The Portland daily press., 1873-11-18
Annexation Meeting.

10 the city OF Portland, so the meeting adj
jourued to the Council Room, where it was call
ed to order by Mayor Wescott.
Mr.. Wescott gave a brief review of the stu
alton, and called attention to the resolutions
which were under discussion at the former
meeting. He asked for full, free and fair
discussion of them, so the City Council, at its
meeting in December, might understand the
state of public sentiment upon the subject of
annexation.
G. e. Jose, esq.,. was the first speaker of the
evening. Mr.. Jose thought the scheme of an
nexation was meeting with very general favor.
There YVES no necessity of meetings to create a
public sentiment, for there was already pub
lie sentiment in favor of the project unmstak-
ably developed The City Council was already
well posted in the matter. The speaker in part
accounted for the small attendance by the fact
that the holding of a meeting this evening
wasn't well understood. He moved the passage
of the resolutions.
j. T. Emery, esq.,, wanted to know what
part of "Pooduck" is to be annexed to Port
land. Does it take in Lousy Lane? Portland
has no need of Pcoduck. You have to go over
a mile of water to reach it, and then you come
to a shore line of flats two thirds of the way,
and the other third ledge. Show us what part
of PoOduck You want to annex. 1t is another
Ogdensburg scheme to sink the money Of the
city. don't believe in annexing Cape Eliza
beth to what Hon. G. P. Kimball calls the
"Island of Portland" How will it benefit our
city? 1t don't improve our harbor and that is
what makes us. These merchants who are the
H. :~~k@r
there, but the great body of the people haven't.
Mr.. Emery repeated the name "Pooduck" with
great junction. rolling it as a sweet morsel under
his tongue. He took occasion to remark fire.
quently that he was six feet high when Port
land received her city charter-which was
probably The reason why the charter was
granted.
Mr.. Higgins of Cape Elizabeth, took strong
ground against annexation. 1t cuts up the
town badly. Many of her citizens will have to
60 through Scarborough or Portland to reach
their own town house. The majority of her
inhabitants are opposed to the project. I have
seen but four men who favor it. All want to
be be annexed if a part are; for the water
front is the soul and heart and sinew of the
town. Take that away and you take every
thing. This is grievance of Ferry Village
Ferry Village has bled the town for sewers all
she can, and now she wants to bleed Portland.
-Four thousand dollars have already been ex-
pended for sewers there, from which the town
has received no benefit. Cape Elizabeth has
expended $4,000 for this ungrateful village. See
what line of division has been drawn-a line
which would make the clearest headed man in
Portland dizzy to follow. The debt has been
misreprssented. The bonded debt of the town
alone is $4,000. just as the manufactures
and the dry dock are coming in to help pay this
debt they are taken fsom us. Cape Elizabeth
can furnish sidewalks and sewers if required.
Incorporate the village and let them hire police
men.
Mr.. Jose suggested that the question was not
what Cape Elizabeth thinks of annexation, but
what Portland thinks. There is evidently an
issue between the harbor people and the agri-
culturists. Harmony does not exist, and this
is further argument for annexation. Mr..
Jose reiterated his arguments in favor of the
adoption of the resolutions, and rebuked the
levity of Mr. Emery in speaking of Cape Eliza
beth as "Pooduck,''
Mr.. Emery disclaimed any intention of rdi-
Guile. Portland has land enough. Her area is
not half covered with houses If there be an
exodus of her citizens, as has been sid, it is
because of high taxes. The water front is suf-
fcient. You would have to excavate above the
Ferry to make suitable landings on the Poo
duck side. If there is money in wharves on
the Cape Elizabeth side, they will be built, an
nexation or no annexation.
III IT Carfar did not boI;avo -,
any new towns until Portland could do better
with her own. We have got to supply these
towns with sewers with sidewalks, with gas,
with police, When we need tc increase our own
supplies of these. Let men of experience from
Portland and from the adjoining towns decide
this question, and don't attempt to carry it
with bands of music.
Mr.. Mayberry said he didn't want Portland
to build bridge to Turner's Island, costing
$4,000, or to substitute ferry steamer He
thought the Cape Elizabeth manufactures
should help pay the debt of the town.
Nathan Webb, Esq, complained that there
was insufficient notice of the meeting. Since
the last meeting he had seen no arguments adj
vanced or statistics given on Ell ther side, of the
question which would justify immediate &C.
cation of diminution of interest then the
question will wait. If the few numbers pres
ent be because of insufficient notice, then the
consideration of the question should be post
poned until more can pass upon it. The ac-
ton of few ought not to commit the city
There is force in the argument that the city
should control both sides of the harbor. This
union should not be consummated under false
impressions. If Ferry Village expects the city
to make extravagant expenditures for her ben
fit she mistakes. On the other hand this bug
bear of increased expenditure should not fright
en- the citizens of Portland. We should con-
slider both sides of the question. The case had
not yet been fully stated.
The chairman then suggested that as there
seemed to be some misunderstanding in regard
to the time of the meeting, and that as the COM
mittee OF the City Council wanted full express
sion of sentiment this meeting be held of no
account, but that the last meeting be consider
ed to be adjourned to Friday, Nov. 2Sth.
Mr. Jose was willing this one shouldn't
count" and withdrew his motion, defining his
position at some length.
Mr.. Higgins denied that the farming interest
of the town was willing to let the shore line
go.
Mr.. Webb did not believe in going before the
Legislature, like children, and asking permis-
sion to do a thing before we know whether we
want it done or not. In the town meeting where
the people meet and discuss their affairs, the
question can be better understood than in the
city of Portland.
Mr.. Jose spoke again at length.
After few remarks by Mr.. Webb. the meet
ing, in accordance with the suggestion of the
Mayor. was adjourned to Friday, 2Sth.
Rays Poems.
THE CHRISTMAS TREE" is now ready for de-
livery by the publishers, Dresser, Mcclellan &
Co. The author of this collection of poems,
which we last woek reviewed from the ad-
vanced sheets, is F. M. Ray, Esq, of this city.
Mr. Ray, weo graduated from Bowdoin in the
class of 81, was quite distinguished while at
college for his marked poetical talent Since
graduation he has devoted himself to the study
and practice of law, diversified only by a visit
to Europe, where he spent 2 considerable period.
The book is an elegantly printed apd bound, red
edged, little volume of 4S pages and is sold for
the ,,o,w price of 70 cents.
wEpprNG..-Dr. Shailer's church was opened
Co..