The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1864-02-06
Lights and shadows at the State Capital

q discount o. cliV9 to"t Oe Hilue.
Lights and Shadows at the State Capital.
AUGUSTA, Feb. 5, 1864.
The removal question came up in the House
on Wednesday morning, and Mr.. Lynch con-
cluded his remarks, which were listened to with
profound attention by full house. His points
were well made, his arguments close, his rea-
soning cogent and his facts unanswerabie.
The candor of spirit in which his speech was
. uttered, gave force to his arguments, and 1
have no doubt the effort made was fully appre-
ciated by all unbiased members OF the House.
His speech has been Published in the legisla-
tive paper, and as it will doubtless appear in
your columns / need say 10 more Of it in this
connection. After Mr.. l.. concluded, on his
own motion the resolve was laid upon the la
BILE to give place to the order OF the day,which
was resolve in favor of the Wesleyan Sem
mary at Kenfs Hill, which resolve, after ex-
tended debate, was refused passage by very
close vote. All the Portland members voted
for the resolve; the Augusta delegation was
divided Mr. Williams voting against it. The
next day Mr.. Williams moved a rcconsidera-
ton of the vote, the consideration Of which
motion Is assigned for an early day next week.
/ understand one or two other institutions
propose presenting claims for similar aid-the
grant of small amount of the public lands
but unless the vote adverse to Wesleyan Sem
mary can be changed they will find it an up
hill work to make Roadway, if they do not
withhold their suits altogether. Westbrook
Seminary will present strong claim, backed
by numerous and influential petitions from va
rious sections of the State. The result is
thing Of the future.
The Senate committee on elections have re-
ported in the Lincoln case in favor OF Mr..
Stetson, the Union canddate-the whole ques
ton Ringing on the vote Of Muscongus, an
unincorporated Island of Bristol, the inhab-
itants OF which have regularly voted in Bristol
for half century. 1t seems from the report
Of the committee that the people OF this island
lost their right to vote in Bristol not because
OF non-incorporation, but because of non-pay-
ment OF taxes in that town, the law making
such payment in such cases a condition of the
right to vote. Judge Blaney, whose seat as
member from Bristol depends upon the same
vote, Informs me that he shall show, when his
case comes up-what was not brought out be-
fore the Senate Committee-that the reason
Mascongus has not paid taxes is not because
OF any refusal of her people to do so, but be-
cause, by long understood agreement, Bristol
has assessed no taxes upon them, the consid-
GRAFTON being that the Island should maintain
its own roads and support its own paupers,
the expense of collecting having proved great
err than the amount OF money collected. 1t
would seem from this that Muscongus has
substantially though not technically complied
with the laws and therefore, If such be the
fact, it seems hard for them to lose the priyi-
lege Of the elective franchise. But the Com
mittees of both houses are able ones, and
whatever course they may feel compelled to
adopt, few persons will believe they are gov
erned by other than considerations of the
highest regard for the best interests of the
people, the purity of the bal!ot-box and the
requirements Of the law.
The Hollis and WATERFORD case came be-
fore the House Committee on Wednesday az
ternoon. Hon. Warren II. yinton of your
city, appeared for the sitting member-Mr.
Usher, and Ira Il. Drew, Esq, OF Alfred, and
Hon. james w. Bradbury of this city, APP
peared for the contestant = ii. X. Bradbury,
Esq. As the Press has already given fair
statement of the facts evolved in the testimo-
ny. pass it by without further remark.
Mr.. Burpee Of St. John, an intelligent civil
engineer in the interest Of the European and
North American Railway Company, has been
here for few days, for the purpose of APP
pearing before the Rrailroad Committee in be-
half OF that great international enterprise.
Mr.. b. comes highly recommended by the
high civil dignitaries O. New Brunswick, and
reveals whole heart devoted to this proposed
mode of knitting the two countries together
by bond Of interest of the most influential
character. Whatever feeling the ''roughs" of
st. John, or even the decayed aristocracy of
that city may have eyinced towards our coun-
try, or whatever cause Of complaint against
the provincials our people may have, growing
out OF the Chesapeake affair, or produced by
the agency Of rebel sympathizers in that city,
it Is only simple justice to Mr.. Burpee to say
that he has no responsibility Tor the errors of
his neighbors, that he has no sympathy with
their unfriendly acts, and that he is cordial
friend Of orr loyal people and a hearty we'll
wisher TO our loyal cause. 1t is to be hoped
therefore, that his appearance at this jancture,
Ia behalf of an enterprise of such confessed
Importance, may not awaken a prejudice I'M
just to him or unfavorablc TO the great work
whose consummation he seeks to promote.
The august State Committee of copper
headed Democracy held meeting in this city
few evenings since. The precise object of
the meeting is not made public, but it is un-
derstood to have been for the purpose Of hold
ing an inquest over the exhumed corpus of
the once powerful, defiant and progressive
though now decayed, efete and offensive or
gaaization, of what is known to-day as the
coppcrhead party, though self-clamed to be
the continuation OF the old Democratic party
IL Is well known that letters of admnistra-
ton upon the poor estate OF this defunct
giant were taken out in Portland last sum
mer, and that one Mr.. Bradbury of Eastport,
was appointed Administrators, giving bonds of
all he possessed for the faithful discharge of
the trust reposed in him, and that on the l4th
of Sept, the Probate Court of the People.
through four or five hunded ballot boxes. re-
turned verdict of "hopelessly insolyent.n
True, the creditors Of the defunct organization