The Portland daily press., 1872-02-08

unanimously in favor of this bill. So thorough,
so complete surrender to irresponsible power,
and to such an extent, was never before wines
see in this State, as was manifested IN this &C
ton of the Railroad Committee.
The House action on this bill is another eX-
ample of the same character IL IS certainIy
very significant that, under existing circun-
stances, a bill of such magnitude ana ihv4Iv-
ing such important interests, should be suffer-
ed to pass in that body without debate, under
the pressure of the previous question. ms
fear. is but the beginning of the end
NV third and last point is, that while L
would not unnecessarily restrain or embarrass
these corporations for single day, but would
most cheerfully accede to them every reasona-
BILE privilege l cannot vote to grant Them this
extraordinary power until they nave Deenpiaced
under the control of constitutional law. They
are now outside of any constitutional restraint,
and they wish to remain so. The great rail-
road interest with its investment of nearly $780,
100000 in this State, being $5,000,000 more
than the original valuation of the whole State,
has sprung into existence since the formation
of the constitution There is no provision in
our primary law to regulate and control them,
and the only limit to their power, in that il
strument, is in the broadcast of general princi-
Piles contained in the declaration of rights and
can but hope that the day is not far distant
when our Constitution may be revised and
made to conform to the wants of the present
times When this is done and these great in
terests are brought under constitutional regula-
corporations, should consolidate if they wish,
but till that has been secured, as prudent men
we should foresee the evil, as legislators we
should carefully guard such important points,
lest stronger man enter in and take possess
ion of the house.
l have not felt that it was necessary for me
to elaborate these points; you can understand
them in all their bearings as well as myself L
have simply presented them as the reasons
which viii govern me in my votes upon this
nuastion I rppar1 the action to take
as very important; the committee has yielded
in body to the demand of this power. the
other branch has followed by an overwhelming
vote; both ignore our courts on this question
and only this body stands between the people
and this great irresponsible power / can but
hope that we may have wisdom to discern the
path of duty and that strength may be given us
to walk therein. E7u
Mr.. Chase of Washington County had been
convinced by Mr. Fosters argument that it
would be an act of needless cruelty to impose
such restrictions as were embraced in Mr..
Mays amendments on SO innocent, SO guileless
and 80 beneicent corporation as the Maine
Central. So he went with the tide Then came
Mr.. Hincks favoring the unamended bill
Consolidation was all right. Mr. Harrington
of Oxford followed in opposition to the bill and
giving notice of an amendment. Mr.. Foster
of Penobscot thought there might be danger
in the wrong use of the powers conferred by
the BILL but he should cote for it on account Of
the confidence he had IN the men aoho asked for it.
Mr.. Hadlock of Hancock could see "nothing
wrong about the bill. Mr. Chaplin of Cum
berland could not subscribe to the reasons given
in support of the measure, which to him was
clean and pure consolidation. To carry out the
wishes of his constituents he should vote
against the bill. He believed that there were
not 1O, 900 men in the State who would vote for
the measure. He gave notice that he had pre-
pared an amendment which he proposed to Of
fer when in order, to insert after the word
''bonds" in the second line Sin a sum not ex-
ceeding $1O,OOO,O 600" Then came the vote on
Mr.. Mays amendment given above, with the
following result:
Foster, Of Penobscot, Hobbs, Humphrey, May, Nor,
ris, Pennell, Spaulding, of Sagadahoc,..1o.
Hadiock, Kinks, Howes, Irish, Kennedy, Kimball,
Mcclellan, Nickels, O'Brion. Philbrick, Sawyer,
Smith, Spaulding Of Knox, Webber,-1s.
Mr.. Harrington then offered an amendment
striking out all after the word ''effect" in sec
tion 2, and insert ION and after the decision of
the courts, establishing the validity of their
lease with the Portland & Kennebec Railroad
now pending in the Supreme Judicial Court. "
This was rejected by the same vote as the first
except that Foster of Penobscot voted with the
majority. Mr. Chapln's amendment met with
the same fate, with Spaulding of Sagadahoc al
so voting with the majority. Mr. Spauld-
ing explained the changing of his vote in the
last instance, and offered the following amend
ment: Strike out of the 4th line of the bill the
following words: snow leased to and operated
by it" and insert instead the words, ''hereinaf-
ter named" Also strike out from the 9th and
10th lines the words, whose roads are now
leased to and operated by it This amendment
aoas rejected, President Foster giving his vote
against it SO that it was lost by a tie. In this
vote the ant-consolidationist were joined by
Kinks of Hancock, Halves of Franklin, Fos-
ter of Penobscot, Irish of Aroostook, O'Brion
of York and Spaulding of Knox. So the Sem
ate notified the people that the Legislature has
ratified consolidation, and that the Supreme
Court need give itself no further anxiety about
it. Then our trusty Morris led a forlorn hope
against the now triumphant allies by offering
the following amendment.
The acceptance of this act by said railroad
corporation shall be deemed waiver of any ex-
elusive rights granted ito it by it's charter
anu as supJectlHS Sdlu cnarter 10 the COntrOl OF
the legislature.
Only the immortal eight who had not bowed
the knee to Baal, voted for this, President
Foster having asked the question ''Why dis
tinguish?' by which the Senate was evidently
foored Never were men so easily convinced.
Then the bill was put on its passage, only the
Cumberland Senators and four Others voted
against it. These are the names of the men
who do not wear the Maine Central livery:
CHAPLIN OF Cumberland .
D1NGLEY of Androscoggin.
HARRINGTON of Oxford. a..tita I'D lr..
HOBBS of York. I........-
HUMPHREY Of Cumberland.
NORRIS of Cumberland.
PENNELL of Cumberland. Ii
SPAULDING of Sagadahoc. Ai
As there were twenty gentlemen who could
see nothing wrong" in the bill of course it
passed. aHeii