Eastern times. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1846-1857, 1855-07-12

that the recommendation of the Governor
was equivalent to saying $ Grant me the
authority TO persuade my friends and will de.
termine the extent of my authority" thai
the pretext that the timber must be sold tc
save II from trespassers, was too much for the
belief of Morrill's own feeble followers-that
the largest expenditure in watching the land
against trespassers, was from 1874 10 IS47
when the system of permitting was in active
operation, that Senator Eaton, Morrill-itt
had formerly declared permits to run over land
and cut timber by one who has no interest in
the soil, TO be ruinous and exploded policy
that the state had lost by the bad security Of
those who were permitted, in those years,
1 1927, 32S-that law had been passed on the
recommendation of Morrill, himself when he
was Land Agent, and just going out, to sell
land by sealed proposals-that he dared moi
now recommend a repeal of his own measure
but to enable him TO use the patronage OF the
Land Office to reach the leading men of the
/ East, he had recommended the system of per-
hitting. Certain little men at the West could
be appeased with the small offices but the
great men of the East could only be reached
with timber This article created great
sensation 1t was published in the papers of
the State, and the Kennebec Journal felt it
necessary 10 reply to it with not little fe-
rocty. The exposure was complete, aud
nearly every one supposed the writer had
killed the new scheme of plumber stone dead
We confess we had doubts, because he knew
the men who were playing the game. A
friend of Morrill,, who had gone into Aroos-
took, wrote letter which came to our eye,
saying If he could get permits, he could make
fortsne. Morrill,, whose land office expe-
rlence had satisfied him of the political power
TO be welded by reaching the operators. had
taken care to put his own Clerk, (Clark) into
the land Office as the most suitable person to
carry out his views, but the shrewd writer
had exposed his intentions in regard to per-
mits. The matter however died away. The
excitement was allayed, and our citizens re-
lapsed into their usual unsuspecting frame of
mind. On the 9th of March, when all became
quiet, the following resolves were introduced
into the Senate by Senator Walker -
STATE OF MAINE.
Resolve setting apart certain townships for
settlement.
Resolved, That the following townships be
and the same are hereby set apart for settle
ment, namely: township numbered eleven, in
first range, letter b. in the first range, letter
G.. in the first range, letter G.. in the second
range, letter J. in the second range, number
thirteen in the third range, number four in the
fourth range, number twelve in the fourth
range, and number three in the fifth range.
Resolred, That the land agent shall cause
the above townships to be surveyed and lotted,
as soon as practicable, and when. so surveyed
and lotted, the same shall be offered to actual
settlers upon the terms and conditions of
act additional to an act in relation to the pub
lie lands, approved August twenty-ninth,
eighteen hundred and fifty.
There was nothing in all this 10 create ap-
prehensions certainly. 1t was simply a re-
solve setting apart certain townships for settle
ment. Who could object to this! 1t was in
fact calculated 10 be popular with the farmers
who might desire to obtain cheap lands well
wooded with excellent timber. The resolves
passed to be engrossed in the senate, on Sat
urday the 10th of March, when few members
were present and when the matter would at
tract little or no attention. 1t was taken up
in the house on Monday the 18th of the same
month, before the members who went home on
Saturday had returned. and was assigned for
consideration the very next day. Thus the
matter was rushed along with indecent haste.
On Tuesday Bangor man offered the follow
ing amendment:
Resolred, That the Land Agent shall cause
the timber on the several lots surveyed TO be
estimated and returned TO The land Office, and
no lots shall be sold to actual settlers which the
Governor and Council shall determine to be
valuable to the state tor timber, until the TIM
Der shall hare been sold By the State.
Resolued, That the land agent, under the d.
rection of the Governor and Council, be au-
thorized to grant permits, annually, to individ-
uals 10 cut and haul timber on any of the lands
belonging to the State in the five first ranges,
west from the east line of the State which
have been may be set apart for settlement.
One member said he was opposed to selling
timber independent of the land, believing that
the chances were in favor of the States get
ting worthless notes for pay. lie thought the
timber ought to 90 10 the benefit of the set
tiers But after further debate, the amend
ments were adopted and the resolve passed to
be engrossed-55 TO Al.
The resolves and amendments went 10 the
Senate, which body quickly and quietly reced-
ed and concurred 1t is evident the game. was
we'll understood in the beginning-and it was
PLAYED out well. The farmers are to have no
land till it is stripped of its timber by specu-
lators, and soldiers of fortune who are found
in the camp of Arson P. Morrill, This leg
islatlon was cheat and a fraud. Let it be
observed the title was not changed. The re-
solves were now transformed into Resolves
setting apart certain townships for settle
ment!' The laws require that the public acts
and resolves shall be published in all the pa
pers but this was deemed by our State au-
thorites pirate resolve, and has not been
authorized 10 be published in the several pa
pers of the state. With false title and non
publication up to the present moment this
scheme of plumber appears not to have been
discovered. 1t will be seen by the Resolves
that they set apart nine townships of land, and
it is provided that no lots deemed valuable for
timber be sold, until they are stripped and the
timber taken off. How much the timber on
these lands may be worth we have no means
Of knowing, but it may be worth $5O0,0O0,
and it will doubtless be permitted to>poli.ical
/ favoritesI The Land Agent, under the d.
rection of the Governor and Council, has the
whole control. He can sell under this resolve,
at any price and take any security How the
State will fare all can Judge. But the whole
transaction is an insult to settlers and farmers.
Can farmer go on to this landl BY no
means. The spectators may be ten years in
stripping it, and after it becomes an unseemly
waste-after it is stripped of its valuable tim
Der and choked up with what is left, the set
tier may enter upon it. This is resolve to
permit the favorites of Arson P. Morrill, 10
commit waste, and strip 200, 900 acres of land,
but as we have remarked it makes its way in