The Portland gazette. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1818-1824, 1819-07-06

Hence originated petitions q the Gencr-l
Court OF this sptiug hom many towns in
favor oil The measure where towns could
not be drlled iato the service iadiyidu.l Is
were. All those opposed to separation Eel,
| secure IN the hrmness of the state govern
mrni, and that 10 progress could DE- had
until the people had been consulted know
ing this had been The Cource IN : to mcr in
stance. and thai the smallest corporation
was never divided without an order Of no
tice and unli i had besn fairly heard before
The legislature. But Il has been reserved
tor the yesr 10 10 witness new mode Oh
proceeding. he enlightened legislature
OF Mass Ichusetts have had the magnaBimi-
lty 20 give their consent 10 the sepaJ alton ol
\ the state without carrying tie question be
| lore me PEOPLE either Of Massachusetts or
Maine-- The act has passed, the govern
m:nt must be respected, and il is now too
late 10 complain. This, my 4cIloy cltizcns,
is The origin and progress OF this measure
| 10 the present period. Ii exhibits no rea-
son to dispair, ii does no, show any over
whelming power of separation; it has only
been shown in the shy, lateral moyemen II
has made in Boston and before the General
Court IL h as there had It's effect bur be-
fore the enlightened tribunal of the people
OF Maine, 1t Is believed, It will have its que
us fhe people have never been consult
ed, they not 60 be divided without their
consent; bat that consent Is 10 be given not
on the naked abstract question, but inter
woven with all the terms and Conditions.
they have had no voice IN directing their
representatives upon the subject; their pc
litlcai doctors have compounded and pre-
pared their medicine and they must now
take ii whether sick OF well; they are told
it Is OF different ingredients from that Of
1916, looks better, tastes better, is better
and must be swallowed.
What are The people TO gain from separa-
ton ? Nothing Iwo neighbours became
Tired of living quiet and Peaceable and went
10 law after tedious suit in which both
wasted time and money that would have
supported their families for long time,,he
cause Was decided in favour Oft plainifff;
ne ed judgment for damages and
co5t-the defendant sold the last COW, ours
ed lawyers anc law" and paid the Iudg-
meDt the plaintiff settled his accounts
with his lawyer and had nothing 10 receive
he ensuired how it could be, when he had
prevailed In the controversy, that nothing
was coming. The answer was that the
contest had been severe, that Jury fees, court
fees, sheIiffs fees and lawyers fees had
taken the whole, and he was stil In debg-
He merely replied that ne would live peace
ably hereafter. Recur 10 the conditions If
separa lion, and you will come 10 The same
conclusion-You will find thai the salary
men must be paid-that the Governmen ut
must be supported that public buildings
must b erected, and al the expensive ma
chinery OF a stale Government must be put
In motion; that tie flee11te muSt foot The 6tH
What are the means put into our hands 10
pay the expenses of government? They
will be found In the terms and conditions Of
separation hey are in spruce logs and
scrub oass-In eastern lanes nc story
OF our resources is short and bumilisting
Should q stranger from another state ask
you, when separated, how DO you support
| ycur government and pay your state txpen-
ses, would you not blush 10 reply by taxes
! and one half the eastern lands ? Should he
press The enquiry as 20 the price Of cutiya-
ted lands IN Maine, wouid the blush dimin-
4 ish, in answering that Il cannot bs sold tor
seven dollars per acre ?-But,i ask serious
! ly, shall We who Cannot dispose ct our sur
! plus iauds now, with sales every day passed
upon Us by grantees who have already b1sn
ruined by speculaiions OF this sind shall &c
seriously calculate TO pay cash debts and
state expenses with wild lanes Ii is too
preposlerous
| Let Us look at the other side Of the pic
\ tuIe-Whai your state Il x now, and what
has il been for years past A mere cy-
! pher II has never been burdensope on the
/ people. OF the sum Of $50, 334,52, the
tax OF this year, Maine pays 853 $50 81,
| about one fifth part Of the whole tax while
the towns OF Boston and Salem pay Of this
tax S27. 9o7, 81 o p' owe this refer you
10 the tax act now in The hands OF the as
/ SCISSORS of every town in Maine. ! would
ask whether II IS believed that, Maine can
support the naked erhfnee Of Cove. nment
toe one year for the sum oiS33 2S0.64 il
we can pay the whole Of our expenses when
separated viii less Inconvenience than We
pay ore filth part now Let The honest
man answer this question TO his own con-
science-But, 1t Is said, We gain our Inde-
pendence. l answer We have it now, we
% not gain 1t, and This leads me to anc.h-
CT topic Of discussion.