Probably no election ever occurred in Minnesota that excited so much interest as the one known as the "Five Million Loan Election." It was not a party measure, as the leading men of both parties favored it; although the Republicans endeavored to make a little capital out of it at a later period. The only paper of any prominence that opposed the passage of the amendment was the Minnesotian, edited by Dr. Thomas Foster. That paper was very violent in its abuse of every one who favored the passage of the law, and its opposition probably had an opposite effect from what was intended by the redoubtable doctor. The great panic of 1857 had had a very depressing effect on business of every description and it was contended that the passage of this measure would give employment to thousands of people; that the rumbling of the locomotive would soon be heard in every corner of the state, and that the dealer in town lots and broad acres would again be able to complacently inform the newcomer the exact locality where a few dollars would soon bring to the investor returns unheard of by any ordinary methods of speculation. The campaign was short and the amendment carried by an immense majority. So nearly unanimous was the sentiment of the community in favor of the measure that it was extremely hazardous for any one to express sentiments In opposition to it. The city of St. Paul, with a population of about 10,000, gave a majority of over 4,000 for the law. There was no Australian law at that time, and one could vote early and often without fear of molestation. One of the amusing features of the campaign, and in opposition to the measure, was a cartoon drawn by R.O. Sweeney, now a resident of Duluth. It was lithographed and widely circulated. The newspapers had no facilities for printing cartoons at that time. They had to be printed on a hand press and folded into the papers. It was proposed, by the terms of this amendment to the constitution, to donate to four different railroad companies $10,000 per mile for every mile of road graded and ready to iron. Work Was commenced soon after the passage of the law, and in a short time a demand was made by the railroad companies upon Gov. Sibley for the issuance of the bonds, in accordance with their idea of the terms of the contract made by the state. Gov. Sibley declined to issue the bonds until the rights of the state had been fully protected. The railroad companies would not accept the restrictions placed upon them by the governor, and they obtained a peremptory writ from the supreme court directing that they be issued. The governor held that the supreme court had no authority to coerce the executive branch of the state government, but on the advice of the attorney general, and rather than have any friction between the two branches of the government, he, in accordance with the mandate of the court, reluctantly signed the bonds. Judge Flandrau dissented from the opinion of his colleagues, and had his ideas