Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1868-01-17

the matter OF SO great importance that
must again urge IL upon your attention
mind as 10 the occasion for this soiicrtude
have procured by favor Of General George
Thorn OF the u Engineers. to whom the
State is much indebted for his deep interest
and valuable CO operation in measuring
which look to It's iiSsiitss., copy OF a re-
cent survey OF the Pcnobscot, by Mr.. Sui.
Ivan. which | shall lay before you at an
early day. From this it appears that a bed
oi obstructions IRON slabs, edgings aud saw
dust extenGs from Crosby's Narrows TO
Bangor. distance Of some three and half
miles. covering an area of about 500 acres.
and OF an average d-p'h OF ten feet. beng
IN some localities more than lS feet deep,
forming an entangled mass Of more than s..
600, 900 cubic yards. The Report proceeds:
l"From all these examinations IL has been
ascertained that the river. instead OF having
as formerly. wide. clear. and unoostructed
channel of three fathoms in depth at low
water all rbc way up to Bangor, has now
narrow, tottuous and uncertain channel
with but eight or nine feet at 10 west vster"
The restoration OF the old river bed would
cost millions. and is not to be thought of,
but a passable channel could be made at
cost estimated at from SI00.000 TO $780,
600. according to the depth These oh.
strucions are still accumulafiny. and .it
needs no Argument IRON me to show that
we cannot af,rd 10 close the Penobscot riv.
er and make Bangor an Inland city / can
not bu; regard it as my duty TO urge upon
yon to put stop. by suitable leg islation.
to the process oi ii .lihg up the river, and
then We shall be in a condition to appeal TO
Congress TO clear the channel IL is easier
for Us to remove the cause than the conse.
quences. and unless We 10 so it will be idle
TO expect th- General Government TO rem
der Us any aid.
4 l. is proper to refer 10 the happy results
OF the liberal spirit OF the State toward, the
proposition for the publication OF the cariy
documentary history Of Maine Under this
encouragement the Historical Socirty com
n,is-ioned R;v. Dr. Woods to examine the
public archives oi EHgiand. Frame. Spain
and Venice for original manuscript recor Is
pertaining TO the discovery and carly oc-
cnpation Of this portion OF the New World
To facilitate this desirable work the com
mission of the State was also given TO DIR.
Woods, anl he has met with every courtesy
and co operation on the part OF the custod-
ians OF these archives. Under these favor.
able circumstances large amount of vsiua.
BILE material has been brought to light.
This will be embraced in volume illustrat.
ing the progress OF discovery prior to the
year l6OO, and eliminating in he ocaupa-
lion OF this ground under the first charter
of Maine in 1906 which was the dawn OF col
onizaiion and civilization in North Ameri.
ca. The editing of the work falls to able
hands and il is easy to foi esee that this vol
umc will be q more important contribution
to our early history than .;hss hitherto ap-
peared. The appropriation Tor subscription
10 this volume has not been expended the
ID \ full 4 a..
it be renewed. as the volume will undoubt.
ely appear in the course oi the ensuing
year.
The constitution guarantees TO every
citizen speedy Justice. II is worthy Of in.
quiry whether this pledge has been faith
fully kepi-wheiher in some instances the
administration OF Justice has not been so
impeded as to amount to practical denial
of IL. 1t Is our dpty to give this subject the
attention ii demands The rapid increase
Of wealth in Portland and the neighboring
towns has long tended TO accumulate bus
mess in the Supreme Court OF that county.
TIE docket OF that court IN Cumberland
now contains nearly 2Oo0 actions. IN nearly
all Of which tho defendants have fled spec
ihcations of defence and entitled TO
trial. The great hardship OF this matter Is
that defenccs made only for delay shelter
themselves behind actions which are really
for trial where they lie in safety. their
bollowness not exposed until reached in
regular course Of business. With this ac.
cumulalion no action can be reached under
at least two years. and adding the delay
for exceptions heard only once year the
average delay is three years Ii is easy TO
see that the course Of Justice is impeded
here. and it seems hat the tinc has come
for The redress OF this evil by the establish
A r - 4
ty inter mediate between the Municipal and
the Supreme Judicial courts. would
therefore respectfully recommend TO your
careful consideration the bill proposed by
a committee o. the Cumberland bar and
unanimously adopted at full meeting OF
that body IL - believed that the CT es, ion
OF such a court. with iis limited exclusive,
Anl large'coucurr~nt Jurisdiction. its i-e.
qneut terms tor jury trials and its provis-
IONS Tor the speedy h-ariag Of law questions,
would afford prompt aud effectnal remedy
for the present evil.
IL IS well known tha; respectable party
Of citizens Of this Siale joined in he disas-
trous enterprise known as the Jahl Colony
The most distressing accounts OF their con-
ditiOn reached ms during fhs last summer
With anxious appeals fot the interference
uf the STATE on fh,ir behalf As however
they were beyond our iurisd lctlun and
reach immediately addressed conmuni.
/. eaton o the Hon Wm II S@wsrl. :, ere.
iary OF State. asking lhc aii Of the General
+. Government. IN rescuing these unfortunate
people from their distresses. This request
w1s most krndiy and promptly met on
the part Of the government, and after SONS
r corr spond 'nce the Secretary informed me
: that be had provided for The return to thi.
actt.tr, .uoh a fi.aaa
az we're 80 disposed IL the mean time fhs
sGferings OF the colonists prompted oar
q Consul at Copstantinople, Hon. John II
, I,nndrnr,rr 70 iakn a..i.nr fnt fheif n. n III