The Portland daily press., 1870-05-25
:
nm |. Raeirsnd sfestipe,


George w. Woolman, the chairman of the
previous meeting, being detained by illness
Hon. Warren H..Vinton of Gray was llled to
| preside.
Mr. John Neal introduced a resolution de-
| clarlng that the proposed consolidation, involv
lug change of gauge, which the meeting had
come together to consider, would be breach
OF faith with the Grand Trunk Railway and
| Its British stockholders, alarming and prepos-
ferrous in itself, and dangerous to the business
interests of Portland.
| Mr.. John A. Poor said that in rising to sec
ond the motion, he desired to made an expa.
nation in reply to certain statements made on
the previous evening. twenty-five years age
we started to found State railroad policy, a
Maine system, by which while bringing the
produce of the West to the best harbor on the
Atlantic coast, we should also build up our
city and State. Tae attempt was met with
ri1icule both from friends and foes. The B0s-
ton Daily AdcertiSer advanced arguments which
the Portland Advertiser now reproduces. We
were told that the broad guage was British
gauge and that we should put ourselves in
communication with the United States These
arguments were met and refuted twenty-fv
years ago. by that giant intellect, Judge Preble,
whose name is .impershabIy associated with
our railroad system. A protest signed by 333
Boston merchants and endorsed by the mayor,
was sent to Montreal, but no man could be
found TO present it to Parliament. The people
| of Montreal asked, why this interference from
| the Athens of America? when we want their
| advice we will ask for it. Eight years after
| the signing of that protest the cars came
through on the broad gauge road. How stands
| Portland to-day? The men who hold possess
| sion of road they did not build promise great
things. Ask the widows and orphans along
the road and the farmers in the Kennebec val
ley how they got it. They bought its bonds at
ten cents on the dollar. 1t is a good spccula-
ton for them. These practical men are going
to do great things, we are told. The speaker
then passed to consider the relative value of
the broal and narrow gauges, declaring that
we owe the adoption of the broad gauge in
Maine to John Mussey more than to any other
mah. He then described the cxertions by which
the European and North American road OBJ
| tanned the aid from Massachusetts which rem
dered it a success; aud explained his position
/ ou thC ehilu luCStiOu alIuuCu W Wy 0CH.
Shep'ey at the previous meeting, showing that
| the key to bis conduct throughout was the de-
sire to advance the interests of Portland and
secure broad gauge line to Halifax After
dwelling on the superiority of this gauge and
eulogizing the men by whose counsels it was
introduced in Maine, he passed to a considera-
tion of the improved and improving condition
OF the Grand Trunk road under the manage
ment of Mr.. Brydycs. This abused road
brought into Portland last year one-half as
much produce as all that came into Boston ly
al her roads. Nobody here ever received a
barrel of flour over narrow gauge roads. He
described the great interest Boston took in the
fate OF the consolidation project before the Leg
| isature last winter, and said that to Thomas
b. Reed more than to any other man we owed
the defeat Of the project. After the bill was
killed in the Senate the matter was allowed to
drop, the public mind was quieted, and moth
ing more was heard of it until the 18th of tie
present month. Portland ought to express her
opinion on the subject, and she can express it
in such a way as to defeat the scheme.
Hon. Woodbury. Davis being called upon
teok the floor to reply. He said he was drawn
into the meeting Monday evening out of Curl
osity 10 SEQ what counsel the citizens of Port
land proposed to take with regard to q matter
with which really they had no more concern
| than with his private affairs. He could not
ascertain what the meeting was for. The sub
| iect discussed was not the one named in the
| call. Mr.. Poor had discussed the process by
which our most eminent citizens had obtained
possession of the Portland and Kennebec rail.
road. Are we to enter into a quarrel with
Messrs. Brown, Shep1ey and Jose, and to al
low ourselves to be dragged into the gentle
mans private quarrels? He had appeared for
the old corporation and had reason to believe
his clients were satisfied with his action, though
he did not find it necessary to denounce the
ten men referred to as knaves or thieves. Nice
legal questions were involved, and all his
clients desired was justice. They denounced
no man. No one has anything to say against
the Grand Trunk road, under its old OF new
management. The contract it has with the
Maine Central road will expire in year or
two and it has no claim beyond. The business
| it derives from the Maine Central is extremely
| small. 1t can have no ground whatever for
| complaint Is it not for the interest OF Port
land to have the Maine Central extended into
the city? Why should We not have another
line of communication with the interior rather
than be dependent on the Grand Trunk? Who
shall say we may not do it? Is it for the in
terest of Maine and for the interest of Port
land? SO much talk has been made that very
few know what consolidation really means
! No one knows the terms of agreement between
the two roads; in fact, as yet there is no con-
tract. In a few days the meetings of the stock
holders will be held, and then the whole thing
will be made known. He denied that there
| had been any intentional mutilation of the
records as insinuated last night He thought
the meeting was designedly called to tall
about the matter before anything was known
about it. He showed how the Portland and
Kennebec road, burdeued with q debt o
Il two million dollars, clme into the hands of
the present directors and welt upon the
advantages of consolidation to the roads,
The legislature did not see fit to authorse it
and the present proposition is not for consoli.
dation, but the lease of one road to the other
an entirely different affair. The leasing ol
roads was the commonest thing in the world
half the roads in the State are leased to-day
As citizen of Portland he asks what objection
there could be to this. If there were any OBJ
lection what concern is it of the business men
of Portland? Only one thing can result from
! this opposition. Certain men who have hat
| quarrels with all the roads in the State wish te
enlist the public in their quarrels. 1t is our in
| terest to be on good terms with the people o
| the State, not to revive old quarrels. Gu
business does not depend on guages. The busi
ness of the narrow guage Portland & Kenne
bee road, in spite of its connection with Bos
ton, has more chan quadrupled under its pres
ent management. He showed the great bene
fit to the city the road had been and how all
surd it was to suppose that men with as mucl
invested here as Messrs. Brown, Jose am
Shepey would do anything to injure the busi
ness of the city. He replied to Mr.. Poor's ex
planation of the third rail business, referred t
his suits against the European & North Amer
ican road and his opposition to the Portland
Ogdensburg road, from its commencement t
the present time.
| Mr.. Poor took the floor to reply and bein.
considerably excited over the speech of Judg
Davis warm and interesting discussion fol
lowed, the main question being lost sight of an
Mr.. POor's record being examined till half pas
ten o'clock. The discussion was now exceed
ingly personal and MIR. Poor had very clearl
the sympathy of the audience. On motion
Mr.. Neal the meeting adjourned to this (Wed