The Portland gazette. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1818-1824, 1823-12-30

me ~ Ailfsd ARE lsrqHertir impossible INV thFFt
~ iouf days n d line dsr4ns tie wiairr Season,
- thai 1 not nnrommpniy Aspfens. fhAg fhe'
matt. thoaFh tKMnsp0Flea 0n luFsHhMrf. docs nui
arrive NJ tho Post OhicE in Portland md hsnne
bnuk uHiii two cF ihfee days after a IS dur
And am informed from good authDFilF, thptl
iht road leading tD horlanh, Wa mot 0ptucd,
oeiw zen Alfred and Buxton, 50 "A 70 he pase-
BE with sieighs and leanis, until nearly . week
after Tic laie storm NJ therefore term ui ei-
Their IA oar courts was ~ have been huldrn 0n
that week, Il Alfred, Il would have been imposs'
ible for any of our Judges t0 have attended
From INV few suggestions which nr have uHsr-
Cd u would seem and the fact y incontfutefii.
bic, that kennebnnk, As respects tie facility q
communication, II hy iar the most eligible pi
the TIVE towns 5-aud our judges, che citizcas "a
this county, OF other counties, and other sistesf
would be much better c0mmodeE hy the inrA-
ton NJ ibe courts N that place than "a Alfred
We row proceed 70 offer . few remarks ~
way Of application q our second position, that
the courts should he located ID that place which
i A. near 20 The centre ot business, population
and TAXATION OF property, a. other ciIcumsiduc-
r. viii admit. We have taken some pains ~
ascertain which N the two towns was nearest to
che centre II populstion We have no date
from which We can deduce any certain eonelgs-
ion on this question Not being apprized "a tht
exact distances ~ the roads a. now travelled "a
the several towns, from each a the towns q
kennebunk and Alfred, aud not knowing ~
what part Of the territory oi the several towns
the great body oil the people Il settled, we could
think Of no method, which would lead so near
IN 10 the ruth, as by an accurate admtasure
iaent Of the distances from the centre o. eac1
town to the centres Of those 81 kenncbunk snd
Alfred. This we have obtained by the appfica-
-r44.- 4 NMf.
down on the maps BY multiplying the dis
tances from each town by is number Of polls
we find the number Of miles, which the taxable
inhabiants al that county must travel IN go
ing 20 the towns Of kennebunk and Alfred
From this mede OF calculation, il would seem
that the whole amount III travel 10 kennebnnk
would Be los osa miles and 10 Alfred lO7 1893,
leaving small balance in favor OF the former
town. We are aware, that by a substitution a
the distance as actually travelled, for those
which we have assumed,a result more favorable
TO Kennehunk would be obtained as all the
public roads which lead to that town are more o.
rect than those leading TO Alfred. But we VIII
admit that either OF the two towns is sufficiently
near the centre Of population.
The business Of county or state most gener-
ally centres in those places where IS found the
greatest proportion of wealth Indeed the one
seems 70 be the natural concomitant Of the other.
From the returns of the selectmen Of the several
towns, il appears, and we presume no one viii
question the fact that the larger part Of the pro-
perry in that county Is found on ~ near the sen
board; and therefore, so far as respects taxation
kennebunk must be much more central than Al
fred. The position that business most generally
follows property, seems to be verified by the
course of trade in that county. .swe have be-
fore observed, the interior towns have no deal
vyif heir pth Tk.fr hsta ttt.
ldependently Of thattransactedamongth themselves
is carried on altogether with Kennebunk and
other sea port towns. Kennebunk being com
mercial town and also the mart from whence u
exported the larger part Of the surplus produc-
tons Of ths county, thoss persons who have the
good fortune 10 have any thing 10 carry % mar
ket, naturally resort to Il.
Ofthe advantages accrueing to the public from
the location Of the courts in that place which Il
nearest to the centre OF business, we deem Il I'M
necessary TO say any thing. They seem to have
been duly understood and appreciated by the
people OF this state. Why was Il that ourg general
court or Legislature was located at Portland Not
that II nearest 20 the centre Of the territory
Of this state. But because il was the emporium
OF trade the most general resort forthe purposes
Eoi business; the place with which the greatest
number Of towns had the most frequent commu.
nication and to which the members III the IL.
gIslature might find the most easy conveyance
Why was it that the courts in the county Of Cum.
berland were located al Portland those in the
county Of Oxford, at Paris Those IN the county
Of Somerset, at Norridgewock In the county Of
kennebeck, at Augusta In Fenobscot, at Ban.
gor Not that these towns were nearest 10 tht
centres ofthe several counties. But for the sans
reasons thatour seatof government was establish.
ed at Portland.
(Te be Continued