The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1872-02-08
BY TELEGRAPH.
AUGUSTA.


THE LEWISTON AND AUBURN RAILROAD.
AUGUSTA, Feb. THE discussion ON the bill
to charter a railroad from Lewiston to Danville
was the leading topic in the House to-day. Mr.
Hamilton of Biddeford, opened for the Maine
Central and declared this Company gave Lew
iston and Auburn ample accommodations fol
business, better in fact than any cities east Of
Portland. Mr.. Hamilton consumed much time
in the elaboration of his position. Mr.. Perkins
of Auburn followed. He denied that the bust
ness of Lewiston and Auburn was properly &C.
commodated. The large manufacturers needed
further facilities The NJ. G. r. r. depots were
lily located to accommodate business. The
freight coming over the Grand Trunk was de-
layed and the arrangement in regard to change
able gauge cars was failure and had been
abandoned.
Mr.. Farwe1 of Lewiston, argued that the
proposed road would not be parallel to the Maine
Central Its only object was to lift from the
enterprises of these cities the difficulties under
which they labored.
Mr.. Webb of Waterville, said that the rail-
road scheme was virtually takin $350OOO from
the earnings of a road that had never paid a
penny of dividends to it's stockholders and Civ
ing it to foreign company and to manufactur-
ing companies that madeEE2S per cent. dividends
annually. He dwelt with something like pa
thos upon the struggles of the Maine Central
in the years past Its stockholders had suffer
edland the Company had sacrificed itself for
Lewiston and Auburn, ingrates that they are
Mr. Webb delt largely in statistics and con-
sidering his case it is conceded to be the ablest
speech delivered in the present Legislature.
THE PECK BOND CASE.
The Committee on Claims had under consid-
Grafton this afternoon the petition of Messrs
Dow and Cummings to be released in part from
their liabilities as bondsmen of B. d. Peck, de-
faulting State Treasurer Messrs. Kingsbury
and Strout of Portland, and Bradbury & Pills
bury, appeared for the petitioners and Attor-
ney General Reed for the State. Mayor Kings
bury opened the case for the petitioners. Gen.
Neal Dow and Hon. Fred. N Dow testified be-
fore the Committee. The Attorney General
then opened the defense. This occupied the
afternoon until six o'clock, when the Commit
tee adjourned until tomorrow afternoon The
law and equities are all on the side of the State,
it would seem from the presentation.
THE REPUBLICAN CAUCUS.
The caucus for the election of delegates to
the Philadelphia Convention was adjourned I'M
til Wednesday evening of next week.
HEARING OF THE BATH AND PORTLAND PETI-
TIoNERs.-sUPREMACY OF THE MAINE CEN
TRIAL DECLARED. le
The Railroad Committee this afternoon gave
a hearing to the petitioners for a charter for a
railroad from Bath to Portland. Messrs. Lar
rabee of Bath and T. H. Hubbard of Biddeford
appeared for the petitioners and Judge Rice and
Hon. j. w. Bradbury for the Maine Central.
Mr.. Larrabee said that Bath needs further
and more direct communication with Portland
and the West in order to increase in property.
Bath had no control of the line by which it
now reaches Portland. Several of the promi-
nent citizens of Bath testified as to the impor-
tance of the road as connecting link in the
through line from Bangor to Portland and for
and Independent and competing road to the
Maine Central.
Judge Rice said that the principle of parallel
roads was involved in the petition for charter.
He was confident that his road amply accom-
modated Bath without being taxed to one
tenth of its capacity He claimed that when a
railroad furnishes ample accommodations, it is
entitled by its charter to the protection of the
state There was no necessity for another
road. The Maine Central can give better and
.baanar facilities for tho axtans;on of tho Knox
& Lincoln Railroad than new line could nos
,ibly do. The Station AGENT at Bath was called
IN for the statistics of business of the road from
Rath The f;oures shows the earnings tn he |
s54 900 tx This will; not nav half of the ex.
nanse IF runp;no a sen.r.ta rood |
Mr.. Hubbard said if this charter was not |
granted. the Maine Central would nut a ruin
ous embaroo on the shore line business and nre-
vent it being a tbroupb line. He ablv urged