The Portland gazette. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1818-1824, 1824-02-17

svhe one 81 TIC EfantlTs ult&At 1~CNascs ASa
lsls helm ~ Law refuse ID coBsenf % the cOTey-
ance and thus create new difficulties which 4
might Dc difbcult hereafter 20 obsiate. ltkasl
been said that we are vel accommodated
here, and there Is no necessity Of removing.
am willing . acknowledge that we have
the use Of public buildings 81 which should
also be ready 20 remanerate the owners. We
arc also otherwise well accommodated and
for which we are ready and pressisne DO al
ford ample compensation. IL Is also SAID wel
are young as state,and ought not 10 be has
~ Ia erectng expensive baillings. But
ought We 10 submit 10 the degradation Of go-
ing OUT al oar way 10 seek shelter when We
are abnndantly able 70 provide one OF our own 4
Bot there Is another consideration connected
With having The seatof government ia 4 large
town-sefloos evils may arise from the undue
influence Of Portland over our Legislature.
The seat Of government sometimes becomes
the seat OF corruption such state Of things
may eventually prove greatly injurious to the
State.
heartily wish, Mr.. Speaker, that every
memberof the House had as accurate kn0wi-
edge Of this spot Of ground a | haye--I do
believe the members could be as we'll accom-
al that place receive every mark OF attcn on
that would be proper and reasonable.--It is
further said that the land will revert 70 the
grantors provided the State does not improve
liz Il not this one Of the strongest reasons
why we should now accept the decd $50 far
a. can understand legal priuciples.I have 90
doubt that the title Of r State would be valid
"A law by the accerfa1ce y the deed, not
withstanding the stress aa hF some gentle
raen upon the recital. Whereby hey would
make tie graft con1itionaL IHere dr. w !.
read part Of tbs deed, " TO have and 10 hold
SET
1 aow ask gentlemen, what possibility
there can be Of recovering the land from the
state when they hold II BY an ildisputable
deed TIE state might sell and convey any
part Of tho land as fully and entirely as any
individual may convey any part Of bis own
real estate and venture 10 say that if the
state should occupy tbe lot for the use OF gov
erument for fifty years, il cosld then be sold
and conveyed without anyrisl. have heard
this affair repTesepted as a contract bat in
What part Of the deed or resolve j. such a con
tract 10 be found The state could use the
land for any other purposes without any legal
perversion. or bszarding their title but |
admit that good Iaith would require the i'm
provement and occupation Of the lot convey
"a according to the intention and design of
the donors. III the state should hereafter
convey the land. the original ownesS might
ask pay but the state would be under no le-
gal obligation 70 give them any An indiyid-
al 10 the service Of the state may suffer injury
and ask for pension, but will any one pre-
tend TO insist that the state must necessarily
bestow il, contrary to its with Suppose
man bad befriended me in various WAYS, and
|, IN return, when circumstances night ena-
Die me. should give him deed of my house,
would be, in consequence, be compelled to
remove TO Augusta, or lose bis title No
the estate would surely be gone without any
remedy for the grantor. So it IS ia the pres
ent case.-There is nothing compulsory re-
curing the state 10 erect buildings Ca the
tract conveyed, and we may take the deed
aud afterwards improve the land or not at
our pleasure.
From the state Of public sentiment, and
the proceedings which have been had on this
question, Il Is evident that the seat Of govern
ment must sooner or later be removed from
Portland, and il cannot be considered improp-
er or premature TO make preparations for
such an event. | am therefore ready 10 sup
port the amendment proposed by the geutle-
man from Hartford, and leave il at the will OF
the legislature to remove when il NAV be
deemed proper hereafter, SO that some future
legislature may have the same privilege to
determine When the seat Of government ought
to be removed, as we have % say where.
MIR. JOSEPH ApAxs, Of Portland. said, that
on casting his eyes around, and observing the
numerous spectators collected to observe the
progress Of this hebate. he could not doubt
that the subject had been one fgreat interest
70 the community, and Of course requiring on
the par; Of The house proportionate degree
81 examination and scrutiny, In the coprse
OF this discussion have heard doctrines ad-
varced which were cectainly unexpected to
isay the least, but the logger iye the less am
| surprised al the expression Of novel -npfn.
fons, especially on the construction and appli-
cation Of legal pEecieles. NV friend Jram
Augusta las refn5rxe1, that ia hfsyie W OF such
coDstruchons, the deedi'conisins no pledge /:
but hit-aoes-notr what is the meaning Of its
lcqatents : Mr.. A. here began to read a
part Of the deed, but was called 70 order b
dr. w: Il being decided By the speaker to
5e 10 order, Mr.. A. proceeded It wilIbe OBJ
served that 10 consequence of the recital of
the report OF the committee 10 the deed, that
report may be fairly considered as a part of
the consideration. This report, Of which 50
much has been said, is well known 10 have
been made by committee appointed under
the authority ola resolve oflea2, That CON-
mitee visited Augusta. among other places in
their tour Of observation. and received assnr.
ances from that town that the land would be
conveyed TO the state Oh condition Of its te-
Jag made the permanent seat Of government.
10 the full understanding ofthis condition, the
committee reported in favour Of Augusta I;
and the report. amended SO far as to postpone
is operation until after al given time, was ac-
cepted by the legislature Of last year. and is
now the basis Of the deed under consideration.