The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1871-02-18
THE CAPITAL,


Final Passage Of the Besten e. Maine
Railroad Extension Bill.
Especial Dispatch by International Line.l
AUGUSTA, Feb. I.-To.day the Boston &
Maine Railroad bill for an extension of that
pasroad to Portland received its final action and
sage in both branches of the Legislature and
has been approved by the Governor. As this
measure has excited an intense interest in the
pubic mind and called to the Capitol nearly
all OF the railroad men in the State, almost all
OF whom were opposed to the bill, on the
ground of its being charter to build paral-
lei road, thus giving to the formidable and per-
slstent opposition of the P. s. B. P. Railroad q
powerful auxiliary working force, brief re-
view OF the contest may Do interesting Many
prominent men in the State who have an ex-
tenslve Knowledge of Maine Legislatures have
expressed themselves amazed at the result that
has been achieved over such a powerful and
persistent resistance; men who have been
| highly successful upon other questions before
the Legislature; men whose high character
and standing entitle them to great weight,
have found themselves utterly defeated in
their efforts to aid the P. s. & p r. r. Co. in
their opposition to the charter granted to the
B. q M. r. R. Your correspondent, however,
who has closely observed the controversy from
Its commencement, can see nothing strange or
wonderful in this overwhelming victory for the
Boston u Maine Railroad, because it became
apparent soon after the hearing before the
committee that very large majority OF the
members were favorably impressed with the
presentation of the Boston & Maine case, and
very many unfavorably impressed with the po-
sition taken by the P. s. & p. R. r. Co. The
feeling that the Boston & Maine Co. had been
compelled to seek protection from the the I'M
friendly action, actual and anticipated, of the
P S. & P. and Eastern roads, became strong
and very decided, and the opposition was al
most in the outset obliged to operate against
the current, but they were not dismayed at
this, and under the direction of able ATTORNEYS
industriously put forth every effort possible to
stay and change the current, and there nave
been times during the past two weeks when
their efforts were telling with some effect upon
the strength of the friends of the charter Ex-
Gov. Goodwin, of New Hampshire, President
of the P. s. B P. Railroad, has b. en- upon the
ground, and his high character and position at
once commanded the respect of every member
of the Legislature, but while all we're disposed
to listen to his view of the matter with atten-
ton, the cause he represented did not seem to
make impression enough to turn the tide of
oplniou which was against him. Judge Rice.
the ablest railroad man in New England. also
expressed himself as very decidedly opposed
to the granting of parallel charters, and vet
the vote of the Judges and county of Kennebec
was divided. The Interests of the Boston &
Maine road have been under the direction Of
one of its ablest directors, Col. John E. Bick-
ford, Of New Hampshire. Col Bickford came
early upon the ground, anticipating vigorous
opposition, presented his case to the Railroad
Committee for order of notice upon the P. s.
& T. Railroad and then refusing all entangling
alliances made selection of skilled attorneys,
whom he kept constantly here to observe and
meet the advance of his opponents. President
Coggswell and some other of the directors of
the B. & nj. road have been here, but the work
and chief management of that interest has
been under the immediate supervision of Col.
Bickfo,d.- When it is recollected that the
charter for which he asked affected the inter-
ests OF all the large railroad owners in the
State who were opposed to parallel roads, end
that the 2. S. & P. was operating with their
sympathy as well as the sympathy of the Eas-
tern Railroad, it will be seen that the position
of Mr.. Bickford has been one that required
the best of judgment, good deal of nerve and
manly and straight forward mode of action.
1t is the universal verdict here that in having
Col. Blckford to take charge of their interests
the B. & NJ. Railroad Co. have been exceed
ingly fortunate. Propositions have frequently
teen made to him to form alliances with other
interests in order to insure the success of his
own case but all such advances have been met
with cautious but decided refusal. We be-
lieve that justice to his road as well as the in
terests OF the public demanded the charter for
which he asked, and he has acted strictly upon
that belief to the end. The arguments urged
against his position were clearly known to
many of the members who, in the halls of the
hoteis duu In OTHER pubic places, heard the
question discussed pro and con soon after
the petition for a charter was presented.
But it can be said of Col Bickford that he
has not authorized or contributed any unfair
or improper appliances to be used in his favor.
A newspaper in the State few days since in
timated suspicion that the Boston B Maine
Company were using railroad passes with great
freedom to prejndice the minds of legislators in
their favor, but your correspondent feels as
sured that from the beginning of the contest to
it's close not a railroad pass was given or prom
ised directly or indirectly to any member of the
legislature or those connected with it. The
members of the legislature feeling that there
was need of another road leading from Maine
to Massachusetts,, and that the P. S. s. P. Rail-
road Company had by revoking their lease to
the Boston roads invited the competition which
they subsequently met and sought to defeat, and
observing the prudence and sincerity which
Col Bickford managed the interests of Boston
& Maine road were impressed with the belief
that the present was the favorable moment to
secure another railroad outlet from the State,
and have acted accordingly while the ques-
ton was pending before the legislature. All
parties feel that there has been something of
Misrepresentation and some uncalled-tor asser-
sions in some localities remote from the CAPT
tol where the whole matter has been best un-
derstood and most ably and thoroughly dis
cussed, and on that account it seems proper
that representations calculated to mislead
should be corrected.
The P. s. & P. R. R. Co. have been repre-
sented here by earnest and honorable men, and
the game is true of the B. & NJ Road, end
whatever may be the opinions of the people at
a distance from the capital it is certain that the
Legislature has settled the matter upon their
view of the merits Of the case. Those facts be-
ing understood the result cannot seem surpris-
ing, one of the strongest points urged against
the granting of the charter was the want of
the Statute notice to the company interested
but the fact could not have much il any force
after the P. S. & P. R. r. Co. had approved
before the committee and contested the whole
matter there, thus accepting the notice that
had been ordered. 1t ought, however, to be
said, that this statute is often disregarded, as
in this case, but the point of want of notice
urged before the House by Col. Robbie would
have met with considerable support had there
been no appearance by the P. s. s. p railroad
before the committee on the ground that by
by thus acting they were relying apon what
they considered the plighted faith of the State
Now that the contest is over all seem glad ex-
cept the hotel keepers.
The contest over the Bangor branch created
warm debate this afternoon. IL was closely
Al =