The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1885-11-03
In Joint Convention.

Papers from the lower board received con-
| current action.
There being no further business the
Board adjourned.
In Joint Convention.
The request for joint convention was ac-
eepted by the Lower Board.
Oscar Skillings was elected weigher of
hard coal and plaster, Alderman Gallagher
casting the vote of the convention.
The following communication was then
read by Mayor Deering.
To the Board of aldermen and Common Council
| Gentemen-After the exhaustive discussion
that has been participated in by those who favor
voluntary organization under the old charter OF
| ing the right of redemption to expire; such a
| diversity of opinion has been engendered, that
any plan Of reorganization that requires nf;Hn uaanl
and consequently it appears that the right OF re-
| demption will be allowed to expire upon the 18th
accept her proportion of stock issue represent
| ing million or more dollars of stock than the
road is worth or could be built and equipped for at
Added to this stock issue will be the incum-
brance Of the first mortgage bonds, (S800,0eol
the receivers certificates which will amount to at
least s25O,0o0 more, and may be largely in excess
of $500, 900.
1t being my duty to present to you these mat
ters and also to recommend such measures as the
interests of the city may require, desire to say,
after mature consideration that under either plan
est that the city owns in the r. & o. r. II. is care
fully protected there can be any immediate dan
ger of the city losing control Of the road. But
have believed that by the voluntary plan, and the
proposed reorganization under the old charter,
that the city would have securities In her treas
Because ii the citys ownership is secured by
mortgage, such mortgage must be satisfied before
subsequent claimants could enforce their 1udg-
ments.
Upon the other hand if The city accepts (as 1t
must the issue of stock if the road is reorganized
as now seems inevitable under the foreclosure
plan, the value Of the stock will be questionable,
simply owing to the fact that all subsequent debts,
obligations and claims Of every kind must be salts
fed before the stock.
1 therefore suggest that such resolutions be
prepared and adopted by the present City Council
as will draw the attention Of our successors In
office to the desrabiity of memorializng the
Legislature, If such permission is necessary for
authority to scale down this great stock issue to
an approximate actual value. The details OF what
VIII or may be requested OF. OF tne Legisiature @ 10
gest and develope. also suggest that the court
be requested when the proper time arrives to ap-
what the relative individual interest is that shall
belong to the holders of the second mortgage
bonds, who will become under the foreclosure the
owners of the road.
1t may not be inopportune if / recommend the
p & o. r. R. as soon as purchaser can be found
that VIII III pay @ p RfSe Se for the p nd
with the interests of the city Of Portland.
j. w. DEERING, Mayor.
On motion of Alderman Noyes the May
or's communication was accepted and order
ed spread upon the records of the city.
The Mayor stated that he had listened to
the discussion in the Lower Board upon the
order instructing the City Solicitor as to his
course in regard to the laying out of ferry
way on Portland Pier, and wanted to be un-
derstood as in favor of general landing |
place for the islands as well as Cape Eliza |
beth. He did not favor Portland Pier as
such landing place. A public landing new |
exists at the foot of Thames street and If |
this one ferry line is taken into considera- |
tion it should be made to 60 to this place, |
but if other parties are to be taken into con- |
sideration, there are plenty Of suitable plac- |
es. The petition in favor of Portland Pier |
has been signed by many under misappre- !
hension and by others who are influenced by |
personal motives.
Alderman Gallagher requested, as mem
Der of the committee of conference, an ex- |
preston of the views of the Common Coun-
ell. The Aldermen expressed themselves as
opposed to the petition but the Common
Council took no stand.
The convention then dissolved.
In Common Council.
Absent, Messrs. Simonds and Mcclellan.
Papers from the upper board received con-
current action.
The records were read and approved.
Mr.. Roberts offered an order that the COM |
mittee on unimproved real estate report at |
the next meeting whether the terms and con-
siderations of sale have been complied with |
since the adoption of the rules requiring the |
erection of dwelling house on lots sold, |
within a yaar altar the deliuary of the deads-i
Referred and sent up.
When the order in regard to the, suit |
against the Name Central was read, Mr.. |
Shaw moved to lay it on the table, on the
grounds that the promise to bring the shops
here was very indefinite promise, made in
an ambiguous way by parties in the past,and
also because it would be absurd for the road
to move $3.50, 900 worth of property from its
present location, when the city was already |
getting larger amount in the way OF taxes |
for the property than it ever received before. |
Mr.. Woodbury. said he had seen the deed |
of the property, and that it was a provision |
airy deed, in which it was promised to bring |
the shops here as a consideration Further,
the City Solicitor had informed him that the |
ney for the Maine Central virtually admitted |
the same to him. He (Mr. Woodbury. thought |
it but common honesty that the land should |
be returned. There was no antagonism |
towards the Maine Central; it was simply |
treating them as any business men would |
wish to treat each other.
Mr.. Shaw thought the attorneys could ar |
range the matter amicably, without suit.
Mr.. Shaw's motion did not prevail and the |
order passed in concurrence.
Mr.. Somers offered an order to lay cross
walk from Marion to Washington streets.
Referred in concurrence.
The order for the City Solicitor to oppose
the landing of the Cape Elizabeth Ferry be-
fore the Commissioners, Nov. 10th, was
amended in this board, by striking out all
after the word water, SO that the order should
read, by insertion of the words 'to protect
the city's interest" that the City Solicitor
appear and protect the city's interests. Mr..
Briggs argued that he thought the company
should have a show, for they were entitled to
it, and many Of the Cape people had busi-
ness here, and many of our wealthy taxpay-
ers supported the project.
Mr.. Wilson opposed on the grounds, not
that he was averse to the company having
landing, but that the city should build it.
The Ferry company was doing business for
its own profit like any other, and should
build its own landing.
A committee of conference was appointed
consisting of Aldermen Noyes and Gala
CHER, Messrs Briggs, McMahon and Wilson.
The committee reported that the. majority
were in favor of adopting the original order
The board rejected the report of this COM
mittee and voted to adhere to its former ac-
tion.