The Portland daily press., 1870-01-03
Wesibrook Town Meeting.

The voters of Westbrook held their town
meeting on Wednesday, 10Th inst, on the
the question Of dividing, the town. The peti.
TONERS had boosted that they would have
every thing their own way in that meeting.
| They had, by Misrepresentation, persuasion,
threat. and every means in their power OBJ
tanned some five hundred names to a petition
for a division of the town. Various arguments
were used to obtain those Names 70 those
who desired to be annexed to the city of Port
land, they said, to divide was the nearest way
| to annexation; to those who did not want to be
set off they said to divide was the only way to
prevent annexation; to others they said if we
divide we shall have town of small expense
to support while we shall have very large
amount of taxable property; said property, TO-
gether with the population will double in less
than five years. This was sufficient induce
ment for the narrow souls who are Governed
entirely by dollars and cents.
Well, they met as above stated, and COM
menced business by balloting for a moderator.
After all who were present had voted motion
was made to close the polls, but this being OBJ
vrs) had NOT arrived at the town house. the
time for balloting for moderator was extended
halt hour longer.
1t was evident to all that the remonstrants
were about two to one against the petitioners.
vote OF 557 to 322; majority OF 235; and this
Notwithstanding the town house is in the ycini
ty OF the majority of the petitioners. There
was manifest disposition on the part of the
remonstrants to give them (the petitioners
falr play. Justice obliges us to say, that on
the part of the petitioners, there was man
Hest idesire to prevent an expression of the
sentiment of the meeting; and here let me
again say that although the remonstrants yery
wen knew they had large majority, they did
not take, or intend to take any advantage of
the petitioners, from the first to the last I'm
medlately after choice of moderator, f. M
ray, Esq, presented resolution that the
town be not divided. Samuel Jordan, ESD,
moved to substitute instead, that it would be
be divided ' ~
Friend Caleb Jones occupied the attention
OF the town for twenty minutes ALTHOUGH the
resolution OF MIR. Jordan was substitute in.
S.S 1a;. Oh an amendment, yet the majority were
MI. Payson then took up twenty minutes on
the Importance of an efficient town govern
ment, and that there were men in each section
OF the town qualified to fill any place in town
Then L. B. bennett, ESQ.,, punished not |
only the remonstrants, but the who'e town
for an hour and eighteen minutes, so that even
those ON his own side (the petitioners became |
and, as remarked by Mr.. Ham
mona, they were glad and anxious to hear his
(Dennetts) last word. What he said was a
reiteration of the remarks of Mr. Paysop. and
the arguments used for the last three months
in favor of division. Consider for moment
nine or ten hundred men, all standing CLOSELY
packed, many Of them old and infirm. hearinS
The same remarks for the thousandth time
was it not enough to provoke the patience of
JOB? Indeed, the Moderator, man of as
much patience as any man of the present age.
yas provoked beyond endurance, and told MI
y. tnat otners had rights as well as he, aud if
he regarded them, he would not continue his
emarks longer.
Then followed J. W. Jones, ESQ.,, but it was
ecided that W. P. Merrill, ESQ.,, was entitled
0 the floor. Up to this time, nothing had
cen said on the side of the remohstrants' Mr..
1errill spoke just twelve minutes, which was
efficient to demolsh entirely all that had been
aid in favor of division, much to the annoy