The Portland daily press., 1867-02-04

prosperity of Portland cannot be maintained.
What change in the policy or management
of the Grand Trunk is to be anticipated, do
not know. A change for the better, and one
which will secure quick transit and prompI ue-
livery of goods, and at rates which shah s"e
our merchants the benefit of the geographical
position of Portland is to be hoped ior, anu
wish could saw expected. This IS what just
ice To Portland and the true policy OF the
Grand Trunk require The sympathies of our
neonle notwithstanding the history of re cent
mast are strongly with this road. But they
cannot consent to be at its mercy if that mer-
cy is ruin ru ar3
Among the projects which have been con-
sdered for opening new line of communica-
ton with the West are the following, (and
perhaps others which have not come under nv
notice.
/. A route from Ogdensburgh to Portland
tfd Rouse's Point and Island Pond. This route
involves the construction of a road from
Rouse's Point to Island Pond, a distance of7O
miles, over an easy grade and for the most part
through fertile country. The distances are
as follows: H-
Ogdensburgh to Rouse's Point, 1l8 miles,
to Island Pond, 20
Island Pond to Portland, 1873
ro.ol 337
The advantages of this line are that 1T opens
the shortest route from the lakes tothe sea ndt
caa be found dnyWhere., and makes fortland
the point at Which the products OF the north
west can be delivered at smaller cost than
they can be delivered at any other place upon
tide water. And in the winter season the con
nection between Ogdensburgh and Buffalo (byy
a route nearly completely will secure a through
communication by rail with the West 1t will
restore to our city the trade, now largely in
creased, of Northern Vermont and the dis
trict in Canada around Stanstead. a.
AS it will involve the largest distance and the
largest employment of water carriage of any
route to the ocean ports, it will naturally be
the most favored of all the owners of sailing
vessels and propellers on the lakes.
And this route shortens the distance between
Portland and Montreal "a miles-the distances
being as follows:
Portland to Island Pond, 149 miles.
Island Pond to Rouses Point, 20
Rouse's Point to Montreal, 43
Total, 262 miles.
But this scheme may be out of the question,
as its success implies a connection with, and
the cooperation of the Grand Trunk Compa-
ny, and change of gauge either at Rouse's
Point or Island Pond. 1t is possible that
satisfactory arrangement might be made with
the Grand Trunk for a connection, and that
the difference of gauge might be accommoda-
ted by a third rail upon one or the other of the
roads, or in some other way @
1t may however be impossible to overcome
these difficulties. Then we have coming
South, ., E3,.....-- .4 5t .t.,.
ii. The route from Ogdensburgh to Rouses
Point, and by the Vermont Central Railroad to
Montpelier, thence Uid st. Johnsbury, Ver-
mont, and Dalton, n. H., in the most direct
practicable line from the latter, (probably by
Fryeburg), to Portland. This line has sub
stannally all the advantages of the first except
that the distance between Portland and Og-
'densburg would be increased probably from
fifteen to twenty miles, and there is question
whether a feasible route can be found through
the New Hampshire mountains. This line
would open a still larger portion of northern
Vermontto the Portland trade than the former,
and would, besides, give road up the Saco val
ley, which would be of great importance to the
best route of all for the pleasure travel to the
mountains. u-4 siiI 81 H !4lHi 7-i b.
% 1t has been stated on high authority, that the
capital to complete this route (if it shall be
found practicable one) will be furnished by
parties interested outside of Portland. But
this route may not be practices liable, or the means
may not be forthcoming to build upon it-and
so we come -1 54f
III. To route from Ogdensburgh via Mont
z,clfer ,vs,,s zsTsoi, ohGnoe, eitner Jnroug
the counties of Grafton and Carroll, N. H., to
Alfred or Marlborough in the county of York
where it would connect with the Portland and
Rochester road, or it would be established uia
the Boston, Concord and Montreal road t.
Lake Village, thence by Alton Bay to Roches-
ter and Portland. distance between Og-
densburgh and Portland by these lines will not
vary much from that last named-the former
being probably little shorter and the latter a
trife longer. This route has then substantial
ly the advantages of the last mentioned, while
there is no doubt that either of the lines last
named can be built at reasonable cost-but
this route is subject to the possible drawbacks
that it may not be so easy to average through
trains to Portland per Ogdensburgh as by
the other routes, and that freight once upor
the cars and reaching point SO near Boston
land upon Boston road as Lake Village
would not be there turned off to Portland and
upon Portland road. .s.r
w. There is still another route, and one which
has positive merits-one which will connect
Portland with the West via the Portland and
Rochester road, the Alton Bay road, and road
to be constructed thence to Franklin, N. H.
and from the latter place by the Northern road
to White river junction and by the Vermont
Central road to Rouses' Point and Ogdensburg
And second, per White river junction viaWood
stock to Rutland, Vt, and thence to the New
York Central road at Schenectady The dis
lance between the Lake navigation and Port
land would be longer by this than by either OF
the foregoing routes, and the cost of transport
alton, in the months when lake navigation is
open would be greater-but it would secure an
all-the-way rail route to Detroit and Chicago
shorter perhaps by IS miles than any other now
in existence, or, L think, in contemplation
Which of the foregoing routes is on the whole
the best for Portland, and the most easily Sc
cured, is question that her merchants and
capitalists will answer, and it is not improbable
biltt more tndu one Oh unem Will De opened De-
fore many years. That the Rochester road
with Western connections, will be speedily
completed, is, l think, fixed fact, and intel-
gent capitalists in the West, and in Northern
Vermont, express the utmost confidence that
one of the others will be.
THE LEFT-HANDED MARRIAGE LAw.-On the
motion of Mr.. Hall, of Falmouth, to Indefinite
ly postpone the bill to remove the disability to
marry between persons of different races, the
House of Representatives ordered the yeas and
nays, which stood as follows: i
YedS-Messrs. Daniel Allen, Bean, Berry
Bradford, Benjamin M. Brown, David Brown
Buck, M. V, b. Chase, James r. Clark, Seth
III. Clark, Clements Coffin, Crockett, Dame
Davis, Ellis, Henderson, Gibbs, GrindIe Samu-
81 Hanson, Hartwell, Haskell, Irish, Jewett
Jordan, James n. Merrill, Merry Messer Now
ell. Packard, Philemon G. Parsons Albert Per.
kins, Levi Perkins, Pin5ham, Pollard Pres.
colt, Purinton, Richardson, Roberts Rogers
Saunders, Sawyer, Spear Sterling, SWEET.
league, Thomas, TiteOmb, Tyler, Violette
Wakefield Weed, West Whidden, Whittier,
Wilcox, Wyman, York-58.
Ndys-Messrs Daniel r. Allen, John 7. AL
len, Oliver Allen, Atkinson, Atwood, Barrel.
Beal, Bickford, Blanchard, Buclsnam, Isaiah
Clark, Cilley, Gushing, Downes, Farmer, Files,
Fish, Foster Frost Goold, Gordon, Haines
Hale, Alvin Hall, Orrin Hall, Henley, Hinck-
ley Holland, Hutchings, Remission, Lapham,
I,eiohton Tohias Lord David w Merrill Nor