Eastern times. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1846-1857, 1855-01-11

ously fuStercd. as the indispensable nurseries o
| education. Their improvement cannot be too
, earnestly urged upon your attention.
f The purchase of land of Massachusetts made D,
this State has added almost million acres to ou
domain, for which large debt has been created
for the payment Of which, In due time, provision
T must be made However that purchase may Of
considered, as commercial transaction, invoiV'hs
the question of immediate loss or gam u was Ger
anv very desirable to divest Massachusetts OF the
ttlc Of those lands even if it be found advisable
TO sell them again. as fair prices can be had, and
the wants Of the Treasury may demand.
nv extineuishing her title, We dissolved connec-
t;on with co-tcnant who had interest and felt to
re in common with ours. and therefore would bear
none of the burdens of building roads and bridges
in the territory owned in common, aud by the act
\ of Separation, Maine could tax no lands owned bv
Massachusetts for any purposes whatever TWAS
an object then of considerable importance to have
the fee pass from that State that those ards might
ultimately be held liable to taxation, for the usual
purposes for which other lands are assessed in this
State.
have no doubt it is for the interest Of the State
to continue to sell her timber lands fair prices
can be obtained for Them especially those lying on
the upper waters Of the ST. John, Alegash, and
Penobscot rivers. These lands are not so situated
as to make it desirable that they be kept for set
Ting purposes. They are exposed to trespass, and
must be protected at considerable expense annual
~, and the Treasury will need the proceeds to paw
the Indebtedness created by the purchase of Mas
sachusetts. | would not however recommend the
sale of any lands belonging TO the State, for the
present, or until money shall have become very
much easier with the community generally. The
lands OF the State in the valley of the Aroostook,
and on the St. John. included mostly in the six
eastern ranges of townships, are generally good
settling lands-many of them superior,-but still
much good timber may be found, on nearly all of
these townships; and if the State desires to keep
the greater portion of this territory in order to pro
mote the settlement of the country, it would he
well, and | think it important, for the interest or
the State authorize permits 10 be granted to
timber annually, in prudent manner, on those
tracts, until they are occupied by actual settlers
If permits be granted the timber will be cut by
trespasS and under judicious system of permit
ting, much NAV be realized to the Treasury, and
the lands not be so far stripped but that an abun-
dance of suitable timber will remain for all pur
poses of building by settlers.
The law for the suppression of drinking houses
and tipping shops has been very fully discussed
by the people of this State, and become ques
ton of prominence and deep interest in our cleo
tons. The result proves conclusively that the
people are by a very large majority in favor of
sustaining that lava happy verdict for the cause
of humanity throughout the land. Had Maine
declared az ainst the law her decision would have
I been felt more disastrously by other communities
where strong efforts being made to obtain
similar legislation That any law which human
wisdom can devise, will at once rid the public of
an evil SO vast and deep rooted as intemperance
should not be expected but that the traffic which
produces it, can be circumscrbed and controlled
| by penal enactments as surely and as legitimatey
as other crimes, there can be no reasonable doubt.
And it is equally clear that the people are deter
mined to pursue the effort faithfully and give the
law a fair trial. They see and feel the terrible
ravages the traffic in Intoxicating drinks has made
on society and its best interests. They feel deep
" the loss of many valued citizens, who are con-
stantly being hurried to the nebriate's grave
They fully realize that the sale and use of alco-
holic liquors beverage, are in direct conflict
with the health morals, industry peace and hap
piness of society," and that this fact is apparent
that those individuals who insist on selling in vi
olation of law should be made to feel its conse-
quences. 1t is TOO late to plead that making men
inehriatcs or giving them the facilities TO become
snch, is no crime none but the more depraved or
reckless will support doctrine SO pernicious and
absurd and il is believed that few are now en-
gagged in the traffic in this State except those per-
sons who are alike Indifferent to public sentiment,
the demands of humanity, and their own best in
terests Persuasive efforts having been exhaust
ed on this class of men, the law should be enforc-
ed in protection of society and in mercy to the of
fender. This important statute has not had n
/ fair trial. Executive officers have been culpably
negligent in seeing it enforced. Too often has
the officer whose duty it was to honor and exc
cute it rs the law of the Commonwealth, been
found more willing TO eXculpate the offender
than to bring him TO justice. Such official dere-
LECTION of duty embroidered volators of the law to
repeated Offences which they would not have com
mited with the full assurance that the law was to
to be faithfully administered. This error must be
I IL, l., b,E Ia
people demand that grogshops be closed, whether
found in spacious saloons and popular hotels
where the temptation is presented in the most al
Turing form, or in the filthy cellar, or den, where
poor, degraded humanity is made loathsome to
the last degree,
No man sells ardent spirits in violation of the
law through the promptings ofpatriotism OF hui
manitv: he has no higher motive than reckless
or sordid love of gain he should be held strictly
accountable for the mischief his traffic produced
Let this be done, and none will continue in the
business. except such as are madly bent on sui
eide i would suggest the Importance of so a.
mending the law impose imprisonment fol
the first offence. The penalty for the first convic
rion is trifing, and the schemes devised to avoid
detection numerous that many sellers, I'M
doubtcdly realize large amounts from the business
before conviction is had.
Let the prison be opened for their reception and
reformation AS it is for offenders of less magnitude
even the unhappy victims Of their traffic, and be
assured its prospective, Christening influences will
be felt more restranngly, than merely taking by
fine, from the pockets of the delinquentS, a trhng
part of the money the business had given them.
The willingness Of rumsellers in other states tc
supply those in the same business and the facilities
afforded BY steamboats, and other common carriers
TO brin" liquors into this state for unlawful pur
4 poses. call for such Improvements in the law as
Shall meet this prolific source of evil, and cut of
a great artery which is pouring the poisonous IL
ouid into this State. Other amendments may be
desirable to give efficiency to the Law and mee
the modes of evasion which the ingenuity and
cupidirv of determined violators have invented.
Iwou!d direct your attention to the subject O
extending the elective franchise TO certain office:
that are now filled by executive appointment OF
legislative election. If reform of this kind be
desirable it will be necessary 10 submit the ques
ton to the people for an amendment of the Con
stituIion.
From various portions of the State mucl
dissatisfaction is expressed with our present
Judiciary system. Under its operation it is
commended that justice is not, and cannot be
promptly administered. If these serious
charges be well founded, a change is undoubt
edly demanded. The subject is one of very
great Importance, and the present system hav
ing been so recently established, wisdom die
tates that no new system be substituted with
out mature elaboration.
A people possessing democratic form o
government cannot too highly regard the sa
cradneSS nd mporta nee If the rlUht of SDffra