The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1879-05-16

lions the opposite of those which she had
urged against the line of the Magaguadavic.
This strange course elected the animadver-
sions of Mr.. Jay.
But when the Schoodic was fixed as the
true st. Croix, it remained to determine its
source. The commissioners on both sides
agreed that it was at the waters of Round
Lake, a sheet of water ten miles eastward of
the Cheputnecook lake. How it happened
that the latter lake was substituted in the
final report for the former was what the writer
had never been able to find out
The next question in regard to the islands in
Passamaquoddy Bay was settled in 1917
against the United States of course. While the
award was greatly Objectionable and unsup-
ported by the treaty, it did not such gross
violence to its terms and history as di d that in
respect to the St. Croix
Then came the question of northwest
angle of Nova Scotia and the highlands. For
twenty years subsequent to 1884, when the st.
Croix was determined on there had been no
denial of the American claim. Indeed, in
the negotiations of Jays treaty, it had been
insisted upon by England in aid of her argu-
ment for st. CroiX river west of the
Magaguadavic. During all this time Massa-
chusetts had enjoyed unquestioned jurisdiction,
had conveyed lands had made surveys through
Park Holland, extending far north of the st.
John, almost to the highlands and which
failed of completion only for lack of provi-
sions, map by Osgood Carleton, all before
"iN S"SAt '''NNt~> SA"A'S w VIVIAN
academies
But by the close of the war of 1872, Great
Britain had discovered something more than
she had known before of the importance of a
road between her lower and upper provinces,
but she did not demand it as belonging to her
but fully acknowledged our title. and asked us
in 1914 to consent to variation of the line,
and to make 'cession" of ''small portion of
unsettled country necessary to connection
between Quebec and Halifax" But finding
| that no oncSoD or variation woull ba obtained
by the American commissioners at Client,
| Great Britain contrived to get clause in the
treaty-the 9th article of Ghent-providing
| that if in running the line the commissioners
| of the two countries should not agree, the diff
ference should be opened to a friendly SOW
ereign.
Here was a great advantage. Britain could
and did prevent running of the line, and
sought arbitration. Them came the long tug
of war, lasting for more than quarter of a
century. And now arose the claim that the
Highlands were at Mars Hill.
Following the course of events after Maine
became state Mr. Washburn referred to and
quoted from the message of Gov. King in 1926
| and those of Gov. Paris in 1922, 1928, 1924,
1925 and 1926, and gave the changing aspects
and fortunes of the questions through the terms
of Gov. Lincoln, whose devotion to the inter-
ests and honor of the state was so engrossing
and complete as to make his name a synonym
for both, and who denied the right of the gov
eminent by treaty to cede our soil or transfer
| our people to foreign power without the con-
sent of the state, telling Mr.. Clay, the Secre-
tary of State at one time, that "Maine had not
been treated as she had endeavored to de-
serve,' and at another that his state eff called
on to make the required sacrifice will be COM
PEELED to deliberate on an alternative which
will test the strictness of her principles and the
firmneSs of her temper"
The paper, which was unfinished in the
morning. was continued in the evening and
contained pretty complete history of the
question through its various aspects and rela-
tive, embracing somewhat detailed account
of the King of Holland arbitration, the legis-
lature secret session, the Aroostook war and
the Washington treaty.
SIR WILLIAM PHIPs.
A biographical paper on Sir William Phips,
the first governor of Massachusetts after the
union of the Maine colonies with the Bay col
ony, was read by Mr.. William Goold of Wind
ham. An abstract of this very interesting
paper will appear in our columns tomorrow.
Thanks were voted to Mr.. Goold for his valua-
BILE contribution.
In speaking of Sir William Phips, Mr.. Goold
traced him from his cradle on the Sheepscot to
his grave in London, with the haps and mis-
llapS Vi HIS TOututlC Career, WHICH Included
the eventful period from 1850 to 1854, during
which time occurred the loss of the first Massa-
chusetts charter, the revolution in the govern
ment by the deposing of Gov. Andross, the
arrival of the government ships with the new
charter, the prosecution for witch-craft, and
the pardon of the accused by the government.
