Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1871-02-15

five thousand five per cent. shall be paid in,
which should not be considered hardship, if
the parties are in earnest. If this cannot be
obtained the road is snare, and should not
be built. This legislature has not the power
to create. general railroad law by winch
anybody may build n road any where they
may please, according to the Constitution.
The proposition is to submit the plan TOR
railroad fortified by a subscription OF
five thousand dollars to board Of
railroad commissioners VINO are
to say whether the public exigencies require
it. for the Constitution provides against taking
land unless for public convenience, and if the.
public convenience does not require 1t road
ought not to be built. 1t may be said, here IS
an existing road, and another shall not be
built, but this had been guarded against by the
amendment offered by the gentleman from
Kennebunkport (Mr. CoUsENs.) This board
of commissioners are important officers, be-
cause they are to determine the question IN
subordinate degree, of the creation Of new
roads. We propose to select them by the vote
of the people at the September elections, and
it is proposed to introduce the element of the
minority. 1t is proposed to have three mil
road commissioners, and no man allowed to
| vote for but two of them. That gives the
minority one out of the three. 1t is proposed
to give the minority one on the commission
and in that way try them and see how good
man they can present. OF course the whole
bill is an experiment, and is subject to be re-
pealed at the next session of the legislature.
But if it proves a success, and men of capaci
ty and intelligence are found to devote suffi-
Gent time to the matter, and conduct it well,
he thought it would be gain to the State.
He would have q law passed like the Massa
chusetts law, subjecting railroad corporations
to the Legislature and to the laws. We al
ready have a railroad of twenty miles long
under the control of one man, who runs when
he pleases and stops when he pleases, affect
ing every mans property along that line. He
has trited with the rights of that people for
years in the management of that road. We
have others in the State that manage equally
to the Inconvenience of the public. He had
been told upon what he deemed excellent au-
thority that the lines are so managed as to
draw the business out of the State for the BEN
eft of other States, because by so doing the
railroad itself is benefited. He would have
this commission above control by the sugges
tons ofprivate friendship, or the insinuation
that it is for the injury of one road or the ben
eft of another. He would have them to oblige
this man to run this road regularly and for the
benefit of the State. He would have them to
regulate the tariffs and cause them to run so as
to connect with other roads, for the benefit of
the public, and not for their proprietors. This
can be done by the legislature, but only
by general legislation. 1t cannot be done
by special legislation for special legislation
has no "lobby" here. 1t needs prompt,
efficient and active tribunal men who
understand how to apply remedies, and
if this board be good for anything it won't
spend its time in bandying compliments
in commenting directly or indirectly upon
the amount of wealth this man or that man
has, but they will spend the time in seeing
that the interests of the people do not suffer.
For the last ten years our railroads have
doubled though there has been no increase in
population, which goes to show that our peo-
pie are now educated into their use. We
are to be more so hereafter, and we should
not leave these gentlemen no better than the
average rest of as to control by combination
the business interests of this State.
Mr.. BoNNEY proposed to restate the gen.
tleman's Mr.. Pike's) argument briefly. The
liberties of the people are in danger of ex-
tinction from railroads, therefore those liber
ties are safer in the hands of three men than
in the hands of the Legislature composed of
one hundred and eighty-two men. The very
statement proves the fallacy of the argument.
Mr.. PIKE moved to strike out the words
''ten thousand Gas he sometime since stated
he would) and insert the words ''five thous-
and. Objected to by Mr.. SMITH of Saco,
Mr.. Robe being in the chair.
The bill was then laid on the table.
Bill an act to incorporate the Alfred and
South Berwick Railroad Co. was taken from
the table and passed to be enacted.
On motion of Mr.. WHITE of Greenfield
Adjourned.
PETITIONS, BILLS, &C., PRESENTED AND Re-
FERRED.
By Mr.. RAwsoN-Bill an act to amend sec.
iG of chap. 80 of the Revised Statutes chang
ing mill law
BY Mr.. BIRD-Petition of A. X. Wheeler
ct ais, for repeal of the Cobb Lime Co. act.
By Mr.. Decentralization of the seleetmen
and inhabitants of Grafton for legalization of
doings of said town.
By Mr.. HASKELL, of DECENTRALIZATION of
P. n Blanchard and 4S others of Yarmouth
against railroad consolidation.
By Mr.. SMITH, of Parsonsfeld-Remon-
STRANGE of l. c. Mason ct ais, against rail-
road consolidation.
By Mr.. PIKE-Bill an act to incorporate the
Calais Tugboat Company
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