The Portland gazette. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1818-1824, 1823-01-28

tvro Dlaces and that II IS gradually passing n +.
i that. said DIR. Il. any reason that the scat Of
government should be removed from this place
and fixed at Augusta VIII thai arrest tie
march Of population The same argument may
he used by the gentlemen from Penobscot, for
the removal Of the seat OF government to their
river. when the centre Of population has moved
i little farther in lis north easterly direction.
For II viii shortly be below the Kennebcc ana
nerhaps even on the Penobscot. The gentlemen
from Penobscot may III time not only be able to,
URGE this only argument in favor OF Augusta but
the additional one, that they have the centre Of
territory as well as Of population.
Under these circumstances, Mr.. T. asked Ii.
would be prudent or wise TO commence erecting
public buildings at Augusta and thereby bur6ea
the State with taxes to no purpose Should this
be done, he believed that future Legislature
would relinquish the project as useless and ex-
travacant. And as the Legislature was now ac-
cornodated with bGl' iingS free of expence to oc-
cupv them as long as they pleased, he thought it
an Iii advised measure to make any addition to
the heavy expences the state is soon to incur for
more subjects Of immediate utility.
Mr. r. said we are told that we should pay
much attention to the report Of the committee
due respect he said should be paid to the doings
Of all committees and when they are possessed
Of facts. which may not be within the knowledge
Of the members Of the House their reports are
entitled to great consideration. In this, hower-
er. he believed that the members Of the house
had as full a knowledge Of all the facts as the
committee itself, and they will be able to draw
such conclusion as the facts may fairly warrant.
Mr. adams Of Portland observed, that as far
as his observation extended, the question now
presented TO the Legislature, was novel one to
the people. They knew indeed that commit
tee was raised by the last Legislature, to inves-
tgate the subject, but it was not known what
place they would designate; whether they would
determine that the seat of government should
be permanently fixed in Portland, Augusta,
Brunswick, Wiscasset or Bangor, all of which
places he had heard mentioned by different gen.
tlemen, was matter of great doubt. How
then could the subject be understood, when Il
was not known BY any one, that the committee
had designated Augusta, until they bad made
their report few days ago to this Legislature
The gentleman from Augusta, said Mr. a.
may have bad superior means Of observation to
hgl hut from what have myself seen ne said,
do think The public j. not prepared for this
question, at this time II is question Of a To-
cal and private interest, rather than one OF
public utility, and there does not appear to be
any urgent reason why a sudden decision should
be made. Let the people have an opportunity.
now with this report before them, in which
single point is presented,-let them have an
oppor tunity TO express their opinion fully upon
the subject, by the election Of their representa-
tives 20 the next Legislature the next Legis-
tuFe will then be able to act Understandings
upon the question. Mr. A. thought il was prop
er to 20 into a general discussion Of the merits
of the report upon This motion, but as gentle
men had not offered any thing in favor Of the
report, he did not think il expedient to enlarges
he would only caution gentlemen TO look into
the treasury, before they squandered away pub
lie money he would ask them where the means
were to come from, to erect State Prison, and
then soon after public buildings, for The accom-
mediation Of Government this report be said, was
but an entering wedge, and if it was adopted, we
should next be called upon for grants Of money
for the erection Of buildings we prepared
to undertake these measures asked Mr.. a. If
we not, LET Us check the design in its inciPi-
ent stages.
Mr.. .NcC Cobb, said he lived nearly equi-distant
from Portland and Augusta, it could not there
fore be supposed to make much difference to
him, at which place the government should be
fixed; but he was anxious to know what his
constituents thought of it he was not in the
last Legislature, and during all the last year he
does not recollect 10 have heard the people of
bis town say word upon the subject. He there
fore did not know their opinion and was not
prepared TO act without knowngt.
Mr.. Parsons went into some calculations M
on the expence Of public buildings, and the
state Of the Treasury--he said that buildings
which would do honour to the State, and he never
wished to see others erected, could not cost less
than $4,000, the interest Of which annually
would be $4,000, which is much more than the
difference OF expence between sitting here and
at Augusta. Add this sum 10 the cost Of the
Penltentary, and to the present state debt and
he said, he did not know where the resources
would come from to meet the expenditure. MIR.
L. said that when these reflections came upon
bis mind, he should have preferred that the mo-
ton had been to postpone the subject Indefinite
~ or at least four years for it could not be
presumed that we should be ready to erect
public buildings for several years to come, since
we had SO many burdens pressing upon US.
.Nr Sheppard Of Surrey, made some
observations against postponement which we
could not distinctly hear he said that although
tne committee had not precisely determined
where me centre Of population was, yet it could
DOT DC doubted for moment, that il was nearer
Ahgusta than Portland, and that IL was moving
~ r. n that direction. He thought the people
we're already prepared for the question, and
that postponement was unnecessary.
SaF' futctlnS, said that the expeDce oftrayei
was much greater 10 this place, Than 10 Aurus-
Ia and add to this the expence Of Lerislatnr
annually upon the subject, he thoupht Il would
CONE 10 more than the isterest Of the money it
"oula require to build State House He said
inf, Al