The Portland gazette. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1818-1824, 1823-12-23
COMMUNICATIONS


fuftA COUNTY COURTS
rreoaDiy TIE qaesgion of TIE location az The
1ao,elai Courts 10 the counfy u York. viii be
: SUBJECT Toe the consideration and dessrnina-
.se ~ q oar Legislature ~ ts approaching session
~ sane question having been nEitated Al tw0
lor1nsE sessions and, w. az ths last. shs subject
49, ~ me papers relative 10 II. were referred
N sne neht Legislature, y u presumed that moor
80 ~ hotiee "isl oe deemcd nacessary, bui that,
WITHOUT TURNER delay. the Legislature viii come
- sueh decision thereon, a. the interests Of
quirr
siH oF eight years since. vas resident I'm
that section Of the State. aid stiIi fpel c0nsid-
era0ie Interest I'D Its concerns I have always
believed, and am yet Of the opinion. that the
present location Of the Courts, Is not the most
favourable 70 the convenience Of that county Il
y important that the siftings Of these tribunals
should tie established III that place ID which The
inha 1itants can have AZ all times. TIVE most spee-
dys direct, and certain communication that this
place should be Us near the centre of business
populsiion, and taxation and property, as other
circumstances win admit that Il be Of such ex-
tent, as 10 afford 10 the judges, tbe bar, jurymen
witnesses and other persons necessarily attend-
ing court, cheap, Convenient and suitable &C.
Communications. But the convenience Of the
county + not alone 70 be consulted. The state
generally has an interest ia the decision Of this
question. Perhaps one fourth Of the suits oHgi-
mated IN that county, are those in which one Of
the parties resides in different part of the state
The frequent necessity, likewise, which the citi-
gems OF one county find OF recurring 70 the rec.
oFds OF another, i strong reason why the con-
venience o. the county should not alone he con-
suited; for / hold Il 10 he a correct principle,
that the interest and convenience OF the state, i
not 10 be sacrificed TO remedy triaing ineonve-
nience to the county.
Having made these general observations,
now propose 10 apply them 70 the TIVE towns III
kennebunk aud Alfred; asst seems 10 be univer-
sally admitted that the courts shonld Be located
IN one or the other Of these two places
very well recollect frequent remark OF one
OF my neighbours, while ! was an inhabitant Of
that county, whose business il was 10 attend on
the courts, that he could send letter to New.
York, and sooner receive an answer, than lie
could to Alfred believe the observation gen.
orally correct one. The distance % Alfred was
indeed short, and il would have cost but little 70
have sent messenger, to forward or obtain,
whatever he wished. But to have resorted bc
this measure whenever a communication was
necessary, would, in the course of year, have
added ano small item tohis bill OF expenditures
The facts, there never was much intercourse be.
tween the two towns. True the towns in the in
terror Of the county might have opportunities 81
communicating with those on the sea board, a.
some OF their citizens were frequently going 10 &
returning from the latter. But this convenience
was not mutual. II was seldomtha the business
OF those persons, resident in towns on the sea
board, called them to the intercourse Of the
country.
Il Further, the trade Of Alfred iseonined almos
entirely to the limits of the town its business !,
altogether among its own inhabitants-except
ing however such as is carried on between then
and the towns on the sea board II has no trade
with the interior The same remarks are applica
bic to all the towns situated al a distance from
the sea board they have no dealings with thei
neighbours, their business is transacted amons
themselves, or with the commercial towns. Thii
accounts Tor an observation which have fire.
Iquently heard from gentlemen resident in New
field and Parsonsfeld, that they could at any
time send, with more facility, to Kennebunk, ant
have their business done, thar % Alfred. AT
though some Of the principal roads lead through
the latter, yet people whose business calls then
to the former, make no stop at Alfred. But the
road most generally travelled from Parsonsfelc
TO kennebunk, passes to the eastward ofthe pres.
ent shire town. And il is seldom that = person !.
found travelling from Parsonsfeld, LirniagtoH
and Cornish TO Kennebunk, who both goes anc
returns through Alfred
Another argument In favour of Kennebunk, on
the score Of facility Of travelling and commune
cation, is derived from the establishment of the
line Of Stages on the main road from Portland to
Portsmouth. Two of these, il is well known
pass every day through Kennebunk, both east and
west. And thus the inhabitants Of all the town.
on this road would be better accommodated il
this respect BY the location Of the courts at Ken
nebunk, than at any other place in the county
But in some measure, TO rebut this argument, Il
VIII be said, that line of stages has been estab.
lished from Portland to Dover, passing through
Alfred. True-but the stage passes but three
times week each way, and not more than five
towns In the county are in any manner benefited
by u; and besides, new line having lately been
established on the lower road from Dover 10
Portland, it is impossible that the Alfred Stage
can long be supported
(To b coHtinued)