The Portland daily press., 1865-02-04
Public Meeting Of the Citizens.
THE Bounty Question.

Xsso@ssVfes
Pursuant to warrant issued by the Mayor
and Aldermen, the citizens met yesterday af-
ternoon, in the City Hall, "to see what action
said inhabitants would take to fill the quota of
Portland under the Presidents last call.
The hall was densely crowded. There must
have been not less than from 1900 to 1000
persons present. sen 6ga iaaf
The meeting was called to order and the
warrant read by the City Clerk, when a CON-
mittee consisting of James 81. Hamlin, Charles
81. Fling and Henry Willis, was appointed to
assist the Clerk In receiving, sorting and
counting the votes for Moderator.
The committee attended to their duty. and
reported the whole number of votes for Mod
orator, 643. OF these 524 were for ALBERT
II. WAITE, and he was declared elected, and
was qualified by the Clerk.
Hon. ]. Fl. Drummond addressed the meet
ing and made some explanations going to show
why no more action had been taken on the
pSrt OF the city to fill the quota under the last
call. When the call was made it was suppss-
ed that the city had surplus credits sufficient
to meet the demand within less than twenty
five men. The Provost Marshal and the
Mayor, from the best data they had, agreed in
this opinion. When a month or SO ago the
quota was assigned it was found to be very
much larger than was anticipated. Before
there was opportunity to take any effective
action towards filing it, orders came from
Washington to stop assigning quotas, that
revision of the whole matter might be made.
OF course the Mayor supposed the revision
would place US all right or nearly so, and no
one could have been more taken by surprise
than he was when it was learned few days
since that the city was required to furnish over
900 men. .Hs g9i 8w8M ao8,
The matter has been laid before the Gov
ernor, and he is understood to have entered
into correspondence with the War Depart
ment with view to secure rectifcation of
any errors that may have been made in assign
ing tine quotas of the State. Such were among
the reasons, as stated by Mr.. Dummond, why
the City Council had taken no action in the
matter. Mr.. Gilman; a members of the Com
mon Council. subsequently corrected Mr.
Drummond In one particular, and said, while
the reasons assigned were no doubt infuen-
tial with the Mayor, and might have con-
troled his action, that the City Council had
never taken any actioni in the premises, for the
reason that they had not been called together
In rt lation to the matter, and had had no op
portunity to give expression to any opinion
upon the subject. At the close of Mr.. Drum.
mond's remarks Nathan Cleaves, Esq, sub
mitted the following votes, which were unani-
mously adopted, to wit: ans
lat. Voted, To instruct our Representa-
tives In the Legislature to use their efforts to
procure the immediate passage of law au-
thorizing cities and towns to pay bounties
to enrolled men who furnish snbstitutes-to
volunteers and drafted men who are counted
upon the quotas of said cities and towns-in
lieu of State bounty.
Voted, That the City Clerk be instructed to
forward copy of the above vote to each OF
our Representatives in the Legislatute-and
to request each of the Senators, from Cnmbcr.
land County to assist III the passage of said
act. ~ t~A 80 ~-1
Hon. ]. 81. Drummond submitted the fol-
lowing proposition, and backed 1t by an ele-
oquent speech, 10 witt IS ie--ii saas n
Voted That the City Council be instructed
to provide for the payment by the City, to
each man, who shall 60 into the service of the
United States, on The quota Of the city, under
the call of Dec. 10, 1854, or shall furnish sub
stitute, the following bounties =
For three years, $3.50; saHs
For two years, $500; r.ad e5s
For one year, $3.50.
This proposition was freely discussed by
Mesars. Drummond, Kimball, Emery, and
Others, and was adopted unanimously amid
great enthusiasm and prolonged cheers.
c. P. Kimball, Esq, submitted the following
resolution, which was passed without opposi-
ton, and the meeting then adjourned, to
witt
Resolved, That it is the sense of this meet
ing, that the bounty should be all paid down,
unless State or National law shall be passed
TO prevent it. y Il q "A ~