Daily Kennebec journal., 1875-02-08

|
| w oolsons description OF that magnificent valley
of the lofty FL Captain, the Great Chief oftle Val
| ley.
The lecturer gave a superb description Of the as
cent OF the party along a narrow ledge OF rock, on
the face Of the precipiee, TO giant summit oppo-
| site, where the broad cxpanse of table land was
| spread before them, and the valley was lar be-
| meath them, the table land from which, extending
miles to the north and the south, the mighty
peaks CT the Sierra NevGda3 rose everywhere,
| snow covered and SILENT looking like gitttrng
billows Of white and frozen sea. The dosclip-
| ton of the valley in wintei-closed seven months
| in the year-was also fine, and when the lecturer
ended with her departure from these glorious tenn
| pies OF the Lord, IN the hGrt OF the mountain
lands, warm applause from her hearers c1ihccd
| their appreciation Of the lecture.
The Prhlic LANDS Of the state.
| The Land Agent, Hon. P. p. BnrleiSh, will in
his forthcoming annual report, give list CT the
large sales Of land made the past year. and the va
riou, expenditures on reads and bridges. The
line between Maine and New Hampshire ha. been
surveyed its entire length, and suitable and en-
| during monuments established.
The court has rendered decision sustaining
the State. title in the logs and teams seized in tic
numbering operations upon Township No. IL, r.
g. The replcvia suits brought against the Land
Agent for timber cut on the public lots in Silver
Ridge and Oakfeld plantations, and seized by him
as ,respass timber, have been disposed Of in sat
| isfactory manner. The only other suit now pend
ing in connection with the State lands, is that IL
vov ing the legality Of proceedings in the organi-
za!ion Of the plantation Of Nanceboro, SO as to
limit the hight Of the party to cut under his deed
| from the State There are certain claims Of set
tiers the "dpatcd territory, that remain unset
b, tied.
The Swedish colony, introduced originally into
this State in 1870 continues to thrive, and to give
satisfactory evidence ofts final success. The fist
years Of such enterprise are attended with more
or less CT dlscourageRieGt; but these discourage
| ments are gradually melting away, and the colo
nists are becoming cente1ted and happy In their
new home. few families have been added
the past year, the crops have been extremely
abundant and the colonisis have been very fortu-
nate in gathering them in. Some who >trayed Oil
to the Western States, have returned satisfied tha
they can do better here. During the past season
about 500 additional acre. OF land have been ieed
and Icleared for next years crop, and many i'm
provements made upon the buildings. About 10
farms in all lave TINS far been taken up by a.
many different families anu single men, and some
1000 acres in all brought under cultivation, The
| whole population now actually on the territory
being about 600 Besides this quite number Of
Swedes have gone into other parts OF the State,
| and prove very industrious, temperate inteli-
gent and honest population. The colony now
| embraces the entire township OF New Sweden
and also parts Of the adjoining tow Wnship Of Wood
land, Lyndon and Perham.
About 100000 acres OF timber lands remain to
be guarded and oyerseen, until payments are made
| for the same, or lands sold and money received
therefor
a slow bat constant success has attended the
settlement Of our vast public domain; about forty
townships have been so far settled that
interpretations into towns or organization into
plantations have already taken place, and OF lers
will soon follow, 5il Ola acres having been thus
far actually taken up by about 900 families.
| Number Of acres thus ssttled or taken up daring
the past year, for which new certificates have been
grated, has been 3,326, and during the same
time 10 23S acres have been conveyed to those
| whose previous contracts had been satisfied by a
performance of their settling duties. The towns
and plantations that have grown up under the fos-
terng care oft the state, through its land Office show
pre- sent population Of ahoEt 20,450 souls. The
present number OF acres remaining unsold and un-
settled in The townships thus set apart is about
$4,000. The settling lands of Maine among
the richest in New Ecgland, and If properly hus-
| banded and cared for, the enter pie Of peopling
them with rica population must prove successful.
The Land Agent is confident that the services of
| the department cannot at present be dispensed
with. Paid into the State treasury, the past year,
from this department, S64 65622.
Value of lands contracted to actual settlers
by land certificates, during the past seven
years, SllS,G0627; lands contracted 10 swedish
| immigrants during the same time, s,lS,309 lands
Il |.
| The constitutional Commission.
On Saturday, Mr.. Rust presented report in
form, entitled election of fGovcrnorby plurality
as follows Section l. The Governor shall bc
elected by plurality of votes given in by the
qualified electors.
1t further provides that Article }, part /, of lie
constitution, be amended by stlkns out the word
majority" whore it occns, and inse!t plural
ity' wherever it occurs.
Adopted-7 to 3. Mcssrs. Gilbert liebey snd
Robins voting no.
The same gentleman presented report entitled
''eection of Senators by plurality Section first
provides that Senators shall be elected by a plu-
rality of the votes given by qualified electors,
and further provides for striking out the word
| majority IN sections four and five, part second,
where it occurs and inserting instead thereof, the
| word "plurality". Adopted--S to . Messys. Gul-
bert and Robins voting no.
MIR. Pike presented report eatltled LAND
| Agency" rs follows: Section 10 of art of the
amendments is hereby amended by striking out the
words "Land Agent and". Unanimously adopted.
As the result Of a long discussion, the follow
ing was unanimously adopted as a substitute for
section Ii, heretofore given:
Section /. Corporations shall be formed un-
der general laws, and not be created by SPECIAL
acts of the Legislature, except for municipal pur-
poses, and in cases where the objects OF the cor
porations cannot be otherwise attained; and such
corr orations and those now existing shall forever
be subject 10 the special laws of the Safe, except
| as far now exempted.
The section for which the above is substituted
is as follows
Section IA. Corporations may be formed un-
der general laws but shall not be created by spec
ial acts of the legislature, except for municipal
purposes, and in cases where the objects of the
corporation cannot be otherwise attained under