommodated as the extraordinary conditions permitted.

THE SECOND CAPITOL,

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Governor Pillsbury secured estimates at once for the rebuilding of the Capitol, using the old walls. An act was passed appropriating $75,000 for that purpose, and the work of clearing up the ruins and preparing for the new building was at once commenced. It was found, however, that it would not be safe to use the old walls, and at an extra session, in September, 1881, which was also held in the city market house, a further appropriation of $100,000 was made, and a tax of one-third of a mill was levied on all taxable property, for raising the money. Further appropriations were made, and when the new Capitol was completed the cost was about $275,000. It was occupied for the first time by the legislature which met in January, 1883.

The new building (shown in Plate VI) was in the form of a Greek cross. The Senate chamber was in the wing fronting on Wabasha street, and the House of Representatives was in the rear wing, fronting on Tenth street. The Supreme Court was in the Exchange street front. The building was much more commodious and convenient than the old Capitol.

It was fairly well adapted for its purposes, excepting that the ventilation was very deficient, and there was not a sufficient number of committee rooms. All excepting the principal committees were obliged to hold their meetings in the rooms of members at the hotels, or in such corners and vacant places as could be secured.

This new and second capitol was not rebuilt without the St. Paul delegation and the citizens suffering serious nervous chills. A most vigorous move was set on foot, the morning after the destruction of the old building, to remove the capital from St. Paul, and great inducements were said to have been offered to members of the legislature to consider the proposition. Some of the most influental members were approached, urging them to assist in such movement. Governor Pillsbury, however, was inflexible in his refusal to entertain any consideration of the question, and an honorable sense of fairness with a majority of the members caused the leaders in the scheme finally to desist from their attempt, and the legislature adjourned; after having made all necessary provisions for the construction of the second capitol.

After completion, the building continued to be used through successive administrations without any special changes, excepting that during the administration of Governor Merriam substantial granite steps were erected in place of the wooden ones at the four principal entrances. Convenient toilet rooms were also installed on the second floor, much to the comfort of the members of the legislature and the state officers.

From the time the new capitol was finished, in 1883, until the meeting of the legislature of 1891, there was no active agitation of the question of the seat of the state government. The matter of its removal from St. Paul was, however, always a valuable element of strength with those members of the legislature who desired the help of the Ramsey county delegation in their legislative schemes.

The writer was a member of the Senate of the legislature that convened in January, 1891. A very short service only was necessary to impress anyone with the inadequacy of the building for the business of the state. The offices were all crowded to repletion. Several departments of the state had their offices in business blocks remote from the capitol. Every nook and cranny in the building was converted into a closet for storage of documents

or a place for another desk. The ventilation, if there was any. was most imperfect. During the session seats were constantly vacant in each chamber, because of the illness of members suffering from the noxious air. The secretary of the State Board of Health was called in to test the quality of the air in the senate chamber, and he pronounced it utterly unfit for human beings to breathe. For legislation to be well considered and carefully discussed under such conditions was wellnigh impossible. Besides all these discomforts, the Ramsey county delegation was subjected to the same uneasy fear that frequent intimations of capital removal schemes always produced.

Notwithstanding all these unfavorable conditions, it did not seem at all likely that a legislature, of which the majority of the members were elected on a platform of retrenchment and reform, would give the slightest consideration to any project looking towards the construction of a new and third capitol, especially as the building in use had only been occupied about eight years. Yet there was withal an uneasy element in the legislature, ready and anxious for capital removal agitation, as evidenced by the résolution offered by Senator Dedon, of Chisago county, on March 2nd, "that a joint committee of nine be appointed, three from the Senate and six from the House, to confer with the owners of the Minneapolis Exposition building, with a view of securing the same for a permanent state capitol," and the bill introduced by Senator Glader, of Kandiyohi, "For the sale of lots in the city of Mennetaga on the state capitol lands in Kandiyohi county, and the erection of buildings thereat and the removal of the state capital thereto."

Both resolution and bill were disposed of in a parliamentary way so that they still remain unreported.

WORK OF THE SENATE COMMITTEE FOR THE NEW CAPITOL.

One day in March, 1891, during a session of the senate, the Hon. F. G. McMillan, representing the 30th senatorial district, in Hennepin county, adjoining the Ramsey county boundary, and a member of the majority party, came to the writer and submitted the following resolution, with a request to read and give him an opinion on it: