Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1872-02-09

the Calais Steamship Company; an act
to authorize the construction of marine
railway at Bass Harbor in fremont; all act
to incorporate the Millbridge and Cherryfield
Telegraph Company; an act to incorporate
the Castine Savings Bank an act to author
lze VIM. II. Pope ct ais. to maintain wharves
in the tide waters at Macliias bill an act to In
corporate the Association ofthe New Jerus alem
church in the State of Maine; bill an act to
incorporate the East Sangerville Cheese Fac
tory; bill on act to regulate the sinking fund
of the Portland & Rochester Railroad Compa-
ny; bill an act to incorporate the Casco Man
ufacturing Company bill an act to incor
porate the Ticonic Company; bill an
act to change the name OF the town OF
Grant Isle; an act to incorporate the
Augusta Literary and Library Associa
ton; an act TO authorize i. II. Bowden to
build and maintain wharf in tide waters at
the head of Hagaduce river in the town OF
OF Penobscot; an act to legalize the doings of
school district No. Is, in Bristol; an act to
authorize VIM. II. Hemingway ct ais. to
erect and maintain wharf in Machas; an
act to authorize the Portland, Saco & Ports
mouth Railroad Company 10 construct rail-
road from Kittery to Biddeford; an act to in
corporate the Cumberland Central Railroad
Company.
FINALLY PAssED-Resolve in favor of
Francis X. Dinsmore; resolve in favor OF
Spaulding Robinson and Arthur T. Robinson
resolve abating State tax in Veazie; resolve
for the purchase of the Maine State Year
Book and Legislative Manual.
Bill an act to incorporate the Lewiston s
Auburn Railroad Company, came up in
order, the question being upon the motion Of
Mr.. Hunt to indefinitely postpone.
MIR. FEssENDEN regarded this matter as
one in which the people of Lewiston and that
immediate vicinity are more particularly in
terested. The opposition to the bill, as far
as he could see. rested upon principle which
he considered a most dangerous one-a prin-
ciple fraught with the most pernicious conse-
quences to the people of the State of Maine.
This bill is opposed because it is said that it
will interfere with the vested rights of anoth-
err corporation. 1t is argued that the Maine
Central have the exclusive right to all the
trade and traffic of every town along its line.
He did not believe that this corporation has
any such right. 1t has a right to be protect
ed in the enjoyment Of its tracks, depots, and
all its property, and there it ends. 1t has no
other right, no more than a steamboat COM
pany has. 1t would be as consistent to pass
an act that only one boat shall run between
Boston and Bangor, as to say that no other
railroad shall be built from Lewiston to Dan
vile junction. He did not mean to say that
parallel road is under all circumstances to
be granted, but when a charter for parallel
road is applied for we are to look at the pub.
lie interest, not the interests of a railroad
corporation, or the vested rights which they
pretend they have. He thought it ridicu-
lous proposition that when a road is charter
ed that an implied pledge is given that they
shall not be interfered with. When railroads
nlort t1ax, t,Ga t11air aha Al,
same as any other corporation. The only
question here is, does the public interest re-
quire this road. If the public in the vicinity
of Lewiston and Auburn require it they have
right to it, although the people in another
part of the State may have to pay a little
more for sending their freight. The cities of
Lewiston and Auburn are peculiarly situated.
They have no water communications, and are
compelled to depend upon railroads entirely.
They must have grain from the West and
cotton from the South, and it needs but a
glance at the map to show that the Maine
Central is not at all adapted to develop those
two cities. The Central road runs east tc
Bangor, but they send or receive nothing
from that way. They must look to the WesI
for all their produce, or from Portland on the
South. Going into Portland by the Maine
Central the merchant does not find those ia.
cilites which he finds when going in on the
Grand Trunk.
1t had been said that the Maine Central
cannot pay the interest on its bonds. Would
the legislature tie the healthy community OF
Auburn and Lewiston to the consolidated
corpse of a bankrupt railroad corporation
He trusted not. We have been appealed to
to protect the widows and orphans that have
invested their all in this road, who are these
widows and orphans1 He thought the largest
Of fl,a ID
Is he widow or an orphan? A gentleman in
Portland, who is worth two million dollars
to-day. is large stakeholder. What was
heF He would figure as the principle orphan.
AS had been said, citizens of Portland did
own stock in the Maine Central. They put in
their money, not so much with the expecta-
ton of ever getting it back, as for the devel-
opment of Portland. 1t benefited that CITY
then, for then passengers came in by the way
of the Grand Trunk and were landed in the
business part of the city, But now the gauge
had been changed and they come into the city
far from its business, and are sluced off onto a
road which takes them to Boston. He referred
to his favoring the Maine Central loan bill when
it was before the House, and said that he
could not believe then the arguments that
were used against ii, but the opposition to
the bill before the House looked as if those
predictions were to be verified. He trusted
that the bill would be passed, and give the
gentlemen of the Maine Central to under
stand that this State is not like New Jersey
Mr.. HUNT asked leave to withdraw his mo-
ton to Indefinitely postpone and explained his
reasons. He understood that the Maine
Central were willing to pledge themselves to
lay third rail, and with third rail, and the
accommodations now afforded it seemed to
him that it would be all that could be asked
for. He favored reference to the next Legis-
lature for the purpose of giving the road an
opportunity of doing all the people of Lewis
ton asked for.
By consent the motion was withdrawn, and
the same member moved that the Jill be re-
ferred to the next Legislature.
Mr.. FEssENDEN opposed the motion.
Mr.. BROWN favored the motion and said it
met with his cordial approval. He did
not intend to make a speech but what
he might say might be more in the
nature of statement Of facts. His
mind went back TO period when there was
no railroad from Bangor westward. Twenty
years ago the people in the east were DESTROYS
of having railroad connection with the out
side world. The first movement in this direc-
4. ~. LII, d.,