The Portland daily press., 1873-01-20
The Bath & Portland Charter.
THE UNFAIR STATEMENT OF THE HEARING
IN THE BOSTON PAPERs-soMErHING OF
MR.. HUBBARD's ARGUMENT.

L. |
AUGUSTA, Jan. IS. 1873.
10 the Editor Of the Press:
Much comment of a very unfayorable char
acter is made here over the fact tn 1t the cor
respondents of some of the Boston papers
here represented made very full report of
the objections urged by Judge Rice against
tie proposed 4'ath & Portland charter before
the Railroad Committee, while they neglect
ed to state the very cogent points made by
Mr.. Hubbard in answer, at the same hearing.
What the nducement to this grossly partizan
style of reporting may have been is Of curse
known only to The re orters themselves, and
to the managers of the Maine Centrs Rail-
way, in whose interest the report was evident |
ly made, but think ordinary fair play de-
mands that an opportunity should be gwen to
place before the public some statement OF the
arguments of the other party, although it
will be impossible to do justice to the brilliant
oratorv with which Mr.. Hubbard illumined
the terse logic of his argument, as am COM
pelled to write rom memory and ,an present
only general points made, and that very i'm
perfectly. Judge Rice based his argument
largely upon the fact that the bush: ess be-
tween Bath and Portland did not REQUIRE
another line of road. He further commended
against the policy ST chartering parallel lines
OF railroad as violation of the plighted faith
OF the State to protect capital invested in ex-
lStlng lines, and that upon mature reflection
he allied to conceive what reason even the
vivid imagin ton of his friend Hubbard could
discover for the granting of such a charter.
In his reply, Mr.. Hubbard said that when the
M. c. R. applied for charter to build a :oad
from Danville Junction to Cumberland, it
was possible that the manager of the Grand
Trunk Railway-sitting in his office in Mon
treal-passed through a similar mental strug-
gle in trying to discover the reason for that
charter to build a railroad parallel to his own
between two points, where the local business
| did not demand it and could not pay the in
terest upon the cost of a single half mile of
Dad. He thought, however, that as the idea
flashed through the mind of the Grand Trunk
Manager, that ] .dge Rice wanted that road
built as an extension of his own to perfect it
as through and Independent line-the rea-
sons for that charter became more obvious.
So here as the light gradually .lawns upon the
mind OF the Judge, that the Bath charter is
wanted, not to accommodate the local BUSH
ness between that city and Portland, but as a
last aud necessary link in chain Of railroads
TO make another through and independent
line from Portland to Bangor-to thee con-
meet with line to the British Provinces, the
mental struggle he had undergone to discover
the reason for this petition would cease to
disturb him. The Bath charter being grant
ed; the building of the Bay and River road il
assured. Divide with the Maine Central the
| business of Bangor and the business OF the
| e. & N. A. road with all its connecting lines,
add the business OF the Bay and River and
| the Knox and Lincoln roads, and Of Bath it,
| self. and in this grand aggregate we haze the
| true representative of the business to be done
by the Bath and Portland road. As it now is,
the lines between Boston and Bangor are alb
solutely at the mercy of the maine Central.
Judge Rice was candid CROUCH to admit his
paternity of e Knox & Lincoln road, and
its Importance to his line as a feeder. This
aspiring boy, though justly proud of his par
entage, has now arrived at years of manhood,
and desires to be free, but the Judge is seek
ing to hold him in leading strings for fifty
years more, blythe contract which he urges
was so generous.
Along the Bay and River line one of the
aims of our civil policy had been accomplish
ed. Towns, cities and market places had
been built up and contained community of
people, free, active and enterprising, who
now sought better facilities for development.
The same spirit that inspired the advance
from the rude bride path to the common road
and turnpike, now demanded that improved
highway-the railroad. The tendency is to
ana communication,
MIR. Hubbard further urged that no remon-
ssrances agains the petition had been pre-
sented. The Maine Central Railroad appear
ed as the only obj ctor-p' anting itself square.
in the pathway of the successful develop
nent and growth of the towns and cities
| along the Bay and River. Before the practi-
eal consolidation of the old M. G. and P. &
K. roads, the latter, with Judge Rice at its
head, looked with great favor upon plopos-
I'd through line from Portland to Bangor
Ilong the shore and river; but now such
inc would be formidable rival to his OWL
consolidated lines-h,n- e, in this new light,
public policy" seemed dead against the char
Ter prayed for. A shore line once built, and
he ,Maina Gantrol ol.o n a..
eeders and branches as to maintain sovereign
power in the State. Judge Rice had argued
N favor of general railroad law-it was the
Judge who first proposed and sought to make
law the first general railroad bill ever urged
IN Maine. He now claimed that, because the
Legislature fused such law, the Stete was
committed against parallel lines. Not so.
The right of eminent domain was, by the
general railroad law, delegated to our Com
nssioners and former Legislatures felt that
was quite as safe to trust the represent
atives of the people; for, under law such
IS had been proposed, it was possible, or
eemed so, for powerful trunk line to. pre-
'ent the building of any more railroads in
Maine. This was the cause Of the defeat of
general railroad bills hitherto, and not an OBJ
j'ction to parallel lines.
Mr.. Hubbard replied fully to all the objcc-
tons urged against the petition, turning many
OF the points very happily as well as conclu-
sively against the directors. Bis speech re-
seived the highest encomiums on all ha, DIS, as
mastery effort. Unhappily, no report of it
was made of the time, as those who were
supposed to be reporting it failed to give it,
inc have made this fragmentary abstract
from memory. OBSERVER.
WASHINGTON GOSSIP The Boston Tran. |
s'ripfs special of Saturday says: