Eastern times. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1846-1857, 1854-02-16

construction OF roads aud bridges i'm relieving
settlers from some Of the burdens of citizenship
and granting TO them certain rights and pryi-
leges. ] see no reason why this should be
abandoned. An examination of The subiect
may bring your mndslo the concInsiOn Thai
il will be for the interest of the State 10 offer
still stronger inducements, by adopting a poll
cy more liberal, even, than she has heretofore
done in this particular.
Although the suggestion before made ap
plies more particularly TO sales Of lands adapt
ed to agricultural purposes, it is, with some
qualifications, equally applicable to a portion
OF those usually denomnated timber lands.
10 throw into the market at once all our tim
ber lands, or to Withdraw them entirely.
would be, to my mind, alike inexpedient and
injudicious. They should be carefully. not
pcnuriously, husbanded, as fund from which
the debt incurred in their purchase and man
agement is ultimately to be psid, and at the
same time employed as a means of developing
and employing the enterprise and industrial
efforts of our citizens. With a view to the
attainment Of the object last named, it seems
to me that it will be Just rs well as judicious
that such Legislation shall be had as will ena7
bic men of limited capital seeking field for
the Investment of their labor by practical ope-
ratlons, to become purchasers directly from
the State. This may be accomplished by
providing for the sale Of sections Of townships
IN the same mode, and upon the same terms,
as entire townships may be sold and, per-
haps, by granting limited permits in some To-
calltles, when upon examination it shall be
I deemed advantageous TO the State TO dispose
OF the timber without the soil.
There VIII still remain large quantity of
| land well timbered, which, although not de-
manded by the present exigencies OF the mar
ket, must be eventually, and at much en-
hanced price. This territory the State will
do well to retain as safe investment, and to
meet the demand which, In The natural course
of business, will from time TO time arise.
All sales of public lands except such as are
required for settling purposes having been sus-
| pended, by virtue of Resolve passed at the
last session, the subject will very properly
come before you for consideration. The act
prescribing the mode OF selling, passed at the
last annual sesson, providing for sales on sealed
proposals, after public notice, although imper-
feet In It's details, comprises substantially the
view | entertain of the best and safest policy to
be adopted. Under such or similar enactnents
fair field is opened for honorable competi-
ton among purchasers, and the possibility of
favoritism excluded Without intending to
join in the popular clamor against adminstra-
upn of the affairs of the Land Office, which
has for many years prevailed, and without in
tending to express any distrust OF the integrity
of the gentlemen who have successfully had
charge of it, feel it to be due to those who
may succeed them, to the general peace and
harmony Of all interested, TO recommend to
/ you to carefully define BY legislation the du-
ties of the Land Agent and to confer upon
4I,aA ~,
is absolutely necessary for the proper discharge
Of those duties. make the recommendation
not from any apprehension that any discre-
tionary power conferred will be abused, but
for the purpose Of relieving the Office from
many embarrassments and responsibilities
which render the performance Of It's duties
unnecessarily onerous to the incumbent, and
serve to arouse jealouses and furnish an
apology for imputation which should not exist
against any department Of government.
by reference to the map of the State it will
be perceived that large proportion of our pub
lie lands lie upon The waters oftEe Saint John.
The products and business of that country
will naturally follow the water-courses and
flow to the city of St John. The railroad now
in progress from St. Andrews to Woodstock,
thence to be continued to the Madawaska set
tlement, will afford still further facility, and
have an additional tendency to carry the busi-
ness of the north eastern section Of our State
to the Province Of New Brunswick If there
is any made BY which the business and trade
+ Of that region can be saved to the State the
settlement Of the AroostooE county promoted,
and the value Of the public lands increased, it
is most assuredly for the interest of the State
to adopt it. The most obvious and, perhaps,
the only mode is by furnishing facilities for
transportation. At the session of the Legis-
lature of eighteen hundred and fifty-tw0 an
act of incorporation was granted to certain in
4. dividuals for the purpose of enabling them to
construct railroad from the terminus of the
Bangor and Piscataquis Canal and Railroad
Company in Oldtown, to the Mattawamkeag
River in Indian Township That Railroad,
as learn, is already under contract as far as
1 Lincoln, and there is good reason for believing
it will soon be completed to Maltawamkeag
Point. At the last named point it will nearly
touch the public lands. 1t it said, although |
am not prepared to vouch for the correctness
Of the assertion, that very valuable route can
be found from that point, by following up the
Mattawamkeag to the Forks, SO called, and
thence to Number Eleven. Such a road, il
constructed, will pass through a very valuable
section of the State land, and furnish the IA
cility desired for the transportation of the man
ufactured and agricultural products of that
section of the State to our own markets.
/ Should the construction of such aroad be un-
h dertaken by individual enterprise, there can
be no question that it will be for the pecuniary
interest of the State to afford all such aid and
/ facilities as can be afforded consistently with
due regard for the rights of the whole peo-
\ pie. During the ten years last past the ap-
preparations for the construction Of roads and
/ bridges, exclusive of grants of lands for SINH
lar purposes, have exceeded siXty-four thOus-
and dollars 1t is not to be presumed that the
well established policy in this matter, as in
dicated BY the acts Of successive legislatures,
from the very commencement of our existence
as an independents State, is now to be aban-
| doned.
! Ny attention has been called, during the
past year, to the laws upon our Statute book
providing for the organization, government,
and discipline of the Militia. Years have
elapsed since it was found necessary to call
into exercise the military arm of the State and
YOU will all unite with me in the hope that the
occasion may never again occur. But neither
the experience of the past nor hope for the
future can Justify dereliction from duty
| The obligations imposed upon the State as
as a member of the Union are not to be disrc-
gardcd because her people feel that they de-
rive no benefit from them, or because the OBJ
servance Of them is Of itself irksome, or has
fallen into disrepute. No such sentiment,
surely, should find it way into the halls Of
Legislation and occupy place upon the statute