Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1872-02-02

MT FEssENpEN moved that the House re-
cede and concur.
MIR. CARLETON moved division of the
question, and spoke briefly in favor of the
House insisting upon its vote. He reviewed
the course each branch had taken upon the
Dill, and advised that the House stand man
iuily up to its rights, and not bow down in
humble submission to the other branch. He
did. mot wish to charge any one with trickery,
but he understood that there were two Com
mercial streets-Commercial and West Com
mercial-and this amendment only covers a
little portion of the street after they get by
the Maine Central depot; so that the amend
ment is cheat. He spoke of the rights of
both corporations, and urged that the Central
be protected in its rights, against foreign
corporation.
Mr. FEssENDEN said it was patent on the
face Of it that the Maine Central sought by
this amendment to shut the Boston x Maine
out from Portland entirely. He made the
motion to recede and concur with the Senate
in rejecting the amendment which he had
suggested, for the reason that the Boston &
Maine have bought valuable wharf property
"a fact he had overlooked when the amend
ment was offered), and in order to reach that
property they must cross Commercial street
This amendment shut them from their
wharf property on the cast side of CONNER
|
west side.
Mr.. PERRY of Oxford hoped the House
would not recede from its former action, and
he was little surprised that the gentleman
| tMr. Fessenden) should ask the House to
strike off the amendment which he (Mr. F.
had himself proposed. He would use one
corporation the same as the other-protecting
both in all their rights. The question then
is, shall the Boston & Maine come in, and
shall the Maine Central be protected in their
depot rights! Strike off this amendment and
it gives the Boston 4 Maine unlicensed hber-
ty in locating their track, by virtue Of an ar
: rangement with Portland. He agreed with
the gentleman from Whitetield that the House
should insist, and not concede virtually that
the Senate is the State and that this House is
nobody.
Mr.. FREFEruEN thought the debate had
taken wide range. The Boston & Maine
now have the right to locate their road in
Portland any time between NOW and the 18th.
/ Allthey ask is the extension of the time for
this location. 1t is giving them no more
rights but more time to negotiate for the
property taken for the location.
Mr.. STEVENS had no prejudces against
the Boston Maine or any road. He wanted
them all treated alike, but he did not think
the Maine Central would have fair play if the
House receded from its vote adopting the
amendment.
Mr.. PERKINS of Pennington argued in IA
vor of receding. The Boston & Maine will
bring a large amount of capital into this State,
and he did not want that capital kept out.
They must have an extension of time for the
location of their road in order to compromise
with persons owning property over which
they must go or locate, and at an expense of
many hundred thousand dollars.
Mr. EEs hat tho Ma;p
did not intend to locate through the depot of
the Central; if that had been their intention
they could have located in fifteen minutes.
Mr.. HOLDEN remarked that when the
amendment was adopted he thought it imma-
ture. The Maine intends to come in on the
north side of Commercial street and not in
tefere with the Central, but when they get
, down toward State street, entirely clear of
the Central depot, they desire to cross the
street to get to their wharves. The amend
ment strikes them out from this.
Mr.. HAMILTON desired to get at the true
merits of every case coming before the Leg
: islature, in order that he might vote under
standingly. Last week when the question of
authorizing the Maine Central Co. to procure
a loan, was before the House, he was away,
but his colleague had sent him a printed bill,
and he had examined it. He had read in the
newspapers that under that bill was this 'scat''
Decentralization, and that the rights of the
people would be taken away it. He exam
ined it and the statutes with care, and for his
life he could not find the ''hideous monster
of consolidation in that bill that had been re-
: ferred to. He voted for it, and he wanted to
consider the bill before the House with the
same care that he had considered that-upon
its merits.
When this charter to the Boston & Maine
was granted, every well informed railroad
man had doubts as to their intention of build
ing that road. York county which had great
interest in the matter had grave doubts 1t
was argued here that this charter was to be
used as cloak between them and the p. S.
& p. Railroad, and for that reason the legisla-
ture put into the provisions of its charter a
promise requiring them to make a survey of
the proposed line within one year. This was
simply done as guarantee of good faith on
the part of the Boston & Maine to build the
road. They have complied with the provis-
ions of that charter thus far, and now they
= desire to get into the heart of the city of
Portland, and desire an extension of time of
six months in which to locate the short dis
lance of one mile from the western branch of
Fore river to their depot grounds. Why do
they ask this! Because they have got to CO.
in order to reach their depot grounds, along
line where there are many dwelling houses
and workshops-all of which they must pur-
chase. They desire time to negotiate But
if they are compelled to locate by the 18th
as provided in their charter, they must do so
at great sacrifice of money He would vote
for this proposition simply upon the ground
that they shall not be put in position that
owners Of real estate shall take advantage of
them.
He understood that the Boston & Maine de-
sired and expected to locate on the north side