The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1888-01-23
SOLDIERS MONUMENT.
Meeting of the Soldiers and Sailors
Association Saturday
The Society Votes for the Removal
of Old City Hall.

OF Otu City TaHs
A special meeting of the Soldiers and
Sailors Monument Association was held at
Army and Navy Hall on Saturday evening
for the final determination of the question,
before asking for additional plans and esti-
mates, whether the structure to be erected
in Market square shall be monument or
memorial building. There were present
about I50
The meeting was called to order by the
president, Gen. John Marshall Brown, and
the secretary, Mr.. c. w. Roberts, read the
published call, stating its purpose. Gen.
Brown then read from the records of the
previous meetings the proceedings which re-
suited in the calling of this special meeting,
and then said;
These records will sufficiently explain, 1
think, gentlemen the position in which we
are. The Association, at its annual meet
ing, required the executive committee to
procure plans for monument and plans
for memorial building utilizing the present
structure In Market square. The executive
committee at its first meeting decided that,
in their judgment, it was inexpedient to re-
model the old City Hall, and asked that
there should be final decision before solic-
iting plans; that there be meeting of the
Association specially called to determine the
question as to whether or not it was desra-
BILE to build in Market square monument or
memorial building. This, in brief, is the
question to be submitted to the Association
tonight"
Mr.. Charles E. Somerby inquired if it
would be in order to take any action in re-
gard to the records of the last meeting
The president replied that this was spec
ial meeting of the Association, called for a
special purpose. The annual meeting had
been adjourned for eight weeks Ito March
5th), but he presumed that there could be no
objection to having the records of the for
mer meeting read if desired
Mr.. Somerby did not desire particularly to
have the records read, but stated that if in
order, he would like to offer a motion in
regard to them. He would move to expunge
from the records the vote passed at the last
meeting on motion of Mr.. George e. Brown
that the executive committee submit report
of designs for monument, as well as for a
memorial building. at an adjourned meeting
of the Association to be held eight weeks
from that date March 5th)
Mr.. Geo. E. Brown stated, that as he was
the member on whose motion the vote refer
red to had been passed, he should decidedly
object to the present motion.
Col. John G. Cobb suggested that the mo-
tion was not in order, and could not be en-
tertained.
The president stated that the motion was
not fairly before the meeting. Mr.. Somerby
then read his motion, and asked to be al
lowed to explain.
The President-The matter before the AS
ISOLATION Is that in the nature of special
business. This motion is one to alter the
records OF the annual meeting. The Chair
will decide that such a motion is not in or
DER, nor is discussion upon that motion in
order. Ii the gentleman desires to appeal
from the decision of the Chair, he can do so.
Mr.. Somerby did not press the motion,
which was evidently intended to relieve the
committee from any action under the vote to
which it referred.
Mr.. Richard X. Galley said: Mr.. Presi-
dent-Some years ago call was published
for meeting at City Hall of all persons in
terested in the object of raising funds for
the erection of soldiers monument. At
that meeting | believe. sir one hundred and
thirty-seyen dollars was raised by subscrip-
ton. / claim the honor of paying the first
dollar into the fund. 1t was only one dollar,
but it was the first one that was paid. AL
though not Portland born boy, / have al
ways taken a deep interest in this matter,
from that day to this. In all our struggles
to raise this fund, the object in view has al
ways been soldiers monument, in honor CT
those who died in the defense of our coun-
try. There has been no question raised at
any time, by any person. but that this struc-
ture should be soldiers monument, until
recently. The question was. first, upon
site for the monument, and that was selected
by vote-the largest vote that was ever Civ
en- for any object in this city. r'he question
hot fC -. Ior.o
vote. We then petitioned the legislature for
an act to enable us to vote legally upon the
measure, and the legislature granted us that
privilege. kWe voted upon it, and it was de-
clded by vote Of seyenty-fye per cent of
the entire vote polled that the site for a SOL
diers' monument should be in Market square.
On the 9TH of April the members of the city
government met in Old City Hall, under that
act, for the purpose of condeinning that
building as site for a public park. We
waited there an hour and fifteen minutes,
during which time no man raised his voice.
or entered protest or remonstrance in any
way. in opposition to it. We heard from no
one, with the exception of Mrs. Thurston,
and she did not come up the stairway. 1t
was then voted that the building should be
condemned, and torn down at any time after
SIX months at the request of the executive
committee of the Soldiers and Sailors Mon
unient Association, not for a Memorial Hall
Association or an Old City Hall Association,
put ioI tuc oUiultTS anu 0dllOrS monument
Association (applause). Mr.. President, /
would that the request had been made on
October 18th. think / speak the sentiment
Of nine-tenths of the soldiers and sailors of
the city OF Portland when say that we want
the monument In Market square (applause).
think speak their sentiments when say
that we will bid God Speed" to any gentle
man who will be liberal enough to build
Memorial Hall for us ON any other site. But
now we want monument; we do not want
ma r1Cfx trt,A
ing monument in honor of those who died
in the defence of our country.
Mr.. President | have been requested to
present the following resolutions:
Resolved. That this Association agree with the
executive committee that 1t is inexpedient to re-
Reso,Ued. That the executive committee be,
and hereby is directed to ask the mayor of the
ci ayy 70 remove the Old City Hall before May 1,
Resoleed. That It is the opinion of this Associa-
ton that monument should be erected on the
Market Square lot as soon as the contracts can be
made.
Mr. President. move the adoption of the
resolutions, and the motion was seconded
from all parts of the hail.
The president inquired If the resolutions
should be acted upon separately or together,
and Mr.. Galley moved their adoption as a
whole.
Ex-Mayor Deering said that before the
resolutions were adopted he would like to in
quire, in order that the matter might be
thoroughly understood, whether the mayor
has authority to remove the Old City Hall,
or whether 1t is the-city council that has the
authority. In reply the president read from
the act the section stating that 1.-THE mayor
shall, within six months after said date,
cause the building upon said lot to be re-
moved at the expense of the city,"
The resolutions were then adopted by
vote of Sc to 7. The vote was received with
great applause, and three cheers for the Sol
diers' and Sailors Monument.
On motion of Mr.. p. III. Brown, the meet
ing then adjourned