The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1888-02-22


and Lake Megantic. An amendment of its
charter, made on the 25sh of February,
1851, authorized the CORPORATION to lease or
sell its lire Of road and property to any
ether railroad company, domestic or for
elen.' The purpose OF this amendment
was to enable the Canadian Pacific Rail way
Company to build and operate a portion
of its transcontinental line on United
States soil. Toe same act of the amend.
ment changed the Maine compsny's name
to the international Railway Company OF
Maine. A subsequent amendment, made
on the 14th of March, 1887, extended to
the roads lessses or purchasers the time
within which it was to be completed to the
LIST of January, 1889.
THE road, property and franchises Of
the International Railway OF Maine were
sold to the Canadian Pacific Company and
are now owned by that com pany, and this
British corporation is building in hurry
the most important portion OF its entire
line, on and across United States territory
without the permission and almost without
the knowledge of our Congress.
1.-THE Gulf of st. Lawrence is closed by
ice for nearly six months in the year. 1t
is the commercial necessity OF the Domin-
ion OF Canada to have free access to the
winter harbors of her maritime provinces.
A map of North America shows that the
constructed and located line of the Cana.
dian Pacific Railway is the straightest aud
shortest from the Pacific ocean to the At
lsntic. The railroad system of the State
of Maine connects with all the great winter
hsrbors of the Dominion's maritime pro-
vinces. The shortest and cheapest cut
nom Montreal to all these harbors, and
particularly to Louisburg, on the island of
Cape Breton, lie by the line of the Interns-
tional Railway of Maine from Lake Me-
gsntic to the Mattawamkeag river. OF all
the ports on this continent, Louisburg is
the nearest to Liverpool. Tue Canadian
Pacific Company has already published the
trip distance through this harbor, from
Vancouver on the Pacific to Liverpool in
England, to be only eleven days. There.
fore the Canadian Pacific, which is the
Canadian Government on wheels. encour-
aged by the past, and confident of the
future, has determined to take and use
six rod-wide-strip of the State Of Maine,
in order 10 accomplish this shortest
route and best connection, and to trust to
British diplomacy aud American politics
for sanction of this seizure of the soil OF
the United States
"Maine exceeded her e'srights'whe
she authorized one OF her railroad corpora
tons to sell its property and franchises 70
foreign corporation, to be used and en-
Joy ed within her boundaries. Only the
Federal Government, acting through the
Congress and the President, can confer
such authority on a foreign corporation.
Commerce between any OF our States and
foreign country, and foreign commerce
across any of the States, are exclusively
within the power and control of the gen.
ersl Government. The States can not deal
with such foreign commerce at all. 1t is
the veriest exaggeration OF lawlessness on
the part of the Maine Government and the
Canadian Pacific Railway Company under
which this British corporation claims the
right to construct and operate q railroad
on United States territory.
ut has not the shadow of right to do it.
So wholly destitute of right is this pratt.
cal corporation, that if, instead of buying
and finishing an Uncompleted Maine rail-
road for its commerce with Europe, ii had
leased such a line, it could not law
fully have transported goods over
1t to Halifax, Piotou or Louisburg.
The first paragraph OF the. ss yet,
unabrogsted twenty-ninth article of the
treaty of Washington covers imports into
and exports from ports OF the United States
and not Canada, The right of free transit
from Canadian ports through our territory
conferred BY the second paragraph Of that
article, attaches only to Importation
destined for the United States and not for
Canada, China or Japan. Certainly this
right of free transit does not confer on
Great Britain the privilege of bulling
railroads or constructing canals within
the territory Of the United States. In like
manner, no authority can be got by the
Canadian Pacific Railway to build and
operate a road in Maine out OF the
thirteenth article of the treaty of Wash
iDgton, which was killed by the partial
abrogation of the treaty and the treasury
order Of Daniel Manning, but was resur-
rGcted and held to be in force for the
benefit of the Dominion government on
wheels. That was simply a continuance to
enable Canadian railroads to participate
in the inland commerce OF the United
States, to carry freight from one point in
our territory through Canada to another
point in our territory, but not to Cana
dian port and thence to Europe.
''No, the State of Maine has no more su-
thoTity to legalize the operation by Can
adam corporation or railroad within her
territorial limits than she has to suspend
the navigation laws of the United States,
on her coast, and admit Dominion vessels
to coastwise commerce in all her harbors.
Indeed, IL it be conceded that, under ex-
listing treaties and laws, the Canadian Pa
cifc can build or operate a railroad across
Maine. the light Of that corporation to
build branches from its trunk line south.
ward into all of our-States and Territories
must also be conceded. We call upon our
Government to summarily suppress this
invasion of United States territory by the
Canadian Pacific Railwsy Company"
Close of Bis Trial.
TUrff Eah nnvffa oct