The Portland gazette. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1818-1824, 1822-02-08

-, n,,-che1 in our last war; through the couu-
-, W,sbinrton: an the eclat OF the taking
n. c;ty was very extensive. He thought taS,
acrefore. was = very stroHS reason that TIE
r,n;tal should be 10 the interior.
',,a.hor arrunco,. ana he said be INTRODUCED
I. with reluctance was, that the seat Of govern
.,cnt o.rht no. % be placed in large and pop
.io,s rlacc. Almost eVerv state In the union
A. peraeived this evil and remcdied it. TIE
,n6pencc of a large town, he said was pernicio,ls
,,non the Lcgis.atureA-it was secret, and co,ad
~, be avoided. Some thought that /. was iri-
.,rtant that the Legislature should meet III
-~e town, for the sake of binding il up. and
.lornng il but he did not think sos However
gratifying it might be to have large and wealthy
cities. ne did not think they ought 10 be rai4d
and adorned at the public expense.
Tie place which be represented. tHalloTcl]
Rad been recommended by the committee Of last
vear--it was near the centre Of population. } 1t
Sa1. indeed, been objected that the town conld
not accommodate the Legislature---that its en-
Aabi,ants would be overwhelmed--but the riI-
lare was compact. containing nearly 300e inhnb-
;,,nts. and with an extensive fertile country a.
hort il, he did not apprehend that the remcval
offhe seat Of government to il would create
fanlne. He said ii had been offered as a resson
,yhy the capital should remain in Portland, that
the inhabitants had been civil, hospitablc, and
generous and that they had given to the State
the use of the buildings which were occupied for
public purposes, free Of cxpence and would Con-
tinue so TO do as long as the government Ecntain-
cd here. Sir, said he, for all their ciyilits 70 me
As an individual, 1 return them my inaiv hlua
thanks but we ought not To reward them for
1t out ofthc money Of our constituents. Thepeo-
pie Of Portland, sir, are too generous to- convert
a gratuity into an obligation. Their patriotism
extends so far, that they wish the seat OF govern
mcnt 10 remain here as long as it is for tho pub
lie good and no longer The capital, Sir, + the
fountain of life to the body polite, and it ought
to be in the centre of that body, as much as the
heart ought to be in the centre Of THE NATURAL
body.
The usual hour ofadjournment having arrived.
The house ADJOURNED to the afternoon-fwheu the
sarnc subject was before the house
Mr.. adams rose and observed, that ne was
placed in unpleasant situation in opposibc the
amendment. because il would If once be tfipucht
that he did il from private motives. But he as
sured thehouse that he looked at the question not
as Representative from Portla nd but is a oitizen
of the state and as snch, he did not think the
course proposed necessary or cXpedcut. III did
see, he sail, any necessity for it. I should vote
forit, notwithstanding nv relations TIT thistown.
He said his opinion was determined hy two req
sons-the first is, that the business oftlcrslation
can go on better in this place-and second. that
members can be better accommodated herd. Tie
calculations and arguments of the tgenneman
arc the same which were used last wear: but
they did not then succeed-a full examination of
the subject was had,and great efforts made--the
house were then in favor of remaining ID Port
! land. Those calculations are erroheous-thev
deceive the eye and the ear: they are made for
the meridian of I1alloweIi, and have been intro
duced by the gentleman with much ingenuity 70
secure his object. The postage account. which
WAS exhibited, he thought incorrect. the mails
60 direct from this place to all partsof the state
tho SITUATION is central. and communication
by thus means is more easy and certain, The
living, too, had been offered as reason for re-
moving to ffallowcll-buth he said if the Lerisla-
ture should find good and cheap Accommodations
thcre, they would be more fortnnatefthan he had
eyer been. He said he believed that the.accorn
nodations both in price and quality, iwcroa always
IN proportion 10 the size Of the place & the com
.petition--and on this ground the adyantare was
decidedly in favor of Portland. The examine
which the gentleman from Halewell draw from
the capture of Washington, was directlvaeainst
himself, for that city was far in the inferior
and if an enemy could march there, they might
to liallowell but he had no approximations Of
that sort-he did not fear foreign attack-and
event there at any time, should be one on Port
land the state had no buildings to lose-st would
be the citizens of the town only who wpuId sur-
ter and not the state. The gentleman hid talk
ed much OF the expcnce of remaining IN Port
land huthe did not takcinto consideration the
cost of public buildings if the capital should he
removed-the expence of which coulf not be
less than SG0,000-the interest OF which. even
If the loan could be obtained at per cett. would
be annually $1,000, which the state must nav.
while il is now wholly free from that exnencc.
The idea of saving, then, is ont fthc ancstion.
We have teen told, too. he said of out door IN
.ttuence. Sir, II there be any influence il opcr-
ates against this town. What member Of This
house, he asked, is there. who would rr,t spurn
the idea ofheing tempered with. III isonly the
old story repeated again. When in the Legis-
laturc OF Massachusetts, though il lad been
often asserted, never saw anv iufuerrre which
had any good ehect-it preudiccs the mind a.
gainst those who attempt TO exert il. y
IL is 4 singular association which hasconnoct
ed the seat of government with theStafes Prison
The did not know why they should he brourbt
J. together, and why that committee shonld be de-
sigRated 10 look after place for the scat OF roy
ernRent-he hoped that necessarily IIere was
no connection between them.
As it did not appear, be said. thatst was
any urgency at present, for removing the capt.
raj, ne hoped that the legislature wonh moi now.
being accommodated as they wcrc. ftee of all
expense, subject the State. without Sufficient rea-