The Portland daily press., 1885-02-23
PRICE THREE CENTS.

Hon. William L. Putnam said: I suppose
the gentleman will strike out of his resolution
or preamble the fact that they wers adopted az
legal meeting of the citizens OF Portland.
Mr.. Chapman.--I have no objection to shat.
MR.. PUTSAM's REMARKS.
Mr. Putnsm.-If that is done, have moth
ing to say about the merits of the resolution. I
do not think it concerns me, but desire to say
in this connection that 1 object to the unfair
way in which this matter has been put 10 ths
newspapers and about the streets Of the city,
and TO the unfair way In which the gentleman
puts it here tonight. He says this means some
thug, and yet he doesn't say what 1t means.
say, Mr.. Chairman, IL means this: That
there has been a statute of the State OF Maine,
passed by the unanimous consent OF the citi-
zsns of Portland, over seven years ago, by
which the city council OF Portland has had the
power of selling this road for seven years. Il
means nothing to undertake to get q bill
through the legislature which dehnes and
makes clear that power which has existed here
for seven years. The bill has been printed in
the newspapers for three weeks aad no gentle
man suggested that it was desired to pat upon
this bill any amendment Of this sort
until my friend Mr.. Chapman
appeared in Augusta with his amendment the
other day. The bill had been loaded down
WIN dmSuum6uN1 anu Q6VlCod OF WhklOAN
kinds and when this one came there, as was
informed today, as q new matter IL was q sur
Prise. The mere fact that it was not received
OF adopted affords no excuse or justification
for charging the gentlemen who prepare cd the
bill with attempting TO trick the people OF the
city OF Portland. tell you that bill means
simply this: Whether this road shalt remain
in the hands Of these trustees or whether 10
shall go into the hands of a corporation Of
which the city Of Portland controls a majority
81. NN L. IL
says aud | desire to repudiate the insinuation
that the bill means something which does net
appear on its face. L have nothing to say
about this question. i did once appear here
for the Canadian Pacific railroad, but my re-
taner long ago ceased aud 80 long as am
counsel for the trustees should not accept q
retainer from any railroad who desired to pur-
chass this road IL wou.d net be becoming or
dt for me to do it. When l came before the
City Council OF Portland for the Pacific rail-
way coald have carried the scheme with the
people of Portland without hesitation. But
the gentlemen who looked into it, Whe
wanted 10 make q good trade for ths
city, who looked at it carefully aud
considered it in all its bearings-I found
them in the City Council. At that tins
there was an act existing which authorized the
City OF Portland to sell. 1t s on the statute book
tOday. The city council Can sell the road Mon
day night il il sees it. But it was found al
that time that the city of Portland had no
flXuJ 10 itdses duu III was luOuRnJ ootLof fOf tu@
Interest OF the city that IL should have that
right. And it was found thst only one rail-
road in or about the city OF Port taud had the
right to buy or accept a lease OF the road. 30
Wnen this bill was prepared it WaS drawn TO
authorize the city to lease as we'll a. sell end 70
authorize any railroad foreigu or domestic, 10
purchase.
MIR, Chapman said he had no intention OF re-
Ascting upon any body, and thought no had 30
stated. He thought Mr.. Putnam had scssd
squsrely toward the city.
Mr.. Putnam asked II Mr.. Chapman had sag
gested this amendment TO anybody connected
with the road, or to anyone employed in draw
ing the bill.
Mr.. Chapman said he suggested 1t to City
Solicitor LOoney on the way to Augusta.
Mr. L0Oney made a personal explanation.
He didn'G recollect that Mr.. Chapman men-
toned the amendment 10 him. He thought
Mr.. ChaDmaO's speech before the COMMITTEES
was in judicious aud ill-ad vised that he made
a brutal and indecent assault upon Senst1r
Vescott, aud thereby antagonixsd the commit
tes.
don. John W. Dsering thought that II
would be safe TO leave the matter to the pso-
pie and favored the resolution.
Mr.. Chapman took the floor and replied to
Mr.. LooRey. Hs said that the brutal assAult
upon Senator Wescott consisted ia giving the
committee the inside history OF tue sale OF the
Portland & Rochester.
Mr.. Nj. G. Palmer said he should for one
ilbb 10 NJtc on INC dai0 Ol huc Euau.
Gan. Neal Dow saw no harm ia adopting the
resolution II the proposition to sell lease the
ro.d is a wise and good one there wO1ld be 10
difficulty in persuading the people of Portland
to vote in favor of II. We shall be sure Ihen
to have no bargain that will not be for the in
terest of the city.
Hon. Charles Mclaughlin favored the reso-
luton. He was glad that the business men Of
Portland has one man who can speak for
them, man who Can hold his own against
. 9al.. int oa4r
If there is any thing ambiguous or dangerous In
the bill be was opposed to it altogether. He
would go farther than Mr.. Chapnan's resolu-
tion and favor ratification By q two-thirds
vote OF the people.
Mr. Woodbury., OF the firm of Woodbury. u
Latham, was iu favor of the resolution and
submitting tue matter to the people.
Hon. j. w Desiring said he was struck By
the remark of Mr.. Mclaughlin aud he would
move to amend the resolution by changing the
word "nlsj1rity" t0a "two-third's vote OF the
people," which motion was seconded and car
ried.
Mr.. Elias Thomas, tho Mayor. and Mr.. Pat
nam referred to the floating debt. Mr.. Pat
nam said that the OBI action TO the bill spoken
of by Judge Webb would be- disposed of with
out any trouble. That the amendment
amounted to nothing for the portion Of the
debt that it covers would have been paid any
way.
Hon. G. W. True said that we onoe had .
large il not good assortment OF railroads, but
as we are almost out of them now he thought
it behooved us to be careful Of the one ws
have left. He had heard frequent ing niries In
regard to this company and that, and psrticu-
larly in regard to how the Boston b Maine and
Eastern stand on this question and what they
think OF it, Yankee-like he would answer
thar question by asking another-how does the
cat stand on the cream question:
Mayor King said that prominent gentle
man desired him to make the suggestion thai
the Grand Trunk and Boston & Maine are in
terested in keeping the Portland & Ogdensbarg
in lis present incomplete condition, and thaB
these hostile interests might prevent sale OF
the road by appealing 20 the passions and pre-
judicss of the people II the ratification was
left to them.
Mr.. Chapman withdrew the words "assena-
bled in town meeting under provision Of the
city charter"
Mr.. Chapman's resolution was then adopted
by rising vote. He then submitted the follow
iDg resolution: which was adopted:
Voted, That the Mayor and a COMMITTEES # thirty.
consisting of A. A. otrout, Charles ,. Chapman,
John Q. fSi-chell. Malcolm r. Hammoud ". X.
Hilton John W Deering, Sylvester Mari, Ii. $.
L.ugLlin, ID. W. Kenseli, w. l.. Alden, Il. ii. Bur
gess, Wm lrOtt King. Chas. Henry Chase, Lsonsrd
Williams. Sidney w. Tnaxter, Geo. s. Hunt, Prem
tiss Loring, Jos. f. biabon, Ii. IL. shaw, ii. A.
FLETCHER, ii. +. Dewey, Z. X. Doten, q. a. Rice,
kich hsrt o. C)nant, Charles j. Walker, Daniel 4.
visit Augusta ami to that the T.. & o. bill nov
pending with the amendment adopted At this meet
ng be passd 0y the Legislature AZ The present ses
sion:
Adjourned.