The Portland daily press., 1882-04-27
What Can the Reason Be2

Mr.. EDIToR:-Under the last city admins
tration the friends of temperance in Portland
had occupied the City Hall on Sunday even
ings free Of charge for temperance lectures, by
many OF the pastors of the city aud neighbor-
hood. Under every city administration hither-
10 this practice has prevailed. The Republic
cans, Democrats and Greenbackers always
have the free use of the hall, whenever they
wish it, unless it is engaged
Soon after the present administration came
ia, application was made, in the usual form, to
Mayor Libby, as in the case of Mayor Senter,
for the use of the hall, and it was refused.
Then petition for this purpose was taken
to the Mayor, as follows:
To the Honorable, the Mayor of the City OF
Portland:
eral charge Of the City Hall is lodged with the
| Mayor who may allow the free use thereon Tor
| any peaceable assembly of citizens, on applica-
| cation being made in writing by seven legal
| voters"
And, whereas, the undersigned believe that
| great good to our citizens generally has come
| OF the christian temperance meetings hereto
| fore held at City Hall on sabbath evenings,
and that by continuation OF the same thous-
| ands thereby may have an opportunity OF lis
| wise might be walking our streets.
| The undersigned, legal voters and citizens OF
Portland, respectfully ask the free use OF City
| Hall on the evening of April 10th, inst, 1or
| the purpose of holding Christian temperance
| meeting, and also on such other Sabbath even
| ings during the ensuing municipal year as the
| committee having the matter of said meetings
| in CHARGE may desire from time to time, as
they deem proper, and are able to procure the
services of clergymen and others to address
| the same.
Portland, April 6th 1852.
| W. W. Thomas, Francis Fessenden, A. e.
| S tevens, George Walker, BENZ. Kingsbury,
Bion Bradbury, Joseph A. Locke. WIN. A.
Goddard, j. J. Gerrish, Francis X. Swan, Ra-
fus HI. Hinkley, J. S. Palmer, f. G. Messer.
Nathan Cleaves, Henry B. Cleaves, james u.
Fessenden. Henry w. Swasey. I. FL. Haskell,
| Clarence Hale, w. w. Thomas, Jr., W1lliam
Henry Clifford.
These names are of our most respectable and
influential citizens, five of them being ex-may-
ors, and two other ex-mayors would gladly
have signed it but were absent from town.
j The list of names might have been increased
by thousands. After a delay of a few days
the petitioners received the following note
from Mayor Libby:
Cry OF PORTLAND.
| MAYORS OFFICE, APRIL II, 1882. }
Hon. w. W. Thomas and other petitioners:
Dear Sirs:-At meeting of the joint stand
ing committee on public buildings, held at this
date, it was voted,
That it is inexpedtnt to grant the free use
Of City Hall for temperance meetings on Sun
day evenings. Yours truly,
G. f. LIBBY, Chairman
The people may ish to know who these
men are who assume to say to these petitioners
that to grant their request sis inexpedient
They are Charles f. Libby, Marquis f. King
Thomas Shaw, VIM. McAleney, and David b
Kicker. Cemmentif unnecessary. The above
is the answer to the thousands who are almost
daily asking, When are we going to have the
Sunday evening temperance meetings again.
| S. l.. @.