The paper occupied nearly two hours in the
reading. A sample of the first continental
money, issued in February, 1890, was shown in
connection with this paper.
EDWARD KENT.
Gov Washburn read memoir of the late
Judge Edward Kent written by Judge Godfrey
Of Bangor, of which the following is an alb
stract:
Edward Kent was born in Concord, n. H.,
January S,1S02. He was the youngest son and
sixth child of William Austin Kent, native
of Charlestown, Mass, who settled in Concord.
His mother was native of Sterling, Mass,
and sister of Prentiss Mellen, the first Chief
Justice of the State of Maine. Of their four
sons and four daughters there are now living
Col. William Kent, aged 81, who re-
sides in Concord; George Kent, aged 81, now
a clerk in the Treasury Department at Wash
ington. Edward was educated at Harva I'd Col
lege and was graduated in 1921 at the age of
10. Among his classmates were Ralph Waldo
Emerson, Josiah Quincy, Robert w. Barnwell
once member of Congress, and president of
the principal college of his State (South Caro-
lina), Charles w. Wyman, once member of
| Congress from Massachusetts, and Judge Ed
ward ID. Loring. He was qualified to the law
under the instructions of Benjamin Orr, one of
Names most eminent lawyers, and under
| Chancellor Kent, and entered the profession
| we'll grounded in its principles. He settled in
RaOo in 1904 Tbpra hon or1x 1ourx
| there besides himself The others were Allen
| Gilman, Samuel E. Button, Jacob McGau
| John Godfrey, William d. Williamson and
| Thomas A. Hill, He loved his profession for
the intellectual labor it involved but he sought
| to avoid its drudgery, and therefore for sever
| al years, since the beginning of everyone s
practice must be largely of this latter descrip-
| tion he did much less than he might have
| done in his profession He was an occasional
contributor of political articles to the news
| papers during these years. In the Spring of
| 1927 he became, along with many others, in
| terested in the struggle of the Greeks for in
| dependence and was Secretary of a public
meeting held in Bangor for the purpose of
| aiding the cause of the Greek patriots In
| the same year Mr.. Kent was admitted as an
| attorney in the court of Common Pleas and
| appointed Chief Justice of the Court of Ses-
| sons. He held this latter office from the April
term 1927 through the December term 1928.
| About this time he formed a copartne rship
VIII ooIolIldH l. hOSeIS, Attorney Gen6fdl OIL
| State, and this connection contin ued two or
| three years. He next associated himself with
the late Jonas Cutting and this partnership
continued for eighteen years. The style of the
firm was Kent & Cutting.
Mr.. Kent's popularity in his adopted town is
indicated by the fact that he was elected to
many important offices. In the years 1928
and 1929 he was elected to the legislature on
! the Wing ticket, beating Gorham Parks the
Democratic candidate. He was twenty-six
years old when he entered the Legislature He
| first made himself conspicuous by opposing the
annexation of the town of Argyle to the Ban
| gor district. The question finally got into the
| Supreme Court, and here Mr.. Kent triumphed.
| In 1929 he delivered the Fourth of July grafton
in Bangor By local commentator of the
! time the Grafton was pronounceda "chaste and
eloquent production, breathing the sentiments
| of enlightened patriotism, unsulled by the bit
terness of party spirit, and worthy of the day.
| Bangor became a city in 1884 and Mr.. Kent
was its second Mayor succeeding Allen Gil
man. Amos NJ Roberts was his opponent.
In 1887 he was reelected by an increased ma
| iority. In his second inaugural he took strong
grounds against intemperance and, to use his
own words. trusted that no legalized and licensed
drinking will be found in our limits" In 1886
| Mr.. Kent was the Wing candidate for Govern
or but was defeated by Robert P. Dunlap, the
| Democratic candidate. In 1887 Mr.. Kent was
| renOminated AGAINST GOrham Parks NIaipa